The Sourdough Compendium

Sourdough Universe

by A.G. Slatter

Award-winning stories from the world of All the Murmuring Bones and The Briar Book of the Dead, this is a compendium of fantastic tales from the dark gothic heart of the Sourdough universe. Witches, assassins and pirates are brought to life in immersive, sinister and magical prose.

Comprised of three collections (Sourdough and Other Stories, The Bitterwood Bible and Other Recountings and The Tallow-Wife and Other Tales) these mosaic narratives form much of the foundational mythology for the novels All the Murmuring Bones, The Path of Thorns, The Briar Book of the Dead¸ The Crimson Road and A Forest, Darkly.

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…

Exquisite, compelling and rich with unforgettable characters, these stories layer and intertwine in the dexterous hands of a master storyteller. All three collections were shortlisted for the World Fantasy Award with The Bitterwood Bible and Other Recountings winning the award. This is beautiful fairy-tale gothic of the most haunting and dangerous kind.

Genres: Fantasy, Short Stories, Horror, Gothic, Adult, Fairy Tales, Anthologies

592 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 9, 2026

About the author

AKA Angela Slatter

Angela Slatter is the author of All The Murmuring Bones (Titan Books, purchase links below). That will be followed by The Path of Thorns in 2022. Both are gothic fantasies set in the world of the Sourdough and Bitterwood collections.

In February 2021, Tartarus Press published The Tallow-Wife and Other Tales, the third mosaic collection in the Sourdough world series. In March 2022, The Bone Lantern (a novella set in the Sourdough world) will be published by Absinthe Press (an imprint of PS Publishing).

Angela is also the author of the supernatural crime novels from Jo Fletcher Books/Hachette International: Vigil (2016), Corpselight (2017) and Restoration (2018), as well as ten other short story collections, including The Girl with No Hands and Other Tales, Sourdough and Other Stories, The Bitterwood Bible and Other Recountings, A Feast of Sorrows: Stories, and The Heart is a Mirror for Sinners and Other Stories. Vigil was nominated for the Dublin Literary Award in 2018.

Angela is represented by Meg Davis of the Ki Agency in London: meg@ki-agency.co.uk

She has won a World Fantasy Award, a British Fantasy Award, a Ditmar, two Australian Shadows Awards and seven Aurealis Awards.

Angela’s short stories have appeared in Australian, UK and US Best Of anthologies such The Mammoth Book of New Horror, The Year’s Best Dark Fantasy and Horror, The Best Horror of the Year, The Year’s Best Australian Fantasy and Horror, and The Year’s Best YA Speculative Fiction. Her work has been translated into Bulgarian, Chinese, Russian, Italian, Spanish, Japanese, Polish, French and Romanian. Victoria Madden of Sweet Potato Films (The Kettering Incident) has optioned the film rights to one of her short stories (“Finnegan’s Field”).

She has an MA and a PhD in Creative Writing, is a graduate of Clarion South 2009 and the Tin House Summer Writers Workshop 2006, and in 2013 she was awarded one of the inaugural Queensland Writers Fellowships. In 2016 Angela was the Established Writer-in-Residence at the Katharine Susannah Prichard Writers Centre in Perth. She has been awarded career development funding by Arts Queensland, the Copyright Agency and, in 2017/18, an Australia Council for the Arts grant. She teaches for the Australian Writers’ Centre.

She is also the author of the novellas, Of Sorrow and Such (Tor.com) and Ripper (in Horrorology: The Lexicon of Fear).

Reviews

[Dozelina 666 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to start by saying that my request for this book was approved only a few days before release, so I wasn't sure I'd have enough time to finish it.

Well...

I ended up reading almost 600 pages in one night and going to bed at 8 a.m., so I think that tells you everything you need to know. :)))

This collection brings together three previous story collections set in A.G. Slatter's Sourdough Universe:

1. The Bitterwood Bible and Other Recountings
2. Sourdough and Other Stories
3. The Tallow-Wife and Other Tales

And despite being a collection of short stories, I found it incredibly difficult to put down.

A.G. Slatter has a way of writing that feels effortless to read while still being rich, atmospheric and wonderfully dark. These stories are filled with witches, curses, revenge, murder, strange bargains, old magic, forgotten places and the kind of fairy-tale darkness that I absolutely love.

The world itself feels alive. Whether we are wandering through isolated villages, crossing paths with dangerous women, or discovering ancient secrets, every story adds another layer to the Sourdough Universe.

Picking favorites is honestly difficult because I enjoyed so many of them, but The Maiden in the Ice, St Dymphna's School for Poison Girls, and Sleeping Like Snow were among the standouts for me.

What impressed me most was how consistently strong the collection felt. Usually with short story collections, there are always a few stories that don't quite work for me. Here, I found myself moving from one story straight into the next, always wanting to read "just one more."

