The narrator of chosen for this title was absolutely perfect. She conveys the atmosphere of the plot brilliantly.

Additionally, it isn't just conveying an overall atmosphere but following the cadence, the ebb and flow of the story. She is neither always on 1, 10, or worse monotone.

She knows how to modulate her tone, volume, undulating her voice for fantastic dramatic effect.
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Really good and well thought out book. I really enjoyed the concept, characters and execution. Thoroughly recommend it.
The narrator was very good and I loved the Irish accent.

‘One for the house, one for the Church and one for the sea.’

My thanks to W.F Howes for a review copy of the unabridged audiobook edition via NetGalley of ‘All the Murmuring Bones’ by A.G. Slatter. This was narrated by Aoife McMahon and has a running time of 10 hours, 45 minutes at 1x speed.

This was amazing. I love stories that feature sea lore and mer-folk, so I was very drawn to this novel from my first sight of its stunning cover.

Its lead and narrator is Miren O'Malley. Many years previously the O’Malley family had entered into a pact with the mer-folk: in return for the safety of their family’s ships in every generation they would give a child to the sea. Yet for years the family has been unable to fulfil their side of the bargain with the result that their fortunes have declined.

Now Miren's grandmother is determined to restore the family to its former glory and so is manipulating her into marrying a wealthy distant cousin. Thus, when Miren has children, one will be given as tribute to the sea-queen. Yet Miren is determined to create her own destiny.

Slatter has crafted a truly wonderful Gothic fantasy with dark family secrets, witches and magic, and plenty of mythic creatures including those associated with the sea. It is a tale of strong women and also of the men who inevitably seek to control them.

Woven into the main narrative are a number of fantastic tales that are taken from Angela Slatter’s previous collections. In her Author’s Notes she writes: “I wanted to have a world where the tales I’ve told readers in the past are ones that these characters also grew up with.”

In addition, Slatter has created very vivid settings, including Hobb’s Hallow, the O’Malley’s ancestral home, and the mysterious Blackwater estate. These details were very finely drawn bringing an authenticity to her world building.

In terms of the audiobook, Irish actor Aoife McMahon was a brilliant choice. I have loved her work on a number of titles. She is certainly in demand with over 125 audiobook titles to her credit and has also won a number of awards for the same.

Aoife McMahon’s voice is beautiful and melodic and I felt that it complimented the storytelling style of the novel and brought Miren O’Malley and her world vividly to life.

I adored this book and it is one of the best fantasies that I have read in some time. I was very pleased to read that Slatter is writing another novel set in the same world for publication in 2022. I also will be investigating her back catalogue of novels and stories.

Very highly recommended.

A gothic fairytale gem! I listened to the audio narrated by Aoife McMahon, whose melodic tone and enchanting accent complimented the telling of this tale. ‘All the Murmuring Bones’ is a rich blend of fairytale, magic and myth that delivers a darkly original story.

At the heart of this tale is young Miren O’Malley who has lived shut away from the world with her grandmother Aoife O’Malley. To rebuild the family fortune Aoife needs to ensure the O’Malley bloodline continues and plots this outcome by arranging the marriage of Miren to Aidan Fitzpatrick. Miren has no desire to marry and certainly not to a man as cruel as Aiden. She plots against this bargain and sets in motion the unsettling journey that follows.

Angela Slatter has a remarkable writing style and seems to drop moments of horror effortlessly throughout the story. The eerie atmosphere, array of creatures, magical elements and strong characters satisfyingly blend together.

“Other families might have stories of curses, cold lads and white ladies, but we have old gods, merfolk and monsters.”

Miren O’Malley is the last true heir of a powerful family steeped in a dark history, looking to escape the miserable destiny set upon her by her scheming grandmother in the face of the decline of the O’Malley fortunes. This tale tells of Miren’s fight to claim control of her future and to fill in the mysteries of the past, uncovering dark secrets as well as adding her own skeletons to the family closet. From start to finish it is brimming with dark folklore and many a dark deal made between man and monster along the way, both in Miren’s timeline and the grim fairytales she reads from the family book of legends.

