I received a free e-galley in exchange for an honest review



CW’s: era-appropriate sexism, religious trauma/hatred, involves witch trials, violence, death, animal death (on page), death of a child (prior to book’s beginning, off page), mentions of blood, threats of violence against children.



My Rating: 5 stars



So this definitely falls into the cozier fantasy category in that it starts off pretty slow. The writing is engaging, so it doesn’t feel super boring per se. But it doesn’t make a big deal out of having a fast paced plot. I actually really loved the narrative voice. It was just somehow just engaging enough but not too much.



Also, right off the bat, Jenny was a little weirdo. I stan little wiggly weirdos with hunched little bodies and constant freakiness. Like Rumplestiltskin in Once Upon a Time. That little weirdo factor in a woman? Even better! A lady who’s a socially awkward, sort of crazy, spooky little freaky weirdo? An icon. A fave. O’Neil also managed to make socially awkward in a way that felt natural. Not a “ooh-ee I’m so cringe and random” type of way but a “I live in a bog and don’t see many humans” type of way.



Additionally, THIS is a good example of a historic fantasy. It’s not overly boring, the character aren’t mind numbing, and it doesn’t feel like the historical setting is just an excuse to put little effort into fleshing out women characters. Jenny and Temprance have barely been on page and they’re already being well developed.



Not only is she a freaky little weirdo, but Jenny is protective over Temprance, and they have this dynamic of “you’re my first friend in a long time” thing and I LOVE it.

The vibes are also immaculate, very much like Harvest of Hearts which was one of my favorite books of the year so far (and probably will be overall).



I also felt like the villain was an actually threatening guy, he was an actual menace, they combined this human persona with this Fae persona and both on their own would be menacing enough. But together? It made the stakes feel real.



Also, I love the little side characters. Brackus? Icon. Gwynn and his Queen? Iconic. The dog? Perfect. The fact that there are MULTIPLE Jenny’s? Absolutely a great decision. The world building and all the different creatures, from humans, dogs (Cavall my love!), Jennys, wisps, and other Fae, to menacing figures like the Erl King were really well done. The mythology felt well done and well understood while not occupying huge amounts of the narrative space. I didn’t feel like the author was spending loads of time developing the world, she did a good job of doing things gradually and efficiently without risking development. The creatures felt genuine in the way they acted and operated. They weren’t these smooth talking sex symbols that a lot of books about Fae make them to be. They’re awkward, weird, and have a variety of emotions, motivations, and personalities. But for the most part, they don’t know how to really human. Even the Erl King, the villain, who succeeds from disguising himself amongst humans, can’t be fully human. He’s still not genuinely “normal” and takes the form of a Witch Finder. He can’t help but being a sinister weirdo.



Jenny was really realistic. She wasn’t this super good person off the bat. The longer the book went on, the more layered she was revealed to be. She struggled with her own morality, so did Temperance and Brackus. They all had their moments of making decisions that were legitimately difficult to make. Their back stories and motivations fit into their actions throughout the book. Temperance and Jenny in particular.



And best of all, all of them had real, actual and possibly devastating vulnerabilities that impacted their hopes at success. Even as a cozy fantasy, there was still a real conflict. There were realized stakes that made you worry about it not working out. The villain worked so well because the heroes had to face physical, magical, and more limitations. Temperance and Jenny in particular had to decide what was against their conscience or not and decide if they were willing to sacrifice one thing for their goal. They were allowed to make compromises and keep their conscience while still challenging themselves. Their core beings never changed. They made progress, they developed, they had a character arc, but their core values stayed strong.



The author also kept it consistent in terms of acknowledging how much time had passed. She made that apparent, directly referenced it, and made it impact the characters. Especially Temperance who had young children, months matter with young kids.

Like I mentioned, the historic setting was really done. It felt like it made sense and was realistic, including dialogue and narrative, but it didn’t do that at the sacrifice of entertainment or core message. It allowed the women to still be active players in the plot while facing era appropriate challenges, but didn’t make it detrimental to the portrayal of women. Women were allowed to be dynamic and well rounded, they weren’t the victims of excessive and unnecessary violence. and they could be flawed. Men weren’t centered but weren’t demonized either. There were good men and bad men, good women and bad women, it didn’t feel like Temperance or Jenny were “not like other girls” either.



And oh my god the last 25%. Oh myyyy goooooddddd I was locked in, horrified, terrified, scared, on the edge of my seat, grieving, screaming internally, all of it. The Erl King was a terrifying villain throughout, the tension in the book built him up masterfully and he delivered. The ending had me gasping and gripping my e-reader tightly. And the epilogue was so cute, I loved it so much. Props to Molly O’Neil for making as terrifying of a villain as she did making lovable protagonists.



Absolutely amazing. A definite contender for my top 5 books of the year.

