The lake remembers. It holds its own wisdom, its own hunger. And in its depths, Jenny Greenteeth waits—lithe, wild, sharp-toothed and ancient, a monster of English folklore who is more than mere legend. Molly O’Neill breathes life into her with prose that is simple yet steeped in an eerie, dreamlike beauty. Jenny watches humans with an almost childlike wonder, but her memory hums with the weight of centuries.

When a drowning witch, Temperance, falls into her waters—cast out by a village twisted by the lies of an ominous new godhound—Jenny does not feast. Instead, she shelters. She learns. And when she follows the thread of darkness to its source, she finds the Erl King, an ancient and malevolent god lurking beneath his human disguise. What unfolds is a hero’s journey of teeth and tattered magic, of three strange companions—Jenny, Temperance, and a goblin tinker named Brackus—seeking the aid of the faerie king, who demands impossible tasks in return.

The story glows with the cold, sharp edges of an old faerie tale, where bargains have teeth and legends remember their names. And at its heart, Jenny is not just a monster—she is something older, something lost and waiting to be found. Greenteeth is haunting, lyrical, and wholly enchanting. This story is definitely deserving of a place on your TBR if you love faerie tales, or folklore. I cannot wait to see what other flax golden tales O’Neill will spin. I’m here for whatever they give us next!

4.4 stars!
The author's ability to weave British and Welsh folktales into an engaging narrative is nothing short of remarkable. From the first page to the last, the story keeps you hooked, gradually drawing you deeper into the world of myths and legends.
One of the most striking aspects of this novel is its impeccable writing. The prose is rich and evocative, painting vivid pictures of the landscapes and characters. It's clear that the author has a deep understanding and love for the folktales they are retelling, and this passion shines through in every chapter.
The characters in this book are incredibly well-crafted and easy to like. As the story progresses, you find yourself rooting for them, feeling their joys and sorrows as if they were your own. The character development is superb, making the reader feel a strong connection to each individual.
As I delved further into the book, my enjoyment only grew. The intricate plot twists and turns, keeping you on the edge of your seat, eager to see what happens next. The seamless blend of traditional folktales with a fresh, modern twist makes this novel a standout in its genre.
This is debut novel is an enchanting journey through folklore that will leave you wanting more. It's a beautifully written, immersive experience that brings British and Welsh legends to life. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a captivating and heartwarming read.

Thank you Molly O’Neill, Orbit Book, and NetGalley for this ARC!

I loved this book. It's a truly impressive debut and it has all sorts of niche beasties from the Isles I'd never heard of before. However, I have one complaint. Though he's somewhat well developed, the goblin merchant character fails to completely subvert antisemitic stereotyping. I wish that publishers were more aware of this archetype, and the issues around Jewish representation in fantasy in general. It's not awful or "cancel-worthy", but I wish that there was more work put into actually examining and subverting what the goblin signifies. Overall, this is an impressive debut.

3.5 ⭐️ Greenteeth is a folklore-infused novel that delivers cozy vibes and atmospheric world-building. The book unfolds at a relaxed pace, making it a good comfort read for folks seeking a low-stakes story. The absence of romance was refreshing, as it allowed the platonic relationships to really take center stage. The slow-moving plot and writing style may not appeal to readers looking for a more engaging experience--this was something that I struggled with. The characters, while enjoyable, remained somewhat surface-level, making it difficult to fully connect with them. Additionally, the book leans heavily on telling rather than showing, which at times makes the story less engaging. Greenteeth was an overall fun and quick read, ideal for those who love folklore-inspired worlds and a cozy atmosphere.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

Give me a story from the “monster’s” perspective any day and I’ll love it but when I requested this ARC I didn’t realize it was gonna be cozy too! This was a delight! And then while reading other reviews I realized it was a retelling of an actual folk story to boot!?

If there’s one thing I love more than a deeply witchy, monstery, thrillerly, horrorish tale it’s a found family, cozy, not so high stakes tale that still has a healthy sprinkle of the supernatural. And this delivered!