I found Miren a compelling main character, easy to sympathise with but intriguing and full of surprises. Slatter has wonderfully created a world of matriarchs and their powerful daughters, with men as refreshingly meek supporting characters used as their playthings and seen mostly as a nuisance to be avoided. It would be fair to say that no character is presented as simply good or bad, however - all had a good deal of depth and development, earning my pity and scorn in equal measure.

Listening to the lyrical tones of McMahon’s narration left me in a trance as I lapped up the poetic language used to beautifully describe a grisly tale. I also really enjoyed her distinctions in voice between characters when reading dialogue - she managed a fantastic range across all genders, ages and creatures!

After the immense detail throughout the book, including some slow chapters I did have to push myself through, I was a bit disappointed with the ease of the ending, and thought it could have been much more spectacular. The magical elements were also not strong enough in many places to keep the excitement going - a scene of real magical force would have been appreciated after it was constantly whispered about throughout.

All the Murmuring Bones provided me with some great escapism that I overall enjoyed, and I would recommend anyone who is a fan of gothic fairytales give it a listen.

I've already reviewed the e-book version for this and gave it 5 stars, because it was an absolutely incredible story. I loved it so much that I also wanted to hear the audio version and I am happy to say, that it does this great book justice!

I love that the narrator has an irish accent, fitting to the irish setting of the book. She has a great story-teller voice and read in a very gripping way. It was very easy to focus on her narration. The way she read the characters was awesome. They were easy to distinguish and the performance wasn't over the top. It really added to this already great story. I liked it a lot and would definitely listen to other books read by her again!

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Titan Books for providing me with an audio ARC for this amazing story!

3.5 stars
I'm not sure where to start with this book. The beginning had my interest as we follow Miren Elliot (the last of the previously wealthy O'Malley's) through her grandfather's death and find out her grandmother wants to marry her off to her cousin Aidan to strengthen the O'Malley bloodline who used to sacrifice a child from each generation to the Mer in return for prosperity. After leaving her house to look for something I don't want to give away, I really kind of lost interest, I felt like there was almost no plot. I did enjoy when the plot picked up again in the last 20% of the book.
I also enjoyed the writing style, it felt like it really fit what the book was about. The dark atmosphere carried through the book well.
As for characters, Miren was kind of lacking. I just didn't really find her interesting. None of the other characters really stood out to me at all either.
While this was a book with a good atmosphere, there were some things that were lacking for me.

Magical, beautiful and haunting!

All the Murmuring Bones follows Miren, the last, true O’Malleys. The O’Malleys used to prosper due to a deal made with the mur. However, after each generation, the family has declined due to the O’Malleys not keeping their side of the bargain. When Miren’s is confronted with one of these dealings, she decides to leave her village and goes on a wild journey.

Let me first start by saying that I love the fact that Angela Slatter uses folklore in this story. I am from a small island community, and I have grown up hearing similar tales. I appreciate Slatter uses folklore in such a unique and creative way.

The story overall is enjoyable to read. Slatter does a phenomenal job at setting the tone at the beginning of the novel by introducing the reader to the O’Malleys. Slatter repeatedly adds new elements and twists to the story to keep the reader engaged. Furthermore, I loved learning about the O’Malleys and its dark and complex history. By integrating tales of the selkie, mur and more, my mind was filled with wonder and magic.

The weakest aspect of this story is the character work. Miren and her grandmother Aoife are well realised and complex characters with an interesting story. Unfortunately, I did not feel like I needed to care much about any of the side characters. Furthermore, the second half of the book did baffle me a bit. The plot takes a turn, where the focus shifts to a “crime-related” incident, which almost made me feel like I was reading an Agatha Christie novel. Although some readers will appreciate this plotline, I thought that the sense of magic and wonders disappeared when the plot became more “crime” focused. Slatter ends this story on a positive note, which I appreciate.

Overall, I did enjoy the story. This book filled me with a sense of wonder and I love that Slatter integrates folklore into the story. The protagonist, Miren, is a great character, and I felt immersed in her journey. Unfortunately, most of the side characters lacked depth, and I have mixed feelings about the ending. I would recommend this story to anyone that loves fantasy, folklore and enjoys magical and beautiful writing.

