Nightshade and Oak

Paperback Published on: 03/02/2026
Price: £10.99
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Synopsis

An Iron Age goddess must grapple with becoming human in this delightful historical fantasy of myth and magic from the author of Greenteeth.

Reader reviews:
'Compelling, and moving' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'Beautifully written' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'I loved it!' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'Full of heart and magic' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'Absolutely delightful' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'Sharp, witty, funny, tragic and heartfelt' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'An exquisitely written novel'⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

When Mallt, the goddess of death, is accidently 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 Belis, warrior daughter of Boudicca, on a perilous journey to the afterlife to try to restore her powers. Frustrated by her frail human body and its inability to run a hundred miles in a single day, Mallt 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.

'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'
Booklist (starred review)

Reader reviews:

'Just as beautifully written as Greenteeth - Molly's quickly becoming an auto-buy for me' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'I think I read for about 78 hours, almost forgetting to eat . . . This book is in my heart, together with Greenteeth for many years to come' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'Tender and heartbreaking, yet punchy and humorous. Nightshade and Oak was a fabulous read' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Praise for Greenteeth:

'A charmingly monstrous debut' T. Kingfisher, author of Nettle and Bone

'I loved every second of this wonderful, delicious book!' Sarah Beth Durst, New York Times bestselling author of The Spellshop

'A masterclass in the art of storytelling' Tom Holt

'Full of magic, but even more heart' Kirkus
Reader reviews:

Publisher information

  • Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group
  • ISBN: 9780356522630
  • Number of pages: 304
  • Dimensions: 196 x 124 x 24 mm
  • Weight: 220g
  • Languages: English

Customer Reviews

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Nightshade and Oak
A thoroughly enjoyable historical fantasy read
Nightshade and Oak follows the story of the Goddess of Death and an Iceni Princess as they're thrown together by a spell gone wrong. Mallt y Nos must come ... READ MORE
Whatjasminereadnext
This reviewer received a free of charge product for review.
Nightshade and Oak
Queen of myth retellings
Having read Greenteeth I had to pick-up Mollys next installment in her writting journey. Yet again she does not disappoint. O'Neill takes my favourite genr... READ MORE
Lisa  Tristram
This reviewer received a free of charge product for review.
Nightshade and Oak
A must for every fantasy lover
When I first read Molly O'Neills "Greenteeth", I knew I was reading one of the best new voices in fantasy. Almost a year later, and I have still not read a... READ MORE
Elisabeth Pih
This reviewer received a free of charge product for review.
Nightshade and Oak
Another grand tale!
Another enchanting tale steeped in Celtic mythology full of feelings and a great quest to save a life and also protect Annwn (the afterlife)! In this one, ... READ MORE
K. Bickmore
Nightshade and Oak
What is this torture humans go through each day??
Nightshade and Oak is, just like Greenteeth, author's debut book, a very fun standalone that is a lovely read. We follow Mallt y Nos, Nightshade, she who ... READ MORE
Appeltjesgroen
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