2⭐️

This really did not go the way I thought it was going to.

I enjoyed the friendship between Áila and Hew. It was sweet. I also liked the connections Orail forged with both of them. The notion of a wish granting dog was interesting and made for some entertaining moments.

The book felt like it had 2 completely different storylines. Áila and her trials and then the Usurper Prince. Unfortunately, they felt very disjointed until they actually crossed over. I think having a chapter or two from Flora's POV to discuss their motives may have helped.

A Flora POV may have spoiled the plot twist regarding the Prince, but it was obvious from the start. We missed a lot of backstory for that aspect of the book. Everything we do learn is hearsay and gossip.

When it comes to the trials, I appreciate the idea of different ones for aspects of a person. Sadly, the stakes just weren't high enough for me. Especially when the wish granting came in, despite the supposed limits, it just made everything too easy.

While I really like Hew as a character, I struggled with Áila and her consistently making silly choices. Why are you going to break in to steal plans that someone literally just told you? Why are we trusting a random you met 2 weeks prior with all your secrets? Also, the love triangle was not needed.

Unfortunately, the book didn't do it for me, which is a shame because the premise was interesting. I received an advance review copy of this book, and this review represents my honest opinion. Thank you to netgalley, the author, and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

4 stars
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!!This YA fantasy takes you on a journey based on Scottish history and folklore with multiple POVs. Alia a young girl who lives in a fishing village is setting out for her time in the Goddess Trials, a trial which determines if you are blessed or unblessed. She teams up with a dog named Orail and a young boy who has been told he is unblessed. However, it is found out that Orail is not your normal dog and she is but another magical being. There is action, adventure, love and betrayal in this coming of age book about finding out who you are and what you are capable of.

I didn’t realise that Scottish folklore was so fun! Really enjoyed this, the writing was absolutely stunning and I would read more by this author

This was such a lovely little book! It took a few pages for me to get hooked but then I was charmed until the finish. This was such a lovely little book! It took a few pages for me to get hooked but then I was charmed until the finish.

Smart characters who didn’t do a ton of stupid stuff like characters is most YA do. Enjoyed the love story too, felt more real than most YA love stories

thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy. I really enjoyed this and will be getting copies for my shop.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing this e-ARC. I am anticipating reading this soon and reviewing on my socials.

I think this book was written for me. I loved just about everything from the setting, the romance, and most especially the focus on the bond between Áila and her dog Orail. There is nothing I love more than my dogs and the relationship between Áila and Orail had me tearing up by the end. Hew is such a great character as well and I couldn't help but wish the world for him. I wish the book was longer to give the relationships a bit more time to develop but overall I just loved the story and plan on reading it again in the future.

I am so in love with this book. The characters, the myths, the magic. It is like coming home. I wanted to restart as soon as I turned the last page.

not a fantasy reader but i did enjoy this book. it was very fast paced and easy to read as someone who isn’t used to fantasy

A cat person liked a dog book? Shockingly, yes!

Charming, wholesome, and steeped in Scottish folklore, Our Divine Mischief wormed its way into my heart so tenderly. Our main characters all work through questions of purpose and identity that resonate so deeply. Highly recommend the audiobook for the cadence of the songs and poems.

Our Divine Mischief is a YA fantasy about Scottish folklore. If you ever want me to read a book, a premise like that is what will get me! Áila LacInis finally convinces her family to let her take part in the Goddess Trial to find out her place in society. But on her arrival to the island where she is supposed to be told her fate, the goddess is not there. Instead a puppy finds her, and refuses to be left behind. Her village decides to give Áila trials to prove if she is worthy of a second attempt. As Áila works on these trials, it becomes clear that her new dog has some magical secrets of her own.

I had a good time with this book! Again, I will pretty much read any fantasy book based of Scottish mythology. This one I thought had a solid balance of folklore and pure fantasy. I liked Áila as a main character and how the story progressed. The warning at the beginning of the book was very appreciated because I got quite stressed for Orail, the dog, by the end of the book. There is some depictions of harming an animal, so I would take that into account before reading the story. I really enjoyed the ending!

