All the Murmuring Bones
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4.0 • 2 Ratings
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- $13.99
Publisher Description
For fans of Naomie Novik and Katherine 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.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Set in a fantasy world reminiscent of 19th-century Ireland, this stunning gothic adventure from Slatter (Sourdough and Other Stories) shimmers with fairy tale enchantment. Miren O'Malley has lived her 18 years under the thumb of her overbearing grandmother, Aoife, the matriarch of the once powerful O'Malley dynasty, now paupers in a crumbling coastal mansion. Miren grew up with stories of her family sacrificing children to the sea-queen in return for their prosperity. But their line has been diluted—Miren's mother married an outsider and had only one child, leaving none to be sacrificed. To revive the family wealth, Aoife plans to marry Miren off to her rich and brutal cousin. But when Miren learns that her mother was a witch and that her supposedly long-dead parents are still alive, she finally takes control of her life and sets out to find them. While navigating the greed and arrogance of man and the magic of kelpies and merfolk, Miren vows to right her family's generations of wrongs. In lyrical prose, Slatter evokes the decay and dread that surround her strong characters. Anyone who likes gutsy heroines, beautiful language, and well-wrought worlds won't want to miss this.
Customer Reviews
Captivating!
Beautifully written, from beginning to end. In turns, both sinister and magical, creepy, yet strangely affirming and uplifting. I barely lifted my eyes up from the pages and read it in one sitting, right through the night.