All the Murmuring Bones
Ratings7
Average rating4.4
15
Ratings7
Average rating4.4
For fans of Naomi 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.
Reviews with the most likes.
4 stars!!
i don't really have any coherent thoughts about this one but i loved the creepy(?) vibes. i suppose it's ~atmospheric~ (which i had always imagined i would love in a book, as i do for movies. but i was so sorely disapointed in the bone houses which was also touted for its atmosphere i thought the genre was a miss for me. happy to see that its not and that one just didn't do it for me) it wasn't too scary but i enjoyed how it was a little dark fairy-tale esque.
i am 100% here for merin and i think she was a great character. i really felt for her and i wanted to find out everything about her history and family as she did. the twists and turns kept me interested, but the ride was enjoyable too. i wasn't just skipping ahead dying to see where it would end because the various settings and minor characters were really interesting and felt whole.
the narrator had a great voice, and it really suited the setting. but i did find it a touch quick – whereas usually i'll speed up audiobooks a little i actually had to slow this to 0.95 to pay attention properly, but that may be saying more of my current brainstate than anything else.
there are a few things i wish were explained/visited a bit more deeply (the automaton, the queen, her parents, her grandmother etc) but it works in this kind of story. i don't feel dissatisfied or cheated because its kind of supposed to be a mystery?
i liked the casual drops at same sex relationships being typical in this world, i am just sad that merin didn't run off with a mer and/or automaton to live her (my) sapphic dreams.
fuck it 5 stars :)
