Thank you to Net Galley and the Publishing Company for this Advanced Readers Copy of The Briar Book of the Dead by A.G. Slatter!

I am SO glad I finally got to reading this because--wow! The world-building was actually perfect for spooky season with gothic vibes and descriptions of the creatures such as melyne, ghosts, and the descriptions of the trolls and leeches! Our main character Ellie is born to a family of witches but has no powers. While this is an immense struggle, we see Ellie come to learn she has the ability to see and speak to ghosts, which is rarer than rare since their town has been free of ghosts for centuries. Though Ellie is the main character and the story is told from her perspective, the other characters in the novel are also layered and interesting. Even the town is set on the edge of the Darklands which is where the terrible Leech Lords live) and is so much more than may seem on surface level. There's romance to be found in this novel, but it's not at all sappy or fairy tale-ish. As someone who doesn't particularly enjoy romance in the books I read, this was a huge plus. All around, this was a huge win for me. I can't wait to read more from this author!

I really enjoyed this gothic cosy fantasy book it had such good vibes for reading in Sept/ Oct. I love A. G. Slatter's writing style it is very captivating and sucks you into that world.

First, the cover is gorgeous!

This book falls into a sort of cozy/dark/gothic feel. Our POV character is Ellie Briar, the only one of her entire family to not be a witch. So she's saddled with administration duties, which fortunately she likes and is good at. Ellie lives in an isolated village where her family is seen as sort of the lord/land steward/authority figures. The cozy part of the book is in the description of cottages, dresses, pastries, countryside. The dark part of the book comes along when Ellie discovers that she can speak to the dead. And the dead have a lot of information, because it turns out a lot of them have been killed in order to keep secrets.

Angela Slatter knows this genre inside and out- she's perfect at setting tone and getting that dark fairytale feel. I just never got too interested in the plot. Ellie is young, she's interested in a young man that everyone, including her, knows is a bad idea, and I could see the heel turn for one of the characters coming from the time she was introduced. The book was a nice place to spend time in as a literary tourist, but slow from a plot perspective.

I think what I'd like is to read more of Slatter's books that have an older protagonist. She's great at writing morally gray women who aren't barely out of their teens- that's more what I was in the mood for.

One of the best gothic fairytales I have EVER read! Gave me OUABH vibes with a dark twist. Think Grimm brothers on steroids. Will be adding this to my fall book recs this year!

GENRE: Gothic & Witchy Fantasy
RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
FORMAT: eBook Arc
Would I recommend to others?: Yes, especially to those who enjoy gothic & witchy fantasy.

Review:
The Briar Book of the Dead is a Gothic Historical Fantasy set in a world that is filled with witches, ghosts and magic. We follow Ellie Briar, who is the first in her family to be born without any magic. This is problematic for her as her family run the town she lives in, known as Silverton. She would need the magic to manage everything in the village. Despite the lack of magic, she is trained by her great aunt to be a steward to her cousin, a powerful witch, Audra.

I honestly LOVED the pace of The Briar Book of the Dead and the way the plot thickens and continues to unravel different mysteries. I loved seeing Ellie develop as a character and continue to grow. I quite enjoyed that this book includes some history of witches and how they do their best to avoid being burned in Silverton.

Ellie is a unique character as she does not have magic, but one day, she hits her head and she can see & hear the dead all of a sudden. She is unique in this and is given a different responsibility than she expected and as she says in the book:
"I've very good at seeing the bigger picture and all its working pars. A perfect steward as long as no magic is required."
This is such a unique spin to magic & witches for me and I quite enjoyed reading it and seeing it grow. Learning that Ellie can speak to the dead and how she uses this newfound connection to learn more about what is happening around her.

We also learn that Ellie's cousins: Audra, Eira and Nia are all witches & powerful in their own way. We learn how they treat Ellie and how it shapes her to be who she is. I think one of the important themes of the book is how family, those who you share bloods with, can exclude you and hurt you in ways others cant. This is seen throughout the story and it is an important part of the plot:
"There's a moment when I consider telling them as they prepare to depart. Look! I'm different now. I'm just as strange as you! I belong. As if that could wash away years of mockery, of difference, of otherness."


