All the Murmuring Bones made a lot of really interesting points about fate and family and gender, among other things. I thought Miren's interactions with her grandmother and servants/surrogate parents to be complex and touching, but throughout the book, I found that the story seemed to get a little lost on the way. The beginning was a bit slow, and there were quite a few supernatural occurrences that I didn't think really fit in with the rest of the story. The latter half of the book was definitely my favorite and I preferred that segment of the story to the majority of the beginning. The ending was not quite as satisfactory as I would have hoped, but it was overall as good of an ending, I think, that Miren was ever going to get. The prose was really beautiful throughout the whole book and it was really easy to get lost in the writing.

Really good and well thought out book. I really enjoyed the concept, characters and execution. Thoroughly recommend it.

All The Murmuring Bones is a wonderful, captivating story that pulls you into the life of Miren O'Malley as she deals with the fallout of her grandfather's death. Miren is the last "true" O'Malley in a long line of a once-strong family dynasty with a dark past of inbreeding and fallen fortunes. But Miren's parents died when she was only 3 and she is the last remaining O'Malley with pure enough blood, raised by her grandparents in an old, crumbling mansion. When her grandfather dies, her grandmother strikes a deal with Miren's cousin to marry them into his vast fortunes, restoring the O'Malley name and fortune to its former glory. Not wanting to marry such a horrible man against her will, we follow Miren as she tries to escape both her complicated grief and her betrothed.

Slatter builds a magical world that feels more like magical realism than a full-on fantasy world--in the best way possible. Magic and magical creatures are revealed bit by bit throughout the novel with frank introductions and descriptions rather than a grand explanation in the beginning of the novel, like some. Personally, I loved the slow build of finding which magical creatures lurk in the world of Breakwater and beyond. Magic has been moved to the furthest shadows in the world because of the Church, and it serves as a rich and beautiful backdrop to Miren's story rather than the sole focus. Miren does not possess any particular powers beyond basic witchcraft, which she explains as most people--particularly women--having the ability to do in this world. She meets magical creatures that feel real and fleshed out rather than caricatures, weaving chance encounters that are quite unforgettable and still serve to move the plot along.

The story peels back mystery after mystery of Miren's life as she searches for truth, reminiscent of novels like Mexican Gothic and Rebecca with its strong women and lives filled with twists and deceit. Slatter is a magnificent storyteller, luring the reader in one direction to a natural conclusion that reveals itself to be anything but. All the Murmuring Bones should be an instant hit and classic among fantasy horror fans, striking a perfect blend of unnerving you while keeping you hooked like a fish on a line. You won't regret picking this one up and curling up by the fire with it. Just make sure to give the sea a wide berth.

Thank you to NetGalley and Titan Books for providing me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I was having trouble sleeping the other night and thought I'd start this book, read a few chapters and fall asleep. Well, that did not happen. I couldn't stop; I read through the night and finished the book. This was such a wonderful escape from current events; I was very much living in the book, not in the present. I enjoyed the writing, the strong female characters, the plot, everything about it. I'd give it 10 stars if that were an option. I'll definitely be reading the author's prior books.

All The Murmuring Bones is a dark, gothic, atmospheric story that weaves both folklore and fantasy together to create a sumptuous treat. The stunning prose works wonderfully and brings this story to life. From the first page you’re drawn into a new world and the family secrets that surround Miren. This book has it all, action, danger, intrigue, and a well formed main character that is strong and feisty. Miren having grown up with her grandparents and the myths and tales of her family the O’Malleys.

This story revolves around Miren finding out the truth of her background and uncovering the dark family secrets to which she is bound to. I loved the blend of folklore and the chapters where Miren recounts stories from her grandmother’s book. The darkness interwoven throughout the story is exceptionally well done and it draws the reader deep in making them invested in the outcome.

This story had everything for me and I look forward to reading more for the author. Her command of language and how she is able to engage the reader and have them turning the pages late into the night is exactly what I love in an author and this book is an easy five stars for me.

