Miren is born into the mysterious and wealthy O'Malley family and is the last pure O'Malley Their estate sits on the edge of the saltwater sea and they have made a bargain with the sea for success, but at a horrible cost. The wealth has been declining for years and her grandmother is set on forcing Miren into a marriage that is repulsive. So begins Miren's odyssey as she goes in search of her missing parents and meets all sorts of legendary and magical people and creatures. This is a melancholy tale, but Miren is smart and feisty and the reader will cheer her on.

A once powerful and prosperous family, still proud, has fallen on difficult times. Miren's grandmother is determined to restore the O'Malleys to what they once were. To do that, she's willing to wed Miren to a distant but wealthy cousin. But Miren has other ideas.

The writing is gorgeously Baroque - ornate and polished paired with a Gothic folktale of a story. A shadow drenched, decaying mansion full of long hidden, terrible family secrets like murder, ritual sacrifice and incest, a young girl unwilling to be sold into marriage, witchcraft, the Church, and the terrible magic of sea creatures. All the Murmuring Bones has it all.

Full of sea creatures, they're from nightmares not sweet stories of silent, loving mermaids. Cold, seeking retribution and flesh - these are horrors of the sea and they're angry with the O'Malleys. And they're willing to make Miren pay for her family's many sins.

While lots of things happen, this isn't a fast-action fantasy. Revelations and slow horrified realizations are what make up the story. In trying to escape her fate, Miren discovers truths to debunk the lies she's been told her entire life. Those truths lead her on a dangerous journey of discovery.

Miren discovers truths about her birth, her family and its bargains, and her own abilities. Adding to her discoveries are family fairy tales- dark and disturbing stories of the supernatural that hint at the truths of her family's activities.

Miren is strong, smart, resourceful and thoroughly unwilling to accept defeat.

Exquisite world building with a true sense of place and character creation. Even secondary characters are fully realized with their own wants and agendas.

I loved this book! It's the darkest of dark chocolate tortes - gorgeous and rich. Consume it slowly. Let the words melt on your tongue. Appreciate AG Slatter's artistry. She reminds me of the amazing Tanith Lee. I'm looking forward to reading more of AG Slatter's work.

HIGHLIGHTS
~the coffins have locks and you should be grateful for them
~good girls carry knives
~the mer might be monsters but the humans definitely are
~Witchcraft – so easy, anyone can do it!
~a little blood fixes everything

First thing’s first: this is not a selkie story. I have no idea why it’s being described that way; All the Murmuring Bones features many magical water-creatures, but selkies are not among them. So if that’s what you’re after, you want a different book. (Maybe The Blue Salt Road by Joanne Harris, if you’re cool with having your heart ripped out.)

Which is not to say that All The Murmuring Bones is not a good book, because it very much is. It’s just not about selkies.

Miren O’Malley is the last ‘true’ O’Malley; while offshoots of the family are flourishing, the trunk is very much not. She lives with her grandmother in a manor growing more dilapidated by the day, on the coast, next to the sea that has been the source of the O’Malley fortunes since time immemorial. There are all kinds of stories told about the O’Malleys, and plenty of stories that they tell each other about their pasts, but the fact is that however grand and powerful they once were…they’re really not, anymore.

And Miren is more or less okay with that, until it becomes clear that her grandmother is scheming to marry Miren to Miren’s awful cousin, in order to rejuvenate the family fortunes.

And Miren’s not going to just lie down and take that.

All The Murmuring Bones has a cadence to it, a rhythm and style that is reminiscent of a folktale – something only strengthened by the actual folktales that break up the story, tales from the O’Malley’s book of not-quite-legends. And like a folktale, Miren’s story has a frank and undramatic acceptance of all things magical. I thought the world of All The Murmuring Bones was more or less like something from the Regency period…right up until Miren casually mentions the zombies (she doesn’t call them that) that the carriage-driver has to avoid when going into town. It was the wonderful casualness with which the magic in this world is introduced – so blithely, all of it taken for granted, all of it considered all but mundane – that made me sit up and pay proper attention.

