Review by Booklist Review
Jenny Greenteeth isn't perfect, by human standards. But then, she isn't human. She's a Jenny, a lake monster, with razor-sharp teeth and a penchant for rotten fish, fastidiously keeping her lake clean, collecting treasures that wash into her waters, and scaring the occasional human. But one day the town throws a woman into her lake. Jenny saves her and discovers that Temperance is a local witch, and a disturbing, ancient evil nearby is responsible for the town's sudden atmosphere of suspicion and fear. The two of them team up with a goblin peddler and set off on a series of quests that the fae king and queen promise will get them everything they need to save Jenny's lake and Temperance's home. This vivid fantasy, inspired by the stories of King Arthur and by Welsh folklore, explores a Britain populated by fae, ancient but dying off. O'Neill's debut is full of magic that is rich, mysterious, and exciting, and Jenny Greenteeth is a morally grey, delightfully monstrous protagonist that fantasy readers are bound to fall in love with. Fans of T. Kingfisher's award-winning Nettle & Bone (2022) will enjoy this novel's questing structure as well as its twists on stories familiar and new.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Jenny Greenteeth, a millennia-old monster, serves as the offbeat narrator of this sinister, Arthuriana-infused fantasy debut from O'Neill. After Parson Asa Braddock attempts to drown human witch Temperance Crump in the lake where Jenny lives near the small English village of Chipping Appleby, Jenny and Temperance vow to fight back against his cruel ways. Then they learn that Braddock is actually possessed by a malevolent magical force known as the Erl King. On the advice of salesman goblin Brackus Marsh, Temperance seeks out Gwyn ap Nudd, king of the fae, who sends Jenny, Temperance, and Brackus on a three-part quest to banish the Erl King. The trio's sweet, unlikely friendship is forged and tested during months of travel and danger. Readers led by the marketing blurb to expect a cozy vibe may be surprised by the frequently sad and violent plot, but Jenny's unique perspective and the bond among the adventurers add some much needed levity. This will be a hit with fans of classic quest fantasies. Agent: Sam Edenborough, Greyhound Literary. (Feb.)
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Review by Library Journal Review
DEBUT Jenny Greenteeth is a figure straight out of English folklore. She's also the keeper of the lake next to the sleepy village of Chipping Appleby. At least, it was sleepy until the new parson held a fire-and-brimstone witch trial and chained a cunning woman to the bottom of Jenny's lake. Jenny frees the witch, because she's lonely, because the witch, Temperance, doesn't fear her too much, and because she plans to fight the threatening power taking over Chipping Appleby. With the help of the witch and a rogue of a goblin, Jenny sets out on a quest to gather the last of England's magical power to save her lake, Temperance's village, and the soul of the country she has vowed to protect. VERDICT This delightfully magical historical fantasy combines creatures out of folklore (including the lake-dwelling monster Jenny) with a desperate quest, a sad tale of magic leaving the world, and a soul-quaking battle between quiet good and vast evil, all set in a beautiful story of sisterhood and found family among the most disparate of creatures. Readers who love the creatures, magic, and mythic settings of T. Kingfisher's Thornhedge and Nicola Griffith's Spear will find something similar and beautiful in O'Neill's debut.--Marlene Harris
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
An unlikely trio sets out on an epic quest to defeat an ancient evil in O'Neill's debut. Jenny Greenteeth isn't a hag, thank you very much, she's a Jenny! Jennies are water-dwelling magical creatures who all have green skin; long, sharp teeth; and the name "Jenny Greenteeth." Our Jenny lives in the lake at Chipping Appleby and is quite content keeping her lake neat, eating small creatures, and keeping to herself. But when Temperance Crump is tossed into the lake, sentenced to death for being a witch, Jenny decides to rescue her rather than eat her. Jenny takes Temperance to a hidden cave where she dries out and, after getting over her alarm at meeting a fae creature, tells Jenny her story. Temperance was living happily as the village "cunning woman" when a new parson came to town. This parson whipped up witch fever in the townspeople, and it didn't take much for them to chain her up and toss her in the lake for her "crimes." Jenny, who has a daughter of her own ("Little Jenny," of course), sympathizes with Temperance's despair at being separated from her husband and two small children and offers to help her cast a spell that will make the whole village forget she was ever a witch, much less executed for her craft. A hobgoblin named Brackus helps Jenny and Temperance find what they need for the spell, but when Temperance attempts to cast it, they learn that the new parson is actually an ancient evil, the Erl King, who could threaten all the magical and mortal creatures of Great Britain. The three of them set off on a noble quest to defeat the Erl King, and on their way, they meet all manner of enchanting and magical creatures and places. But best of all, O'Neill's story of friendship, family, and perseverance is so sweetly written that even her finely drawn fairy world and excellent plotting take a backseat to the growing bonds among her unlikely heroes. Full of magic, but even more heart. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