If you're already a fan of A.G. Slatter's work, this is an easy recommendation. And if you enjoy dark fantasy, gothic fairy tales, witches, revenge stories and beautifully written magical worlds, this collection is absolutely worth picking up.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to Edelweiss and Titan Books for the opportunity to read and review this collection. ^^

[lookmairead · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slatter is playing 3D chess with this universe world building & I’m impressed.

These stories aren’t like chocolate covered raisins- no they are richer like truffles- where you don’t want to binge read them- more like savor and enjoy.
And with this book being shy of 600 pages, no wonder it took me a month to read. 😅

I genuinely don’t seek out short stories, but I’ve read 4/5 of her Sourdough universe main pieces. But honestly this inspires me to get the one I still need to consume to get the full experience.

Highly recommend if
1. You haven’t read Slatter yet, but you want to understand her lore that’s the background in her full length stories
2. You’ve read all of Slatter and you want to swim in her bigger creative mastermind concept.

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

A compendium of stories from an author I’d not read, sent by Titan publisher as a physical ARC very kindly but not requested, what could go wrong? I don’t like short stories, I love characters and get attached so I don’t want them to leave. The stories are set in worlds I’ve never visited and, given my current life circumstances, are way too dark for me. It’s taken more than 2 months for me to read, most days reading a few of the stories, sometimes skipping forward if a story felt too scary or sad then circling back later when I’ve been braver. There are the trigger warnings here so I think not a book to read when you are delicate…and yet sometimes reading something dark can be comforting. Full disclaimer I didn’t read this book after dark and peak Welsh heatwave in the garden was, the best time to read it.
The author is accomplished and so skilful. I really enjoyed her writing style and the joy of reading her notes at the end of the book was too much. I ended up reading them all a third of the way through, after each story and again at the end.
The stories come from the same universe as her other books, apparently, I’m guessing if you’ve read her other books this would be essential reading. Some of the stories have been published before but the majority are new. It does make me want to read her other books and I also think this is a perfect introduction to her world. Some stories interweave into each other and this was a blessing and a curse, I do not want to read about a character in one chapter then read about their demise a few chapters later! 🫣 I do have a robust imagination though so just pretended some stories didn’t happen or had a different character/ ending. I think that’s where a compendium comes into its own. If you don’t like a story another one is coming along soon. Each story had its own flavour but the over arching theme feels, dark, gothic, fantasy world with some horror elements. The world building is outstanding.
For me it reminded me a smidge of Clive Barker, at his best, gothic fairy tales, Women who run with wolves ……. and then really not much else. The prose is beautiful and if you like your sentences created with thought this would be a beautiful book.
I think whilst I took months to read this book I still rushed it to finish before it was published so I could write a review. I think this is a book that would benefit from reading a chapter a day or even a week and really thinking about the story. I could imagine it being a fun book club find but over the year not a month.
All I have to do now is consider which of her other books to read first and hope I get to meet some of the characters again!

[Me, My Shelf, & I]

[ʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡ ᴛᴏ ᴄᴏᴍᴇ]

The rest of this space will be reserved for a story-by-story thoughts/review (moreso for my own personal notes than anything else, cause that's how I like to handle anthologies)

ᴛʜᴇ ʙɪᴛᴛᴇʀᴡᴏᴏᴅ ʙɪʙʟᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ʀᴇᴄᴏᴜɴᴛɪɴɢs
The Coffin-Maker's Daughter:
Sapphic yearning and a petty penchant for poisonous punishment. I'm not sure this is exactly where I would've started the collection, but there's something about it that did stick with me.
The Maiden in the Ice:
A somewhat haunted tale of an isolated town and the value of outsiders. Feels like one of those folktales specifically crafted to teach a moral.
The Badger Bride:
The Burnt Moon:
By My Voice I Shall Be Known:
The Unknown and the Divine:
The Night Stair:
Now, All Pirates Are Gone:
St Dymphna's School for Poison Girls:
The Bitterwood Bible:
Terrible as an Army With Banners:
By the Weeping Gate:
Spells for Coming Forth by Daylight:

sᴏᴜʀᴅᴏᴜɢʜ ᴀɴᴅ ᴏᴛʜᴇʀ sᴛᴏʀɪᴇs
The Shadow Tree:
Gallowberries:
Little Radish:
Dibblespin:
The Navigator:
The Angel Wood:
Ash:
The Story of Ink:
Lost Things:
A Good Husband:
A Porcelain Soul:
The Bones Remember Everything:
Sourdough:
Sister, Sister:
Lavender and Lychgates:
Under the Mountain:


ᴛʜᴇ ᴛᴀʟʟᴏᴡ-ᴡɪғᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ᴛᴀʟᴇs
The Promise of Saints:
The Tallow-Wife:
What Shines Brightest Burns Most Fiercely:
Embers and Ash:
Bearskin:
The Nightingale and the Rose:
Of Ghosts and Glory:
A Stitch in Time:
Sleeping Like Snow:
Crossroads:
And a Young Husband to Bury Me:
By Such Paths:

