The best way I can describe this book is sublime, the way gothic architecture is sublime. Dark but so beautiful you can’t help but to admire it.

I enjoyed this a lot! It was a bit repetitive at times, but I had fun.

CONTENT WARNING:

Spoiler

loss of a loved one, family abuse, domestic violence, misogyny, harm to children, house fire, caged animals

Things to love:

-Writing. Accessible but very reminiscent of a fairytale.

-Story. It was sort of like an inversion of The Goose Girl fairytale, which is one of my faves.

Things I didn't quite love:

-Needed a bit more. There just wasn't enough to chew on, and there were parts that could have done with a good chew. There were multiple subplots that just never resolved.

Obviously I still liked it plenty, and it makes me eager to read more by her!

I love Celtic fantasy and this book was quite Celtic in its mythology and also very very Gothic. The novel verges on horror, it is very well written, and the take on bargains made and the magical world wanting you to stuck to it was quite haunting. The feminist take on it made it really worthwhile. This is a mixture of Irish folklore mostly, mixed with notions of witchcraft, but it was quite original.

4 Stars

3.5 stars

This was a slow burn fantasy interspersed with may little folktales that hinted at the story direction. I must say the folktales were my favourite part.

The story also had a subtle gothic feel to it and to be honest I think had this been ramped up a bit it would have pushed my rating to a full 4 stars. I am not a fan of the horror/gothic genre, but the elements presented in this story were perfectly setup for my taste.

I also think there were many distinct plot lines that could have been explored more, so the fact that they were all squashed into one story felt like a lost opportunity to create a richer story.

We have a family that for generations ruled the sea. With seemingly boundless money and business savvy the O’Malleys were a powerhouse of commerce. But they were fiercely protective of their privacy, preferring to marry within the extended family than bring in outsiders. Because there are dark secrets kept hidden.

Each generation must sacrifice a child to the Mer folk that eagerly wait with sharp teeth to devour the soft morsels brought their way. But a break in this tradition has the family fortune dwindling and Miren is the last of the O’Malley line that can produce a child to restore the family to its former glory.

Full of old tales, a desperate journey to escape, witch magic and kelpies, this was a pleasure to read.

The author spent more time on creating the right atmosphere and developing the main character than the fantasy element so if you are not a big fan of fantasy then I think this is a great book to dig into.