All the Murmuring Bones is a gorgeously written tale about a young woman's quest for self-determination as she fights to unshackle herself from a fate sealed generations ago, when her family made a deal with the mer. I found Miren to be a captivating protagonist and I so admired her fortitude even as she was faced by overwhelming grief and loss. Though she was consistently underestimated, she proved herself to be more than capable of meeting any challenge head on. The O'Malley family fables woven throughout the book added a rich sense of history and helped elucidate the pressures and expectations on Miren for simply bearing the name.

Although there were mer-folk, ghosts, fae creatures and certain magics in the story, to me, the book did not feel so much a "fantasy" novel, as a story about Miren's personal journey with folkloric aspects woven in. The character development felt much more advanced than the somewhat sparse world-building, however I found myself not minding as I have a personal preference toward character driven stories and the prose writing was excellent.

Overall, it was a thoroughly captivating read that I didn't want to put down. I will definitely be looking to read more books by A. G. Slatter in the future, I'm excited to see what other stories she creates.

Thank you to NetGalley and Titan Books for providing this ARC.

All the Murmuring Bones by A.G. Slatter is a gem! A mesmerising fairy-tale like fantasy novel, peppered with uncanny watery faibles. It is the best book I have read in a very long time, I savoured it and I am still completely under the spell. I cannot recommend it enough!

We follow Miren, brought up in a decrepit mansion by the iron fist of her grandmother. She is the unique heir of a cursed family who owns their fortune to their bloody worship of the sea, and who might have sprang from the ghoulish mermaids themselves. The threats to Miren are multiple and dire. But she is a very strong 16 year old. Yes, this might be a YA novel but its depth, writing style, complexe storyline has nothing to envy from its breatherens in adult fiction. In fact, I think it goes beyond age jugement - it is a fantastic book, and despite her young age, Miren has the strong personality, reflections and the maturity of a grown woman. I really loved reading her story, thought process, and see her extricate herself from the most impossible situations.

The fairy tale elements are very much linked to the water world, from the sea to the fresh water encounters during her journey. Water almost becomes a character and we feel its dark crushing mysterious presence throughout. It is so very well weaved into the story, and manages to create so much tension. In fact after the first chapter the tension never leaves. You are caught in a grip, trapped like Miren and you feel like you are trying to kick your way out of it yourself.

This was such a great read I just let myself be carried by the prose. For once I didn’t want to pry at the seams to understand how the whole plot fitted together. I loved getting carried by the ups and downs and the adventures in the novel. The twists and turns and roller coasters are numerous and you cannot escape the suffocating tension. This is not a fairy tale for those who enjoy bright romances basked in magic. There is a lot of magic here, but it is the kind that keeps you keeps you awake and scared.

If you love mermaids, the type that eat people and turn to foam, fairy tale warnings with hungry monsters, bad deals and children abandoned in the dark, if you love historical fantasy and witchcraft then this is a book for you. I know I couldn't put it down and will be thinking about it for a long time.

A very entertaining read and a good example of original gothic folklore and fantasy!

A prosperous, influential, and highly-respected family of sea-traders and merchant kings has fallen into destitution, now reduced to a single household holding sway over nothing in a crumbling pile maintained only by a skeleton staff. When Miren, the youngest of the main branch of the family, finds herself embroiled in a plot to renew the family's glory in ways she does not agree with whatsoever, she discovers information that leads her on a journey putting her in contact with all sorts of interesting characters and perilous situations.

One minor issue I had with this story was that it felt like sometimes it lingered overlong on certain segments, which may be more of a personal taste issue than something the book itself is at fault for. The narrative also really does take place over a decent amount of geography, and sometimes I felt like the focus wandered from time to time, though the character interactions remain strong throughout.

Overall, a great read.

Once upon a time, there was a girl in an old house, surrounded by old legends, and songs, and promises. Her name was Miren O’Malley, the last of them all. The O’Malleys had been a prosperous family. Too prosperous, if one believes what was told about them. But time had not been kind, and the last of the O’Malleys could be the one to pay the price.
Once upon a time, there was a girl in an old house, surrounded by blood, death and whispers. And all she wanted was her freedom…

I can’t really say what made me choose ‘All the Murmuring Bones’ among all the readings I had in mind for this year. One could say there really was a mermaid song singing specifically to me. And even if the singing kind of faded towards the ending, I am really happy I made this choice.

