Generations ago, Miren O'Malley's family made a deal with a sea witch to keep the family prosperous and healthy in exchange for the sacrifice of a child every generation. Well, it worked for a long time, but over time, despite some frankly incestuous marriage practices, the bloodlines have thinned and spread out, leaving Miren as the final O'Malley in a now-crumbling estate with few pennies to her name. Upon learning that the parents she thought were long dead are alive and just very far away, Miren runs away from the cousin she's supposed to marry, seeking out the only other O'Malleys who were able to leave the ancestral home in hopes of ending the brutal tradition. But it turns out that some things are hard to leave behind.
This is a wonderfully atmospheric and haunting bit of gothic fantasy. Slatter has created a fully realized — and fully creepy — world for Miren to navigate, while making our main character both strong and sympathetic. This is a book for those who prefer the original bloody versions of fairy tales, not the singsong Disney version. I'll be mulling this one over for ages.
No comments:
Post a Comment