I’ve recently finished reading All the Murmuring Bones by A. G. Slatter and this book is so incredibly whimsical. It begins as any old folk horror would—with a sacrifice. Centuries prior, Miren O’Malley’s family proposed a deal with the mer creatures for the family’s business vessels to have eternal safe voyages, and in return one child of the bloodline would be offered to the sea each generation. As time goes on, not all of the O’Malleys are able to uphold their share of the bargain, which results in deterioration of shipments, fortune, and victorian aristocracy status. Miren’s grandmother is determined to restore the family glory, even if it means sacrificing Miren’s freedom to do so.
I believe that everyone judges a book based on their own methods of reading. For me, I enjoy anything that has ethereal writing or that is chock full or prose. Some find this to be patronizing or pretentious, but I think that the more poetic a story is, the easier it is for a reader to be fully immersed in the tale. Ironically enough, it took me some time to get into this one. At first, despite all of the beautiful writing, this story lags a bit. There is simply so much information to be stored away for future reference, and so many characters to remember, that it becomes a little overwhelming. I stuck it out for a few more chapters and the end result is that I think I might have a new novel to shelf in my favorites pile. The main character Miren can be quite morally ambiguous, even for the narrator, which to some might sound unreliable but for me it made her all the more interesting. I love characters with grit, and she certainly did things that were survival based that we often don’t see with other protagonists for fear of them becoming antagonists.
One of the best things about this novel is the way it reads as an old fishermen folklore. I forget how I was introduced to the plot, but I didn’t realize it was essentially a Victorian gothic until I began the prologue. This has all of the check marks for a wonderfully eerie story that mixes all of the nefarious ambiance of the sea with an interesting and heart-pounding plot twist.
Anthology of V. 