"Greenteeth" by Molly O'Neill is a delightful and enchanting fantasy novel that weaves together elements of folklore, humor, and heart. The story follows Jenny Greenteeth, a lake-dwelling monster, who finds her solitary existence disrupted when she decides to save a witch from drowning. This act of compassion sets in motion a series of events that lead Jenny and her unlikely companions on a quest filled with magic, danger, and self-discovery.

O'Neill's writing is both charming and evocative, bringing the world of fae and folklore to life with vivid descriptions and a cast of memorable characters. Jenny Greenteeth is a particularly compelling protagonist, a morally gray character with a unique voice that is both humorous and endearing. The novel explores themes of found family, acceptance, and the power of unlikely friendships, all wrapped in a fast-paced and engaging plot.

Here are some of the key highlights of "Greenteeth":

Unique Protagonist: Jenny Greenteeth is a refreshing and captivating character, offering a fresh perspective on the traditional fantasy monster.

Charming World-Building: O'Neill's rich descriptions of the fae world and English folklore create a vibrant and immersive setting.

Humor and Heart: The novel strikes a perfect balance between lighthearted humor and heartfelt moments, making it a joy to read.

Found Family: The theme of found family is central to the story, as Jenny forms strong bonds with a diverse group of characters.

Overall, "Greenteeth" is a wonderful debut that will appeal to fans of cozy fantasy and those who enjoy stories with a touch of magic and whimsy. Molly O'Neill has crafted a truly memorable tale that celebrates the power of friendship and the importance of embracing one's true self.

I've come to learn that Orbit really puts out what I love to read. "Greenteeth" is no exception. After studying English and Irish literature, the lore and mythology that drips through "Greenteeth" wraps around you like a blanket as you journey through Jenny Greenteeth's quest with her companions to take on an ancient being. It's beautiful, resonant, and captivatingly haunting. Words can't describe how ethereal every setting was that Molly O'Neill described. It's a rich text that is perfect for those who appreciate a cozy fantasy in the high sense, borrowing from the lore of Arthur.

Greatly appreciate NetGalley and Orbit for the advanced copy.

Greenteeth

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for providing an ARC for review.

Greenteeth is a surprisingly delightful book about Jenny Greenteeth, an unassuming low fae creature that is content with her quiet life. That is, until a witch falls in and she is forced into facing the wider world around her. A band of misfits is sent on a quest to save the world from a great evil, but also to reunite a mother unjustly torn from her family. That is where the real heart of the story lies; Greenteeth is a story about the many types of love and the importance of connection. Temperance needs to save her children. Brackus wants to protect his friends. Jenny, however, has lived a solitary life. Her connection to other creatures has waned with time. At the start of her journey, she simply wants to protect her home. Jenny grapples with morality, struggling to accept the juxtaposition between her gentle but inhuman nature. Through the love and friendship of Brackus and Temperance, she grows.

This was really sweet. This took me a while to get through, but I enjoyed it immensely!

(I’ve always said this, and anyone can quote me, but strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government.)

2.5 stars ~ Greenteeth is a cozy fantasy that follows Jenny Greenteeth, a lake monster, as she embarks on a quest with a goblin and a witch to save a nearby village and her home.

While quests in fantasy are often magical and otherworldly, this one reminded me a bit of The Lord of the Rings, with its seemingly endless walking. Much of the journey revolves around traveling to a location to collect materials, which felt monotonous at times. The banter between the characters wasn’t enough to keep me fully engaged during these slower sections, and I found myself wishing the author had included a magical teleportation system or something to break up the travel and add variety to the pacing.

I enjoyed portions of this book but was bored the majority of my time reading it. The ending felt rushed and poorly executed, leaving me with a less-than-satisfying conclusion leading to a two-star review. I'd still recommend this to readers that love a slower-paced story with relatively low stakes.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This was such a fun read, definitely dark fairytale with historical/folktale vibes and an epic quest with found family.

It’s a wonderful combination of many folktales with magic, fae, and best of all, a quest! A group of different beings with different backgrounds come together in a very satisfying found family way, to embark on an adventure to defeat evil through fae realms and magical places in Britain, Wales and Scotland. I mean, I didn’t know I needed this until I did. This book was the best surprise.

I loved the banter between characters and couldn’t get enough of the witch Temperance and the goblin Brackus. The plot takes its time and though there were a few slow spots, I very much enjoyed the sometimes slower paced journey with our group of magical characters. Overall a great cozy relatively quick read and highly recommend!
4.5 rounded up.

