A witty, cosy adult fantasy in which a beleaguered farmer's wife decides to try her hand at magic - because what harm could a little magic do?
Hardcover
PRODUCT INFORMATION
Summary
A witty, cosy adult fantasy in which a beleaguered farmer's wife decides to try her hand at magic - because what harm could a little magic do?
Description
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.Critic Reviews
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
I lost track of the number of times that I audibly chortled, snorted, and made startled little noises of exclamation through my nose while tearing my way through Isabella Nagg and the Pot of Basil. Funny, inventive, and deeply unsettling in the grand tradition of some of the more obscure fairy tales it references, this book is a gem that was perfectly cut to fit the Pratchett-shaped hole in my heart -- C.M. Waggoner, author of The Ruthless Lady's Guide to Wizardry
Brings to mind the works of Terry Pratchett ... a delightful read. It will make you laugh and surprisingly tug on your heartstrings -- Vanessa Armstrong Reactor Magazine
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
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
Darkshire's humorous and clever fantasy borrows from poets and folklorists alike Washington Post
Delightfully deranged . . . a new and original kind of enchantment Reactor Magazine
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 Gaiman
About the Author
Oliver Darkshire is trying very hard not to think about his life choices, or how he got here. He lives in Manchester with his husband, and once a week they sit down to figure out how they will fit another bookcase into his study without blocking the door.
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