Overall, the whole book is filled with background stories and information that helps us understand the characters, the world & the background stories of witches in this world. I quite enjoyed getting to know more about the characters and witches in general in Silverton.

I didnt know that this book is based in the same universe as two other books by the author and will definitely be reading those too.

Thank you to Netgalley for an eArc in exchange for my honest opinion.

thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy. I really enjoyed this and will be getting copies for my shop.

A. G. Slatter’s The Briar Book of the Dead is a delectably wicked read—full of witches, ghosts, and treacherous family secrets. Ellie Briar is the only member of her family without magic, and when she unexpectedly begins seeing the dead her life is dramatically upended. Throw in a few missing townspeople and some suspicious deaths and suddenly nothing is as it seems.

Ellie tries to compensate for her lack of magic by being exceptionally competent and hardworking; often covering up her cousin's many mistakes. But in Silverton, magic is all that matters, and for Ellie it’s a constant struggle to rise above the tide of disapproval. But her competence makes her into a target, and all the while the ghosts of Silverton clamor for Ellie to help them find peace. As if she doesn’t have enough on her plate, in walks a handsome priest—the Enemy of witches the world over.

Slatter has a gift for balancing mystery, magic, and a refreshing dash of romance. The Briar Book of the Dead reads like a dark fairy tale, and I savored every page while dreading its end. Ellie was an enjoyably relatable protagonist—striving for acceptance while balancing the many burdens placed upon her. I could read five more books about Ellie and the witch town of Silverton and still not be satisfied!

Thanks again to Titan Books for providing me with an ARC of The Briar Book of the Dead. My review is, as always, truthful and unbiased, and I hope it helps introduce readers to new books they will love!

I truly wanted to love this book. The synopsis was intriguing. Once I started reading it, I wasn't sure how I felt about it...I thought the story was a little all over the place and didn't really go where I thought it would. I wish the magical elements weren't so lukewarm.

The Briar Book of the Dead is an incredibly well written thought provoking gothic horror. We meet Ellie Briar, the only non magical member of her family, but that doesn't mean she doesn't have things under control. She is being trained by her aunt to take over as the Steward, the right hand of the Briar Witch, caring for their small town of Silverton, making sure they stay under the radar of the church and their people are happy and healthy.

This is a heavier read but not for the reasons you might think. I found the parallels of a family of witches trying to maintain their freedom very timely in the world we are living in today.

"It made their [mothers] fearful for ... they knew all too well what happened to girls with wills of their own"

"Not all women - some didn't want change ... It never occurred to them they weren't being asked to give that up, just that some women did not want masters. Should be given the choice"

I find myself in this same battle today with women who look down their noses at other women who want to have the choice. I have never wanted to take away my friends option of being a mother and wife, I simply want my other friends to have the choice to dictate what happens to her own body.

Women have been taught for years to crush down our power, to hide pieces of ourselves. To water down our natures. Speak quietly and softly, be kind

The Briar Book of the Dead is a novel set in Slatter's Sourdough universe, recently explored by her in All the Murmuring Bones and The Path of Thorns. I was very pleased to revisit this intricate and intriguing world, its society centring on the witches who keep everything going and protect everyone else while themselves being persecuted by a venal Church.

This is a world where details matter, where social structures and indeed social infrastructure matter, where people matter. I think The Briar Book of the Dead explores that even more than its predecessors did. The story's set in Silverton, a remote hill town where the Briar family of witches have some prominence, since their powers enable them to fend off the dark Leech Lords. This means they're granted some tolerance by the distant church - so long as they know their place.

But when did Slatter's witches ever know their place? Far from that, the Briars - a matriarchal clan who came to Silverton three hundred years before and rescued the town from decline - actually run the place, dealing with a myriad of administrative, economic and social questions as well as with the magical. Such work isn't easy, however, and we see Silverton at a troubled time when the titular Witch has died suddenly and her role been passed on for the first time in a generation, as has that of the Steward, the family who ensures all those things listed above go smoothly.