Thank you so so much to Titan for granting me my very first UK physical ARC-- and for one of my all time favourite authors! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Caitlyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Sourdough Compendium is a lush atmospheric exploration of dark, fantastical tales set within A.G. Slatter’s Sourdough universe. This compendium is comprised of three different yet interconnected collections: Sourdough and Other Stories, The Bitterwood Bible and Other Recountings, and The Tallow-Wife and Other Tales. Each collection can stand on their own, but the short stories within build off one another through rich narratives and immersive worldbuilding. Many of these tales star women and are full of witches, curses, vengeance, and fantastical beings. In this universe, one seemingly inconsequential thing snowballs into so much more. Each mention of a previous character, item, or event was an unexpected treat that kept me eager to read further.

I also want to mention that I am entirely new to Slatter’s writing and this collection of stories is a far reach from my cushy norm of fantasy (Throne of Glass-esque books) and romance. I have been wanting to step outside of my comfort zone and branch out with the genre of books I read, and this particular book was a pleasant surprise in my pursuit. With having never read Slatter’s books prior to now, I was taken aback with how quickly I was drawn in by such evocative language and well-thought out stories. Unfortunately, it took me quite a while to finish this compendium, but that was to no fault of the author. The Sourdough Compendium is a collection of stories that rightfully demands time for an immersive experience.

Thank you Titan Books and NetGalley for the advance copy. All opinions are my own.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hadn't realized how long this book was going to be when I requested it, so I didn't finish reading it before my digital ARC expired. I guess that this is a very big anthology of three other anthologies combined into one. Of the 8.5% that I did get to read, I enjoyed it. I have not read any of Slatter's other books in this world, but I enjoyed the interconnected fairytales and was not confused about what was happening (a concern I tend to have when I haven't read the rest of a series). This is a book you want to own so you can pick up and put down (it's 600 pages). I'll come back to this book when I can either buy or borrow it longterm from my sister, who I think bought a copy.

Thanks again to Netgalley and Titan Books for the ARC!

[Books_the_Magical_Fruit · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a work of art. Actually, it’s multiple works of art, since the collection consists of three of A.G. Slatter’s short story books that were previously published.

The stories are all set in Slatter’s Sourdough Universe, which is made up of various towns, cities, villages and hamlets, where magical and often malignant things happen to the deserving and undeserving alike.

These are fairytale retellings at their core, and yet I hesitate to label them that, because the author spins the tales so flawlessly, adding tidbits here and there, that they become her own masterpieces. She takes a hint of folklore from one area, then part of a myth from elsewhere and binds them into a haunting, breathtakingly-beautiful story that will scare you as much as it will tug at your heartstrings. I often felt torn, not knowing whether to be angry at injustice, glad that punishment was meted out, or bowled over by the beauty of women saving women, time and time again.

And this collection is very much women-centered. There are instances of good men here and there, but they are downright scarce in the Sourdough Universe. Girls learn at a young age that they cannot count on men to have their best interests in mind—the author hammers that truth into the reader’s brain over and over. Not even other girls and women can always be trusted, for that matter. Let’s just say that good people in general are hard to find in this world.

The timeframe seems to be in the 16th century or thereabouts, and I was astonished by how many words were unfamiliar to me. In any given novel I read, there might be 1-3 words I don’t know, but this anthology introduced me to so many new-to-me words that I genuinely lost count. I LOVE that!!

I had read Slatter’s “The Cold House” novella recently, but this compendium was my first foray into the Sourdough Universe, and it took my breath away, in more ways than one. I fully immersed myself for days on end, barely coming up for air. I’m sad it’s over, to be honest.

I do feel it necessary to give a strong content warning: These are not the Disney, tra-la-la, happy ending, sweet dreams fairytales that kids can read. Oh, no. These are darker even than the original fairytales, where a mermaid’s new feet slice into the ground with each agonizing step. They contain rape, incest, pedophilia (you’d do well to avoid the third collection, “The Tallow Wife and Other Tales”, if you don’t care to read about this), possession, vengeful spirits, murder, shocking revenge, gore, body horror, abject poverty, brothels, brutal miscarriages, & terror to the nth degree.

Now, I’m not over here saying that I loved these tales AND loved the mention of these things—on the contrary, I was sickened by more than a few, and there will *definitely* be stories that I avoid when I revisit the book later.

However, there are many tales that, while not ultimately happy, make you THINK. About women. About men. About how things have ever been for women, for millennia. And about how women can take their power back, even without magical means.

“The Sourdough Compendium” is a magnificent ode to feminine capability.

Just don’t read it to your littles for a bedtime story.

4.5 stars, rounded up.

Thank you to NetGalley and Titan Books for an advance copy that I could devour. All opinions are mine.

