Isabella Nagg and the Pot of Basil

PRE-ORDER FOR MAY 13, 2025

Isabella Nagg and the Pot of Basil by Oliver Darkshire

A Laugh-Out-Loud Cozy Fantasy from the Bestselling Author of Once Upon a Tome
Miserable village. Strange animals. One pot of basil. Plenty of magical chaos.

In Isabella Nagg and the Pot of Basil, rare bookseller and memoirist Oliver Darkshire brings his signature wit to a whimsical, weird, and wonderfully cozy fantasy—perfect for fans of Legends & Lattes, Good Omens, and The House in the Cerulean Sea.

Isabella Nagg lives a drab life in the dismal village of East Grasby, surrounded by odd livestock, unidentifiable meals, and her rather useless husband. Her only joy? A cherished pot of basil. But when Mr. Nagg stumbles home with a stolen spell book, Isabella’s dull existence takes a wild turn into the magical and bizarre.

Soon, Isabella and her grumpy, semi-sentient animal sidekick are battling goblin-fruit scams, sentient flora, shape-shifting sorcerers, and their own existential dread in a quest that might just save the village—and herself.

🪴 A cozy fantasy with heart, humor, and a dash of dark absurdity
🪴 Perfect for fans of folklore, talking plants, and reluctant heroines
🪴 Inspired by Boccaccio’s Decameron and rich with arcane bookish lore

Format: Hardcover 
Genre: Cozy Fantasy, Humorous Fiction, Folklore-Inspired Fantasy
Themes: Self-Discovery, Magic Gone Awry, Eccentric Villages, Unlikely Heroes
Audience: Adult readers who enjoy charming, character-driven fantasy with British wit

✨ Isabella Nagg and the Pot of Basil is an enchanting tale of magic, misadventure, and mild domestic irritation, proving that even in the most miserable corners of the world, a little magic—and a lot of sarcasm—can go a long way.