3.5

All the Murmuring Bones is indeed reminiscent of Katherine Arden and her Russian folk trilogy. However, I'm one of the few who didn't find Arden's novels gripping - they were meandering and had too many episodic things that didn't add to the wider story. All the Murmuring Bones does sometimes feel a little bit alike in that fact. It too details a lot of stories that don't always become more deeply entwined with the main storyline.

The opening too, while lovely in its descriptions of the house and the family was perhaps slightly too long. Although perhaps this will weed out the readers with the patience and appreciation for beautifully described things and the slowing affect this often has on plot. I find myself somewhere in the middle of these two kinds of readers. I would be sad to lose some of the stories such as the evening when our main character has to test her wits against three angry ghosts.

Overall, this was an atmospheric and uniquely realised story of a young girl coming in to her own power and attempting to throw off a bargain/curse of her family.

Many thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

“There was salt in her veins just as there is in mine. The sea mourns when we die, we female O’Malleys, for whatever reason. Perhaps because we produce the children, the tithe we feed to the waters. Perhaps that’s why we are a loss. And all the waters in the world are joined.”

Rating: Really Enjoyed, translates to 4 stars

This book was such a fantastic read. I read through it really slowly because I have had an insane week at work, but if I had had the chance to just sit and devour it, I’m sure I could have done it in an evening. It is compulsively readable and deliciously dark and atmospheric.

What is it about?
This is a story following Miren O’Malley. She is the last of her family’s “pure” bloodline, and that is a thing that is to be prized. Her family used to be one that was bountiful and found success above all others, but it has fallen into debt and ruin. She lives with her grandparents on a dilapidated estate, waiting patiently for the time to come when she will be free of her obligations to the family name. However, Miren’s grandmother has other plans for her, and Miren must find a way to remain free.

What I liked:
- There is an element of the fantastical and monstrous woven throughout the base story. The O’Malley family has a book that is filled with accounts from their ancestors about how different events came to happen. These tales are filled with creatures, such as mer, selkies, sea queens, and all a manner of maritime folklore. This was EASILY my favorite part of the book. The LORE was phenomenal. Probably one of, if not the best, book I have read to date that incorporates tales of these creatures. I feel like usually they end up being cheesy romance stories that I despise, but this! No, this was certainly not that. This has all the darkness that a lot of those original tales hold. The lore that makes up Miren’s family history is dark and twisty and intertwines seamlessly with the story as it progresses. It was so perfectly atmospheric and just incredibly well-executed. I LOVED IT.

- I loved seeing Miren’s growth throughout the book as well. She dealt so well with all a manner of fantastical creatures as she makes her way through the story. It was fantastic. There are elements of witches, curses, corpses reanimating, ghosts, and it’s just so fun watching her navigate everything. I wouldn’t say that her character has the depth I normally look for in favorite characters, but the setting of this book more than made up for that.

- I felt like some of the twists I saw coming, but others I did not, and I was left guessing right up to the reveal, which I absolutely love! So that was another element that I really appreciated in this story.

What I didn’t like:
- I felt like at times, there was more of a leaning towards telling rather than showing, but part of that just seems to go along with a first person POV. It wasn’t over the top, and the setting and the lore more than made up for it.

- There was a lot of repetition of certain ideas and phrases. Some of the times, like with the idea that all the waters of the world are joined, it just added to the folktale feel of the story. But other repetitions ended up feeling like an unnecessary reminder in case we didn’t catch it the first several times. This was not a huge complaint, but something that did end up pulling me out of the story from time to time.

- My only other big complaint was that I didn’t connect to the characters very strongly. It didn’t feel like they had enough depth for my tastes. Now normally this is a MAJOR issue for me and I will walk away from a book feeling that it was fun but forgettable or just alright. So this should be an indication of how phenomenal the world building and lore is! I truly loved it.