Rating: 3.5 / 5 stars

My thoughts on the audiobook: I read this book through audio, and I enjoyed the narration. I thought the narrator had a great voice and did an excellent job at differentiating between the different characters. I would be happy to listen to other audiobooks by this narrator.

Thanks to W. F. Howes and Netgalley for the audio arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was one of the best reads of the last 12 months.
A beautifully dark and gothic read based around the old stories of Ireland, of magic, myth, and creatures of the sea. As soon as I picked it up I just couldn't put it down.
Following the story of 1 girl as she deals with loss, love, hope and despair.
So cleverly written this book grips you from the first page and pulls you in the the Ireland of the past. Seamlessly blending the fair tales of old with the the life of Miren, the 18 year old last of her line. Expected to follow the old ways to preserve her family no matter the cost, we follow Miren and her search for the truth and her place in the world. A true heroine, she pulls us along in her quest for what she believes is right. This book had so many twists, turns, and surprises it really did keep you guessing right up until the last page. This book is honestly on of the best you will read this year.

After her grandfather’s death, Miren O’Malley is being forced to marry her cousin Aiden. Her grandmother is trying to restore the O'Malley family’s glory and also keep their side of a deal struck long ago with the mer – safety for their ships in return for a child of each generation. Miren flees this unwanted union and embarks on a journey to discover the truth and mysteries tied to her family.

This is a beautiful gothic tale and, to be honest, not one I would normally go for, but I was so glad I did! I was drawn into a magical world full of witches and creatures of myth. The pace is slow but I was kept entertained with plenty of tales that are told throughout the book. It’s a rather sad story but Miren is such a strong character and you can’t help but love her.

Aoife McMahon did a great job narrating and really bought the characters alive.

Thanks to NetGalley for this audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Full review available on my blog March 4th 2021

Content Warnings: murder (adult and child), forced marriage, incest, abuse, child sacrifice.

So I once again did that thing I do where I instantly request something without reading the summary, solely because Andee recommended it to me. And once again, it worked out so, so well. I absolutely adored this book. I received an audiobook review copy and I listened to it in one sitting, unable to put it down for a second. It’s not an easy read by any means, but if you enjoy dark historical fantasy, I highly recommend it. Miren O’Malley has always known that mer are real. The O’Malley family sacrifice their children to them in return for safety and prosperity, but since the death of Miren’s mother, that deal has gone unkept and so the family’s fortunes are declining. Fortunately, Miren’s grandmother has a way to fix that. Unfortunately, that way involves marrying Miren off to Aidan Fitzpatrick, her distant cousin and all-around arsehole. Fortunately, Miren’s grandmother dies before the marriage can happen. And everything that happens after that? Unfortunate to the very end.

All the Murmuring Bones is a gothic fairytale, and the atmosphere throughout is absolutely impeccable. If you like books that lean hard into atmosphere and vibes to create a sense of horror, you’ll enjoy this one. The world is full of magic, whether that’s small magic like the little castings that women can do or big magic like the existence of merfolk, ghosts and kelpies. This magic is threaded throughout and I really enjoyed the way that it was knotted into an otherwise familiar historical setting. I also absolutely loved Miren’s repeated insistence that she wasn’t a witch before she cast some little casting or spell, all based on the fact that misogynistic men would see women’s magic as evil witchcraft and burn them for it – so instead women kept things secret and labelled them traditions instead of magic. It felt really authentic and despite the fact that this is a fantasy world, it did feel like A.G. Slatter had done some loving research into the time period.

Miren was the focus of the story, and very much the highlight of it. She might technically count as this fairytale’s damsel in distress, but she’s not much interested in being rescued. I will forever be weak for women who save themselves and Miren is dedicated to doing exactly that. Despite the actions she’s ready and willing to take to save herself from an unwanted marriage and the machinations of some truly awful men, Miren always feels good at her core. It makes her easy to love and trust as a protagonist, because I always felt like she was doing her best. I was rooting for her, I wanted her to be safe and happy because that’s what she deserved, and there were several points where I would have been very willing to kill certain men to protect her.