That thread of…let’s call it normalised magic, runs throughout the book in a way that absolutely delighted me. Miren encounters mer (aka merfolk), ghosts, kelpies, and shapeshifters over the course of the story, and in her world witchcraft is something everyone can utilise (although there’s a huge difference between an untrained person meddling with the basics and a Proper Witch). On the one hand, the normalisation of it all takes some of the wonder away, because Miren and the narrative don’t treat kelpies and horses very differently; on the other hand, having magic woven that intrinsically into a world is wonderful in its own right. I enjoyed that aspect of the worldbuilding enormously, but sometimes it was a little maddening to get these intriguing hints and throw-away details about Miren’s society that weren’t fully explored – like the fact that there are brothels of men for women customers! Um, excuse me??? I want to know more about that please!

You kind of have to accept, very quickly, that just like in a fairytale, there aren’t any explanations here. Something that becomes very important to the plot is the fact that ‘all the waters in the world are joined’, but what the hell that means in practical terms? You’ll never know. The magic here doesn’t have a system that can be explained, and in fairness magic is supposed to be mysterious and inexplicable…but it’s been a while since I read about the kind of folklore-magic that doesn’t even pretend to have a system or pattern, even a vague one. It bothered me a little bit, but not too much. If you can let go of the questions and just let the story flow over you, it’s still a darkly enthralling tale.

At least, most of it is.

It’s difficult to talk about what makes All the Murmuring Bones weaker, because it’s all tied up with the final quarter or so of the book, the culmination of Miren’s journey and the answers to the book’s Big Questions. To be honest? The entire ending felt…rushed. Cramped, like too much plot was forced into too few pages. A great deal just works out Because Plot, coincidences and easy answers just dropped into Miren’s (and the reader’s) lap in a way that was really unsatisfying. I didn’t object to the twists and subversions of the ending at all, but I object pretty strongly to how we get there and in how they’re presented to the reader. It took a story that had been darkly gleaming-gorgeous for most of the book, and watered it down to something you can barely taste.

Which is a huge shame, because I loved pretty much everything else. Miren is a ruthlessly practical main character, with a sharp-clawed darker side that I adored, and Slatter’s writing is beautiful, scattering details of description like jewels throughout a setting that feels older and darker than the Grimm stories.

I’m not sorry I read it, and I would recommend it, with some caveats. I definitely want to go and hunt down all of Slatter’s books now. But this really great book was let down by a really lame ending, and it’s a little hard to overlook that.

Thank you to NetGalley and Titan Books for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

All the Murmuring Bones follows Miren O’Malley who comes from an ancient and powerful family who struck a dangerous deal with the mer, prosperity in exchange for a child from each generation. However, after many years of not fulfilling the bargain, the O’Malleys are left only with tales of their now faded glory and Miren’s grandmother will trade anything to see it returned.

I really enjoyed this story, I am a massive fan of creepy merfolk, and sinister folklore and I really loved the way that folklore was used throughout the story. Miren is forced to go on an adventure packed with folkloric encounters. I am not generally a reader who loves too much travel time in books unless I adore the characters, however, I didn’t find that there was too much just riding a horse or walking and we only got specific scenes that were interesting or spooky along the way. I have found out since reading that Slatter is expanding upon a world she has explored in collections of her writing and will be expanding further in another novel and with the hindsight of this information, I now understand the feeling in this novel that we are only seeing a small part of a much larger world.

Concerning my understanding of the expansion of the world, the O’Malleys have a book of family legends and tales. Some of which, I learnt from the author’s note, are from/ inspired by Slatter’s previous works. I really enjoyed reading the tales that Miren will have grown up with. They were often linked to what’s happening in Miren’s story at the time and I liked gaining an insight into the lore of the family, through this there is a sense of the history that we are told the O’Malleys have and I enjoyed getting to experience that rather than just be told.

