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deedles's review against another edition
tense
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Death, and Death of parent
Minor: Domestic abuse and Incest
ecwiggin's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This book was so wonderful to read. It feels so expertly written. I feel like many authors have attempted gothic fairy tale in the past but she just NAILS IT. You can feel the elements of story taken from Faulkner but also classic fairy tales (not the happily ever after kind. The twisted original versions).
The story is so compelling. It started off a bit slow, almost to the point of "oh Lord. Is this gonna be a book with a moping protagonist?" But then it quickly takes the turn into "oh, she's gonna get shit done". Miren is such a complicated, yet straight forward character. You understand every choice she makes and ask yourself if you would do the same. Honestly, it's rare to find (female) characters as well written as Miren. Splatter harnessed gothic feminine power at it's best.
I desperately want to read more from her. This is probably one of the most enjoyable books I've read this year. Easily makes my way onto my favorites list.
The story is so compelling. It started off a bit slow, almost to the point of "oh Lord. Is this gonna be a book with a moping protagonist?" But then it quickly takes the turn into "oh, she's gonna get shit done". Miren is such a complicated, yet straight forward character. You understand every choice she makes and ask yourself if you would do the same. Honestly, it's rare to find (female) characters as well written as Miren. Splatter harnessed gothic feminine power at it's best.
I desperately want to read more from her. This is probably one of the most enjoyable books I've read this year. Easily makes my way onto my favorites list.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death
Moderate: Death, Incest, Murder, and Abandonment
Minor: Alcohol
powellki's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Incest, Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Blood, and Abandonment
Minor: Animal death, Body shaming, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Stalking, Pregnancy, and Gaslighting
ballgownsandbooks's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
3.0
This... was okay? Though I'm inclined to think the parts that didn't work for me were more of a 'it's me not you' problem.
The premise was interesting and Slatter's writing is certainly beautiful - and McMahon's narration is absolutely gorgeous too! But the story didn't really hook me: I didn't particularly care for Mirren or really get a feel for her wants and motivations beyond not wanting to get married, but she's definitely capable and stubborn, so I could see fans of the stereotypically 'strong', morally grey heroines enjoying her!
The story was also kind of... rambly? It didn't feel like there was really a driving arc (there's a reason why the synopsis is so vague, I guess) so it just sort of meandered along from one plot point to another. The jumps between chapters were also weird, with a lot of the action happening off-page and us just getting the aftermath, which threw me off a few times. Again, things that definitely won't bother everyone, but since I wasn't interested in Mirren, I needed to be able to be compelled by the plot!
The folklore elements were definitely intriguing and my favourite parts were the story-within-a-story fairytales from Mirren's childhood; also the writing style, as I've mentioned, really added to that Gothic fairytale vibe. I did feel like there were a few too many types of magic at times (witches, merpeople, kelpies, and this random magic automaton who shows up twice and doesn't really add anything to the plot?).
All in all, I think a good one for people who like atmospheric dark fantasy with mystery elements, morally grey main characters, and narration in a lovely Irish accent!
The premise was interesting and Slatter's writing is certainly beautiful - and McMahon's narration is absolutely gorgeous too! But the story didn't really hook me: I didn't particularly care for Mirren or really get a feel for her wants and motivations beyond not wanting to get married, but she's definitely capable and stubborn, so I could see fans of the stereotypically 'strong', morally grey heroines enjoying her!
The story was also kind of... rambly? It didn't feel like there was really a driving arc (there's a reason why the synopsis is so vague, I guess) so it just sort of meandered along from one plot point to another. The jumps between chapters were also weird, with a lot of the action happening off-page and us just getting the aftermath, which threw me off a few times. Again, things that definitely won't bother everyone, but since I wasn't interested in Mirren, I needed to be able to be compelled by the plot!
The folklore elements were definitely intriguing and my favourite parts were the story-within-a-story fairytales from Mirren's childhood; also the writing style, as I've mentioned, really added to that Gothic fairytale vibe. I did feel like there were a few too many types of magic at times (witches, merpeople, kelpies, and this random magic automaton who shows up twice and doesn't really add anything to the plot?).
All in all, I think a good one for people who like atmospheric dark fantasy with mystery elements, morally grey main characters, and narration in a lovely Irish accent!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Death
Moderate: Body horror, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Blood, Death of parent, and Murder
aliyyah's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
4.0
“They cannot burn every single woman, tempting though it might be.”
This was such an interesting read!
All the Murmuring Bones is about a girl named Miren, who belongs to a family that once prospered because of a deal struck with the Mer. Over the years, however, the family has become unable to keep up their end of the bargain and have fallen into decline. Miren’s grandmother is determined to restore their glory, even at the price of her granddaughter’s freedom but Miren is determined to choose her own path in life.
I loved the plot of this book. It genuinely read like a fairytale and I highly enjoyed the way the story was told. I really liked the little secrets about Miren’s family and their history that were uncovered throughout the story as well, as it added another level of intrigue to the novel.
While we meet many characters in this book, its main focus is on our protagonist, Miren. We follow her journey throughout the novel, watching as she deals with whatever obstacle is thrown her way. I really enjoyed reading about Miren. She’s clever, determined and constantly underestimated by those around her. I love the way she takes control of her life and does whatever is necessary in order to be free. I also liked that, despite growing up starved for love and affection, she still ensures to be kind to everyone around her.
The writing, unfortunately, fell a little flat to me. One thing that I loved, however was the creatures that are scattered throughout this book. We meet Mer, Kelpies and ghosts and witches and spell craft are also constantly mentioned. This created such a magical setting and I wish we had seen more of this element. The world building fell short to me, especially as I could never even pinpoint what exact time period we were in so certain things kept pulling me out of the story. It just felt extremely surface level. In addition, as much as I loved Mirren, I still felt unable to truly connect with her and there were times in the book where I had to really push through.
