Nightshade and Oak, by Molly O'Neill
18 Mar 2026The Book
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 into a 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?
Trapped in a body that's frustratingly feeble, she's forced to team up with Bellis, warrior daughter of Boudicca on a perilous journey across Roman-occupied Britain to the afterlife to try to restore her powers. As animosity turns to attraction, these two very different women must learn to work together if they are to have any hope of surviving their quest.
My Review
Nightshade and Oak is a historical inspired fantasy novel written by Molly O'Neill, published by Orbit Books. A bittersweet story that blends together Celtic mythology and the brutal realities of war, which hides inside a charming plot with a goddess trying to get accustomed to human limitations and a warrior trying to bring back the soul of her sister, a quest that will bring them together.
Malt is the Goddess of Death, tasked with helping ease the souls of the death and dying on their way to Annwn; while working on the aftermath of a battle, she stumbles upon three women. When she tries to send the soul of one of them to the afterlife, the powerful spell of other accidentally catches her; Malt is no longer immortal, confined to a human body.
The spellcaster, Bellis, is not really apologetic about the outcome, starting a rocky relationship with Malt; however, as both share Annwn as destination, they agree to travel together, in the hopes of bringing Bellis' sister's soul back and returning Malt to her immortal form. A difficult task that becomes even harder as Romans are trying to catch Bellis and Malt is still trying to get accustomed to what means being human.
Great part of what makes this a charming story is Malt trying to get accustomed to the limitations of being human, trying to survive together with Bellis while running up from the Romans. The sheer stubbornness of Bellis is a driving force of the plot, pushing our characters when the circumstances get harder; and with her hard temperament, we can see how the relationship between these two will become a stormy one. How the bond between these two grows across the journey is definitely the highlight of this novel.
The worldbuilding smoothly blends together Celtic myths with the historical context of Britain's invasion by the Romans, creating the perfect scenario where our characters can follow their quest, avoiding capture by the invaders.
The pacing was a bit irregular, having really strong sections at the start and the ending, but dragging a bit in the middle; it's not too problematic, but a reader can feel as the ending keeps getting postponed.
Said that, Nightshade and Oak is a really enjoyable novel, especially if you are looking for an Iron Age inspired fantasy with a romantic touch and two really powerful women as the leading characters. A charming novel!
The Author/s
Molly O'Neill
Molly O’Neill is a fantasy author and engineering geologist. She was born and raised in the Cotswolds and moved to Australia in 2019. She now lives in Sydney, on the land of the Gadigal People. Molly writes fantasy books inspired by the beautiful landscapes of her two countries, and by the folklore of the British Isles. She particularly loves the darker Arthurian legends and the Welsh myths of the Mabinogion and often uses them as a foundation for her stories. Her first novel, Greenteeth, will be published by Orbit in 2025.