That being said, though I felt a strong connection to the world-building and the lore of the O’Malleys I found Miren to be a difficult character to feel bonded to. She isn’t dislikeable and is sympathetic, however, I didn’t feel like I was truly getting to know her despite being in her head with the first-person narration. I think I would have appreciated a little more insight into Miren’s plots and thoughts as even though we are sometimes left in suspense for a surprise later in the narrative, it’s hard to feel totally bonded when missing out so much of the plotting.

Overall, I really enjoyed the story and the mystery held within and would be very keen to read more from the world.

I received an arc of this book from netgalley & the publisher, Titan books(thank you!)

I ended up really liking this book. It has a dark almost gothic feeling to it the whole time and it was a bit of a slow start but after a few chapters I could not put it down.

One of my absolute favourite parts of this book are the fairytales which are woven into the story. Whether as events that happen to the protagonist, Miren or stories passed down through her family, I felt like an addict who couldn’t get enough .

The story and journey of the Miren is quite the mystery and it’s engaging to see how it unfurls.
I didn’t always know what Miren was thinking or planning to do which, I think, really added to the book since I couldn’t predict what would happen. I also loved when Miren didn’t compromise or back down in certain situations.
There’s definitely something to say about feminism in this book too, something about the actions of a lot of the male characters? But I’m not sure quite what to say about it. There’s just definitely a little something there.
Overall would definitely recommend. 😊

Reviewed at, https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3826019113?book_show_action=false

Miren O’Malley is one of the last in her lineage of a family who made a fatal deal with the mer. To make things right, and her family prosperous again, Miren loses her freedom and is shackled to a man she cannot stand, at least until she attempts to escape and find her own truths forged in myth and darkness.

“Dark gothic fairy-tale,” reading these four words I knew I had to get my hands on All the Murmuring Bones. In my opinion, there are not enough gothic novels in existence (at least good ones) and when I come across one I get 1) extremely happy and 2) stressed it will not live up to my extremely high expectations. But, I had nothing to worry about because I got my dark fantasy filled with secrets, curses, mythical sea creatures, a haunting atmosphere, and a heroine haunted by her family’s mysterious past. While following Miren on her journey, I found myself terrified for what secrets would be revealed to her, angry on her behalf for those who wished to control her, and held in suspense by the several plot twists I did not see coming on Miren’s journey to self-discovery and growth...all while avoiding the dangers seeking her. For anyone who likes gothic literature, myths, family curses, and atmosphere such as the Brothers Grimm fairy tales, I highly recommend picking up this novel!

Thank you Titan Books and NetGalley for the free copy in return for an honest review!

----'Mark my words, Miren, the O'Malleys are on the rise.'----

I REALLY liked this one. I didn't speed through it like I do some books but I loved the writing, the setting and even Miren.

----'One for the house, one for the Church and one for the sea.'----

When Miren's grandfather dies, her grandmother Aoife, the last true O'Malley, decides to marry her to her distant cousin to help refill the family coffers. Knowing that her reservations against the match will go unhindered, Miren plots her own way out of the union and goes in search of family elsewhere.

----'Hard to know, too, how many burn who are genuinely those who can hex, and how many are merely inconvenient women.'----

All the Murmuring Bones is my first Gothic novel - and there's no doubt it falls into that bracket. There are:

- Not one but two deplapidated mansions
- Damsels in distress (though they're perfectly capable of getting themselves out of distress)
- Ghosts, walking dead and other monstrous, fantastical creatures
- Some rather iffy male protagonists
- Discussions of both Church and witchcraft
- Death and murder
- Darkness and isolation
- Cold, dreary weather

All that seems to suggest a rather dark tale. And whilst it's certainly not all sunshine and rainbows, it doesn't feel as malevolent as some I've read (Prince of Thorns and The Traitor Baru Cormorant, for example). I had every faith that, whilst Miren was capable of ruthless acts, her heart was good and good would win in the end.