I can’t wait to get a paperback copy of this one on release, as I know I’ll come back to this story again when it’s dark and cold outside and I need some gothic magic to curl up with.

“You claim what you can endure for your once life and burn the rest.”
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If you are looking for the meaning of strong will, you can just follow Miren’s story to understand what it means. She is amazing; she is born in a sort of mafia family and she is the last true blooded O’Malley, so everyone (especially her relatives) think they can make her do everything they want. But she wants to be free and so she seeks her own fate trying to understand better her own origins. It’s really heartbreaking to see how sometimes people that are supposed to love you are selfish and just don’t care enough. And in spite of that Miren not only grows up very strong but she also understands what love really means. It is not a matter of needing but of wanting, you should stay with someone because you want to and this is really the recipe for happiness. The writing is whimsical and full of fairytales that I really loved. I have actually listened to the audiobook thanks to NetGalley and the narrator was amazing, it made me feel like a child listening to a bedtime story.

Murmuring Bones is clearly inspired by Irish mythology, and it is therefore no wonder that it is being recommended to fans of Katharine Arden and Naomi Novik, and I definitely saw some similarities in the characters and plots to back up the comparisons. Unfortunately though, it just did not grab me in the same way.

Our main character, Miren, is the descendant of a once-powerful family known as the O’Malleys. Unbeknownst to most people, the O’Malley’s gained their power from a bargain with the Merfolk, where every generation, one child was given to the Mer and in return the O’Malleys’ received influence and fortune. But over the generations, that bargain and the O’Malleys’ power has dwindled.

The novel starts with us learning that Miren’s grandmother, Aoife, is determined to restore their family’s power, and is determined to use Miren in order to do this. Miren, 18 years old at the beginning of the novel, has spent most of her childhood locked away in their family’s mansion. Her parents died many years ago and she has grown up largely in isolation, so she is kept ‘pure’ for marriage. I can understand how this isolation would affect her emotional state, but I felt like this translated through the page a little too well, and made the prose feel quite dry and detached.

Considering the set up of this, I was expecting a lot more magic and mythology than I was given. There were certainly a lot of creatures mentioned, from the Mer, to the Kelpies, to vampires and shapeshifters, but they seemed to be used as cardboard cutouts in the background rather than any plot development. Personally this book just was not for me. Clearly, a lot of other people have enjoyed it, I just wish the blurb and the cover of the novel had been a little more true to the plot.

Audio ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Audio review first. I already love Aoife McMahon's narration style and she was the perfect choice for this book.

This book was everything I wanted in an Irish inspired original fairytale - ambiguous morality, fantastical creatures, a sensible, cunning and clever heroine and an ancient bargain made with the sea. I really don't want to spoil anything by going into too much detail, but Miram is a great character. I love the fact that in the 'clever Janet' vein of fairy tales, she's willing to do whatever is necessary to achieve her aims. She's cunning and intelligent and ruthless, but not harmful to anyone who doesn't mean her harm.

The O'Malley's have lived a charmed live in a huge house on the cliffs for centuries. But now their great wealth and influence is fading and the house crumbles as if all the family luck has fled. Growing up under the watchful and pitiless eye of her grandmother, Miram learns to be very self possessed and a little deceptive to get what she wants. Until she finally discovered how her grandmother intends to revive their flagging fortunes, and realises her freedom might be at stake. Forced to take matters into her own hands, Miram embarks on a journey, leaving the house on the cliffs and everything she's known. From there she encounters strange creatures and deathly secrets as she unravels the myths behind her family and the O'Malley name.

This was brilliant. Cleverly written, replete with dark fairy tale motifs and Celtic monsters. If you're expecting the sanitised version of fairy tales, this may not be for you. If you enjoy the dark originals, especially the rather bleak Irish fairytales, this will be right up your street. Highly recommend.

I was so bored with this book. I liked the concept and thought it would be awesome but for me it fell flat. I don’t think anything happened. I feel like in the beginning their was all this world building and stories about that family and then nothing. I don’t think anything came from the stories and it was just boring. I loved the narrator and i think she’s probably the only reason i even continued. It honestly wasn’t for me. This would have been a 2 but it will be a 3 just bc the narrator did such a great job with such a boring story.