I can say without any doubt that the first chapter, the story of the O’Malley family, was one of the best beginnings I read in a while. It set the tone to perfection, made me as a reader become involved with the fate of some people that were suddenly (in just a couple of pages!) very interesting to me. I loved to learn about their prosperous days, but also about the beginning of the end.

And then, Miren was presented to me, and I was very intrigued, because I wasn’t sure whether she would be able to fulfil all that I wanted in a protagonist after such a presentation, but she was, and she also surprised me more than once. And I believe she surprised herself as well, a trait that made her more real than any other character in the novel. Some of them kind of felt like drawings left unfinished, which is curious if we bear in mind the length of the story.
The pace changed a lot as well. The beginning was amazing, left me as a reader unable to put the book down. I just wanted to know more, wanted to see more. I was discovering a world that seemed quite similar to ours, but had some characteristics that made it irresistible. The mythology was rich and presented in little drops. Just in the perfect moment.

However, it reached a moment when the story began to drag, to feel too slow. Sadly, I must admit it took a toll in my reading and in my involvement with the story and when it got interesting again it felt kind of rushed, and left me with a bittersweet savour when the end arrived.

Nevertheless, I think I’d love to come back to this world, to find out more about its creatures and its people. And I would not mind if Miren was there to show me first-hand.

All the Murmuring Bones was a true gothic fairy tale. It's a bit slow and meandering, which will make it hard for some people to stick with the story, but I felt like it is worth persevering to uncover the full tale. It reminded me of classic Robin McKinley and Naomi Novik with minimal romance.

Content warning: murder, abuse, incest (O'Malley tradition to keep the bloodlines pure), child sacrifice

Miren O'Malley's family was incredibly prosperous due to a pact made with the mer which guaranteed good fortune as long as the family sacrified one of their children in each generation, but their luck has dwindled as the limited number of children in recent years has kept them from upholding their end of the bargain. Miren's grandmother is determined to bring the family back to what it was even if it means sacrificing Miren to a loveless marriage, so Miren must find a way to change her fate and find a better future for herself. Along the way, she uncovers family secrets, encounters numerous creatures from folklore, and learns what being an O'Malley truly means.

This story has such a great sense of Ireland and its folklore which was honestly my favorite part. Women using small magics based on hearth and home abounded, and there were numerous creatures from Irish mythology including kelpies, selkies, and of course, the mer. A.G. Slatter did a fantastic job developing the sense of place so I could easily picture the O'Malley home and all of the places Merin visits over the course of the story.

The biggest weakness to the story is honestly its length. It's a decently long book, but it felt VERY long when I was reading. Although I enjoyed the time spent getting to know characters and building the setting, it does make the plot progress slowly. The plot picks up about a 1/4-1/3 of the way in, but the slow start may be off-putting to some readers.

As another reviewer noted, the ending wraps up nicely if a little too neatly. I really liked how Miren developed over the course of the book and thought her ending was very solid, but having everything get taken care of so quickly at the end felt rushed especially after the pace of the rest of the book.

Overall, this is a solid gothic fairy tale with a very interesting plot, a wonderous setting, and complex characters. The story's pacing may keep casual readers from fully enjoying it, but I think it will be a good option for people wanting a fantasy story similar to classic Robin McKinley with all of its grim and dark parts.

“Other families might have stories of curses, cold lads and white ladies, but we have old gods, merfolk, and monsters” (p. 29)

“He says he loves me. But I am wary of love. He says he needs me. And I am weary of need. He is hurt when I don’t reply in kind; I’ve been finding he’s easily hurt. But he is gentle so I say something I hope he will one day understand. ‘I don’t need you,’ I saw, ‘I want you. That should be enough. That should be better because it means I’ve made a choice.’ Perhaps one day he will understand” (p. 289)

A family crumbling, a debt that is owed, and the last blood heir struggling to not only survive her family’s dark traditions but to gain her own freedom and unearth the secrets of her family. The story follows the O’Malley family, once filled with riches, but the secret to their wealth was sacrificing a child from each generation to the merfolk in exchange. The family is growing smaller and smaller, with each generation slowly dwindling and not paying the merfolk they have become poor and in debt. Miren is the last O’Malley child, though barely with enough blood. Her grandmother hopes to sell her into an arranged marriage, with or without her consent, in order to rebuild the riches of the O’Malley family and force her to have children to pay back the merfolk and restore their family glory, Miren has other plans. Throw in family secrets, the pains of tradition, murder, and a girl who will stop at nothing to gain her freedom. This is a beautiful grim and gothic fairy tale filled with magical creatures, strong women, and dark family secrets. I loved Miren as a protagonist. She was strong and silent, her rage simmering, her will power and her strength to do whatever it took to just be left alone and at peace. She clawed her way to her freedom and she would not let anyone control her. This was a magical story and one that blew my expectations.