----'Other families might have stories of curses, cold lads and white ladies, but we have old gods, merfolk and monsters.'----

The story is set in an Irish-inspired secondary-world where small witchcraft is possible and mermaids, kelpies, ghosts, corpsewights, shapeshifters, vampires and automatons exist, not to mention other creatures I'd not heard of like nuggles and tangies. Their presence is not considered exceptional by the characters but nor is the world particularly changed by their presence, resembling pretty closely what I imagine 18th or 19th century Ireland to have been like. Likewise, the magic we see, by and large, seems to be small trivialities of growth and production, that are little explained and, whilst certainly important, not the be all and end all for society at large. I enjoyed the balance, feeling it added spice to an already interesting world without overwhelming it.

----'Why do they all think me harmless? He might be a good judge of men, but he's an appalling one of women.'----

I like Miren, a lot. She's a hard one to gauge to start. We see the world through her eyes yet we're given little inkling as to her thoughts or plans which certainly keeps us on our toes. As the story progresses, we see she's capable of great kindness and cares for those she considers within her purview. At the same time, she's capable of quick, ruthless action when threatened - something I admired in her, having spent too long shouting at soft characters who just can't bear to make the killing blow at the eleventh hour. She's smart, though distrustful; quick to suss out lies, and willing to dish out her own when she feels it necessary. There's little 'how on earth did she not see that', and lots of 'huh, now that she mentions it...'.

----'Perhaps I'm free and do not know it. How will I ever know?'----

Slatter treats her readers like adults. She doesn't pander to false tension or obvious twists but lays out a tale where both good and bad happen (and sometimes both at once) and it's up to you to judge if they balance. I found her writing beautiful and her descriptions evocative. I enjoyed the short tales she includes (some of which, she says in her acknowledgements, are drawn from Sourdough and Other Stories) and the journey she takes us on in the early pages through the history of the O'Malleys and their home, Hob's Hallow. The pace is slow and it takes over half the book for Miren to arrive where she means to go and for the action to pick up; there was never a doubt that I'd finish though. I wasn't sure what the denouement would be but I wanted to join Miren on the journey.

This is not a book to read when you're tired and it's dreary outside - this book would probably depress you further. But it is a book to read and one I throughly enjoyed. It's a little darker than my usual go-to reading (both in terms of light and sentiment), which, along with the pace, is probably why I gave it 4 stars and not 5, but I'm glad I have read it and I'd read more by Slatter (whether writing as A. G. or Angela).

This book was provided free of charge by NetGalley in return for an honest review.

If you liked this, you might like:
- The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab
- The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
- Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier
- Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik
- Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
- Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence

A beautiful dark and gothic tale about a women who don't want to be controlled by their fate. The writing is amazingly delightful. The story is very charming. Witches, mermaids and magic. All this mixed with a cruel Miren's life who only wants to be free. Her grandmother sold her into the marriage with her cousin Aidan, a disgusting but very rich man. But Miren is determined to be free and she refuses this compromise with her every breath.
Being O'Malley is hard, is a powerful name and Miren doesn't have any chance for mistake.
Reading her story made me very sad, but I loved her bravery and her will. I hated so much Aidan and her grandmother.
Also, I liked the stories about O'Malley on the familiar books. They described hard times women had lived.
The only thing that I didn't like is a very slow pacing.
But the tale was beautiful and I've enjoyed it a lot.
Thanks to Netgalley and Titan Books for the ARC.

I loved the feel of this novel. The atmosphere the author created pulled me in instantly. It kept me there when the beginning dragged a bit, but soon I couldn't get enough. Its a gothic fairytale and that's what I love about it. Its similar to "The Hazelwood", its not afraid to let in the darkness but its still a fairytale. I want to recommend it to everyone I know.

All the Murmuring Bones is a haunting book that slowly creeps up to you and pulls you under it's calm surface, where dark fairytales and chilling horrors await.