So. Overall, I highly recommend this book for anyone who enjoys folklore, dark and atmospheric world building, and/or stories to do with the sea. All the Murmuring Bones releases March 9, 2021. Reviews will be posted to my Goodreads page and Instagram account in March, per publisher's request to hold reviews until publication month.

Thank you to NetGalley and Titan Books for the opportunity to read this eArc in return for an honest review. This did not in any way influence my opinions.

All the Murmuring Bones by A. G. Slatter sounded absolutely right up my street! A dark and gothic original fairy tale? Featuring mythological water creatures, especially merfolk? Exactly my cup of tea! Unfortunately, All the Murmuring Bones was a crushing disappointment.

First of all, the description had me thinking that Miran's grandmother was going to try and sacrifice her to the mer, despite being an adult. This is not the case. Instead, she tries to force her into a marriage with a rich and abusive cousin. This is, of course, terrible, but considering it's a historical fantasy, it's not exactly surprising. It turns out that Miren actually knows of the sacrifice made to the sea of a child each generation. This isn't some dark family secret; while no-one else knows, it's common knowledge in the family. But she definitely doesn't want to be sold against her will to a violent man, so she runs.

And that is pretty much the story for the first three quarters. Once Miren is on the run, she spends chapters and chapters trying to get somewhere called Blackwater, a place no-one seems to have heard of, where the only directions are North, more or less. And very little of any real import happens for so long. That's not to say nothing happens. There are instances of potantial danger along the way, but I failed to see the point. The did not further the story; they were not important to the plot. Take them out, and the story would not be effected. These kinds of things are meant to be removed during editing - if it's not important to the story, it doesn't need to be there. But without these instances - of which there were maybe three - we would literally have just chapters and chapters of Miren travelling with absolutely nothing happening. So while, yes, we have ghosts, and rusalki, and an automaton with maybe a soul trapped inside (the latter of which I was very intrigued by and thought would probably have a point), none of it really matters, except one as a convenient plot device. And each of these moments is so incredibly short, it barely breaks up the monotony of Miren's travelling and being stuck in her head.

Because a lot of the story is Miren thinking, and she is so very annoying. And I personally feel she wasn't written very well. She is melodramatic and desperate, but in a way that had me constatly rolling my eyes. The situation she finds herself in is terrible, and I should care; her reactions, her emotions should have me feeling for her. I should feel sympathy, concern, worry, but she is written in such a way, that I just wanted her to give ti a rest. She is thinking, all the time, constantly asking herself questions. But it's literally question after questions; there's no, "I consider..." or "I wonder..." or even "I think about..." It's just an excessive amount of questions. The same questions are repeated, as are other thoughts and ideas. Over and over. It's just monotonous. Honestly, the only reason I kept reading is because the story was quite a quick read, so I got through good chunks of it in short spaces of time.

The story finally picks up around the last quarter. Things finally get moving, and the real mystery of the story is discovered. My interest was piqued. But while things started to get interesting, Miren ends up figuring things out with the barest evidence. She's back to thinking again, asking herself questions, and deciding what she believed to be the truth - and being right - with nothing pointing in that direction. It was just ridiculous.

I did like the various fairy tales that Miren tells herself, memorised from a family book, of various water creatures. They were quite short, though, and I would have preferred them to be longer. But again, for the most part, they weren't really necessary to the story. Most of them could have been removed. It's through the stories she tells herself that we find most of the mythological water creatures in this book. It's not really about them; not even the mer play a huge part of the story. The story is Miren escaping and finding out a family secret. The mer are there because of a pact made long ago. That's it. It was reading the author's note though, that finally made things fall into place. All the stories told, plus other aspects of the story that didn't really amount to anything, plot-wise, are stories Slatter has had published in short story collections. All the Murmuring Bones is a novel set in the world of two of her short story collections. These elements weren't needed, but were included anyway, because All the Murmuring Bones is a vanity project. This monotonous story where nothing really happens for a lot of the time was written to give Slatter's short stories more meaning. I personally think it failed.