PS: I wanted to mention that I appreciate that Slatter largely closes the door on bedroom scenes, although there are a couple of scenes that aren’t as tame. This is not erotica by any means—it’s heavy on the fantasy, but not so much on the romance, which is just the way I like it!

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

𝐈 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐆𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

I find it quite difficult to rate a book that is a collection of short stories. Each story deserves its own rating, after all. In the case of “The Sourdough Compendium” the task gets more complicated because it is actually a book comprising three collections of short stories. It’s a collection of collections and all of them, more than twenty in total, are linked. Every story is just the beginning of every other story in this book. Characters that come and go, that have past stories, side stories, relatives with their own stories… it’s like having a bunch of seeds in the hand, planting them and then, there’s a magical but disturbing forest full of trees whose branches touch the next tree. The beginning is not the beginning and the end is never the end, Slatter manages to draw the infinitum symbol with her writing. That’s how I understand this collection as a whole.

There are stories about shapeshifters, curses, witches, vampires, dark towers, secret passages, candy cane houses, prophecies, gigants, monsters, fairies, gods, queens, evil stepsisters, orphans… but the common ground in each and every tale is women in all their glory. Not necessarily heroines, no. There are good and bad women, tricky and innocent, saints and devils… but they all are survivors and they will do everything in their power (or in other people’s powers) to survive. There is so much darkness as there is light and, sometimes, there are even happy endings, but not too many.

I cannot say that I’ve loved all the stories, that would be ilogical, but I can say that I have not disliked any of them. There are some that I’ve enjoyed more than others but I also don’t think that says anything, it would be more useful to say that some stories made me sad, some made me angry, some left me shocked, some are more disturbing and some are more lighthearted. Many have consequences that I could not foresee and I enjoy that so much when reading, ramifications that you never know where they will end or if they will have an ending at all… that would be more accurate and more fair to the book and the writers than saying “I loved this or that”. Also, be sure that all of the stories are quite disturbing one way or another.

As for the writing, AG Slatter falls in the category of writers that I love and enjoy the most. Those that with their words, their worlbuilding, their honesty and their general understanding of the human psyche create an environment so absolutely atpmospheric that they manage to make the reader participate and live in the book. No matter how late it gets, there’s always just another page to read.

[Librow0rm Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Sourdough Compendium by AG Slatter is made up of three volumes of short stories, The Bitterwood Bible and Other Recountings, Sourdough and Other Stories, and The Tallow-Wife and Other Tales. These three volumes make up the foundations to AG Slatter’s Sourdough Universe and to my delight act as both a compliment to, and an introduction to this wonderful, gothic, otherworldly universe, making this collection a great read for those new or already immersed in Slatter’s writing.

The stories themselves provide fabulous insight and backstories into so many of the characters that you will find in Slatter’s writing and as you progress through them, weave a joined up narrative that forms a whole greater than it’s parts. I have mixed feelings about short stories, at times they are just perfect and exactly what I’m looking for, and then there are those stories that when finished leave me hanging and feeling incomplete, however, this was most definitely not the case with this wonderful compendium.

Each and every story brings to life the background and backstories of characters or cameos, who all play a part within this hugely imaginative universe, from the Little Sisters of St Florian and the tale of the destruction of their order to the stories of troll-wives, pirates and witch hunters, I was entertained, engrossed and doing my utmost to slow my pace and savour the stories, rather than rush through them gasping for air. Slatter’s stories are like a deliciously sinful box of the finest truffles, so rich and flavourful that consuming them slowly, deliberately, and delicately provides the greatest and most flavoursome enjoyment and delight.

The comparison to a rich chocolate sweet may seem strange when you consider the brutal and feminist arc of the stories, women fighting back against men seeking that which they should not have, such as sex, immortality and wealth to name a few. My response is that fairy tales are told to children, even when their root stories are in fact truly dark, gothic and brutal. This compendium has NOT been Disney-fied, it is raw and passionate, and honest, reflecting all facets of human and not so human behaviour, wants and desires.

I can only give this compendium my heartfelt, 5 star recommendation with warning that it is brutal and unkind and that makes it even more real and strong and relevant, and I have to say truly deadly!

Thank you so much Titan Books and NetGalley for this arc in exchange for my unbiased and honest review.

[Shell Latter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an ARC of The Sourdough Compendium by A.G Slatter.

I’m sitting at around a 3.5⭐ for this one, because while I absolutely loved the vibe, the reading experience itself was a bit of a struggle for me. I got about 32% through and might come back to it after reading one of the full-length books in this world.

Spoilers

This collection leans heavily into dark folklore, witchy themes, and eerie storytelling—which is exactly my kind of thing. The atmosphere is incredibly strong and consistent throughout, with recurring elements of witches, bargains, revenge, and survival, especially centred around women navigating control and expectations. It feels very mysterious and layered, almost like a history being uncovered piece by piece.

