Isabella Nagg and the Pot of Basil
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Hodder & Stoughton
Publishing:19th Jun '25
£20.00
This title is due to be published on 19th June, and will be despatched as soon as possible.
Books can change lives. Magic books can change everything.
In a tiny, miserable farm on the edge of the tiny, miserable village of East Grasby, Isabella Nagg is trying to get on with her equally tiny and miserable existence. Dividing her time between enduring her feckless husband, inadequately caring for the farm's strange collection of animals, cooking up 'scrunge', and crooning over her treasured pot of basil, Isabella can't help but think that there might be something more to life. So, while she's initially aghast when Mr. Nagg comes home with a spell book purloined from the local wizard, she soon starts to think: what harm could a little magic do?
As Isabella embarks on a journey of self-discovery with a grouchy cat-like companion, Darkshire's imagination runs wild, plunging readers into a delightfully deranged world full of enchantment, folklore, and an entrepreneurial villain running a magical Ponzi scheme.
Cosy, full of wit and Pratchett-ian footnotes, Isabella Nagg and the Pot of Basil is a book for those who can't help but find magic even in the oddest and most baffling circumstances; a story about claiming a new life and finding oneself - and also goblins, capitalism, and sorcery.
NetGalley readers love Isabella Nagg and the Pot of Basil:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'Had me completely enthralled from start to finish'
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'A really hilarious cozy fantasy'
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'A delightful read . . . I found myself legitimately laughing aloud'
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'I described this book to a friend today as "clever funny" . . . I will likely read this again in the future as I enjoyed it that much...which is pretty much the highest praise I can offer'
Witty and wry*, a book filled with untrustworthy herbs, far too much porridge, and the most unusual and compelling explanation for goblins you will ever see.
*and punctuated by an egregious number of delightful footnotes
This book is a delightful modern fairytale full of strangeness and wonder, and no small amount of humour. Oliver Darkshire has done a wonderful job bringing us into his fresh, fantastical world, and it's somewhere you want to stay. -- Alice Bell, author of Displeasure Island and Grave Expectations
With more humour than you can shake a homemade apple-tree wand at, and a folkloric world of magic tomes, snarky almost-cats and the twin menaces of goblins and capitalism, Darkshire's story is a bubbling cauldron overflowing with imagination and charm -- Chris Sugden, Sunday Times bestselling co-author of High Vaultage
I have been longing for fantasy stories with middle-aged heroines, so I was delighted to discover the pragmatic and intelligent Isabella. Oliver Darkshire weaves a vivid story with a humorous, fantastical voice and complicated world-building -- Katy Nyquist, author of A Holy Maiden's Guide to Getting Kidnapped
PRAISE FOR ONCE UPON A TOME
Laugh-out-loud -- Garth Nix, award-winning author of The Left-Handed Booksellers of London
Peculiarly hilarious and/or hilariously peculiar! -- William Gibson
Witty and heartwarming * Publishers Weekly *
A mischievous Terry Pratchett tone ... Uproariously funny * Fine Books Magazine *
Witty. Whimsical. Smart. A cozy gem -- Jenny Lawson, New York Times bestselling author of Broken (In the Best Possible Way)
With its mixture of exaggerated misanthropy and eloquent surrealism, Once Upon a Tome calls to mind the cult television sitcom Black Books * Times Literary Supplement *
Enchanting ... every page is a pleasure -- Lindsey Fitzharris, bestselling author of The Facemaker
Darkshire is an exciting new voice brimming with self-effacing charm -- Caitlin Doughty, author of Smoke Gets in Your Eyes
Utterly charming -- Tom Holland, bestselling author of Dominion
Mr. Darkshire is a witty observer ... charming * Wall Street Journal *
An utter treat -- Book of the Week * Daily Mail *
Extremely entertaining -- Neil Ga
ISBN: 9781399743839
Dimensions: 196mm x 128mm x 24mm
Weight: 200g
256 pages