Overall, I recommend this book if you are interested in Scottish folklore or are just looking for a good fantasy! 4 stars from me. Thank you to Blink and NetGalley for the electronic advanced reader's copy of this book, my thoughts are my own!

I enjoyed this story set in 18th century Scotland. The world building was great. I loved the adventure and the romance was nice and subtle, not overpowering. Orail (the dog) was my favorite part of the story.

On an island steeped in tradition, Aila longs to be of use. She wishes to take part in the Goddess Trial so she may earn her medallion and be blessed with a trade. When her moment arrives and she travels to the island of the goddess, there's one problem: the goddess is nowhere to be found. Instead, she finds a dog. With no medallion and no goddess, she must endure 5 Ordeals to earn her chance to try again. What follows is an adventure between a determined young woman, the village's social outcast and a golden-eyed dog.

It was just OK. I liked the Highland folklore aspect. I liked Orail's POV, that it changes as she grew more conscious. But that's about it. We have a subplot about a warring king on the mainland that goes nowhere, Hew was just too uptight for him to be likeable for me and it suffered from some exposition info-dumping in the first good bit of the book.

It's a fine story, but not for me

https://www.instagram.com/p/Czp2qXILW4F/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

“But despite all my horror and fear, I remember my new conviction: to release my need for control, to allow—even embrace—imperfection.”

For fans of Outlander and Scottish history and culture, a YA fantasy with political intrigue, coming-
of-age drama, and romance.

A sweeping YA fantasy inspired by Scottish history and folklore, Our Divine Mischief takes readers
on a journey told in three voices: a determined heroine, an outcast young man, and a wish-
granting canine. Their adventure spans an island fishing village to the king’s court in a story about
identity, belonging, and the love between a human and her dog.

This was fun and quirky! It was a much lighter read than my usual go to which was great because I needed something to get me out of this slump! I LOVED the Celtic lore in this! I love learning about folklore and different cultures and ever since Outlander I’ve been OBSESSED with Scotland! The dog, Orail, is so essential to this tale of important lessons and it’s been a long while since I’ve read a book with a companion animal having such a huge role in the book and is a well-written character!

“Things are all I can bring now, but I sense this will change as I Change. For I know that too, now. That I will change. Grow. Learn. Remember. Know.”

This was such a fun adventure to go on! I enjoyed the 3 points of view and getting to know Áila, Hew and Orail. All three have different backgrounds and life experiences but the Goddess Trial brings them together to change their fates. I loved the influence from Scottish mythology, not as much as I loved Orail! Great book and kept me wanting to know more.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
4.5/5 STARS

Genre: YA Historical Fantasy

I went into this book blindly and was pleasantly surprised! Set in an imaginary 18th century Scotland, a girl finds a wish granting dog to help her find her own way in the world.
The premise was charming and reminded me very much of Adrienne Young’s writing style. The world building was well done and I thought the concept was creative. There are three POVs (one being a dog) which kept the story moving. I loved how Orail, the dog, was based off of the author’s own dog that she was mourning. The entire sweet story swept me away and I’m surprised it is not getting more hype!

Thank you to Blink YA books for the gifted copy! 🐶

Anyone who wants to receive a blessed medallion from goddess, Yslet, must do so before their eighteenth birthday—and time is running out for Áila LacInis. Sick of being a bystander without a purpose, she sets off to find Yslet to receive her medallion. But instead of finding the goddess, she finds a dog instead. And not just any dog, but an enchanted one.

Áila has no idea what to make of it, and neither do the priests. So they decide to fall upon an old tradition: the Goddess Trials. If Áila passes all five of them, she’ll receive her medallion. But if she fails, she’ll be Unblessed. Like Hew, the boy tasked in helping her. Will he lead her to success, or make it so that he’s no longer the only one who’s Unblessed?
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This was an incredibly wholesome read. It reminded me of the fables I liked reading as a child. Full of fantastic imagery but also heartfelt life lessons, and characters you can really empathize with.