However, I found this much more focused on world-building than I expected. Because the stories are interconnected, with recurring names, places, and references, I often struggled to keep track of who was who or how things linked together. I read this slowly, one story at a time, but still found myself forgetting details and missing connections when they reappeared later.

There were definitely standout moments—the story of the coffin maker and the girl copying books in the dark—but overall, a lot of the collection blurred together because I couldn’t fully connect the threads.

For me, I felt that the story began to drag and, at times, I found it confusing and started to skim-read, forgetting and missing even more of the story—not because of the writing quality, but because of how dense and interconnected the world is. I almost feel like I’d benefit more from reading the full-length works set in this world first, and then coming back to this collection to fill in the gaps.

That said, I loved the tone and atmosphere. It’s not particularly scary, but unsettling and immersive in a quiet, folkloric way. This was also my first time reading a connected short story collection, so part of my experience likely comes down to personal preference.

I would absolutely read more from A. G. Slatter, and I’m especially interested in exploring her longer works set in this world.

I’d recommend this to readers who enjoy dense, interconnected folklore fantasy and don’t mind keeping track of a wide cast of characters and references. If you prefer more straightforward storytelling or struggle with heavy world-building, this might be a tougher read.

[Leanbh Pearson · Rating 5 out of 5]

** I received an ARC for an honest 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 **

[Vivian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Returning to A.G. Slatter's Sourdough Universe feels like stepping across the threshold of an old forbidden fairytale. A feast of gothic folklore, The Sourdough Compendium is rich with saints and witches, bargains and poison, ghosts and fae changelings.

Lush and haunting, Slatter's prose conjures imagery that is both startlingly beautiful and deeply unsettling. One moment wrapped in the warmth of a kitchen hearth, the next knee deep in curses, poison and things with teeth waiting in the dark. She balances brutality with a lyrical elegance reminiscent of classic dark fairytales, crafting stories that feel timeless while remaining unmistakably her own.

Slatter is an absolute master of the short form - every tale feels complete and emotionally satisfying. Some are devastating, others burn with fury or ache with longing but every story leaves its mark. There isn't a weak entry in the collection.

At its heart are extraordinary women navigating power, rage, survival and revenge. Slatter takes the bones of traditional fairytales and transforms them into something fiercer. These are not passive warnings or hollow archetypes but complex women - dangerous, resilient and ambitious. Some rise into their power. Some receive their hard won justice. Some meet devastating ends. All of them feel real.

But what truly elevates The Sourdough Compendium beyond a simple anthology is the way every story interweaves with each other. Side characters emerge with entire histories of their own, figures from one story become myth whispered in another, places are revisited transformed by memory, tragedy and time. The sheer depth of lore creates the feeling of uncovering a real history piece by piece, each story another thread stitched into an ever growing tapestry of myth and blood.

There is an incredible joy in uncovering those connections, in slowly realising how every thread knots into another. Its a book best savoured slowly, one story at a time, uncovering fragments of ancient folklore stained with smoke and blood before returning again to trace the deeper currents running beneath them all.

A stunning collection that feels like a modern classic.

My thanks to Titan for the arc

[Ella Droste · Rating 4 out of 5]

There’s just something so deliciously creepy and magical about this world. Every story felt like sitting beside a candlelit window while someone whispered old fairy tales that slowly got more sinister with every page. I honestly loved the atmosphere so much. Swamps, witches, saints, forests, strange bargains, angry women, dangerous books... it was basically gothic fantasy heaven for me.

What surprised me most was how connected everything felt. I expected a bunch of separate little stories, but this honestly reads more like pieces of a giant haunted tapestry slowly weaving together. Characters pop back up, legends echo through different tales, and by the end it feels like you’ve lived inside this world for ages. The lore is ridiculously rich.

The writing is gorgeous too. Very lush and dreamy without becoming impossible to follow. Some stories were darker than others, but almost all of them had this melancholy little edge to them that made them stick in my brain. There’s a lot about power, revenge, survival, and women refusing to quietly accept the roles they’ve been given, which I ate up completely.

I also appreciated that the stories are short enough that you can read one before bed and feel satisfied, but dangerous enough that suddenly it’s midnight and you’re reading three more because now you need to know about the plague maiden or the creepy forest saint situation. It happens.

Not every story hit me equally, which is honestly normal for a collection this huge, but even the weaker ones still added something interesting to the world. The overall vibe was so immersive that I barely cared. This is definitely the kind of book you savor instead of racing through.

If you love dark fairy tales, folklore, witches, morally questionable women, and fantasy that feels old and haunted in the best way, this is absolutely worth picking up.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Katrina Vallett · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is amazing! Literally the best compilation of dark short stories ever! The author is an expert at her craft and I don't know what I can say to convey the depths of awesomeness she posseses and shares with us.