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit for this ARC!

I really enjoyed this story. Jenny Greenteeth is a fascinating main character. The story is largely a quest tale, which involves a personal journey as much as a scavenger hunt. As the story is told from the perspective of the traditional "monster" figure, we are invited to widen our idea of who holds value in traditional fairy tales. I loved the complex relationships between Jenny, the witch Temperance and the goblin Brackus. They come together into a very sweet found family together in a fight against evil. I also liked how the story connected with other elements of English folklore and fairy tales. All in all, it was a very enjoyable story and I would definitely recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for providing an eARC in return for my honest thoughts.

This one wasn’t quite for me. The plot felt a bit scattered, and I found the passage of time confusing, which made it hard to stay engaged.

I would recommend if you like cozy fantasy, goblins and other fae creatures, King Arthur lure, Scottish folklore, and Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries.

This was alternately whimsical, dark and mythological and sometimes all three at once. Greenteeh is about a Jenny who lives in a pond near a village who decides to help a woman thrown in to be drowned as a witch, and the two end up going on an adventure to save the witch's family.

I liked the fairy tale aspects of it, but sometimes the connections to other, more grand, more familiar tales felt out of place, but overall I enjoyed the book!

3.5/5 stars.

Folkloric, fascinating and intelligent- a phenomenal read form start to finish. The settings were masterfully written, characters were fantastic and interesting. A delightful tale with a classic feel

Thank you to Netgalley and Orbit for providing me with a copy of this book! I voluntarily leave this review!

Jenny Greenteeth lives a relatively peaceful life. She keeps a tidy lake and shares meals with her pet pike. When a witch is thrown into her lake, she has to decide between eating the woman or saving her. Choosing to save Temperance, Jenny finds a bereft woman whose village has turned against her. But that is only the start. The new pastor has devious plans for fae and humans alike.

Jenny Greenteeth’s cranky older woman vibes are hilarious. When she finds herself questing with Temperance the hedge witch and Brackus the goblin hijinks ensue. The three will have to face their prejudices and biases to work together. Though they are unlikely allies, and they bicker back and forth, the trio will form quite a bond throughout the novel. Their developing friendships will foster heartwarming moments to counterbalance the darker ones readers will encounter.

Molly O’Neill is a master at hiding key details. There will be twists in store, both heartbreaking and advantageous ones. The story will evolve from being centered on Jenny’s lake and Temperance’s village, into a quest that encompasses Welsh lore and mythical creatures. There may even be some legends tied in that are hinted at in small bits at the very beginning of the story. Each piece of the world-building brought together over time creates an alluring tale of a found family and the quest to save those they love and hold dear.

The allure of the fae will always pull me into trying a novel, and Greenteeth did not disappoint. With the wonderful balance of cozy vibes and dark fantasy, this novel kept me riveted right to the end. Readers who enjoy the themes of found family and quests for the greater good need to read Greenteeth.

Thank you to Orbit for providing an early copy of Greenteeth!

This book is a wonderful addition to the cozy fantasy genre, which has been gaining popularity recently. I absolutely loved how Jenny stayed true to herself, embracing her "monster" tendencies, while also realizing that being a Jenny doesn’t mean she has to live a life of isolation forever. The setting, paired with the charming English folklore, added such a warm and inviting touch to the story.

Even though the plot follows a the path you would expect, it's what made this story so comforting. It’s a relaxing, classic narrative, but with a unique twist through its characters. A delightful read for anyone seeking a cozy, feel-good fantasy!

The fact that T. Kingfisher blurbed this book should tell you what a treat you are in for. I've been a sucker for a good fantasy quest story since I read the foundational classic "The Hobbit" years ago.

Greenteeth is a fun and thoughtful friendship quest story that packs a punch in 300 pages. Jenny Greenteeth is a curmudgeon who enjoys the daily monotony of cleaning her lake and watching the passing seasons until those ungrateful humans throw a witch in her lake. The decision to not kill this witch changes Jenny's life forever and unknowingly entangles her in a journey out of her comfortable life and into the forgotten world she has left behind.

I think I appreciate this book as a mother more than I could have in my pre-children days. A lack of romance allows the reader to appreciate the themes of motherhood and friendship as well as prejudice.

Greenteeth is my favorite new cozy fantasy that I see myself rereading for years to come.

Tending to her lake for centuries, Jenny Greenteeth may be an underwater creature feared by humans, but she tends to keep to herself. Until a villager is thrown into her lake for being a witch. Jenny goes against her instincts and helps Temperance try to return to her family and defeat an evil force in the village. The quest involves a charming hobgoblin, high fae, and the most lovable hunting dog.

