Nightshade and Oak

By: O'Neill, Molly

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.

★ "Yet another excellent story rooted in the folklore of the British isles, this one charged with queer love." - Booklist (starred review)

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.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0316584274
• ISBN13: 9780316584272
• Release Date: February 2026
• Publisher: Orbit
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.4" x 8.1"

Customer Reviews

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, it is Mallt, goddess who helps souls pass on who ends up experiencing life in a new way, after a spell gone wrong, and Belis, an awesome warrior princess trying to save her sister while on the run from Romans. It is a tough road for both, but it gives them a chance to learn about the differences between them, but also learn empathy and of course save Annwn from the great corruption. I always learn so much Celtic mythology when I read a book by Molly O'Neill and I absolutely loved Greenteeth! This one was not quite as good as that but I did really enjoy it and it was well written with a world I could easily see. I really liked Mallt, especially the love she has for her dogs, and eventually more humans too. Belis is a tough character and her battles were something to behold. There are interesting side characters too, like the witch in the wood. As I said before there are feels, and while the ending is bittersweet, it does show how both Belis and Mallt have grown from their quest together. This was a great book and I am glad I got a chance to read this. Props to the cover which is nicely eye catching and suits the story well.