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A review by camilleisreading24
All the Murmuring Bones by A.G. Slatter
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I bought this book a couple of years ago and then it languished on my Kindle. I ended up reading The Path of Thorns first, which is another standalone fantasy gothic set in the same universe as this. And that may have been the correct reading pathway because I was able to see the germination of ideas that were expanded upon in Path of Thorns.
In both novels, Slatter weaves fairytales into the narrative. They are dark stories, built on sorrow and sacrifice and monstrosity. The importance of family ties and the way that families build their histories around stories and myth to the detriment of their descendants, is a strong thematic tie between these two books. I loved spending more time in the world of Sourdough, especially since Path of Thorns mainly takes place at Morwood, whereas in this story, Miren travels across a broad swath of the world. These books are what would happen if someone put the works of Angela Carter, the Brothers Grimm, Premee Mohamed, and T. Kingfisher into a blender, but that analogy falls short because there is an added quality -- an A.G. Slatter-ness -- that is ineffable. I was surprised to see that the mermaids (or Mer, as they are called) are not a bigger part of this story. I was definitely expecting something more mermaid-forward (like a Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant) so I am glad I came to this one now, instead of right after purchasing it.
Miren is a great character and like Asher, I was rooting for her. There are three distinct acts to this story -- first, Miren's terrible arranged marriage and how she discovers the truth of her parents' disappearance; second, Miren's quest to escape her family's curse, and third, a murder mystery. I sank into this universe like a cozy armchair and although the pacing was a little slower than Path of Thorns, I savored my time with this book.
If you like gothic fantasy with horror elements, set in a world that is simultaneously magical and mundane (I'm talking about the mundanity and basicness of evil characters everywhere), you need to read this.
In both novels, Slatter weaves fairytales into the narrative. They are dark stories, built on sorrow and sacrifice and monstrosity. The importance of family ties and the way that families build their histories around stories and myth to the detriment of their descendants, is a strong thematic tie between these two books. I loved spending more time in the world of Sourdough, especially since Path of Thorns mainly takes place at Morwood, whereas in this story, Miren travels across a broad swath of the world. These books are what would happen if someone put the works of Angela Carter, the Brothers Grimm, Premee Mohamed, and T. Kingfisher into a blender, but that analogy falls short because there is an added quality -- an A.G. Slatter-ness -- that is ineffable. I was surprised to see that the mermaids (or Mer, as they are called) are not a bigger part of this story. I was definitely expecting something more mermaid-forward (like a Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant) so I am glad I came to this one now, instead of right after purchasing it.
Miren is a great character and like Asher, I was rooting for her. There are three distinct acts to this story -- first, Miren's terrible arranged marriage and how she discovers the truth of her parents' disappearance; second, Miren's quest to escape her family's curse, and third, a murder mystery. I sank into this universe like a cozy armchair and although the pacing was a little slower than Path of Thorns, I savored my time with this book.
If you like gothic fantasy with horror elements, set in a world that is simultaneously magical and mundane (I'm talking about the mundanity and basicness of evil characters everywhere), you need to read this.