Nightshade and Oak, Molly ONeill
Nightshade and Oak, Molly ONeill
List: $27.99 | Sale: $19.59
Club: $13.99

Nightshade and Oak

Author: Molly O'Neill

Narrator: Catrin Walker-Booth

Unabridged: 10 hr 40 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Orbit

Published: 02/03/2026


Synopsis

An Iron Age goddess must grapple with becoming human in this delightful historical fantasy of myth and magic from the author of the instant hit Greenteeth.
 
When Malt, the goddess of death, is accidentally turned human by a wayward spell, she finds she's ill-equipped to deal with the trials of a mortal life. After all, why would a goddess need to know how to gather food or light a fire?
 
Unable to fend for herself, she teams up with warrior Bellis on a perilous journey to the afterlife to try to restore her powers. Frustrated by her frail human body and beset with blisters, Malt might not make the best travelling companion.

But as animosity slowly turns to attraction, these two very different women must learn to work together if they are to have any hope of surviving their quest.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Maeghan 🦋 on November 29, 2025

Hugeee thanks to NetGalley & the publishers for a chance to review this arc!! 4.25✨ I want to say this was a delightful read as much as it was heartbreaking. It pulled at my heartstrings and just made me ponder about how wonderfully complex it is to be a human being. Malt, the goddess of death - is......more

Goodreads review by Books_the_Magical_Fruit on February 06, 2026

I really, really want to give this a 4.5, but it just kept going on…and on…and on…. It was a bit like the ending of The Return of the King movie—you keep getting up to leave the theater, and then there’s another scene. In my opinion, this should have been a duology. HOWEVER—this has moments of brill......more

Goodreads review by Joey on August 18, 2025

Quite possibly the finest book ever written (I assume)......more

Goodreads review by Alexandra on July 14, 2025

Really looking forward to this next book since I adored Greenteeth! Will update my review once it is released.......more

Goodreads review by Rishali on February 06, 2026

I went back and forth a lot on how to rate Nightshade and Oak. I did enjoy it, but the story itself is fairly simple and very linear, and it didn’t quite blow me away. In the end, this felt like a solid middle-ground read for me, so 3.5 stars felt right. I really loved the beginning and the ending, b......more


Quotes

"O'Neill has delivered yet another excellent story rooted in the folklore of the British isles, this one charged with a slow-burn queer love story and two characters who have to confront their deepest selves to help save the world of the dead and those they care for most."—Booklist (Starred Review) on Nightshade and Oak

"With this solid historical fantasy, O’Neill takes readers on a jaunty quest through the afterlife. The blend of Celtic folklore, humor, drama, love, and magic makes for a pleasant diversion." —Publishers Weekly on Nightshade and Oak

"This delightfully magical historical fantasy combines creatures out of folklore (including the lake-dwelling monster Jenny) with a desperate quest, a sad tale of magic leaving the world, and a soul-quaking battle between quiet good and vast evil, all set in a beautiful story of sisterhood and found family among the most disparate of creatures. Readers who love the creatures, magic, and mythic settings of T. Kingfisher’s Thornhedge and Nicola Griffith’s Spear will find something similar and beautiful in O’Neill’s debut."—Library Journal (Starred Review) on Greenteeth

"This vivid fantasy, inspired by the stories of King Arthur and by Welsh folklore, explores a Britain populated by fae, ancient but dying off. O'Neill's debut is full of magic that is rich, mysterious, and exciting, and Jenny Greenteeth is a morally grey, delightfully monstrous protagonist that fantasy readers are bound to fall in love with. Fans of T. Kingfisher's award-winning Nettle & Bone (2022) will enjoy this novel's questing structure as well as its twists on stories familiar and new."—Booklist (Starred) on Greenteeth

"O’Neill’s story of friendship, family, and perseverance is so sweetly written that even her finely drawn fairy world and excellent plotting take a backseat to the growing bonds among her unlikely heroes. Full of magic, but even more heart."—Kirkus (Starred Review) on Greenteeth

"A charmingly monstrous debut."—T. Kingfisher, author of Nettle and Bone on Greenteeth

"An extraordinary tale about the most unforgettable (and unlikely) heroine! Jenny Greenteeth is a brilliant creation, a fabulous lake monster and a magnificent character! I loved every second of this wonderful, delicious book!"—Sarah Beth Durst, New York Times bestselling author of The Spellshop on Greenteeth

"Refreshing, thoroughly compelling, and nostalgic in the best ways, Greenteeth is an enchanting fairytale with fangs. I've never identified with a swamp monster more."—Julie Leong, author of The Teller of Small Fortunes on Greenteeth

 "A magical quest undertaken by an endearing monster, bittersweet and full of heart."—Caitlin Rozakis, author of Dreadful on Greenteeth

"Charming, magical and intensely human, with grace notes of Pratchett and T. H. White, Greenteeth is a masterclass in the art of storytelling."—Tom Holt, author of The Portable Door on Greenteeth