My spellcheck hates this protagonist’s name.

In Nightshade and Oak by Molly O’Neill, the goddess known as Mallt has spent years helping the recently deceased humans of Britain pass on to the afterlife. However, her job has become more intense lately, what with the invasion of the Romans and Boudica’s resulting rebellion. Things get increasingly complex when, during her work, Mallt crosses paths with a pair of sisters, one of whom is performing a spell, which Mallt interrupts. Things go haywire, and Mallt finds herself trapped in a human body. She’s determined to right this wrong, and so allies herself with Belis, the woman who’d cast the spell, and who’s determined to save her nearly dead sister’s soul. They both must travel across the land to the entrance to the underworld, where Belis’s sister now must be and where Mallt can find help to restore her immortal form. But the way is filled with obstacles and challenges, and the two unlikely companions soon discover that there might be more between them than begrudging teamwork. There might even be attraction.

I read this author’s debut novel Greenteeth and loved it, so I was super excited to read her sophomore offering. And I did like this, but not as much as her debut. There’s just something special about a feral lake monster as a protagonist that is hard to top.

However, I thought the setting of Iron Age Britain was really cool. I imagine that O’Neill has probably taken a few liberties for the sake of the story, but the historical elements were still interesting. Especially considering it’s not a period of history I know much about, not having grown up in England. And the mythology of these ancient deities was well done, particularly the detail of how Mallt’s responsibility is over natives of Britain, rather than the Romans. It’s a clever element, a small hint at how the different belief systems and pantheons of gods have separate jurisdictions. It made clear that the universe is vaster than what we see with Mallt.

I also enjoyed Mallt’s and Belis’s initially frosty interactions. Both have understandable reasons to be frustrated with each other, though Mallt’s is mostly rooted in borderline horror at being in a mortal form. Her indignation is rather amusing, from her realization that she has to walk at a human pace and deal with indignities like blisters. I tend to like when superpowered/immortal beings get humbled, so seeing her realize the realities of what humans have to deal with, and then come to appreciate a simpler less magical life, was really nice. And her rapport with Belis has a nice arc, though the culmination of their romance felt typically rushed (I think I just need romance plots to take place over longer amounts of time than most books cover).

However, the plot didn’t quite do it for me. It’s more episodic than I was expecting, and somewhat lacking a sense of urgency at times. Though the stakes are rather high, and the danger often significant, I felt as if the characters didn’t care enough, and the plot sort of meandered. Sure, some of their side quests/minor challenges were interesting, but I wanted more forward momentum overall. 

In the end, Nightshade and Oak has quite a few good elements, and some lackluster ones. The historical backdrop interwoven with mythology and the underworld was especially good, and the characters are decent. However, the plot felt less than focused and lacking in weight, and so fell a bit flat. I definitely enjoyed it overall, but I’ve read better fantasy already this year, and better romances. I’ll still be happy to read O’Neill’s subsequent work, too, as I think she’s a good writer with some excellent ideas! This one just didn’t live up to the previous novel for me.

Nightshade and Oak is available now!