The only reason I’m not giving it five stars is because I felt some of the plot points were just thrown in without any true connection to each other. It was a beautifully well-written story with a good wrap-up that left me in tears, but I just felt it lacked depth in a few crucial areas. Probably just a me-thing though. But regardless I’d absolutely recommend this one!

Great story and world building.

The character and fantasy/mythological aspects were written well.

The romance was great as well.

I picked up Our Divine Mischief by Hanna C. Howard on a whim, the gorgeous cover catching my eye and leading me to a synopsis that intrigued me further. I am so glad it did as this book is one of my favourite reads of the year! I adored it so much I had to share as much on GoodReads in the form of a temporary review, which is most unlike me!

A unique combination of mythology, history and fantasy, Our Divine Mischief offers a story of adventure, romance and, of course, mischief. The Gods are not only real they play an active role in the people’s lives. On Fuiscea the Goddess Yslet shapes lives through the Goddess Trial that villagers take during their youth. Alone they row out to Yslet’s Isle to meet the Goddess, and return with one of her medallions. The medallion tells them what apprenticeship they have an aptitude for; sea glass for fishers, polished hoof for shepherds, and so on. Then there’s the plain gold medallion given to the unblessed, a gift from Yslet for them to buy passage to find their true path elsewhere.

Aila has finally persuaded her mother to let her take her Goddess Trial, and she’s excited to meet the Goddess. She has dreamed of meeting the Goddess on her Isle and being handed a medallion, of starting an apprenticeship at last. But when she gets to the Isle it’s dark and empty, no Goddess awaits her. There’s no medallion not even the dreaded gold one. Instead, she finds a golden eyed puppy who follows her back to her boat.

Returning to the village with the puppy and no medallion, the leaders have no idea what to make of the results of Aila’s Goddess Trial. After consulting records, they find that Yslet has been absent before but never has a dog been found in her place. In those situations the person was tested further to see if they are blessed by the Gods or not. Aila is set five Ordeals, if she passes she will be allowed to take the Goddess Trial for a second time. If she fails, then it will be taken as a sign that she is unblessed. Offered the chance to take the Ordeals or leave her village, Aila chooses to take the Ordeals rather than leave the only home she has ever known.

Until her status has been confirmed, it’s decided that Aila must live alone on the outskirts of the village. She must be chaperoned if she wishes to visit with any friends and family, and a young unblessed man Hew is given the task of acting as chaperone and seeing to Aila’s needs. As an unblessed he is an outcast, ignored and dismissed, considered only good enough to shovel peat. His new assignment provides him with the chance to prove that he can do more.

Aila has been kind to Hew from the start, and as her only confidante, the two grow closer. They both begin to notice when strange things start to happen around Orail, the puppy Aila brought back from the Island. It is just the beginning of a series of secrets that will lead the threesome into mystery and danger that reaches further than they could ever imagine.

I love animal companions in books, so there was a fairly good chance that I would fall in love with Our Divine Mischief and Orail. Then Hanna C. Howard had the marvellous idea of making the animal companion a narrator! Orail’s narration is written in poetic verse and this works very well for an animal’s voice. I’m not a huge poetry fan, so if that’s not your jam either don’t worry; Howard has judged just the right length for these chapters. They’re whimsical and interesting without being too much poetry for those of us who are not interested in that form.

Our Divine Mischief would be a wonderful book if it just focused on the relationship between the three narrators, and mythology. With Scottish history woven into the story it becomes an incredible book. Telling an alternative tale of history with fantastical and mythological elements, Howard’s writing jumped off the page and captured my heart. I was captivated from start to finish by the lives of Aila, Hew and Orail and while I’m sad to leave these characters behind, the story wrapped up in a satisfactory fashion.

This is a rich tale with so many layers, and clearly written by an animal lover which gives it an added depth. If you loved Kevin Hearne’s Iron Druid Chronicles, especially the scenes with Oberon, then this is a book for you.