Set in a fantasy 19th century british setting, where magic exists, but is an old, almost forgotten thing, while gruesome mythical creatures and spirits remain. The story begins in a small village by the sea, home of a girl, who is the last heir of a once influental and powerful lineage, that is said to be connected to the powers of the ocean itself. She has lived a secluded life at the whims of her grandparents, who have raised her in what remains of the crumbling family manor, until a string of events force her to make an escape from her destined lot, while gradually unravelling the mysteries of her heritance.

It's been a while that I read such an utterly impressive standalone novel, I was completely entranced by the eerie gothic atmosphere and the folkloric tone, that made me feel like I was reading a modern classic. Throughout the beautifully written story there are many passages of unnerving, reimagined fairytales, surrounding mystical sea creatures and celtic folklore, that are part of the protagonist's family history.

I loved absolutely everything about this book. It has elaborate, fantastic worldbuilding and an intricate mystery plot, full of surprising twists, drama and intrigue, with all the pieces fitting together perfectly in the end. The writing stlye was enchanting and I fell in love with the tragic, morally grey heroine, who was cunning, clever and very relateable in her thoughts and actions. Following her process of emancipation through her adventures and the creatures she encounters on them, was an enthralling experience. I had difficulties putting the book down and I have no complaints whatsoever. It was an amazing read for me and I would definitely recommend it to all fans of the Winternight trilogy, Naomi Novik's fairytale retellings or anyone who enjoys gloomy, atmospheric literature.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Titan Books for providing me with an eARC for this amazing book!

I grabbed this book because I like dark, gothic tales.... and with mermaids thrown in? Deal.

I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

I enjoyed that there was no overdone, over-troped romance. The book focused on the main character and her quest to live her life without the interference of men. The men in this book, mind you (except for a fair few) are disgusting and controlling.

I love the mermaid tales that were sprinkled throughout the book that have to do with the backstory of the family and or mermaids in general. They're not all happy and that was refreshing to me.

I think I rated it down a star because I can see where some of the people who read this thought it was slow - probably because there was a lack of characters and it was her on the road. I think that I also rated it down because when she does find her love interest, he is just written rather off-handedly. Like, 'oh, here is a guy she took in with, guess they're a thing now', A 'blink and you'll miss it' romance.

All the Murmuring Bones by A.G. Slatter is a darkly gripping tale with magic, mystery and murder. If you like your fairy tales on the darker side this is definitely the book for you.
Miren O'Malley is the last of her family line, abandoned by her parents she grew up with her austere grandmother, Aoife. Once a proud and wealthy family, the O'Malleys have fallen on hard times, and it seems like marrying Miren off to a cousin from another wealthier branch of the family is the only way to restore their fortunes and the bloodline. However Miren is not so keen on this plan and when she learns that the parents she believed to be dead are still alive she is determined to find them, even if it means fleeing her prospective husband under the cover of darkness. It seems that this is not the only secret her family has been keeping, the source of their former glory and prosperity was a bargain struck with the Mer Queen, the price of her guarantee that their ships would have safe passage across the seas being a child sacrifice from each generation. As the family stopped believing the family folklore and stopped paying the price, their fortunes faded, bringing Miren to the desperate situation she now faces.
I loved the writing in this book, dense and atmospheric, it really transported me to another world , one of mermaids and magic, ghosts and monsters, where anything could happen. The author sets the scene perfectly , describing smells and sounds so well that they cannot help but spark the readers imagination. Miren is a great character, smart and determined , ruthless when she needs to be but compassionate when the situation warrants it, and following her on her adventures was a real pleasure. While I enjoyed the slow worldbuilding and scene setting of the early part of the book, those who like a faster paced read or prefer more action may find it too slow of a burn for their tastes, that being said the plot soon picks up and then moves along at a more engaging pace, with several surprises and tense moments along the way.
This was my first experience with this author, but I am certain it will not be the last, I enjoyed this book so much that I am keen to seek out some of her other work, especially the short story collection she mentions in the afterword as containing stories which were reworked, expanded upon or otherwise repurposed and included in this book.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

A fresh new novel by author Angela Slatter, All the Murmuring Bones takes readers on a witchy and curious ride. Slatter intertwines Gothic Fantasy, folklore, and Bildungsroman to build an intriguing world around our protagonist, Miren O'Malley. Plot development is entertaining and wildly imaginative, and we follow 18-year-old Miren persist through a series of interrelated hardships, horrors, and adventures.