All the Murmuring Bones just didn't really work for me at all. I really didn't enjoy it. But just because I didn't, doesn't mean you won't. Do read other reviews before deciding whether or not you'll read it yourself.

Thank you to Titan Books via NetGalley for the eProof.

Trigger/Content Warnings: This book features violence against women, murder by burning alive, and mentions of forced marriage and incest.

Because English isn't my mothertongue it was hard to really get into the story. It is written in an older version of the English language and thus a little bit harder to read. But that use of the english language kinda set the mood for the book wich I really liked. I liked the combination of history and fantasy elements. I really loved Miren as a character and her development. Suprising and fun book.

I started to read this on a cold, snowy, Colorado day. It was perfect.
I’ve said this probably a million times lately, but books that take place on ships are really giving me life lately. Add in mermaids, and you have me set.
Problem was, there really wasn’t a lot of ships on the high seas or mermaids.
The premise for this sounded so intriguing and I went in thinking I would love this.
I did like the story, but I think I was expecting something a little different.
It starts off kind of lackluster, so I couldn’t get into it for awhile.
Then the pacing felt a little off. Some chapters were quick and fascinating, and then the next would be dense.
I definitely thought there would be more fantastical elements throughout this.
It’s certainly written beautifully, but I do kind of wish we focused more on the fairy tale aspects.

Book Review for All the Murmuring Bones by A.G. Slatter
Full review for this title can be found at: @fyebooks on Instagram!

A house sit's perched on the granite cliffs of Hob's Head home to the O'Malley's a once prosperous family. It is said that long ago the family struck a bargain with the Mer; prosperity and the safety of their ships in exchange for child from each generation given to the sea. Over the years the family was unable to keep their end of the bargain leaving the family near destitute. Miren O'Malley, the closest to pure blood, is seen as her grandmother Aoife's last chance to restore their family’s former glory. With a plan to use Miren's freedom as payment she makes a plan but Eighteen-year-old Miren decides to control her own destiny. Miren sets out on a journey to find something she though lost but danger lurks around every corner and her families past debts still need to be paid.

All the Murmuring Bones is a beautifully written and enchanting dark fairy tale full of magic and myth. As a child, Miren was captivated with the tales of mer-creatures, witches, and ghosts read to her from an old family book. She soon discovers the stories held truth as well as an unusual family history. She encounters several magical creatures along her journey to discover the truth about her origins. A strong feminist tale in which a young woman fights to control her own destiny by escaping her family and those who wish to control her. I love fantasy creatures, especially dark gothic tales so this novel was pure pleasure filled with mermaids, selkies, kelpies, ghosts, witches, and more. This dark fantasy does include sensitive topics including the murder of children and adults, physical abuse, marriage between close relations/incest, and sex. Although these topics may be sensitive, I felt that they were relevant to the plot. This novel has been one of my favorite reads of 2021 and I can’t wait to add it to my personal library once released. I look forward to reading more novels by this author in the future.

*I received a EARC of "All The Murmuring Bones" from Titian Books in exchange for anow honest review. *

Well, this was an interesting read. I like how the narrative style was similar to someone telling a fairytale.

A haunting and beautiful tale about families, ghosts and grief. We follow Aoife and Miren O’Malley, and their family full of secrets. They face destitution after a mysterious ruinous past. After Aoife’s passing, Miren embarks on a magical adventure that takes the reader on such a journey! I loved every page. I loved Miren’s desire for answers, family and to be away from those who sought to chain her.

I loved that the entire story is peppered with other tales. We see mermaids, trolls, sea kelpies, and the like, and they rear their heads to remind us of the sheer brilliance of the fantastical landscape that Slatter has created. This book truly took me to another place. Simply stunning.

To be hones I DNF this at 75% but I think that gives me enough to form an opinion since it’s almost the end.

The only think I liked about this were the short stories about the mer (even tho I feel like they added nothing) and the dark fairytale atmosphere the author creates.

Besides that I didn’t enjoy this books. It wasn’t what I expected at all. Mermaids? Not really. I also think the author failed to create a connection between the reader and the main character. And I didn’t really enjoy the writing that much.

