All the Murmuring Bones

367 pages

English language

Published July 16, 2021 by Titan Books Limited.

ISBN:: 978-1-78909-434-3

(6 reviews)

"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."

2 editions

MH Thaung reviewed All the Murmuring Bones by Angela Slatter

Enjoyable fantasy with touches of the grotesque

No rating

This is the first novel I’ve read by this author, although I’ve previously enjoyed a couple of her short pieces. It strikes me as a coming of age/finding yourself adventure with folklore(ish) elements. I enjoyed the short tales scattered throughout and felt they went well with the overall atmosphere.

I didn’t love the first person, present tense narration, especially as the tense sometimes jumped around (and not in an artistic/appealing way). I preferred the latter part of the story (dealing with a mystery) to the earlier aspects of escaping an unwelcome situation. Although we spend the entire book in Miren’s point of view, her character didn’t make a strong impression on me, and she felt rather distant. Maybe it was more that she didn’t seem much (internally) changed at the end vs the beginning.

Overall, an enjoyable fantasy with touches of the grotesque