All the Murmuring Bones by A G Slatter

This book blew me away. Period. 

I went in, expecting nothing and came out a big big fan of Angela Slatter and her writing. All the Murmuring Bones by Angela Slatter is bewitching, a modern day gothic fairy tale, with the right amount of pacing, mystery and magic that will lure you in to the deep. ( pun intended) 

So, the bare bones of the story is this: The whole premise is about this family called O'Malleys who are feared and revered in equal measure in an Irish coastal area sometime in the nineteenth century. The world believes that the O'Malleys are blessed by some dark gods, as the great fortunes they amass at the sea continues to grow.  Unbelievable good luck continues to grace the family members but we also get to know that this luck is reserved only for the the true bloodlines. The O'Malleys who don't marry outside the family but get married to cousins and relations, thus, keeping the bloodline pure. But soon enough, the luck deserts the O'Malleys and they fall on hard times. We enter the story at such a juncture, where the only O'Malleys alive are Aoife and her grand-daughter Merrin, and they are about to have the burial ceremony for Oisin, the grandfather and the possibly the last male O'Malley. 

Circling the O'Malleys are vultures, the cousins and uncles and aunties, far removed from the pure bloodline of course, who are all waiting for a piece of the pie. The pie in question being the ancestral O'Malley home , perched precariously on the edge of the cliff, known as the Hop's Hollow. Merrin, a half O'Malley, as her mother had ran off and married a stranger, is a devoted and down-to-earth young girl who has a love-hate relationship with her grandmother. Aoife is the typical matron of the family - strong, despite her advanced years due to her daily swimming habits in the sea, very strong-willed and opinionated. Now, to save her family fortunes, the cunning Aiofe has basically made Merrin the bait - to be married to their richer cousin, Aidan. However, the plans come to rue, as just weeks after her grandfather's passing, Merrin finds her grandmother dead in her study. Possibly poisoned, suspected foul play. And that's when Merrin realizes her dreams of freedom is actually coming alive. And Merrin clearly doesn't want to be another one's property with this sham of a marriage. 

So, Armed only with her mother's last letters to the O'Malleys, Merrin makes her escape one night - out into the dark and cruel world, to trace her way to this property way up in the North, called Black Water. Where supposedly, her mother and father are still alive, prospering on a bustling silver mine. She has more than just a few questions for her parents, who have ditched her with the O'Malleys and cannot wait to get her just dues. 

The story traces her interesting journey, right from her escape from the accursed Hop's Hollow into the world, her interesting encounters with both human beings and magical creatures, finally leading her to Black Water, where she uncovers a sinister plot and mystery that surrounds her family. 

So, Angela Slatter's writing is like a gale-force that just wraps you up in its embrace, taking you to places unimagined - darkest dreams, the depths of the oceans, magically enchanted woods and dangerous lakes. This book had me hooked right from that haunting description of Hop's Head right in chapter one and the O'Malley curse. The curse itself, is a delicious mystery drawn out till the end of the book and I will let you discover this for yourself. Suffice to say, it's brilliantly set up and executed flawlessly. The magic in the book, is the magical creatures that abound the world. A few of which, we encounter - Like the Kelpi, the water-horse or the shape-shifting wolf and the best yet, the Merfolk. Creatures of the sea, who aren't like your beautiful mermaids, but gothic horrors. 

Merrin's character is crafted with a lot of care and we as readers, actually grow with her. Clever, resourceful and also immensely likeable as a lead. It's as much a coming-of-age for her, as much as it is for us, the discovery of the terrible secrets and bargains that make up the O'Malley family cupboards. She's as strong-willed as Aoife, the matron but her steely backbone remains hidden under a polite demeanour. But as she keeps discovering secrets one after the other, she transforms and it was a satisfying experience to watch her growth. There are multiple other POV's that are interesting and very compelling in their own rights - Like Aoife is quite the remarkable woman, whom we hate and respect at the same time, even the character of Merrin's mother who comes to you in bits and pieces as Merrin puts the puzzle together to figure out who she was as a person. 

But the best part of the book? Undoubtedly, the folk tales sprinkled throughout. Like the original Grimm brothers fairy tales, these stories are not for the faint-hearted. They are frightening and a great mix of folk lore, horror and sea-tales and how Angela effortlessly ties them into the overall story-arc of the O'Malley legacy is just brilliant. 

So yes - if you were looking for a good fantasy story that is a mix of briny sea-lores, folk/gothic horror and magical mysteries, then look no further : All The Murmuring Bones by AG Slatter is an absolute pleasure and guaranteed to blow your mind.