Ahoy there mateys!  The cat on the cover and the idea of a sentient basil plant is what led me to this book. I started reading it in February 2025, made it to 36%, and could not get through it no matter how much I tried.  So I officially gave up at the beginning of June.  In reading reviews of this novel, many folks describe the humor as being along the lines of Terry Pratchett or Monty Python.  Had I originally seen those comparisons, I would not have tried this book as that humor style doesn't generally work for me.  It is a bit too silly.

Other problems included that fact that I hated Mr. Nagg's misogynistic point-of-view chapters, the footnotes that were distracting, and the amount of tangents and exposition made the plot meandering and somewhat confusing.  I did not particularly enjoy the whole goblin fruit subplot or the machinations of Gwendolyn Gooch and her Ponzi scheme.  I did enjoy Isabella, the cat-creature, and even the donkey.  Lots of readers lot this book but ultimately the writing style was not for me.  Arrr!

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.