I liked the originality of this story but also found it to be a little confusing. I'm always a fan of sci fi and fantasy so was happy to read this book.
Overall I'd rate it 4 stars.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC

I loved the beginning of this book so much, especially the setup for the adventure with Jenny, Temperance, and Brackus. Jenny's narration is atmospheric and drew me in almost instantly. She was the perfect voice for this story and I believed this would be another favorite of the year. I like that the story is told by this creature who is often considered a monster and how we get to see a very different side of her.

English and Welsh folklore will always entertain me and I enjoyed how it was used for the most part in this book. But as the story continued on, it lost me. The banter was great in the first half of the book and then it was gone as they went on their quest. Quest storylines are almost always favorites of mine, but this one really didn't stand out. It lost its momentum and my interest went with it. The ending also did not help either. I predicted pretty early on what was going on and I'm sad to say it didn't pay off in the end.

Loved the mythology and legend, loved the adventure and the friendships, loved the buildup at the end as the finale rushed in.

I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was decent, but I found the pacing a bit slow. It was also a bit formulaic. Very stereotypical 3 step quest with some Arthurian lore. We are following a goblin, a Jenny, and a witch on their quest to forge a magical weapon to defeat the BBG. Their tentative friendships are tested time and again. They also must face many dangers in the lands of the fae that involve typical fae trickery and deceit. I feel like this book could easily be considered YA because there was nothing specifically "adult" about it. I did not feel any real sense of urgency in this book and therefore it was not very compelling to read. It took me almost a month to get through because I just kept getting bored with it. Certain parts would catch my attention and then I'd get bored again and have to reread the following section.

This story felt like whimsical dream. I loved the idea of the monster and the found family. I just wish the writing would have grabbed my attention more

Beautiful, breathtaking enticing and wonderful in glad to have read this and miss the way reading this for the first time made me feel, thankyou for this chance and this world

Greenteeth was a super interesting read. I loved the character study and the writing felt propulsive. I'd read more from the author.

This story drew me in immediately with it's unique voice. It is told from the perspective of Jenny Greenteeth, the monstrous hag who has lived in the lake for centuries. She is aging, isolated, and crotchety. She has those "get off my lawn" vibes. One day a witch falls into her lake, and rather than eat her, Jenny forms a friendship with her. This is done so beautifully. Jenny eventually stops hiding behind her masks and walls and starts to let the world in. It is not without problems and the unlikely threesome of goblin, witch, and hag soon have their friendships challenged. They allow pride and hurt to fester and ruin the bridge they have built. It was so hard earned that you continue to root for them. Root that they can change from the villains of the story to the heroes. Root for their beautifully built friendships. I kept thinking about this book long after finishing it. When it made me cry, I knew it had wormed its way in. I applaud this debut novel and rate it closer to a 4.5 stars. Phenomenal character development.

this was such an enjoyable and adventurous book. i highly enjoyed the setting of England and how it became the faerie world. Jenny Greenteeth is the most lovable character who meets and introduces us to many more lovable characters. my personal faves were obviously Temperance and the afanc (lake monster). i loved that this story worked with Arthurian legend and folklore to create such a beautiful tale.

i really enjoyed getting to follow Jenny, our grumpy reclusive "monster", who ends up on a quest, makes some friends, and realizes that it's a lot of good to have friends around. i had been obsessed from the first page, but the climax and twist in this book really sold me. i really enjoyed this and will be reading whatever else Molly O'Neill releases.

This was a lovely read. The audiobook version was especially good as well. I enjoyed the fantasy elements, even though I am not wholly familiar with the stories surrounding them, and I thought the characters were vivid and wonderful. I had wondered at first if this would be some sort of romantasy, so it was a delight to find it to be something rare and special: a story about friendship, magic and overcoming the impossible.

The main friendship between Jenny and Temperance was endearing and felt deeply genuine: two mature and capable ladies learning to reach out and rely on each other in spite of their different worldviews. I think it is fitting to promote this book as a "for fans of T.Kingfisher" sort because it has the kind of story I would want to read to suit those vibes and that same warmth, while at the same time being something wholly original.

I'll definitely recommend this book to others, especially for fans of fantasy, myths and magic.

I do believe this is my all time favorite fairy tale. There are so many beings I'd never heard of and had to look up. I loved the place feeling and adventure. The twist of Jenny's identity threw me in the best way! Just wonderfully chock full of ancient beings, magic, and friendship.

(4.25/5 stars)

Greenteeth is a fun and cozy historical fantasy by debut author Molly O'Neill.

I borrowed the audiobook from my local library and followed along in my physical review copy. I really enjoyed listening to the narrator, especially because it's written in the first person from Jenny Greenteeth, a lake hag. I really love listening to books like this because it feels part of oral storytelling, and the narrator was fantastic for that.

I had a lot of fun following Jenny from her humble and well-maintained lake through her vast adventure beyond. I particularly loved how the author wrote about the places and especially the scenery as she travelled. Jenny's traveling companions and other friends she meets along the way are also fantastic.

The book does feel a bit meandering at times, but perhaps that's just what it feels like to traverse the Wild Roads as you seek the faerie court. This is just a debut, but I'm very excited to read future books by the author!