I loved this book and all of the magical elements! Witches, hobgoblins, a quest, and a hunting dog who will absolutely steal your heart make this such a fun read. I always enjoy following main characters who some would describe as a monster. Jenny is like a predatory Little Mermaid with her collection of objects in her cave, and cares more about the cleanliness of her lake than most other things. O'Neill does a great job of rounding out each of the characters' personalities and making this odd band seem like a found family. One that bickers and doesn't always get along, but who are they for each other when it counts. Also the setting is so wonderful, the descriptions of the moors and Scotland were so well done. The book had a lot of twists that I didn't expect and the pacing kept me staying up late to keep reading. I was really invested in the story and couldn't wait to see how it ended.

I highly recommend this book, especially if you like myths and folk tales. It is heartwarming and overall a feel-good tale, despite some of the darker undertones. I look forward to reading what Molly O'Neill writes next, this was a great debut. I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley for my opinions.

4.5 stars rounded up

Jenny is a Jenny, one of many like her living in lakes around England. Jenny is solitary, manages the health of her lake carefully, is a low fae and an ambush predator.

She has not spoken to a human before, though she has likely eaten any who have fallen into her lake. This makes what she does when a witch falls in so unexpected.

One day, Jenny notices a small group at the shore, with one of the humans in manacles. When this same person is thrown into the lake, Jenny is curious, and decides to save her, bringing the almost drowned woman into her cave, and home.

When the woman, Temperance Crump, recovers somewhat from her experience and a little of her fear for Jenny, she tells Jenny that for no reason she can understand, the new parson in her village of Chipping Appleby turned on her on the word of a jealous neighbour, and decided to punish Temperance for purportedly being a witch. Temperance is actually a witch, but of small magics involving a little healing, and herbal remedies, like her other before her.

When Jenny urges Temperance to leave town, the witch says she will not, as she has a husband and two young children. When a memory spell invoked by Temperance (she wants to erase everyone’s knowledge that she is a witch) goes badly wrong, Jenny decides to check out the parson, and gets a huge scare. She recognizes that he is actually an ancient evil being, much older than Jenny’s own hundreds of years, and who should not be in England.

Knowing they need help to evict the malevolent creature, they engage the help of a travelling goblin, Brakus, and travel to meet with Gwyn ap Nudd, the head of the Wild Hunt, in the hope that he will drive the evil being away. He refuses, but sends the three on a series of quests to acquire specific items which could be used against the being. The three must get past their feelings about what each is, and their personalities, to work together.

Molly O’Neill’s Jenny is by nature a loner, and she likes it just fine. She has little use for others, and misses her daughter, another Jenny in another lake. Jenny is powerful, a little quick to anger, ferocious on occasion, but also is kind, despite being someone who can easily kill others, and has over the years.

Temperance shows tremendous determination, but sometimes a surprising lack of understanding of what Jenny is.

Brackus is a delight, choosing to help the other two; his humour, tolerance and determination are what keep the small group going despite one impediment after another.

I loved this book, despite a couple of quibbles. The quests the three go on, while interesting, felt a little bit simplistic, and Jenny is sometimes characterized as if petulance is her only behaviour, but these are minor compared to how much I enjoyed this story. The mix of supernatural beings, folklore, Arthurian legend, and real history makes for great worldbuilding and atmosphere.

For a debut novel, this story is full of charm, with a sympathetic main character (even with her very many sharp teeth), and wonderful found family, and a terrific setting. (And the cover is gorgeous!)

Thank you to Netgalley and to Orbit Books for this ARC in exchange for my review.

Thank you so much to Orbit Books for the ARC, all opinions are my own.

Jenny lives in her lake, she cares for the lake and doesn't really pay attention to much else going on around her. Her daily life is disrupted when a witch is tossed in her lake, and she decides to save her. We find out that there is a new pastor in town that is wanting to discard of the witches, like Temperance, because she is a danger to the community. Jenny convinces Temperance to go start a new life without her husband and children, but she decides she cannot. After a spell goes wrong, and they discover that the pastor is actually a dark evil, they decide they must do something. Together, with a goblin named Brakus, the 3 of them go on a journey to rid their small town of the evil.

I definitely didn't expect this story to be so deep and full of layers, there are beautiful moments, and heartbreaking ones.

