Isabella Nagg and the Pot of Basil By Oliver Darkshire - Household Gramarye #1

Published: 18/06/2026

Genres: Fantasy - Fiction - Cozy - Humor - Audiobook - Cozy Fantasy - Magic

A hilarious and surprisingly moving cozy fantasy novel from the best-selling author of Once Upon a Tome.

This debut novel by beloved rare bookseller and memoirist Oliver Darkshire reimagines the Decameron heroine Isabella (with her creepy pot of basil) in a world of sentient animals, talking plants, and shape-shifting wizards.

In a tiny farm on the edge of the miserable village of East Grasby, Isabella Nagg is just trying to get on with her tiny, miserable existence. Dividing her time between tolerating a feckless husband, fending off snide neighbors, and cooking up “scrunge,” Isabella can’t help but think that there might be something more to life. When Mr. Nagg returns home with a spell book purloined from the local wizard, she thinks: 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 and folklore—as well as goblins, capitalism, and sorcery.

Publisher information

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
ISBN: 9781399743877
Number of pages: 256
Dimensions: 198 x 128 x 24 mm
Weight: 180 g
Language: English