Isabella Nagg and the Pot of Basil

Oliver Darkshire's first novel transplants the Decameron's Isabella—minus the severed head, plus the basil obsession—into a fantasy realm where animals speak and wizards shapeshift. Isabella Nagg scrapes by on a failing farm outside the dreary village of East Grasby, splitting her days between her useless husband, hostile neighbors, and preparing "scrunge" (presumably as unappetizing as it sounds). When her husband pilfers a spellbook from the local wizard, Isabella decides to experiment with magic. Accompanied by an ill-tempered feline, Isabella discovers abilities beyond domestic drudgery. Darkshire constructs a world mixing fairy-tale elements with economic realism—goblins coexist with capitalism, enchantment with exploitation. The narrative follows Isabella's magical education while satirizing both fantasy conventions and contemporary anxieties about labor and class.