Greenteeth is a beautifully written, atmospheric read with a strong sense of place and folklore woven throughout. The cozy yet eerie vibe made for an immersive experience, and I especially enjoyed the lush prose and quiet magic in the storytelling. The pacing is slow and reflective, which worked well for the tone, though at times I wanted a bit more momentum. Still, the world-building and writing style stood out, making it a unique and memorable read.

This is hands down one of my favorite books I've read in the past couple of years! I loved that the story was full of less commonly seen low fae and other folk creatures. I really enjoyed the integration of Arthurian legend, and I loved the relationship building between the characters. The quest was so much fun and the action was thrilling and satisfying. This book fits within a currently underserved niche of less popular fantasy creatures and was exactly what I have been looking for. It stands out within its genre and I hope to see more stories like this!

Listen, I love a secretly softhearted grump. Set her on a quest to destroy evil with a witch who's been turned on by her town and a traveling goblin merchant and slowly turn it into a found family situation?? Even better. I loved everything about this book.

I thought it was really interesting how the fae of this story had to confront their own dwindling relevance. These characters are literally being tasked to save a world that they have a rapidly decreasing place within - yet they choose to fight on and live anyways. I thought this perspective was so interesting and well-handled. It broke my heart to watch Jenny encounter so many last-of-their-kind wonders throughout her journey, but the little family she forged along the way was so beautiful.

This little book about a solitary water sprite packed in a surprising amount of emotional weight - highly recommend!

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Amazon and B&N reviews submitted
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**TL;DR**: This one took me by surprise but I ended up so happy with it.
**Source**: NetGalley and purchased - thank you so much to myself and Orbit.

**Plot**: Jenny Greenteeth is just living a simple life caring for her pond when a witch is thrown in and her world is upended.
**Characters**: I loved everyone in this, even the high fae. I would read a whole series with these characters.
**Setting**: This was lovely, it wasn’t overpowering because this is definitely a character story but you could see and feel the world.
**Fantasy:** Again, this whole book is lovely. It’s based on magic and fae so it’s very fantastical while in a real world setting.

**Thoughts**:

In truth it was two things that drew me to Greenteeth. The cover and the blurb from T. Kingfisher. You get my favorite author on your cover and I’m likely going to at least try it. Greenteeth was a fantastic story and I’m so happy both of those things worked together to make me pick it up. This one follows Jenny Greenteeth, a fae happily taking care of her little lake and living a simple life. A witch is abruptly thrown into her waters and her life turns upside down as she attempts to help her. A quest begins, another friend joins and the three tackle tasks given by the high fae lord.

Greenteeth is a delightful character story. While there is a clear plot and path we’re inside Jenny’s mind the whole time. She’s not quite good and not quite evil as she likes to point out and she’s all fae. She’s one of the last lingering Jenny Greenteeth to exist and she’s grappling with the feeling of loss while she helps her friend Temperance. The story is a subtle but beautiful exploration of loss and grief with our big bad, the Erd King, being the devourer of magic. We also see a lot of friendship and how we can be friends even when we don’t agree (something that feels very relevant to this time in history).

I ended up loving this one. I’m beyond happy I sprung for my own copy so I can reread and annotate this as this is one I’m definitely going to revisit. If, like me, you love T. Kingfisher this is also an excellent read as the tone is similar though strong enough to stand on it’s own. A big recommendation from me.

A witch, a goblin, and a lake monster walk into the fae courts...and a lot happens. Jenny Greenteeth, our charming narrator, a lake monster of sorts. A lower fae, she spends her days tending her lake carefully and occasionally scaring off the local humans. When a woman is tossed into her lake as a witch, Jenny saves her, partly because she really does not want people being thrown into her lake and disturbing her peace. The woman, a witch, has been suddenly turned on by her village thanks to the new priest. Jenny and Temperance form a plan to get Temperance back to her family safely, but realize that there is a much darker evil afoot that's going to take way more than just a forgetting spell to deal with. Together with the local hobgoblin merchant, Brackus, the trio set off to get help from Gwyn ap Nudd, lord of the isles, and he sends them off on a trio of dangerous quests to forge a weapon capable of felling their foe.
I really like the concept of this, particularly Jenny as a narrator. She's not a human, and O'Neill doesn't let readers forget it. But at the same time, she's a wonderfully loveable, flawed and nuanced character. Seeing the world through her eyes was a delight. However, at times, the pacing really drags and then the ending feels rushed, and the three quests schtick is a bit tropey. Forgivable, though, since it was such a cozy and satisfying little novel.