Slatter's storytelling is rich and atmospheric, imbued with haunting imagery. However, in some cases, plot-advancing storylines and character interactions felt almost incomplete, leaving me wishing for elaboration.

Perfect for a cold winter afternoon, All the Murmuring Bones is a delicious read for fans of fantasy with Gothic vibes (or Gothic with a shimmering fantasy element). I give this fantastical page-turner a robust 3.5 (rounded up to 4 on Goodreads) thanks to the vividly imagined magical world, inventive plot conflicts, and the unique and mesmerizing ingredients that enrich the narrative.

Thanks to Titan Books and NetGalley, I received an ARC of the ebook for the purpose of review. All the Murmuring Bones will be released in March 9, 2021.

A.G Slater writes decorative descriptions, placing beautiful images in my head and setting the scene really well. I could perfectly picture the characters and world around Miren. Unfortunately, it was paired with an almost endless internal monologue. Before I even finished the 2nd chapter, I found myself skimming and searching for the meat of the chapter.
I enjoyed the fairytales interwoven in the story. For a moment, I was transported into another world.
I absolutely loved the premise for this novel and had high hopes. And while A.G Slater has eloquent prose, All the Murmuring Bones was too slow paced for me and I couldn't find the energy to finish the novel, stopping 150 pages in. For all the magic and mermaids I was expecting, it disappointed me. I can only hope this book rewards those who enjoy slow paced novels.
I rated it 3 stars because despite not finishing it, I know a different audience can appreciate A.G Slater's writing style.

This story was uniquely dark. It starts off with the groundwork for who the O'Malley's are from the perspective of the town they reside in. This already starts the tale off in the vein of fairy tales. As things continue, we follow Miren's perspective as her grandparent's die, and she is set to marry an abusive man named Aidan. What follows is an amazingly written adventure as she tries to find her freedom, and her own family history. Within this story, are more stories. These stories play as tales to put Miren at ease, but also to give us an idea of the history she comes from. I found this unique, and it broke up some of the story telling in a good way.

 Our main character is strong willed, and incredibly smart. She is a main character demanding of respect, and sometimes, that is a wonderful thing to see. The additional characters that make up this horror are also well written and interesting. You want to know a little bit about everyone’s story, and you do get those pieces of history. I always appreciate side characters that are written with their background in mind, and stay true to those storylines.

 The lore of this book is what genuinely held me the most. The legend, and family history, of the O’Malley’s is genuinely so interesting. The way Slatter writes these classic tales into the family’s story, and the deals they must inherently make, held true to fairy tales of Grimm. They are dark, with lessons to be taught. They are fascinating and magical. At the end of the day, they are the scary tales about how life can work for others. I think this is what makes this book a five-star read, and I will be purchasing it as soon as it is out.

Miren O'Malley is the last of her family line, an uncanny family that once had the kind of wealth that made them untouchable. Their wealth was bought with a dark bargain with the mer: sacrifice a child each generation, and in exchange, their ships would always return safely. Now their fortunes have run dry and their manor house crumbles around them, even as the junior branches of the family, cousins who share some O'Malley blood and family secrets but not the O'Malley name and status, prosper. When Miren's grandfather dies, her grandmother begins scheming to marry Miren against her will to an unpleasant cousin so that the O'Malley fortunes may be revived.