There are many reasons why this compilation stands out. It contains 3 sets of short stories that all take place in the dark fairy tale " Sourdough" universe. I was never left feeling like there should have been more; each story was satisfying. And, even more special, the characters from one story often show up in another. The main character could end up a side character (though they may or may not survive), or vice versa. I had started out reading a couple short stories here and there, but this book was soo good that I ended up reading it like a full length novel.

The Sourdough universe and it's characters set the foundation for the author's full length novels (all of which I love): All the Murmuring Bones; The Path of Thorns; The Briar Book of the Dead; and The Crimson Road. Reading through her short stories, I recognized characters mentioned in those novels. I wish I had been introduced to Slatter's writing sooner so that I could have read her short collections prior to the full length books, but ultimately it didn't matter too much because I was and still am enamored with her writing, long and short.

The Sourdough Universe is set back in days of old, where not only did we have to be careful not to upset a man lest him point and yell witch, but in this universe, we also had to be weary of things that go bump in the night. There are many strong, smart female characters (both good and bad) some equipped with magic to help even the playing field.

These stories are unique, compelling and addictive.
I will read any and everything A. G. Slatter writes!

[Danielle Mann · Rating 5 out of 5]

5⭐️ Thanks to Titan Books and Netgalley for an ARC of this short story collection.

I randomly read A.G. Slatter’s A Path of Thorns a few years ago and have slowly been working my way through the books I have remaining in her Sourdough universe. That’s why I was excited to get an ARC of this new release.

I don’t really read short story collections so ai was worried it wouldn’t be as satisfying as her full length novels but I was glad to be proven wrong. The author’s note explains the origins of these three collections and how they relate to each other.

Some of the stories in the first collection, the Bitterwood Bible, were almost too short and left me wanting more, but as I read on I found sequel stories that provided more explanation/expanded on that initial story which made me happy. I also started to see how these earlier stories fed into the lore of the wider Sourdough universe and I found mentions of characters from other novels in this world. I think it would be worth finishing the books I have to read in the Sourdough universe and then come back to this collection with a deeper understanding of the rich, magical and gothic world A.G. Slatter has created. Especially since I read the Tallow-Wife and What Shines Brightest Before It Burns before I realized whose backstory we were exploring and how it connected to Allie the Murmuring Bones specifically.

A beautiful short story collection that left me with chills and a desire to learn more about this gorgeous and gothic world.

[Mandi Cloete · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and Titan Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Ever since I first read All the Murmuring Bones by A.G. Slatter, I fell in love with the Sourdough Universe. It is magical, whimsical and dark, and the characters have so much depth to them that one becomes lost in this world when reading these stories.

Short story collections are often difficult to rate because some stories are usually very good and others less so. That was not the case with this tome. I loved every single story in here. I really took my time with it because the writing is rich and quite dense. It is not a 'light' read by any means, but it is so beautiful. These dark fairytales are all interconnected and I loved the fact that characters from previous stories would make appearances and carry on their own tales in later stories.

This is also a story about women. Many different kinds of women, some with magic, some without. It is about the hardships and pain they endure and also about how they help each other to overcome those difficulties in life. Some are villains, some are heroes - but they are all strong female characters. I would highly recommend this to anyone who has either already read some of the novels in the Sourdough Universe, and even readers who are looking for some dark, gothic fantasy with an element of horror. This is definitely a new entry on my favourite books of all-time list.

[Cat Treadwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

AG Slatter is rapidly rising up my list of favourite authors, and her 'Sourdough' universe is a big factor in that! I was thrilled to receive this collection, and greatly enjoyed taking small bites, one story at a time to allow me to enjoy and really engage with each in turn - because while not book-length, they each contain worlds enough to leave me wanting more.

The joy of these stories lies in their fairytale appeal, with magic flowing through each one, and yet none are childish. It's supremely easy to get drawn in, but I quickly remembered how Ms Slatter is still an adult writer, and her stories do not shy away from uncomfortable subjects. On the contrary, in many of these stories she confronts difficult life experiences and choices head-on, but her writing is so compelling that it's impossible to look away. No matter how otherworldly or non-human each protagonist is, I found myself feeling and rooting for them to win through each challenge, and even when the ending is nowhere near what I anticipated (a badger love story?!), it all somehow fits perfectly. For there is true justice in these tales, be they violent revenge or simply succeeding against the odds. That's the sort of fantasy fairytale that we need right now in this chaotic world.

A gorgeous collection that I'll be both returning to and recommending.

I was kindly sent an early copy of this book by the publisher, but the above opinions are entirely my own.

[Steven Riola · Rating 4 out of 5]

A.G. Slatter has managed to create a world where I want to fully immerse myself. A Forest, Darkly & The Crimson road were strong enough entries that I wanted to dive into this as quickly as possible.

