Nightshade and Oak
On sale
3rd February 2026
Price: £10.99
Genre
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:
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:
Reviews
[A] blend of Celtic folklore, humour, drama, love and magic
A masterclass in the art of storytelling
There's a lot to love here with its themes of myth and history, gods made human, and love shaped by war . . . I'll absolutely keep reading whatever Molly O'Neill writes next
Full of magic, but even more heart
I loved every second of this wonderful, delicious book!
A joyful, warm-hearted adventure, riddled with unique characters and poignant friendships, rooted deep in old magic and myth.
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
Nightshade and Oak is a fantastic expansion of myth and legend that reinvents a little-known, obscure figure for a new generation