11/18/2024
Jenny Greenteeth, a millennia-old monster, serves as the offbeat narrator of this sinister, Arthuriana-infused fantasy debut from O’Neill. After Parson Asa Braddock attempts to drown human witch Temperance Crump in the lake where Jenny lives near the small English village of Chipping Appleby, Jenny and Temperance vow to fight back against his cruel ways. Then they learn that Braddock is actually possessed by a malevolent magical force known as the Erl King. On the advice of salesman goblin Brackus Marsh, Temperance seeks out Gwyn ap Nudd, king of the fae, who sends Jenny, Temperance, and Brackus on a three-part quest to banish the Erl King. The trio’s sweet, unlikely friendship is forged and tested during months of travel and danger. Readers led by the marketing blurb to expect a cozy vibe may be surprised by the frequently sad and violent plot, but Jenny’s unique perspective and the bond among the adventurers add some much needed levity. This will be a hit with fans of classic quest fantasies. Agent: Sam Edenborough, Greyhound Literary. (Feb.)
"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)
"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)
"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)
"A charmingly monstrous debut."—T. Kingfisher, author of Nettle and Bone
"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
"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
"A magical quest undertaken by an endearing monster, bittersweet and full of heart."—Caitlin Rozakis, author of Dreadful
"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
"Sharp yet sweet, Greenteeth is a heartening folkloric adventure with hidden depths aplenty. I found Jenny strikingly relatable—as a parent, as a recluse, and as someone constantly perplexed by what this whole "being human" thing entails."—Sylvie Cathrall, author of A Letter to the Luminous Deep
"Greenteeth is a delight—a joyful, warm-hearted adventure, riddled with unique characters and poignant friendships, rooted deep in old magic and myth. Jenny's voice will live in your head long after you leave her story behind."—H. G. Parry, author of The Magician’s Daughter
"Greenteeth is a completely delightful tale, full of warmth, wit and legendary adventure. As comforting and as moreish as a cup of tea and a packet of chocolate biscuits."—Francesca May, author of Wild and Wicked Things
"Greenteeth is a breathtaking quest through the wild roads and deep lakes of ancient England, shot through with dark folklore and darker magic. An unforgettable tale of unlikely friendships, impossible choices and the unbreakable bonds between mothers and daughters."—Holly Race, author of Six Wild Crowns
"In all my life, I've never loved such a flesh-eating fae monster as Molly O'Neill's Greenteeth. This coziest of swamp villains is an ally to witches, an enemy to elven airbags, and a role model to goblins everywhere. She stands proud with the likes of Granny Weatherwax and the Wizard Howl against the creeping evils of this world. Drown me, Jenny, and pick your teeth with my bones - only, let's be friends."
—C. S. E. Cooney, World Fantasy Award winning author of Saint Death's Daughter
"An enchanting folkloric fantasy infused with fae magic and Arthurian legend, Greenteeth gives us a morally grey heroine with bite you can't help but root for. I was hooked from start to finish."—Alicia Jasinska, author of The Dark Tide
"This will be a hit with fans of classic quest fantasies."—Publishers Weekly
★ 01/01/2025
DEBUT Jenny Greenteeth is a figure straight out of English folklore. She's also the keeper of the lake next to the sleepy village of Chipping Appleby. At least, it was sleepy until the new parson held a fire-and-brimstone witch trial and chained a cunning woman to the bottom of Jenny's lake. Jenny frees the witch, because she's lonely, because the witch, Temperance, doesn't fear her too much, and because she plans to fight the threatening power taking over Chipping Appleby. With the help of the witch and a rogue of a goblin, Jenny sets out on a quest to gather the last of England's magical power to save her lake, Temperance's village, and the soul of the country she has vowed to protect. VERDICT 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.—Marlene Harris
Catrin Walker-Booth narrates a fantasy inspired by British myth and legend. Jenny Greenteeth has lived a solitary life in her pond for hundreds of years, just as she likes it. When a witch is tossed in the pond to drown, Jenny has to re-evaluate what is important. Walker-Booth's portrayal of Jenny's emotional journey mirrors the quest she embarks on. It's difficult and at times unwelcome, but ultimately worth the effort and pain. While Jenny is a monster from an earlier time, she is hungry for companionship (and fish), and is cautiously willing to make friends. Walker-Booth showcases the range of her talents by embodying the various humans and mythical beings Jenny meets as she travels the length and breadth of Britain. K.M.P. © AudioFile 2025, Portland, Maine
★ 2025-01-18
An unlikely trio sets out on an epic quest to defeat an ancient evil in O’Neill’s debut.
Jenny Greenteeth isn’t a hag, thank you very much, she’s a Jenny! Jennies are water-dwelling magical creatures who all have green skin; long, sharp teeth; and the name “Jenny Greenteeth.” Our Jenny lives in the lake at Chipping Appleby and is quite content keeping her lake neat, eating small creatures, and keeping to herself. But when Temperance Crump is tossed into the lake, sentenced to death for being a witch, Jenny decides to rescue her rather than eat her. Jenny takes Temperance to a hidden cave where she dries out and, after getting over her alarm at meeting a fae creature, tells Jenny her story. Temperance was living happily as the village “cunning woman” when a new parson came to town. This parson whipped up witch fever in the townspeople, and it didn’t take much for them to chain her up and toss her in the lake for her “crimes.” Jenny, who has a daughter of her own (“Little Jenny,” of course), sympathizes with Temperance’s despair at being separated from her husband and two small children and offers to help her cast a spell that will make the whole village forget she was ever a witch, much less executed for her craft. A hobgoblin named Brackus helps Jenny and Temperance find what they need for the spell, but when Temperance attempts to cast it, they learn that the new parson is actually an ancient evil, the Erl King, who could threaten all the magical and mortal creatures of Great Britain. The three of them set off on a noble quest to defeat the Erl King, and on their way, they meet all manner of enchanting and magical creatures and places. But best of all, 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.
