All the Murmuring Bones

By: A.G. Slatter

Narrated by: Aoife McMahon

Length: 10 hrs and 46 mins

Publisher's Summary

For fans of Naomi Novik and Katharine Arden, a dark gothic fairy tale from award-winning author Angela Slatter.

Orphaned as a young child, Mirin O'Malley has been brought up by her grandparents on their isolated, rambling estate Hob's Hallow. Long ago her family prospered due to a deal struck with the mer, the terrifying creatures who live in the depths of the sea: safety for their merchant 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 their fortunes have suffered as a result. When Mirin's grandfather dies, her grandmother puts in train a plan to restore their glory - but at the price of Mirin's freedom. Finding amongst her grandfather's papers evidence that her parents may still be alive, Mirin is determined to escape and discover the truth about her origins. This takes her on a treacherous journey to Blackwater, the estate her parents built when they fled Hob's Hallow, but on arrival Mirin finds the estate in decline and her 'Uncle Edward' in charge: where are her parents, and who is this Edward Elliott really? 

A story of mystery and magic and the strange creatures that lurk beneath the waves.

©2021 A.G. Slatter (P)2021 W F Howes

Critic Reviews

"Like the sea at its heart, Slatter s haunting story is treacherous and lovely in all its dark depths." (Heather Kassner, author of The Bone Garden)

"Slatter's dark fantasies have a bright, burning core of understanding and insight." (M.R. Carey, author of The Girl with All the Gifts and The Boy on the Bridge)

Drags on and on.

No joy here. The story could have been a Short Story. Predictable and boring.

Hmm...

I would like to preface by saying the narrator's voice is captivating in of itself. However, it took me over a month to finish the book. On and off for short periods.

It was far too dull for me. *SPOILER WARNING*
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OKAY, I warned you.

When she finally escapes Ethan and runs off on her own. Only then did it have plot for me. But it isn't until towards the end that there is an actual story to follow. I feel that the very beginning could have been better if they skimmed a lot of the details. At least try to make it interesting. You know? Her abuse was loud and clear but there wasn't much emphasis about how she's portrayed. The people who shouldn't matter got more character emphasis than she did.

It probably would make a better show than a book. That's my honest opinion. The last 4 ½ hours were the more interesting parts for me unfortunately.

What a beautiful tale..

I have absolutely adored listening to this gothic, Gaelic inspired tale. It's chilling and dark in spots, but beautifully written. I was on the edge of my seat and have listened to nearly 5 hours of it straight!
Highly recommend if you love low fantasy and inspiration from Irish folklore.

I love being told a good story

I very much enjoyed this book. I picked it because I love the voice actor and was enchanted by the story. I thought it had depth, insight and clarity. It reminded me of why I fell in love with all of Jess Kid’s books and The Ghost Bride by Yangtze Choo. Similarly magical. I’d recommend it.

the murmuring is miren's monologue

I'm going to preface this with I liked it well enough. is it the best fairytale style book I've read? no. it wasnt super groundbreaking in terms of plot or twists or anything. I liked the narrator and could definitely tell the differences between the voices.

my biggest gripe with this book is our main character has mental monologues that take far too much time and it takes out some of the scenes veracity. like, literal real life minutes pass where she is silent while she's contemplating but the other party is waiting for a response.

anyway-give it a read if you want some nice imagery and mini fairytales!

Mermaids, family and fantasy sold!

I got to say I had to give this book a chance to grow on me since at the start of the book, I couldn't get into the story as it developed. I started to love it great stories about mermaids and all the things that our protagonist goes through, searching for her family and trying to find her place in this world and where she belongs love this story

Darkly enchanting

Beautiful narration. wonderful storytelling. will listen to it again and will love it again too!

excellent read

this book grabs from the start and you dive in to the last splash bravo

Enjoyable dark fairy tale with great narration!

I picked this one on a whim, based on the title, and found that it had a lot of elements that I love: strong characters, mythical creatures, short stories woven into the larger tale, and a slightly creepy vibe. There are some dark themes and scenes, but nothing so bad that it put me off.
The narrator was amazing and really added to the overall experience.

slow burn

Took me a while to get into it but once i did i really enjoyed it!

I want to read it again!

The style of this story reminded me of _The Hoarder_ and _Things in Jars _ by Jess Kidd (also narrated by A.M.). It is so lyrical and takes for granted that life and story and myth have few boundaries. While Aoife McMahon could make the telephone book sound interesting, she excels at this type of storytelling. I want to go back and savour this story now that I know what happens. It will feel like listening to a favourite song.

The strongest character I've ever read.

Whenever you read so called strong female characters, they do still always seem to rely on/benefit from male support. At every turn, Mirin turns the ordinary expectations on their head. She doesn't need anyone and the biggest truth of the book for me was the huge gift and vote of trust and love in needing nobody but wanting and choosing them. Thank you for bringing her strength into my life.

Excellent

I loved everything about this audiobook. Rich descriptions, interesting characters and wonderful storytelling at it's best. The story is woven perfectly and the narrator does a brilliant job of bringing the story and it's characters to life. Full of magic, mystery and adventure. A truly great read/listen.

A delight

Loved every second of this beautifully woven tale of family obligations, Irish fairytales, and mystery.

Great story

brilliant book full of Irish mythology and a great tale. Aoife Macmahon is a brilliant narrator. Dhe really brought it to life.

I found this book compelling and captivating.

A deliciously dark dip into mysterious waters. A fairytale with a real tail.
I loved it.
The narration was perfect.
I'd look for more work from this author and narrator... together a winning combination.

Lovely

A great listen
Interesting concept
Lovely narration
Twisty plot
Recommended
Well worth the time!

A great and interesting tale

Excellent narrator, she really embodied the characters well and felt her way through the subtleties of the text with deft expression.

The story was excellent and both embraced and corrected some of the old stereotypical fairytale characters. I really appreciated it on many levels.

Beautiful fairytale

lovely story interwoven with myth and magic. not sure I loved the ending but well worth a listen

Really great adult fairy story

Poldark for the me too era with magic and fairy tales - absolutely awesome.
Could not recommend enough.