Angela Slatter Books in Order

Where to Start Reading Angela Slatter

Angela Slatter (who also writes her gothic novels under the pen name A.G. Slatter) is a master of dark, atmospheric speculative fiction. Because her work is divided into distinct settings and formats, your starting point depends entirely on what kind of story you are looking for:

• For Urban Fantasy Fans: Start with Vigil (2016). This is the first book in the Verity Fassbinder trilogy, a fast-paced urban fantasy series set in Brisbane, Australia. It is a linear, traditional trilogy that is easy to follow.
• For Gothic Fantasy and Dark Fairy Tale Fans: Start with All the Murmuring Bones (2021). This standalone novel serves as the perfect entry point to her expansive, dark secondary fantasy world (often called the Sourdough Universe). It is atmospheric, eerie, and requires no prior reading.
• For Short Fiction Lovers: Start with Sourdough and Other Stories (2010). This collection laid the foundations for her gothic fantasy world, offering rich, bite-sized fairy tales that gradually build a larger picture of a magical, dangerous realm.

The Verity Fassbinder Trilogy

The Verity Fassbinder books are set in our world—specifically a supernatural, gritty version of Brisbane, Australia. The story follows Verity, a half-human, half-Weyrd investigator who keeps the peace between the mundane human population and the magical beings hiding in plain sight. Unlike her gothic fantasy novels, these books must be read in strict publication order to follow the overarching plot and character development:

1. Vigil (2016) – Verity is tasked with investigating a series of unusual events, including a missing Weyrd child and a rogue siren, before the delicate peace in Brisbane shatters.
2. Corpselight (2017) – As Brisbane suffers under a heavy summer rain, Verity investigates a series of bizarre drownings while dealing with pregnancy and the threats of the Weyrd Council.
3. Restoration (2018) – The final chapter of the trilogy finds Verity dealing with the fallout of the previous books, hunting down rogue elements, and fighting to protect her family.

The Sourdough Gothic Universe

Most of Slatter's gothic fiction—both her standalone novels and her early short story collections—takes place in a shared, unnamed secondary world characterized by dark fairy-tale logic, ancient pacts, necromancy, and powerful women. While the novels are written as standalones and can be read in any order, they share geographic locations (such as Lodellan or Briar's Glen), family names, and historical lore. Reading them in publication order allows you to spot recurring characters and subtle links.

The Standalone Novels

These full-length gothic novels are published under the name A.G. Slatter. They are highly atmospheric and explore dark family secrets, magic, and survival:

• All the Murmuring Bones (2021) – Set at the decaying estate of Hob's Hallow, this novel follows Miren O'Malley as she fights to escape a dark family legacy built on a sinister pact with the merfolk.
• The Path of Thorns (2022) – Follows Asher Todd, a mysterious governess who arrives at the isolated Blackwood Manor with a box of herbs, a hidden agenda, and a desire for revenge.
• The Briar Book of the Dead (2024) – Set in the town of Briar's Glen, the story centers on Ellie Leal, the only non-magical woman in a family of witches who guide the souls of the dead. When a threat to her family emerges, she must find a way to protect them.
• The Crimson Road (2025) – Violet Zennor is trained as a deadly weapon by her father. Upon his death, she is forced to journey into the Darklands, a region ruled by the Leech Lords, to eliminate a growing threat.

The Short Story Collections and Novellas

Before writing full-length novels in this universe, Slatter established its mythology through award-winning short fiction. Reading these collections offers a deeper understanding of the folklore referenced in the novels:

• Sourdough and Other Stories (2010) – The debut collection that introduced readers to this dark fairy-tale world.
• The Bitterwood Bible and Other Recountings (2014) – A prequel collection that dives into the ancient legends, churches, and magical relics of the world.
• Of Sorrow and Such (2015) – A standalone novella focusing on Patience Gideon, a witch trying to survive in a hostile village.
• No Good Deed (2021) – A chapbook containing a standalone short story set in the Sourdough world.
• The Tallow-Wife and Other Tales (2021) – A "mosaic collection" of interconnected stories that ties together characters, lineages, and plots from the first two collections.
• The Bone Lantern (2022) – A dark fantasy novella expanding on the lore of the world.
• The Sourdough Compendium (2026) – A comprehensive volume collecting the early shorter works, making it an excellent resource for readers looking to catch up on the short fiction.

Other Collections, Collaborations, and Spin-offs

Beyond her main two worlds, Angela Slatter has published numerous independent short story collections, collaborative books, and contributions to shared anthologies:

Collaborations with Lisa L. Hannett

• Midnight and Moonshine (2012) – A collaborative mosaic novel containing interconnected tales inspired by Norse mythology and folklore.
• The Female Factory (2014) – A joint collection published as part of Twelfth Planet Press's Twelve Planets series, focusing on dark speculative fiction with strong female perspectives.

Independent Story Collections

These books contain various speculative fiction, horror, and fairy-tale stories that do not take place in the Sourdough universe:

• The Girl with No Hands and Other Tales (2010)
• A Feast of Sorrows (2016)
• Winter Children and Other Chilling Tales (2016)
• The Heart is a Mirror for Sinners and Other Stories (2020)
• Red New Day & Other Microfictions (2020)
• The Wrong Girl & Other Warnings (2023)

The Lovecraft Squad Contributions

Slatter was a contributor to The Lovecraft Squad, a shared-universe book series edited by Stephen Jones. She wrote the prologue "Howard's Way" for Waiting (2017) and the story "Into The Dreamlands" for Dreaming (2018).

What to Know Before You Start

Slatter's gothic fiction does not rely on a single chronological timeline. Instead, the Sourdough universe functions like a tapestry of folklore. The events of the novels are separated by generations and geography, meaning you will not spoil one book by reading another first. However, the short fiction collections (Sourdough, Bitterwood Bible, and Tallow-Wife) are highly interconnected and are best read in order of publication to fully appreciate how their character threads weave together.