Book Review: "All the Murmuring Bones" by A.G Slatter

I have to admit that many things have got in the way of reading this book - like other books. I have owned this book for absolutely ages and only decided to pick it up yesterday. It's been at least a month or two - but I am glad that I waited. A book like this has to be devoured with utmost concentration and I am happy I had the time to sit and read it all in one or two sittings. The book itself is a masterpiece from start to finish with the correct blend of high fantasy, classic gothic and my favourite one of all - folk horror. A.G Slatter creates an entire underworld of betrayal and hurt beneath a backdrop of riches, power and heritage. It's definitely my kind of book and I think it has a little bit for everyone in it too.

The opening chapter is extremely gripping where we get an introduction to this strange family who made a deal with the sea but did not keep their end of the bargain. The family falls into tough times and loses most of its power. With the remaining members trying to harness whatever's left, one meddling granddaughter might just change everything as she becomes the hero of this story. And what a story it is.

I loved the main character so much. Miren sought of reminded me of these old world heroines who counteract against what they are supposed to do with what they think is right. She almost reminds me of Ingrid Bergman from Gaslight with her initial way of going along with what is expected and then, at the crucial moment, rebelling and doing what is right. I loved Miren's anger and the way she ran from Aidan at exactly the right moment, the way her and Brigid had a strange dynamic and how she sought to defy her machiavellian grandmother - Aoife.

The truth is, each individual character has a voice that is incredibly distinct. Aoife is demanding and machiavellian, Brigid is terse and often distant, Aidan is powerful and thinks he is in control, Miren is cunning and quick-witted with a lot of intelligence and let's not get started on the dialogue (or rather lack of truth there is) in Edward Elliot.

I found there to be a lot of Shakespearean elements in the story, such as the tragedy of the house which harkens back to almost a Titus Andronicus storyline, the powerful and wicked matriarch which reminds me of the character of Margaret Beaufort, the forceful and powerful men with nothing but power on their minds which reminds me of the court which presided whilst Henry VI was in power during the plays.

The vile intrigue, the people who 'disappear', the missing graves, the hushed tones are all juxtaposed to the raving of the sea, the anger in the oceans and the folklore stories that litter the novel with their strange hints at something much, much worse bubbling beneath the surface. As the book approaches the climax, there is almost a sense of solution, until there is not and Slatter feeds the reader a curve ball as characters we once thought to be rid of return for a final showdown of vengeance, power and greed.

A.G Slatter has created something very special in this book. It is a brilliant blend between three majorly difficult genres to write in and one of which - folk - is my absolute favourite, which the author has incorporated amazingly. The characters are each individual, each of them easy to understand but having incredibly complex ideas, motivations and beliefs and with death really beginning the novel, there is a dark undertone right from the very start - where everyone is uncomfortable with everyone else.

I was so happy that I found a book that was so suited to my tastes. When it was over, I felt like I was stepping out of a world, leaving it behind and entering back into the real, boring world once more. The author has created something very special in which entire places are consumed by folklore, darkness and death. It is a masterpiece of a modern fantasy folk horror complete with a smart, wilfull heroine at its centre who refuses to play the pawn in a family game of lies and deceit.