Thank you to the author, Orbit Books, and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I just learned that cozy fantasy is popular sub-genre these days, and this novel fits the category very well. Readers of all ages will fall in love with the main character and her sidekicks as they go on a quest to save a little English village and find they are actually saving themselves.

Greenteeth es una historia de fae, folklore y familia encontrada, narrada por un carismático monstruo que habita en el lago con una voz como ninguna otra. Jenny Greenteeth nunca ha hablado con un humano antes, pero cuando una bruja es arrojada a su lago, algo hace que decida que vale la pena salvarla. Temperance no sabe por qué su aldea se ha vuelto repentinamente contra ella. Aunque no tienen nada en común, deben unirse en una búsqueda mágica para derrotar al mal que amenaza el lago de Jenny y a la familia de Temperance.
Con la inspiración de leyendas y folklore celtas, un libro de monstruos adorables, mucho humor y sentimientos, se trata de una aventura profundamente inmersiva y atmosférica. Hermosamente escrito. Definitivamente lo recomiendo.

Jenny Greenteeth has been minding her own business at the bottom of her lake for hundreds of years when her watery home is disturbed by the arrival of a witch, who was bound in irons and thrown in to drown. To her own surprise, Jenny rescues the witch, Temperance, and soon joins forces with her and a nomadic goblin to seek out the tools that will allow them to defeat the ancient evil that has taken over Temperance's town and is threatening Jenny's lake.

This is a lovely fantasy tale that plays with the folklore of the British Isles and presents it in a fun new way. I'd heard of Jenny Greenteeth in passing, but this is the first book I've read where such a character gets top billing, and it's absolutely delightful. I loved Jenny and her thorny ways, and I look forward to reading more from O'Neill in the future. Highly recommended for fans of T. Kingfisher's fantasy novels.

A witch, a hobgoblin and a lake monster? Sign me up for this adventure!

I really didn’t know what to expect from this book and I think having no expectations allowed me to enjoy it for what it is, a twist on something familiar.

I loved the banter between the characters and seeing their relationships grow. While I understand that some people didn’t like descriptions of certain events or locations, I respect that, but it helped me feel even more immersed in their world.

I am the first to admit that this book may not be for everyone, but I really enjoyed it and can honestly say I did not see the ending coming.

Congratulations to the author on her debut novel. I look forward to reading her next book.

Thank you to #Net Galley#GreenTeeth #Orbit Books and #Molly O’Neill for an ARC.

5 of 5 shimmering brightly stars
https://lynns-books.com/2025/02/25/review-greenteeth-by-molly-oneill/
My Five Word TL:DR Review: I practically inhaled this book

Oh my, I think my little socks have been blown off. I absolutely loved Greenteeth. I saw a lovely review for this on a blog that I’ve come to trust very much (thank you Books Bones and Buffy) and decided I had to give it a shot. I was actually trying to be careful this month but the fae elements of this really appealed to me and so I threw caution to the wind. My giddy aunt – I’m so glad I did. I mean, if I hadn’t picked this up I would have missed this perfect little nugget – I don’t suppose I’d ever know just how much I’d be missing it, but even so – I would have been gutted – even if I wasn’t aware of it. Moving swiftly on.

This is a story full of myths and magic, high and low fae, a terrible evil that must be overcome and a witch, a goblin and a Jenny (swamp or lake hag – sorry Jenny) who go on a quest. First of all, who doesn’t love a quest? Second what a great cast and; third just read this if you need a quick injection of fae trickery.

So, I’ve not heard of a Jenny Greenteeth before – although having gone away to check out some more I must have done because apparently there’s one in Pratchett’s Wee Free Men. Anyhow, Jennyies inhabit lakes and the like (they’re all called Jenny apparently), they have green skin, slimy hair and wicked teeth. They were quite possibly dreamt up as a way to scare children so that they wouldn’t wander away from home and drown. Anyway, I absolutely loved Jenny, whose bark was definitely worse than her bite. She was grumpy and curmudgeonly, although she keeps an orderly lake and a spick and span cave, and she’s become used to living by herself (her daughter having left for different waters many moons since) although she begrudgingly confesses to missing some of the characters from the story when they become absent.

