Greenteeth by Molly O’Neill Review

Title: Greenteeth

Author: Molly O’Neill

Genre: Fantasy

Publisher: Orbit UK

Pages: 336

Release Date: 25 February 2025

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Hello fellow booklovers! Today I’m sharing my review for Greenteeth by Molly O’Neill. A heartwarming, folklore-infused fantasy debut that’s bursting with magic and cosy, found family vibes that completely stole my heart!

Synopsis

Beneath the still surface of a lake lurks a monster with needle-sharp teeth. Hungry and ready to pounce. Jenny Greenteeth has never spoken to a human before, but when a witch is thrown into her lake, something makes Jenny decide she’s worth saving.

Temperance doesn’t know why her village has suddenly turned against her, only that it has something to do with the malevolent new pastor. Though they have nothing in common, these two must band together on a magical quest to defeat the evil that threatens Jenny’s lake and Temperance’s family – as well as the very soul of Britain.

Review

Honestly, I was utterly in awe at Molly O’Neill’s skill in bringing such an iconic figure in British Folklore to life. Let’s face it, Jenny Greenteeth, doesn’t have the best of reputations (historically portrayed as a malevolent creature who lures unsuspecting victims to their deaths.)

But the depth and nuance O’Neill captures within Jenny, and her endearingly eccentric (non human) outlook on the world, was something I found soo refreshingly unique.

Her friendship with witch, Temperance, is only the start to her journey of self discovery and redemption, but the vulnerability, courage and compassion she exhibits, (in conflict with her baser, more monstrous urges) really made her such an incredibly multilayered (and loveable) character.

O’Neill also gifts us with deliciously vivid prose and an immersive setting that had me eager to set off on my own wilderness bound adventures (a miracle in itself, as I’m a self confessed city girl who loves her home comforts.) I loved that Folklore and mythology play such a huge role in the narrative, particularly in relation to the Folklore from the British Isles.

Despite being British myself, I’m still not overly familiar with a lot of the folklore here (besides a small amount of Arthurian legend and a few fairytales) so really enjoyed the amount of research and detail that O’Neill put into this. Especially with lesser known mythological figures, like the Afanc (a Welsh river monster) that I hadn’t really heard of before, but whose backstory I now need an entire book on.

Other mythological figures also make appearances (Gwyn ap Nudd, Creiddylad, the Erl King and Cavall) which I also found really intriguing, and has definitely motivated me into checking out the original stories each figure is attached to.

There was definitely a hint of classic fantasy adventure stories to Jenny’s journey, that I found reminiscent in tone to C.S. Lewis & J.R.R. Tolkien’s works. But with just enough of a modern, antihero-esque twist that is sure to appeal to all readers of fantasy—both newbies and connoisseurs alike.

Honestly, this was such a beautifully crafted and unputdownable read! I don’t think my words can really do this story (or the emotions O’Neill’s prose cleverly invokes) justice. Though I do urge all morally grey loving, folklore aficionados to consider adding this to their TBRs when it releases in February— as it’s such a breathtaking debut!

Also, a huge thank you to Orbit UK for the proof copy

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

About The Author 

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.

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