The Sourdough Universe is filled with brilliant prose, twisting tales that will grab you and refuse to let go.
The Sourdough Compendium is a trilogy of her earlier works that contain short stories. I anticipated picking this up and reading a few stories here and there while reading other novels, but the way the stories weave together, building narrative and this world, made it impossible to put down. Don’t go into “The Sourdough Compendium” expecting unrelated short stories, it could very easily have been marketed as a novel, and it would have worked just as well.

Now having read the short stories, I wish I would have found this first, then jumped into the other novels. There’s little bits of each novel I’ve read so far that all reflect back to these tales.

Slatter crafts a world of folk horror, untold mysteries, familiars and witchcraft in a refreshing way. Gone are the typical tropes you’d expect to find, replaced with a world of consequence and strong female characters.

Don’t miss out on one of the strongest authors I’ve read in a long time.

Long live the Sourdough Universe.

[Steve Bewley · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Sourdough Compendium by A.G. Slater

Rating : 4⭐
Format : eBook 💻
Pages : 592
Duration : 3 days

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Straight up, I really enjoyed this collection, so much so I now want to delve head first into the rest of the novels this collection revolves around.

A selection of 42 short stories full of intrigue, mystery, weirdness and witchcraft. As with all short story collections quality varies throughout, but the variables are much closer, this is pretty much all killer and no filler, every single story left me wanting to know what happens next.

And they are short, beautifully short, short enough to pique interest, reveal the ending and leave you satisfied. And with them being short you can read them quickly and between tasks or chores.

I adored this collection, it's brought a new author to my eyes and a world that I'm eager to delve into and expand my understanding

This is due to be released 2nd of June, if this interests you then add it to you want to read list

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Thank you to Netgalley & The Publisher for the Advanced Review Copy of this book, though I am grateful for the ARC the words above are my own

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You can find more reviews on my blog here : https://bookshelf018.wordpress.com/

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[M. K. French · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is made up of three collections taking place within the Sourdough world: Sourdough and Other Stories, The Bitterwood Bible and Other Recountings, and The Tallow Wife and Other Tales. These stories are the foundation of the universe A. G. Slatter wrote about in novels like The Briar Book of the Dead. The stories here involve magic and supernatural creatures that play a role in the Sourdough universe. We recognize cities like Lodellan and the fact that it's a vaguely medieval land that burns witches if they can, with a high death count.

This is a world where people are more than willing to take what isn't theirs to take; that she's no different sets the tone for the collection. Many of the stories are linked by characters who will appear in one or another at various points in their lifetimes. Even so, it carries the feeling of a fairy tale, with the magic doing impossible things for those who wield it. Not all of the stories have magical creatures or spells, and many of the stories don't necessarily have a happy ending. This is the world they live in, where tragedy can strike at any time and justice can come too late.

If you're a fan of the books in this world, this collection is a must read.

[Candace Sewell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Rating compendiums is hard for me because there’s so much content and a multitude of characters and plotlines.

Each story tells a different tale about a character in the Sourdough universe. Thank goodness for the search in book feature of my kindle because SO many of these characters appear in more than one story. Each lead character is a strong female with rage or passion to spare for one reason or another (excepting the few chapters with male leads). I loved getting to know more about the history and background of Sourdough and recognized several cities and homes mentioned in this compendium. I was not ready to finish it; it felt like an old friend by the end I spent so much time on and in it. I’ve read 8 book series faster than I’ve read this one, but it was worth the time.

My one complaint is the page count; there’s no way this one isn’t a 800+ pager (or I spend way longer using the search feature than I thought).

This isn’t a book to be devoured, but savored. Just maybe be prepared to annotate or use the search feature a lot!

4.5⭐️

[Katrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

A.G. Slatter and the Sourdough universe has been on my radar for the longest time but I haven't been able to get around to it until now.

The Sourdough Compendium is a titan of a book composed of three short story collections (Sourdough and Other Stories, The Bitterwood Bible and Other Recountings, and The Tallow-Wife and Other Tales).

While previously completely ignorant of the Sourdough universe, I found the Compendium to be an excellent jumping-on point. The mythology shown in the stories was rich and substantial, yet at the same time managed to be completely accessible. The characters were memorable as well as well-rounded.

Each story was filled with fantastical elements; however, the most prominent, as well as most important, aspect was human nature for good or ill. The prose was gorgeous and a pleasure to take in.
This was a completely immersive collection.

While I'm sure there were a number of references to the novels that went flying over my head, there was more than enough here to keep me entertained. Will be hunting down the novels on the back of this collection.

Highly recommended.

With thanks to Titan Books for the ARC

[Tanya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc of The Sourdough Compendium! I'm rating it 4.5 stars.

The Sourdough Compendium is a collection of dark, feminist fairy tales. Despite the name, there's nothing cosy about these stories. Instead, there's something of the original soul of fairy tales in them, with protagonists whose tongues have been cut out, who have been raped, or who have been murdered and their soul trapped by their killer. They are atmospheric, and some of them are delightfully original.