This book is a fantasy gothic fairytale set around Ireland. The story follows Miren O’Malley. Her family have lived in the same stately house for generations. But she is the last known decendant. She's trying to leave but it's not that simple because her family are in debt to the mer.

The book is a nice slow burn read so you get to know more about the characters and the background. I enjoyed this story, it was a nice fantasy book to escape to.

I listened to this via an audiobook. The narrator was excellent.

I lost count of the times my jaw dropped while listening to "All the Murmuring Bones". There are shocks aplenty here, and they all come at unexpected moments with no gentle build-up. This story is dark and delicious, with excellent writing that suited the narrator very well. I didn't really connect with any of the characters, but that didn't matter at all. I'm eagerly awaiting more from this author.

My thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley. This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own, unbiased, opinion.

4.5 stars
Growing up I used to read my grandfather’s childhood tales, they were old dusty books with the true versions of fairy tales. This book gave me the same vibes, but it is too dark for children. I simply loved the atmospheric experience of a fairy tale for adults.

Aoife McMahon did a superb job narrating this book. I honestly did not miss a full cast, her accent enhanced the atmosphere, her pace was perfect. I felt like I was being told a story by someone who had lived, and I could not get enough of it!

We follow Miren O'Malley as she refuses to be a passive agent of her own story. Her ancestors had struck a deal with the mer people – the sacrifice of an O’Malley from each generation in exchange for prosperity. For years, unable to keep their end of the deal, the O’Malley’s fortune started to decline and Miren’s grandmother is decided to sacrifice her.

Miren is a strong, smart, independent woman who doesn’t accept her fate is goes on a coming-of-age journey to write her own story.

I loved Slatter’s mer mythology. This was an original story, told superbly with well developed characters and enthralling atmosphere.

While I appreciate Slatter’s careful descriptions and feel it helped build the atmosphere. I felt this book read slightly too long. Maybe it is my bias and association with dark fairy tales I read as a child, but had this been shorter or even a novella, it would have been a 5-star read to me.
I highly recommend this book.

Thank you W.F. Howes Ltd, A.G. Slatter and NetGalley for an advanced copy of All the Murmuring Bones, narrated by Aoife McMahon, in exchange for an honest review.

#AllTheMurmuringBones #NetGalley

This book is a real joy. The strong female lead character is amazing. She has passion and strength and won’t be told what to do- ever! Myths/ fables are woven through the whole book beautifully. There are hints of so many things- witches, mer people, magic and curses. There is a really modern slant to this historical story that makes you smile. It celebrates women in a way that historical books often don’t. The journey through the book is pacey and it keeps you gripped. I’d love to read all the stories written in the book referred to throughout the book- there are some cracking tales in it. I listened to this as an audio book and felt it really brought the story to life. I loved the narrators voices - she was a treat to listen too. To sum up- this book is really quite unique and well worth reading.

All the Murmuring Bones is read absolutely beaitfully by Aoife McMahon. She adds a lot to the story - solid, recognisable voices for male characters that don't end up in cringe-territory, a spirited delivery for the main character's thoughts and this novel feels like one of small stories passed down through oral narration as much as what is captured in the family's shared archive of stories, and this is wonderfully reflected in her reading voice.

The story itself is indeed reminiscent of Katherine Arden and her Russian folk trilogy. However, I'm one of the few who didn't find Arden's novels gripping - they were meandering and had too many episodic things that didn't add to the wider story. All the Murmuring Bones does sometimes feel a little bit alike in that fact. It too details a lot of stories that don't always become more deeply entwined with the main storyline.

The opening too, while lovely in its descriptions of the house and the family was perhaps slightly too long. Although perhaps this will weed out the readers with the patience and appreciation for beautifully described things and the slowing affect this often has on plot. I find myself somewhere in the middle of these two kinds of readers. I would be sad to lose some of the stories such as the evening when our main character has to test her wits against three angry ghosts.

Overall, this was an atmospheric and uniquely realised story of a young girl coming in to her own power and attempting to throw off a bargain/curse of her family.

Many thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.