Overall though, I really liked the vibes of this one and I’d certainly recommend it to fans of fairytales.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Titan Books, for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review!
This was such an interesting read!
All the Murmuring Bones is about a girl named Miren, who belongs to a family that once prospered because of a deal struck with the Mer. Over the years, however, the family has become unable to keep up their end of the bargain and have fallen into decline. Miren’s grandmother is determined to restore their glory, even at the price of her granddaughter’s freedom but Miren is determined to choose her own path in life.
I loved the plot of this book. It genuinely read like a fairytale and I highly enjoyed the way the story was told. I really liked the little secrets about Miren’s family and their history that were uncovered throughout the story as well, as it added another level of intrigue to the novel.
While we meet many characters in this book, its main focus is on our protagonist, Miren. We follow her journey throughout the novel, watching as she deals with whatever obstacle is thrown her way. I really enjoyed reading about Miren. She’s clever, determined and constantly underestimated by those around her. I love the way she takes control of her life and does whatever is necessary in order to be free. I also liked that, despite growing up starved for love and affection, she still ensures to be kind to everyone around her.
The writing, unfortunately, fell a little flat to me. One thing that I loved, however was the creatures that are scattered throughout this book. We meet Mer, Kelpies and ghosts and witches and spell craft are also constantly mentioned. This created such a magical setting and I wish we had seen more of this element. The world building fell short to me, especially as I could never even pinpoint what exact time period we were in so certain things kept pulling me out of the story. It just felt extremely surface level. In addition, as much as I loved Mirren, I still felt unable to truly connect with her and there were times in the book where I had to really push through.
Overall though, I really liked the vibes of this one and I’d certainly recommend it to fans of fairytales.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Titan Books, for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Child death, Emotional abuse, Incest, Misogyny, Sexual content, Grief, and Death of parent
bookforthought's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
5.0
All the Murmuring Bones was an instant favourite. This is a truly spellbinding book that kept me up way too late into the night. The author's rich prose slowly drew me in until I was so immersed into the story that I completely lost all sense of time and space. It had been a long while since I was so absolutely and utterly sucked into a book!
I was definitely reminded of Naomi Novik's and Katherine Arden's books, two authors who wrote some of my favourite fantasy novels - and a rare instance of a blurb actually making a connection I agreed with. This book takes its time, so might not appeal to people looking for a fast-paced read, but it just worked for me. I really connected with the author's style and I ended up enjoying even the detours. I loved how the O'Malley's traditional stories were woven in throughout the book: while for the most part they weren't fully adding to the plot, they gave extra depth and insight into the family's history and traditions.
The gothic atmosphere and folkloristic elements (such as mer-folk, selkies, ghosts, and so many more) worked beautifully together to create a dark and intricate world. The world-building does take a bit of a back seat in favour of character development, but I didn't mind too much since I usually prefer the latter anyway. I do love a good family secret, and this book was chock-full of them! I was kept being surprised, and even though I had suspected where a few of the plot lines would end up, the way they were developed was still incredibly satisfying.
Character-wise, the book mostly relies on Miren to carry the whole thing. And she's entirely up to the task! I didn't immediately love Miren and found her too passive and bland for my liking, but her top-notch development quickly made her one of my new favourites. By the end, I fully admired Miren's strength of character and spirit, unbroken despite all the pain she suffered in life, and her quick wit. She was constantly undermined and underestimated by all those around her, and yet despite that she persevered in forging her own path.
Overall, this was an extremely pleasant surprise, completely exceeding my expectations, and a book I can see myself gushing about for a long time yet! Might be particularly appreciated by lovers of dark folklore and fairy tales, strong character development and just enough magic.
CW: this book contains mentions of abuse, violence (including against children), murder and incest.
I received an e-arc of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book in any way.
I was definitely reminded of Naomi Novik's and Katherine Arden's books, two authors who wrote some of my favourite fantasy novels - and a rare instance of a blurb actually making a connection I agreed with. This book takes its time, so might not appeal to people looking for a fast-paced read, but it just worked for me. I really connected with the author's style and I ended up enjoying even the detours. I loved how the O'Malley's traditional stories were woven in throughout the book: while for the most part they weren't fully adding to the plot, they gave extra depth and insight into the family's history and traditions.
The gothic atmosphere and folkloristic elements (such as mer-folk, selkies, ghosts, and so many more) worked beautifully together to create a dark and intricate world. The world-building does take a bit of a back seat in favour of character development, but I didn't mind too much since I usually prefer the latter anyway. I do love a good family secret, and this book was chock-full of them! I was kept being surprised, and even though I had suspected where a few of the plot lines would end up, the way they were developed was still incredibly satisfying.
Character-wise, the book mostly relies on Miren to carry the whole thing. And she's entirely up to the task! I didn't immediately love Miren and found her too passive and bland for my liking, but her top-notch development quickly made her one of my new favourites. By the end, I fully admired Miren's strength of character and spirit, unbroken despite all the pain she suffered in life, and her quick wit. She was constantly undermined and underestimated by all those around her, and yet despite that she persevered in forging her own path.
Overall, this was an extremely pleasant surprise, completely exceeding my expectations, and a book I can see myself gushing about for a long time yet! Might be particularly appreciated by lovers of dark folklore and fairy tales, strong character development and just enough magic.
CW: this book contains mentions of abuse, violence (including against children), murder and incest.
I received an e-arc of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book in any way.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Grief
Moderate: Child abuse and Emotional abuse
Minor: Incest