(Quotes taken from a advanced reader copy)

*Thanks Netgalley and Titan Books for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

cw: This book deals with sexual assault, rape, parental neglect, murder (of both children and adults), and general violence.

I absolutely loved this book. I loved the mixture of mystery and adventure, magic and realism, darkness and light. When this book hooked me, I read through until the end and was so pleased with the entire arc of the story. I thought the characters were full and the plot exciting and unpredictable.

This book follows Miren, an 18-year-old young woman who has been living in her families old estate on the shores of the ocean with her aging grandparents and servants. Her family is deeply in debt due to the fact that their luck suddenly stopped some years ago. This world we enter is one of magic, but Slatter doesn't spend much time at the start explaining this to us. Instead we become aware of the ways in which this world is different than ours slowly, by seeing magic through Miren's eyes. (Side note: Any book with a mermaid tale on the front is one I will read and I was NOT DISAPPOINTED WITH THE MERMAIDS in this book which is RARE.)

I like Gothic Lit books, so while some said the beginning was slow, I found it to be predictable in that style and I really enjoyed it. The blurb compares this book to Katherine Arden and Naomi Novik which is why I originally picked it up. I would say that it is darker and more twisty than both of these authors, even Novik at her darkest. It also does not have a traditional love story in it which I found very refreshing ("We do not need our female led fantasy to have a love interest to be invested in her story" is a strong slogan for 2021. I also loved that Miren has sex in this book and it has nothing to do with her need for protection. In fact Miren is never "rescued" in this book which I love).

I love how this book read like a dark fairytale, with brief vignettes shared throughout the tale. I didn't start loving this book and being unable to put it down until Miren starts on her journey (about 40% of the way in). Even Miren's journey reads like that of a hero embarking on a quest, meeting foes and trials along her way. About 20% of the novel is Miren on this quest, and then the final 40% of the book she is at her destination.

Miren as a character flummoxed me for the first section of this book. I couldn't get a handle on who she was or what motivated her, but I think this is partially because she doesn't come into herself until she is traveling on her own. By the end of the book I was ready to follow her into countless additional books if this author would write them for me. All in all, I highly recommend this one and am so excited to talk to others who have read it when it comes out.

I was provided an ARC of this book by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, I did not understand this story and barely finished it. I didn't like the writing which felt a bit disjointed. It was slow paced and a little boring.

Rating: 3.5

I was really keen on reading this one because in the blurb they compared it to the writing of Naomi Novik and Katherine Arden. I would say that the styling was more on par with Naomi Novik’s but can definitely see Arden’s work in the myths that were told throughout the book.

This is a dark gothic fairytale about mer and the secrets one family has kept over the years. Miren has spent her life being raised by her grandparents. It hasn’t always been easy and it becomes even harder when her grandmother wants her to marry her cousin so they can try to restore the name of O’Malley. This brings on a lot of drama and the unraveling of secrets kept quiet for so long.

Miren is definitely a young woman who knows what she wants. She wants to create her own life and will do anything to keep it that way. I admired her spirit and drive.

I wouldn’t say that there is much character development and the minor characters are just that, minor. The story is more driven by the plot with the telling of the myths and the drama of the family.

At times the pacing can be slow and there isn’t much excitement to be found. The thrilling, dark moments were mostly in the last half of the book, which was my favorite section of the book. The first half has a lot of information and although it is necessary sometimes it just felt like a lot.

Overall, this was a good book even though I had a few issues with it. If you like the work of Novik or Arden, I would recommend checking this one out. Sorry the review is shorter. I think it’s better for this one to go in knowing as little like I did!

A haunting, dark, gothic fairy-tale journey. Angela Slatter weaves a tale of the sea, mythic creatures, magic, silver, loss, abandonment, and family secrets into a story that keeps you turning the pages. It is also the story of one woman's fight to live her life on her terms and not that of others. You are pulled into Miren's life and that of the O'Malley's, a once proud and wealthy family who have fallen on hard times. Then you begin to find out that the O'Malley's aren't quite like any other families having made a bargain with the sea that has brought them riches and in equal measure, sacrifices. Miren is the last female O'Malley and her grandmother will do anything to bring fortune back to the family including marrying Miren to her devious cousin Aidan. Miren will do anything to get away from Aidan and a marriage she doesn't want and a family tragedy gives her the impetuous to run away. The journey Miren embarks on reveals long kept family secrets and forces Miren to face the truth of her own past and what lengths she will go to to escape that past.