When I was in college, I minored in Classical Mythology, and I nearly had a secondary concentration in my major for pre-Renaissance literature. This book really drew me to it as it has a lot of folklore from England and Wales, and perhaps other places as well. If you're a fan of Arthurian legend, you might want to pick this up too.

Another thing that made me pick this up is the blurb from T. Kingfisher on the cover: "A charmingly monstrous debut." Kingfisher is one of my favorites, and I love finding new authors who scratch that particular reading itch for me. I'm so glad I picked this one up!

This story takes a very unlikely heroine (hello razor sharp toothed lake monster), and pairs her with some equally unlikely allies as they search for a way to banish the Big Bad that has appeared in their sleepy little English town. The trio (plus a trusty pup) go on a series of quests to take down the villain.

The main character, Jenny Greenteeth, was such a fun character, and as her story and history unfolded I found myself rooting for her to save the day. The development of her friendships, as well as learning about her daughter and her past, made her even more endearing.

While this would definitely fall into the “cozy fantasy” realm the stakes are high for the trio, and there are some truly heartbreaking parts in the story. How the characters deal with loss and family and friendship was executed so beautifully.

The author weaves familiar folklore and history into the story, from the Wild Hunt to King Arthur.

This was such a fun read, and I can’t wait to read more of Molly O’Neill’s work. Thank you to the publisher and NetGallery for the ARC!

A hint of mystery, a hint of fantasy...witches, pond hags, sorcerers, magicians...this one pretty much has it all.
My favorite character was the dog...he was just a love.
An enjoyable read. Not, maybe, for a younger reader...definitely a little dark in spots, but with interesting characters and situations.
I can see Molly O'Neill as an author I would happy to try again.
Special thanks to NetGalley and Orbit Books for allowing me to read this book before publication date. You guys rock!

I had a difficult time getting into this book and the writing turned out to not be to my taste. I suspect others will like it more!

OMG I loved this, it was so good! I had been feeling meh about so many books and let me tell you Jenny got me in her first paragraph. I loved how witty this writing was, how full of life. The setting was so cool, I've never read anything quite like it ~ the under-lake-water utopia of my dreams. This friendship was so realistic and warmed my heart, and honestly I'd read other quests from this group 👀 Like can we see Jenny hanging out with that giant beaver fish sounding dude??? that was wild haha. Such a fun, magical time that made me warm and fuzzy but also challenged my imagination skills. I'm giving it a 4.5 for now [rounded out to a 5] but I do plan to reread this and I have a feeling it's going to creep up to a five star.

Greenteeth is the story of Jenny Greenteeth, a lake hag who one day decides to befriend the witch dropped into her lake instead of eat her. Temperance, the witch, isn’t so sure about her toothy savior at first, but they bond over a shared enemy that has moved into their town of Appleby. So begins a quest that involves a wide range of Welsh folkloric characters including goblins, the fae, and even unicorns.

I don’t think the classification of this being a cozy fantasy is correct as there is a lot of conflict and high stress situations. Cozy and classical fantasy are not the same thing, and this is along the lines of a normal hero’s journey through the English countryside going in and out of the fae realm. The gimmick that makes this story unique is the narrator- the monster Jenny.

If I’m being honest, Jenny could have been much more monstrous. Yes, she eats kittens occasionally and tries to kill someone now and then, but her inner voice is very standard heroine considering she’s a 1000 year old lake monster. This story was very basic, and honestly bored me towards the end. If you don’t have a lot of experience with English fairy tales I think you’d have a much better time than I did. I would suggest getting it from the library just in case.

Greenteeth is a truly wonderful debut. I can’t remember a novel that had such clear love for folkloric monsters and legends. This is a fantasy friendship adventure in three parts, and I had so much fun in the middle I didn’t want it to end. Jenny Greenteeth is a fascinating character— she’s quite monstrous, fierce, and self sufficient—and an unlikely hero I quickly found myself loving. When a truly creepy villain threatens her peace, she pushes herself out of her comfort zone to help a human witch, and with her longtime low fae friend Brackus, she travels far from her home and back again to hopefully send the evil on its way. Her travels aren’t easy, but her struggles as she’s pushed to change, grow and even face long-buried heartache on her hero’s journey are quite relatable. Greenteeth’s sumptuous descriptions of the wild countryside the companions tramp through made me feel like I was there with them (and made me want to plan a long outdoorsy summer holiday across the UK). There’s even a lovely and brave magical dog who joins them (and survives the whole book)! Defeating the story’s villain involves more well-known legends, but Greenteeth calls on them in a unique way, and earns its happy, hopeful ending. Its characters are quite lovable (I still miss them a bit), its horror is quite creepy, and its ferocity and love endearing. Definitely recommend!

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this e-ARC!

What a delightful story of a lake monster, witch, and goblin going on a quest to defeat an evil magical creature. This is a great option for people looking for cozy fantasy without romance.