I forced myself to continue in hopes that it will get better but it just didn’t so I dnf it for all the reasons I just said.

If you are expecting a story about mermaids, this isn’t it.

I’m a huge fan of fairytale books, regardless if they’re light and fluffy or darker and more gothic, and I loved this book! It started a little slow, but as soon as it picked up, I was hooked!

A gothic fairy tale.

All the murmuring bones was a really refreshing take on fairy tales. I loved the world it was set in - an almost Victorian era world full of magic and fantastical creatures. I would have loved the book to explore more of these other creatures as they sounded so interesting.

"There’s an old woman, though, with plans and plots of long gestation; and there’s the sea, which will have her due, come hell or high water; and there are secrets and lies which never stay buried forever."

This book really touches on how women were just there to be married off, unite families and produce children 'back in the day'. Our protagonist does not want this life for herself and shuns the society norms early on in the book. I liked the fact that she was a girly character, who did enjoy dresses and typically female hobbies, as often books with female characters who push against the norm are usually tom boy characters.

"Love is a barbed hook and family the line to which it is tied. It digs deep and sometimes trying to remove it entirely does more damage than simply leaving the obstruction beneath the skin for a scar to grow over."

The story was interesting and I could certainly picture this as a movie with all of the fascinating characters and places. I felt I wanted to spend a little longer in some of these areas. Some of the twists I could see coming but there was a few surprise ones too. The style of writing was also very palatable and it was easy to read big chunks of the book in one sitting.

All in all I did really enjoy this book and if you're a lover of fairy tales then I think you will too. I would have liked to know more about the other creatures, perhaps with the main character having to battle them/overcome them as obstacles etc.

Solid, gothic-ish story about the last scion born to a decaying house, the parents she never knew, and her escape from a marriage she doesn’t want. She’s surrounded by death and varying takes on mermaid and Gaelic mythos. There’s a fair few tropes this plays into, and while there’s only so deep the characterization goes, it’s a solid read and manages to wrap up fairly well. Definitely worth a look when it comes out.

“There’s an old woman, though, with plans and plots of long gestation; and there’s the sea, which will have her due, come hell or high water; and there are secrets and lies which never stay buried forever.”

For generation upon generation, the O’Malley family has prospered in their sprawling mansion on the granite cliffs of Hob’s Head. Their dynasty was borne of the sea: their history is murky (not by the whim of chance), and their fortune came at a price: an agreement with the Mer that, in return for the family’s prosperity and safety on the water, an O’Malley child of every generation would be sacrificed to the sea.

Time moves on, and promises are neglected. When Miren is born, she is the last of her line. Abandoned by her parents, and raised by her grandparents in the decaying mansion, she plans to leave Hob’s Hallow and let the O’Malley name die with her. Her grandmother, Aoife, has other ideas, however: she plans to marry Miren off, and use her children to reinstate the compact with the Mer. The O’Malleys will regain what is rightfully theirs, whether Miren agrees or not.

All the Murmuring Bones is a gothic fairy tale of dark covenants and magic, secrets, and betrayal. Miren’s attempt to escape the life planned for her reveals creatures from a rich tapestry of folklores, unlikely allies, and undeserved enemies.

The story gets off to quite an atmospheric but slow start, but does improve slightly once we get into the meat of the story. I found it to be over-long: the combination of the pace and the sheer level of detail just made the plot drag, and there are whole stretches of narrative where nothing happens, all described in painstaking detail. I found the depth of characterisation to be off, too. Some relatively minor characters are given great detail, but some main characters are left as two-dimensional ciphers.

With more finesse and heavier editing, I think this could have been a great story. Sadly, as it is, it just didn’t hit the spot for me.

I received an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! I absolutely loved this book. Miren is such a strong character. It’s easy to root for her when so much has gone wrong with her family. My favorite part is all the tales being told. I would love to have an additional book that just went through all the O’Malley stories.