All the Murmuring Bones
by A. G. Slatter
Narrated by Aoife McMahon
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Pub Date 8 Apr 2021 | Archive Date 15 Apr 2021
W.F. Howes Ltd | W. F. Howes
Description
For fans of Naomi Novik and Katharine Arden, a dark gothic fairy tale from award-winning author Angela Slatter.
Harrowing and beautiful, this is the grim, fairy-tale gothic you ve been waiting for
CHRISTOPHER GOLDEN, New York Times bestselling author of Ararat
Long ago Miren O'Malley's family prospered due to a deal struck with the mer: safety for their 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 have fallen into decline. Miren's grandmother is determined to restore their glory, even at the price of Miren's freedom.
A spellbinding tale of dark family secrets, magic and witches, and creatures of myth and the sea; of strong women and the men who seek to control them.
Advance Praise
“Stunning gothic adventure...Anyone who likes gutsy heroines, beautiful language, and well-wrought worlds won't want to miss this.” Publishers Weekly
“The [gothic] fantasy worlds of Angela Slatter are among the fullest, most vividly realised of our time. The primal ore of folk and fairytale runs glittering through the dark layers of their history and geology, and Slatter mines them for all they're worth. She brings them to the light cut and polished in ways that will make you gasp. In the furnace of her imagination what she produces is tantamount to a sword from out the stone. Her prose is molten metal. Hail the Once and Future Queen!” Neil Snowdon
“Like the sea at its heart, Slatter's haunting story is treacherous and lovely in all its dark depths.” Heather Kassner, author of The Bone Garden
"Slatter's dark fantasies have a bright, burning core of understanding and insight” M.R. Carey, author of The Girl with All the Gifts and The Boy on the Bridge.
"A beautiful gothic monstrosity (monstrosity being a good thing), one of those rare books you don t just want to read but want to live inside of." Mike Mignola, creator of Hellboy
"A. G. Slatter is a born storyteller. Her work is as beautiful and dangerous as the best fairy tales and All the Murmuring Bones is entirely enchanting. A magical read!" Alison Littlewood, author of Mistletoe
"Like the sea at its heart, Slatter's haunting story is treacherous and lovely in all its dark depths." Heather Kassner, author of The Bone Garden
"Harrowing and beautiful, this is the grim, fairy-tale gothic you ve been waiting for. All the Murmuring Bones is Slatter at her darkest and finest. Don t miss it!" Christopher Golden, New York Times bestselling author of Ararat and Red Hands
"Like J.R.R. Tolkien, Slatter's taken her personal invented mythos and crafted a world around it that is at once familiar and deeply strange. Lush and chilling, eerie and exquisite, brutal and elegant I defy anyone to stop turning pages until they've come to the end." Ellen Kushner, author of The Privilege of the Sword"
" All the Murmuring Bones is fairy-tale gothic at its finest and then some. Luscious, richly infused with Slatter's gift for creating place; this is a world that invites travel along all of its dark roads and secret paths. Long after you're done with the book, you ll sit there drenched still in its magic, wondering how you might find your way back." Cassandra Khaw, author of Hammers on Bones
" A story as gorgeously gothic as its title. This is a novel of blood and bones, of salt and silver, of an absolutely haunting richness. I was compelled from the very beginning and held rapt to the end." Kat Howard, author of The Kindness of Magicians
"Two uncanny houses, Hob's Hallow and Blackwater, bookend Angela Slatter's new novel like grim sentinels. Whether they are cursed or enchanted, majestic or moldering, refuge or prison, only reading to the end will tell. Meanwhile, the landscape stretching between these gothic structures abounds with corpsewights, kelpies, ghosts, rusalki, werewolves, clockwork mechanicals, and most alarmingly actors. And across this treacherous terrain walks Miren O'Malley, scarred, furious, and growing in power. All the Murmuring Bones is brutal and beautiful throughout, with moments of tenderness hard-won and harder-kept, and, pervading all, an atmosphere of inescapable threat like the taste of salt wind and the sound of silver bells ringing in the deep." C. S. E. Cooney, World Fantasy Award-winning author of Bone Swans: Stories
Available Editions
| EDITION | Audiobook, Unabridged |
| ISBN | 9781004033522 |
| PRICE | £16.99 (GBP) |
| DURATION | 10 Hours, 46 Minutes |
Featured Reviews
Sara Z, Reviewer
“You claim what you can endure for your once life and burn the rest.”
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If you are looking for the meaning of strong will, you can just follow Miren’s story to understand what it means. She is amazing; she is born in a sort of mafia family and she is the last true blooded O’Malley, so everyone (especially her relatives) think they can make her do everything they want. But she wants to be free and so she seeks her own fate trying to understand better her own origins. It’s really heartbreaking to see how sometimes people that are supposed to love you are selfish and just don’t care enough. And in spite of that Miren not only grows up very strong but she also understands what love really means. It is not a matter of needing but of wanting, you should stay with someone because you want to and this is really the recipe for happiness. The writing is whimsical and full of fairytales that I really loved. I have actually listened to the audiobook thanks to NetGalley and the narrator was amazing, it made me feel like a child listening to a bedtime story.
Librarian 250745
Audio ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Audio review first. I already love Aoife McMahon's narration style and she was the perfect choice for this book.
This book was everything I wanted in an Irish inspired original fairytale - ambiguous morality, fantastical creatures, a sensible, cunning and clever heroine and an ancient bargain made with the sea. I really don't want to spoil anything by going into too much detail, but Miram is a great character. I love the fact that in the 'clever Janet' vein of fairy tales, she's willing to do whatever is necessary to achieve her aims. She's cunning and intelligent and ruthless, but not harmful to anyone who doesn't mean her harm.
The O'Malley's have lived a charmed live in a huge house on the cliffs for centuries. But now their great wealth and influence is fading and the house crumbles as if all the family luck has fled. Growing up under the watchful and pitiless eye of her grandmother, Miram learns to be very self possessed and a little deceptive to get what she wants. Until she finally discovered how her grandmother intends to revive their flagging fortunes, and realises her freedom might be at stake. Forced to take matters into her own hands, Miram embarks on a journey, leaving the house on the cliffs and everything she's known. From there she encounters strange creatures and deathly secrets as she unravels the myths behind her family and the O'Malley name.
This was brilliant. Cleverly written, replete with dark fairy tale motifs and Celtic monsters. If you're expecting the sanitised version of fairy tales, this may not be for you. If you enjoy the dark originals, especially the rather bleak Irish fairytales, this will be right up your street. Highly recommend.
Dawn L, Reviewer
I lost count of the times my jaw dropped while listening to "All the Murmuring Bones". There are shocks aplenty here, and they all come at unexpected moments with no gentle build-up. This story is dark and delicious, with excellent writing that suited the narrator very well. I didn't really connect with any of the characters, but that didn't matter at all. I'm eagerly awaiting more from this author.
My thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley. This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own, unbiased, opinion.
Jackie O, Educator
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. I listened to this as an audio book and felt it really brought the story to life. I loved the narrators voices - she was a treat to listen too. To sum up- this book is really quite unique and well worth reading.
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