This story is a wonderful blend of fairy tale stories and magic, and I really loved the O'Malley stories that Miren tells from the family book. You will recognize familiar themes from tales like Grimm's fairy tales and others and it makes for such a spooky, stark and at times creepy soundtrack to this inventive story. Through these tales the story explores so many themes of loss, strength, abandonment, and the willingness to let things go. Miren is a strong woman who decides she will not let her families past determine all that she will be. The characters are captivating, fully realized and the world that has been created here is marvelous. Some of my favorite parts were the automaton Delphine and the kelpie horse. Magic always has a price and the price that the O'Malley"s have paid over time is devastating. Such a gripping, yet at times sad story that will surely stay with you long after the last page. Recommended for readers who enjoy gothic, dark, stories involving magic, mythical creatures and journeys of self discovery. A wonderful tale.

When I read the premise for this book it had me excited but unfortunately It didn’t live up to what I expected from it. The concept is good but in the end it just didn’t connect with me.

The storey is about a girl called Miren O’Malley who is the last first born daughter of the family and who’s grandmother hopes to use her to re-instate a bargain that was struck with the sea many generations ago and restore the family’s wealth and fortune.

The writing although clear to read and understand felt disjointed and slow paced in places. And some events that take place feel like they have no impact on the plot of the book, for example there is a night where Miren stays the night in a cabin and has an encounter with 3 men. There was no connection between them and the main plot, it felt like it was filler with no purpose.

What I did like was the ‘fairy tale’ story’s spliced throughout the book. It made the ‘deal’ seem more real and old and gave the story a dark fairytale feel.

People who like dark fairy tales, mermaids and lost family would like this book but I just didn’t connect with it and felt there could have been more too it, it could have been darker and the ‘bargain’ harder to break or be more intricate.

The disc riot ion of this book called it a fairytale and gothic, I don’t think I’d describe this as gothic

Review will be posted to good reads in March

'All the Murmuring Bones’ is a beautifully atmospheric tale, winding folklore and fantasy together to create something dark and gothic. There are family secrets, lapsed bargains, a crumbling fortune – and at the heart of it all, a young woman who just wants to be free. The tale winds slowly, filled with lingering descriptions, painting a vivid picture tinged with the salt of the sea.

Miren’s grandmother, Aoife, is the last of the O’Malley’s – a family who prospered due to a bargain struck with the mer. All their ships would have safe passage across the sea in return for one child sacrificed per generation. However, pride in the bloodline has become their downfall – generations of intermarriage have left producing enough healthy children impossible, with Aoife only able to bare one child. With the bargain broken, the legacy is collapsing: the O’Malley fortune has dwindled to nothing. Miren is left to bare the burden of the family misfortune. Trapped by her grandmother’s scheming, Miren desperately seeks a way out – but in a family full of secrets, there’s only so far she can go.

Miren makes an excellent protagonist. Shrewd and determined, she fights for what she wants the quiet way – biding her time, outwardly appearing to acquiesce whilst secretly gathering information and plotting her next move. She’s spent her entire life under her grandmother’s thumb, experiencing cool disinterest rather than warm affection – but she loves her family, and wars with contrasting desires to protect the family legacy and tear down every root of it. She has her weaknesses – but she knows them, every last flaw, and she turns them into weapons. Miren might not outwardly seem like the most special or talented woman, but if there’s someone you don’t want as your enemy then it’s her.

The writing takes a little time to adjust to, but once it draws you in it’s exquisite. The first chapters are packed with dense descriptions, and the plot ambles around them like a man picking his way through the fog – but eventually, the book ensnares you and leaves you enraptured. This is very much a novel about atmosphere rather than plot. The story is solid – an arranged marriage in exchange for a fortune, a secret kept for decades, a journey full of magical creatures and ethereal encounters – but not what lingers. Instead, it’s the eerie images of mer watching on from the sea, witches hiding behind herbs and smiles, ghosts of abandoned cottages preying on weary travellers, that make this book what it is.