These short stories are background stories for the author's novels. I haven't read any of her novels, only other short stories she's written in other anthologies. However, I didn't find that to be an issue. I think this is also an entertaining and accessible entry to the world of Sourdough.

I would, however, recommend reading The Sourdough Compendium from cover to cover rather than choosing short stories at random. There are some recurring characters, and in several stories, I found myself relying on my knowledge from a previous story to better understand why certain things were happening. There's also a slight story arc across the collections.

[Ginger of Horror · Rating 5 out of 5]

After fifteen years scattered across out-of-print limited editions, the three mosaic collections that form the base code of A. G. Slatter’s Sourdough universe finally arrive in a single volume. The Sourdough Compendium gathers Sourdough and Other Stories, The Bitterwood Bible, and The Tallow-Wife into 657 pages of gothic horror short fiction that rewards every dark fantasy reader who has ever wondered where Slatter’s witches, poison girls, and plague maidens first learned to draw blood. This review explores why this foundational document of folk horror fiction was worth the wait.

A. G. Slatter’s The Sourdough Compendium gathers fifteen years of darkly brilliant mosaic stories into 657 pages of gothic dread that reads like the foundational document of a major imaginative project. It is horror built from fairy-tale logic, female agency, and the terrible cost of survival—unmistakably literary, unshakeably haunting.

Read the full review here
https://gnofhorror.com/the-sourdough-...

[Emmie Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

A.G. Slatter is an author I've been meaning to read from so when I saw that they had put together all of her short stories into three collections set in her Soughdough world, I knew this was the time to start. I ended up devouring these stories and having such an amazing time with these stories.

These stories were dark, gothic and at times incredibly uncomfortable but I loved every second of it. I'm not much of a horror reader but I just loved how atmospheric, haunting and magical Slatter's writing is.

Normally when I read short story collections I end up only loving a handful of stories but this was not the case. I thoroughly enjoyed every single one of these stories and just loved how intertwined these were to one another and following characters across time. I also loved seeing it all come together and honestly it made for such an incredibly gripping read that I couldn't put down, even if it was over 600 pages! I very quickly fell in love with Slatter's prose and world-building, and I am so excited to dive into more of her work and the Sourdough universe!

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve been a fan of A.G. Slatter’s Sourdough universe since 2021, when I read All the Murmuring Bones. Slatter’s Sourdough world is a dark fairy tale of real risk and sorrow, injustice, and revenge. It’s catnip to me and I’ve read almost all1 of the novels set in that world as soon as they’ve been published. I was thrilled to learn that all of the Sourdough stories that preceded All the Murmuring Bones were going to be published in one volume, The Sourdough Compendium. And when I saw an advanced reader copy appear on NetGalley, I leapt at the chance to read it. These stories are absolutely incredible...

Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley, for review consideration.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Titan Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely love Slatter’s work and was so excited to get a copy of this one! It is quite the hefty read, as a collection of three different compilations, but so much fun and so worth it. All of the stories are beautifully lush and detailed. The world is so incredibly well thought out, and you can catch glimmers of so many other stories and books everywhere you look, and yet you don’t have to have read any of Slatter’s other books to understand what you’re reading (though you will miss plenty of Easter eggs). The first collection is packed full of stand-alone stories that are stunning on their own but beautiful in the web of the collection. The third collection reads much more like a novel but is no less beautiful. I love Slatter and will continue to read everything they write!

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not sure I like big books, or short stories.... But I like Slatter, a lot, and she made me like both those other things.
I took my time with this one. Going off and reading other books. Coming back for a few more stories.
I loved the dark, magical slightly dangerous world these tales are set in.
Where you don't know who you can trust, and if they're even what they say they are,let alone who!

I really enjoyed how familiar names cropped up, and I almost started building a "family tree" type picture in my head of how everyone was connected.
A great read!

Thanks to netgalley for the free digital copy.

[Lyra · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book you have to take your time in reading with it’s rich macabre tales that will leave you bewildered and frankly disgusted most times. In this case I am new to A.G. Slatter’s work so going through this compendium felt like discovering rich folk lore of a world wholly undiscovered. Dark ancient fae, witches, assassins. It was exciting to slowly realize that a lot of the stories were connected in some ways as well. I definitely plan to read more from this author as her writing was exquisite and characters exhilarating.

I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

[Bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an amazing read! I'll admit, at first some of the stories disgusted me, but isn't the definition of a good book one that makes you feel strong emotions? I decided to keep reading, and I'm so glad I did. It gives me strong Grimm's fairy tales. This compendium is everything faerie is and definitely something I see myself buying to put on my shelf. I couldn't get enough of these stories. If this author writes anything else that is similar, I definitely see myself reading it! I highly recommend this compendium for fans of Faerie, Grimm, and Emily Wilde.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me a free e-arc in exchange for an honest review.