The story is told from the perspective of the new Steward, Ellie Briar, who's a bit of an embarrassment to the family because she has no witchcraft. What Ellie does have, unknown to anyone else, is a talent for speaking to - and for - the restless dead. This will be useful as the power of the Briars is tested to its limits. But it's a secret Ellie's determined to keep because the mere existence of ghosts in the town undermine's her family's mythology.

This was a magnificent story. Ellie is a fantastic mixture of the assured and competent - and the unsure. Being the only non-magical Briar means that while she may be loved, she's endlessly slighted by the others in unthinking ways. Despite recognising all the things that need to be done ahead of anyone else, grasping how awkward situations can be defused and simply remembering what's next, Ellie has developed a habit of deference. So when only she seems to see what's going wrong, only she takes it seriously and only she knows what needs to be done, a tension inevitably rises between her and the other women of the family.

That is made worse as Ellie fancies the new priest who's been sent to shake up the town - a sign perhaps that the distant Church is finally paying attention to this remote corner? - so she has to juggle personal feelings, family history and romantic inclinations to find a way through.

A fast-moving, enjoyable and positive (despite the dark things that happen) take on a fantasy world, this is a fun read and it was great to see mentions and hints about other storylines in this world, both those already in print and - dare I hope? - those still to come.

This was my first foray into the Sourdough Universe and it’s safe to say I’m settling in for the long haul.

When I was little, I used to sneak out of my room late at night just so I could watch Ghost Whisperer with my mum. The Briar Book of the Dead takes so much of what I loved about that concept and weaves it into this incredible and expansive gothic fantasy world.

This could have leaned heavier into the horror elements, there was a great eerie sense of unease throughout the whole read and a few terrific moments that I won’t spoil but I would say it would be a good pick for fantasy readers who are looking to dip their toes into the horror genre.

I have so much I was planning to read this month but I may just be dropping all of it to explore this world further in the rest of Slatter’s works. My only wish is that we were blessed with more of Ellie and Sandor.

This was a slow start for me - but once I got into it, I was thoroughly invested. I loved Ellie Briar and how she handled everything in Silverton as its non magical steward. There are a few points that I wish Slatter had elaborated on further, but overall this was a great read - and I was thrilled to discover that while this is not part of a series, Slatter does have a whole fantasy world built with characters popping in and out of the books!

This book was fabulous. I didn't want this book to end! I couldn't get enough of it. The story line was great and I loved the writing style. 4 stars.
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This book is amazing! Ellie, the main character, comes from a family of witches and is the first to not have any magic of her own. They rule over Silverton, protecting their people from the Darklands, while also being under strict supervision of the church. The Briar witches know of their story through tales, and Ellie may well discover that they may have been somewhat revised. Indeed, the Briars have a lot of secrets (and what was funny is that they were almost always the same).
This book follows Ellie in her day to day life and work at the same time as she tries to discover what is happening in Silverton. I don't know if the plot twist was predictable but I did guess it early on and wanted to scream at all the characters; I even felt relieved when they finally understood what was going on. The Briar Book of the Dead is full of love, secrets and grief, and I loved Ellie's path to understand that she's not less than her family just because she is not a witch.

A mix of dark fantasy with family drama is a brilliant combination of genre features that make this unique story that really stands out

A.G. Slatter's "The Briar Book of the Dead" delivers a potent spell of dark fantasy and family drama. This standalone novel immerses readers in the Gothic town of Silverton, governed by the powerful Briar family of witches. Ellie, the only non-magical member of the family, finds herself thrust into a web of hidden truths and ancient secrets as a series of disturbing events shatters the town's fragile peace.

Slatter excels in weaving a chilling atmosphere, where whispers of the past intertwine with the present. The prose is beautifully crafted, painting vivid imagery and capturing the characters' complex emotions. The narrative unfolds through Ellie's perspective, offering a unique window into the challenges of feeling like an outsider within your own family.

The story boasts a compelling central mystery, laced with subtle hints and shocking revelations that keep you hooked. The exploration of family dynamics and the burden of past sins adds emotional depth and complexity.

However, the focus on secrets can occasionally feel overwhelming, leading to some slower moments in the middle section. There’s also an insistence on using complex/non-standard words, like “cicatrice”, when scar tissue would have worked just as well and been slightly easier to understand which I found broke the flow of reading.