There’s also an element of story within a story. The O’Malleys have a book of stories, passed down through generations. There are tales of dealing with the mer, of selkies giving up their pelts, of witchcraft and herblore and – above all – the importance of family. It’s never clear how much is fact and how much fiction, but Miren grew up with these stories and remembers them in times of hardship. They’re a source of comfort – the O’Malleys are children of the sea, and the sea protects its own. Each story is as beautiful as the tale which contains them, and they add a wonderful extra element.

The main weakness ‘All the Murmuring Bones’ has is the same thing which creates its lingering atmosphere, and that’s the descriptions. It takes a long time to get past the pages and pages of description and settle into the story, and even once there, it can detract from key moments of the plot. Personally, I found this a very minor thing – the writing is beautiful, and I adore books which create an atmosphere – but I suspect some readers will find it too slow going and tedious. If you’re the sort of reader who wants action to create tension, this isn’t the book for you.

Overall, ‘All the Murmuring Bones’ is a delightfully gothic tale that would feel right at home in a book of fairytales from several centuries ago. Recommended for fans of eerie stories and classical folklore: especially those which focus on the quiet power of women who have been wronged.

All the Murmuring Bones is considered to be a dark gothic fairytale following the O'Malleys, the once-powerful family.

The O'Malleys' prosperity is the fruition of the bargain with the Merfolk: safety for their ships in return for a child of each generation.

However, the O'Malleys' bloodline faltered and their power and wealth started to decline as they ceased to do their part of the bargain. Every new generation of the family stopped offering a child of theirs and in turn their own bloodline is on the verge of extinction

It wasn't until Aoife O'Malley made up her mind about restoring the O'Malley's glory through her granddaughter, Miren.

18-year-old Miren O'Malley is the last O'Malley daughter and her grandmother has kept her in isolation to keep her pure for the marriage mart. Abandoned by her parents when she was little, Miren cares little about restoring her family's glory and detests the matrimonial project her grandmother is forcing her into. Especially if she is engaged to an ambitious and greedy man like <b>Aidan Fitzpatrick</b> who wants nothing but to assert his dominance and take the reins of Miren's life.

Miren begins to suspect the mystery surrounding her parents' deaths, if they are actually dead, and it set in motion Miren's journey towards uncovering the dark truths and mysteries tied to her family.

Whatever soul I might have, O'Malley though I might be, it is mine and I'll not sell it at any price.

I think the premise of this book set my expectations way too high that I found myself sorely disappointed with how the story turned out.

It wasn't that the story was not good or did not have great potential... but it's just that the story lost me many times.

It was a struggle to get through some chapters and when I am getting less invested in the story and more focused on getting through some pages to see what happens later, that shows that there wasn't much that I enjoyed.

There were some gripping moments but they did not make up for the overall boring experience that I had with this book.

It had an amazing potential if it were not for how heavy and erratic the flow of the story was. There were some really heavy chapters to get through especially the earlier ones. I was expecting more fantastical elements within the story, it felt disjointed with the story.

It felt to me that the author neglected creating a connection between the heroine and the reader and thus I was not really into the heroine's journey.

But I have to praise the eerie and dark atmosphere the author creates because I liked that.

I think it's fair to give it a 3-star rating.

Miren O’Malley was orphaned as a young child and brought up by her grandparents on their isolated, rambling estate, Hob’s Hallow. Long ago her family prospered due to a deal struck with the mer: safety for their merchant ships in return for a child of each generation. But for many years the family have been unable to keep their side of the bargain and their fortunes have suffered as a result.

This book is very dark, twisty, and full of supernatural mystery! This book is a book within a book with all the stories shared from Miren's family book. It has a lovely home/comfort feel to it. If you like anything with witches, mermaids, or supernatural, then this is a good start!

The beginning was a struggle - possibly needs editing/tweaking as the flow does not seem right and may put others off or stop reading. I would not say there was a real structure either and often flows all over. Despite all of this, it is still worth sticking with and reading.

I'm glad I stuck with this, because I was not feeling it in the beginning. It came off as dry, boring even, and left me wondering if it would ever get interesting. I would recommend some editing to make the beginning more enjoyable and to make the reader want to continue and be invested in the story.

When the journey finally begins and pieces start clicking into place with those aha moments, you realize what a darkly beautiful story this is. I love when a book surprises me, and there were some things that happened that I didn't predict or expect, which makes the shocking reveal even more exciting.

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.