The plot. Well, as the story begins Jenny is disturbed when something large is thrown into her lake and goes to investigate (perhaps it will be a nice snack) – instead, it’s a woman. Seemingly thrown into the pool by the village folk. They have something of a standoff (whilst the woman continues drowning and Jenny ponders the situation) and then Jenny whisks her off to her secret lair. An underground cave where she stashes all the goodies that end up lost or abandoned in her environment.

I don’t really want to go into everything, best that you discover the tale for yourself. Its a quick read and easy to become absorbed in.

The other characters. Temperance is the witch, a good witch I hasten to add, no dark arts here, who is determined to return to her family. She has the notion that she can cast a ‘forgetting’ spell and return home safely, however, a powerful predator has taken up residence in her sleepy little village and it’s going to take something much stronger than a hedge witch and two lower fae to dislodge it. Brackus is the travelling salesman type goblin, he can acquire anything from Kelpie hair to strange candles. He has a soft spot for Jenny and the two have a constant stream of banter in which they attempt to show how much they dislike each other but fail spectacularly.

What I loved about this. Everything. The pacing was spot on. I mean, the story pretty much gets off to an immediate start and the writing is just lovely. I really enjoyed the dialogue and the way everything unfolds in such an easy and natural way. I really liked the characters and this is so character focused which is a real must for me. Jenny is certainly not without her faults, she constantly reminds Temperance and readers that she’s a monster and not to forget it, but even so – I simply liked her.

On top of this, there’s the quest of course. Our characters travel, through the use of fae gates and roads, to the high court seeking the aid of the Fae King. There are lake giants, fae dogs and everything is eventually tied together with some lovely olde English lore.

To be honest, this felt like the perfect book at the perfect time. A coming together of the planets in perfect alignment if you will. It felt cosy but also drifted into tense territory on occasion and particularly during the concluding chapters and, well, put simply, it made me happy – which is not something to be scoffed at. I eagerly await information about what Molly O’Neill is planning next.

I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.

Greenteeth is a cozy/lower stakes fantasy that follows our main character Jenny Greenteeth. Jennys are a type of farm that live in lakes and ponds. One day a witch is thrown into her lake and Jenny helps her. The 2 then set out to make it safe for her to return home, but it quickly becomes a bigger ordeal than they initially thought. They travel to Fae Courts and complete quests to save Temperance's home and family. The Arthurian twist was a fun addition to the plot that had been slowly seeded in from the very beginning.

This was just the break I needed between higher stakes fantasy books with a hint of whimsy but could still be a bit dark at times from descriptions as Jenny is not a human and does not pretend to be.

My thanks for the ARC goes to NetGalley and Orbit Books. I'm voluntarily leaving a review, and all opinions are my own.

Genre: Fantasy, Historical Fantasy
POV: Jenny Greenteeth (but so much of the story is about Temperance—there's more about this in the review below)
Language: A bit of swearing

GREENTEETH drops us into another world and time where magic is waning, the townfolk are suspicious, and secrets abound.

I loved the fairy tale quality of this, and how the layers peel back over time to give us more insight into Jenny and the world at large.

Found family is a strong theme, and works incredibly well because of the characters' differences, their arguments, pettiness, and forgiveness. This is also a quest book! But it's not one with endless traveling (thankfully). I would say it's mostly cozy, but there is a dark undercurrent. This is not a romantasy.

I was completely intrigued at page one, and by page two, I was enthralled.