Overall, this novel is a solid fantasy story with an intriguing premise. Blood magic is not something fantasy books tend to tackle, unless it is associated with a villainous character, which adds a unique angle to Slatter’s novel. Despite the slight pacing issues, "The Briar Book of the Dead" is a captivating read, particularly for fans of dark fantasy and gothic fiction. The intriguing plot, atmospheric setting, and well-developed characters will stay with you long after you turn the final page.

I absolutely loved this book! I thought the exposition was interesting and I enjoyed the background introduction to the Briar witches of Siverton. As such, I didn’t feel the sluggishness that I often feel when starting a book. In a family full of magic, Ellie is the only member who has not manifested powers. I felt a kinship with Ellie Briar, the protagonist, being the black sheep of the family as well. I loved seeing Ellie’s growth as a woman while finding her place within her matriarchal family where magic is highly valued. Ellie is smart and found other ways outside of magic to make herself valuable to her community. There are touches of romance here and there, which has been a good break from all the spicy books I have been reading. It is far into the background which I appreciate because the focus is on Ellie’s journey and navigation of her family dynamics. Of course, there are many hurdles that she must overcome which are handled with so much strength and cunning. There are so many twists and turns that I was not expecting at all! As such, it was such a good mystery read. The writing, pacing, and storytelling was amazing! This is the first book I have read by A.G. Slatter, but it will certainly not be the last. I will be reading the other books she has already published. This was such a great read, and I highly recommend you read it!

The Briar Book of the Dead by A.G. Slatter is set in the same universe as The Path of Thorns, All the Murmuring Bones and some of her short story collections. Each one can be read independently and in any order. In The Briar Book of the Dead, Slatter tells the story of the town of Silverton and the Briar family of witches that have run the town for generations. Using their magic, they have kept their citizens safe and healthy and helped the town prosper.

Ellie Briar is an anomaly in her family. Unlike her cousins, she was born without magic, and it’s a difference she feels throughout her life. Despite her lack of magic, she’s raised to take over as steward, to maintain the admin duties which include one of the most important tasks of all; ensuring that forged letters are sent to the church. She’s determined to prove she can do her job well, despite not having the magical abilities of her cousins, and when their grandmother dies suddenly, Ellie and her cousins are thrust into their roles earlier than expected.

It’s a challenging time for all of them, and things become even more chaotic for Ellie when a knock on the head at her grandmother’s funeral brings with it the ability to see the dead. It appears that the magicless Briar is not so magicless after all, and as the first speaker for the dead in over three hundred years, Ellie is in demand. This is all rather confusing for Ellie because everyone knows that Gilly Briar banished all the ghosts of Silverton… didn’t she?

As she tries to untangle the mysteries of the past, Ellie has the chaos of the present to contend with as well. There is unrest in town as secrets are revealed. Something else is going on in the outlier farms, and people are going missing. Trying to juggle everything along with her new responsibilities as steward and speaker of the dead, Ellie needs to work out who she can trust quickly before something terrible happens.

“Slatter writes witches like none other,” reads the quote on the front of the cover of The Briar Book of the Dead by A.G. Slatter from author Cassandra Knaw, and I couldn’t agree more. This was another great book from Slatter, and I was glued to every moment. The slower pace works well with the story, drawing out the suspense as she sprinkles mystery and suspense through like a pro. Mixing gothic horror with fantasy and thriller, Slatter has found a winning combination.

What I like about Slatter’s books is that she gives the reader just enough details to work out some or most of what is happening, enough to get the imagination pumping. By the time the big reveal comes around, you’re even more desperate to know what’s happening to see if you guessed right! Or, as was the case for me, to fill in the missing piece of the puzzle I had slowly been piecing together as I read.

The Briar Book of the Dead is a wonderful addition to Slatter’s growing universe, filled with multi-layered characters and rich prose. This deliciously dark and gothic novel is a must-read.

The Briar Book of the Dead is a dark fantasy/mystery series that will leave you on your toes. The world building is what really got me. The small town setting on the edge of the Darklands was full or lore and witches and oh was it wonderful. This was an excellent read for fantasy and mystery lovers alike