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** I received an ARC for an honest review **
Description
Within these pages, coffin-makers work hard to keep the dead buried and their own murderous urges in check; poison girls are schooled in the art of marital assassination; books carry forth stories and forbidden secrets; a young witch wreaks a terrible revenge on an old lover; the Little Sisters of St Florian devote their lives to knowledge good and bad; a dying forest god is reinvigorated; mermaids and seamstresses make dangerous bargains; changelings bring havoc. Saints slumber, hind-girls dance across the countryside, bears show their true colours, and the fate of the upper and lower worlds rests on the whim of a volatile plague maiden…
Comprised of three collections (Sourdough and Other Stories, The Bitterwood Bible and Other Recountings and The Tallow-Wife and Other Tales) these award-winning storms form much of the foundational mythology for Slatter’s dark fairy-tale gothic Sourdough novels. Exquisite, compelling and rich with unforgettable characters, these tales layer and intertwine in the dextrous hands of a master storyteller.
Summary
I read The Sourdough Compendium by Australian dark fantasy author A.G. Slatter.
Review
Slatter’s The Sourdough Compendium is a dark fantasy collection of stories and novellas set within the imagined Sourdough universe, a place steeped in folklore, magic, and gothic unease. The Sourdough universe is the home of many of Slatter’s works like All the Murmuring Bones, The Briar Book of the Dead, The Crimson Road and the No Good Deed. Here, Slatter allows the reader to explore these gothic-tinged interconnected tales with themes of power, survival and the cost of dangerous bargains struck in the unquiet shadows.
This collection includes some tales delving into the origins of long-whispered legends throughout Slatter’s novels, or follow individuals navigating curses, transformations, and uneasy alliances. Throughout the collection, recurring figures and places create a sense of continuity and place, building the Sourdough universe into a detailed and compelling setting shaped by magic, individual choices, curses and consequences. This is a world where nothing comes without a price.
Slatter beautifully crafts an atmospheric, character-driven dark fantasy tales where , each story can stands alone but together they form worldbuilding where subtle links and recurring characters add depth and detail.
The Sourdough Compendium boasts prose which is lyrical and evocative striking the thematic elements of gothic literature to enhance the quiet mundane and instil a consistent but subtle dread.
Thematically, the importance of agency and survival unusually female characters exisiting in constrained or dangerous circumstances. The role of magic as both a force to be reckoned with and a threat from the more masculine-ruled world is a theme throughout and one where Slatter avoids moral binaries and provides tales and characters that are multifaceted and relatable.
Conclusion
The Sourdough Compendium is a highly detailed and thoughtfully constructed collection which will appeal to fans of dark fantasy, gothic storytelling and intricate worldbuilding and strong characters. Perfect for readers who enjoy interconnected stories, folklore-inspired narratives, and quietly unsettling worlds or fans of Slatter looking for a readily accessible expansion of her Sourdough universe.
** This is my personal opinion and does not reflect any judging decisions **
Leanbh Pearson 