Let's talk about POV. Almost always the main character is the one whose point of view the reader is in. Is that true here? Maybe. The story must be told from Jenny's point of view to work, but in ways, I feel like we could argue that Temperance is the main character. Who is at the center of the conflict? Temperance. Who seems to have the most to lose? Temperance. Who is pivotal at the climax? Temperance and Jenny. Mind you, Jenny also has something to lose in this story. Both women have so much to gain too. I'd love to see what other people think about the POV choice.

This is the perfect read for all fantasy lovers. Older YA could also pick up this book and enjoy it too. This is a spoiler-free review, but I will say that the ending fits so perfectly and was still surprising, and I can't wait for you to read that section! I think you'll be surprised and love it.

Happy reading!

PS—A Jenny Greenteeth is a lower fae that lives in fresh water. And they're incredibly interesting and layered.

Greenteeth by Molly O'Neill was an utterly enchanting read! I've always had a fondness for books inspired by Welsh mythology, and this one certainly did not disappoint.

The narrative centers around Jenny, a water hag who has peacefully cared for her lake for centuries—until one fateful day, a young witch named Temperance is cast into its depths, condemned to die after being betrayed by her own village. Rather than allowing Temperance to drown, Jenny decides to save her, igniting a series of events that uncovers a malevolent force threatening not only the village but also Jenny’s lake and the delicate balance of magic itself. Together, this unlikely duo sets off on a quest to seek help and face the looming darkness.

What makes Greenteeth so captivating is not just its rich folklore and immersive world, but how it cleverly subverts the traditional fairy tale quest to delve into Jenny’s character and motivations. The novel possesses a haunting, timeless essence—magic is diminishing in the British Isles, and Jenny, an ancient and relatively powerless being, grapples with the mystery of her continued existence while so many others have disappeared. When the truth finally emerges, it is both poignant and fulfilling.

This book brought me to tears, left me entranced, and presented an ending that was as heartbreaking as it was beautiful. A must-read for fantasy enthusiasts, Greenteeth is a poignant and atmospheric narrative that resonates long after the last page is turned.

Thank you to Molly O'Neill, Orbit and Netgalley! for this eARC! “Greenteeth” is now on sale.

✨📖 Book Review: Greenteeth by Molly O'Neil 📖✨

Imagine if Legends & Lattes and Someone You Can Build a Nest In had a mischievous, magic-infused baby—and voilà, you’d get Greenteeth! This book was an absolute delight from start to finish. Found family? Check. Magic? Double check. A quest that keeps you turning pages faster than a witch casting a hasty hex? You bet.

Molly O'Neil weaves a story that feels like wrapping yourself in a warm, slightly mysterious, and entirely magical hug. The characters are quirky and endearing, the world is immersive, and the adventure is one that leaves you with that "just one more chapter" feeling until suddenly, it's 2 AM. Oops.

Whether you're a fan of cozy fantasy with heart, charmingly eerie folklore, or just need a book that feels like sipping a spiced cider by a crackling fire, Greenteeth is the pick for you. I truly cannot recommend this book enough!

A huge thank you to #OrbitPublishing and #NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this gem early—I adored every second of it!

🔥✨🏡 Magic, adventure, and found family? Sign me up. 🏡✨🔥

I found it a little slow at the beginning but it was on the whole a fun tour through fairytales and legends. It’s a fairly gentle read and does meander a bit but it is fairly short and could easily be a weekend’s distraction. Jenny is suitably nonhuman and Temperance holds it together pretty well for a rural village woman of her era.

I really enjoyed this book.

The characters were so well written and developed. They were flawed and still lovable, which makes for such a lovely reading experience. Jenny, Temperance, and Brackus were absolutely delightful, and their friendship is beautiful and refreshing. O'Neill did a great job creating an atmosphere that felt both high stakes and cozy. There were times that I was on the edge of my seat, while others, I was just along for the journey. The story flowed well, and the plot was entertaining. All of that said, there was a plot twist at the end that made no sense to me and was never explained. I don't mind a good plot twist, but I need some explanation other than the author just saying, "ta-da!" That is really my only complaint with this one. If you're a fan of cozy fantasy and found family stories, this one is still good...but be prepared for a bit of a let down at the end.