This is a story about women claiming whatever power and self-determination they can for themselves in a world where women are expected to have little. It's about the cruel legacies families can pass down from generation to generation, which can go unquestioned through the weight of tradition and normalization. It's about the stories we tell and the meaning we find in them.

The novel takes its time weaving the story together into a coherent whole. Miren frequently tells herself stories she learned as a child, fairy tales that are maybe not actually fairy tales at all, but rather snippets of family history where they encountered uncanny creatures. It's a very slow build that relies heavily on its haunting, atmospheric style as the plot develops. The pacing may be a turn-off for some readers, but I think it's well worth it to read to the end, where all of the plot threads finally pay off for a satisfying conclusion.

I loved the way Slatter wove together gothic horror and Irish folklore and fairy tales. Come for the dark family secrets, creepy mermaids, and horrifying fairy tales. Stay for the wonderfully deep exploration of powerful, flawed women and their ambitions.

This book is a real joy. The strong female lead character is amazing. She has passion and strength and won’t be told what to do- ever! Myths/ fables are woven through the whole book beautifully. There are hints of so many things- witches, mer people, magic and curses. There is a really modern slant to this historical story that makes you smile. It celebrates women in a way that historical books often don’t. The journey through the book is pacey and it keeps you gripped. I’d love to read all the stories written in the book referred to throughout the book- there are some cracking tales in it. To sum up- this book is really quite unique and well worth reading.

Such a great story with the feeling of an ancient, dark fairytale. It reminds me a lot of The Hazel Wood or The Wicked Deep. I thought the story was interesting, although it took a while for me to understand what was going on. Some things and characters seem obviously not what they seem, but its not easy to guess what coming. Miren doesn’t feel super developed, but I do like ruthlessness and self preservation as it feels like main characters often don’t really end up truly fighting back. Thank you so much for the opportunity to read and review!

I am absolutely in love with this book! All the Murmuring Bones is just amazing. Miren grew up in Hob’s Hallow, her ancestral home, with her imperious grandparents. Her family was once prosperous from a deal they made with the mer, but the bloodline has dwindled to the point that Miren and her grandparents are the last true O’Malleys, and without a child to give to the sea, their family is almost destitute. This book was haunting and beautifully written. The O’Malley family stories interspersed among the chapters were lyrical and addicting. I highly, highly recommend this book. The writing is beautiful and Miren’s story is definitely one to remember.

Okay, so you all know I am a huge sucker for books that involve the ocean and its mythologies. Especially those books that show ocean mythologies as they were originally told, not the "Disney" versions and this gothic historical fantasy does just that.

Miren, the last "true" descendant of the O'Malley line, was raised by her grandparents. Upon her grandfather's death, she inherits the decrepit castle at Hob's Hallow. Miren is curious, feisty and thinks for herself which apparently is a trait she inherited from her grandmother. This sharp, ambitious, but destitute grandmother has decided that Miren will wed her wealthy cousin, Aidan Fitzpatrick, strengthening the coffers and increasing the O'Malley blood in the line. Grandmother thinks there's much profit to be made from this scheme. Miren can't shake the overwhelming sense of menace that marrying Aidan Fitzpatrick gives her. That, along with her burning desire to find her not-dead mother, Isolde, will see her flee Hob's Hallow and set off on an adventure. Along the way, Miren encounters merfolk, witches, rusalki, corpsewights, and assassins. Once Miren arrives in Blackwater, she will discover the truth about her mother, but she'll need to apply her clever-ness and knowledge of the O'Malley fairytales weaved into the story to untangle all the mysteries at Blackwater.

This fairytale of the last of the true O'Malleys twists and turns and weaves Grimm-like fairytales into a dark tale that gets darker the further you read. The beginning has a bit of an info dump, but the way that Angela Slatter uses her lyrical writing style it makes you wonder what parts of the story are true tales and what parts are long-told O'Malley fables. All the Murmuring Bones will have your brain on overdrive as you try to solve the mysteries along with Miren.