I adore books that are brimming with folklore, and Greenteeth has quests and mythological figures aplenty. When a witch is thrown into Jenny Greenteeth’s lake, a series of events is started that will involve an unlikely trio, an audience with high fae royalty, and a set of perilous tasks that will take our protagonists to dangerous and wildly beautiful places throughout England, Wales, and Scotland.

I really loved the three main characters. They have the unlikeliest of friendships and very different lifespans, experiences, values, and personalities… and yet they find a way to make it work and can eventually forgive each other when disagreements occur. The travels they take are equal parts beautiful and chilling and daunting, and the folkloric figures they meet along the way are interesting enough that I researched most of them in between chapters!

While much of the book involved adventurous encounters and tasks along the journey, there was a cozy aspect to the story. I loved that two of the characters were mothers and that while their ideas of “home” were vastly different, motherhood was something that connected them. There were also some heavy topics addressed in the book, and even characters with centuries of life experience struggled with some of these. Ideas such as identity, change, and loss are explored as the book progresses. So while the adventure part of the plot was a tad meandering, the commentary and character development were fabulous. If you like folklore and/or adventurous quests with found family and all the banter and angst that comes with that, this might be one to try!

Thanks so much to Orbit Books and Netgalley for the advanced e-book!

OK this was not what I expected, and I really enjoyed it! I absolutely love anything with a fairytale vibe, thats rich with folklore, so when I read the synopsis I knew this was right up my ally.

The writing was beautiful, and I absolutely loved Jenny. She was such a rich, dynamic character and really enjoyed her outlook on the world. This novel was such a treat! Highly reccomend for anyone who loves stories steeped in folklore, and are looking for a fantasy read from a different perspective. Very refreshing!

Thank you to Molly O'Neill, NetGalley and Orbit for this eARC.

Greenteeth by Molly O'Neill was such a great read! I have loved all the Welsh mythology inspired books that I've read, and this was no exception.

Mild spoilers ahead. I went into this expecting T. Kingfisher vibes and it delivered, with plenty of action intermingled with plenty of slower, character driven moments. I do think this warrants the cozy fantasy label that I've seen, even though it definitely had fairly high stakes, especially at the end. I didn't see the plot twist coming, and thought it was well done. I especially liked getting to see how Brackus and Jenny's story really started, and how they are actually much better friends then we are initially led to believe in the beginning of the book. Their friendship and the care they had for each other was great to see.

I loved that this didn't have a romance subplot to it, but that that didn't take anything away from how much these characters loved each other. Even when they're upset with other, we see them fight for each other and learn from their mistakes. We see Jenny go from treating both Temperance and Brackus as necessary but ultimately not friends or even barely acquaintances, to being sort of friends, to letting them leave her because she's upset with them, and then speaking with the Afanc and coming to understand friendship a little better, and then ultimately seeing how their friendship grows and becomes so important to all of them.

I did find some parts of the quests and middle part of the book to be tedious, but I did like how it helped us see the interactions between Jenny, Temperance, and Brackus, and how they worked together. It helped establish their characters and friendships.

I really liked Jenny as a character. She recognized that she wasn't "good" perse, but that that didn't stop her from still connecting with others and caring. She used her skills and experience as a monster, and it didn't make her friends love her any less.

Overall I really enjoyed this, and will likely pick this up at some point, and recommend to friends, especially those that like cozy fantasy and Welsh mythology. I look forward to seeing what O'Neill comes up with next!

This story has a bunch of Welsh folklore woven throughout the novel that I just found so fascinating. There's fae, king arther, witches, and many magical other beings that pop up. I did kind of convince myself that there was going to be a romantic subplot between the Jenny and Temperence but unfortunately that was not the case. This book is a magical road trip with a found family which was really well written and kept me riveted until the very end.