It’s been a while since I read a historical fantasy, so here I am!

In Our Divine Mischief by Hanna C. Howard, Áila LacInis wants to find out what her role will be in her small fishing village, and the way to do that is to journey to a nearby island to seek out the goddess Yslet, who will gift her with a medallion to guide her way. However, when Áila arrives on the island, it is deserted, except for a dog. So Áila returns home empty handed, bewildering everyone. To compensate for this failure, the elders decide to put her through a series of tests, and they task a young man called Hew to help her. Hew has already completed his own journey to Yslet’s island, but returned with a blank medallion, marking him as Unblessed. He wonders if helping Áila will give him the purpose he’s been seeking. And meanwhile, the dog Orail that Áila found on the island is on a mission of her own: to discover who she is and what she’s meant to do.

First of all, I have to recommend the audiobook for this one, because I really enjoy listening to Scottish accents. And the three narrators—Angus Yellowlees, Elle Newlands, and Cathleen McCarron—do a wonderful job.

And overall, I quite liked this story! Áila is a strong protagonist, and her developing bond with Hew is excellent. She’s a clever young woman, with guts and intelligence and empathy. And Hew is very sweet, with a moving subplot about realizing he doesn’t need to be perfect to be worthy of love. I liked their romance well enough, though I saw it coming from a mile away and could have used a little more development with it. Still, it was nice to see a healthy love story between two people who are very much equal partners.

However, the best character is definitely Orail. If you know me at all, you won’t be surprised by this statement; I love dogs. But her perspective is so fantastic, full of emotion and otherworldliness. The poetic moments add to this sensation, and the idea of using poetry to portray her magic is such a great one. I loved her chapters (though the narrator spoke pretty slowly, which would have bugged me if I hadn’t had the ability to adjust the speed).

The setting and plot is also quite well written. The desolate but beautiful landscapes and the more action-centric moments are vivid. I also loved the elements of folklore woven throughout this; though it’s a fictional setting with actual magic, the clear Scottish influence helps to ground this story in something a little more familiar. I do think the first half of this story feels quite different from the second, though. Áila starts out facing the Ordeals the elders give to her, but before they even end, a bigger threat arrives, and the shift is a little jarring. Still, it was compelling and interesting; I just wonder if it could have been a smoother change.

That said, in the end, Our Divine Mischief is a lovely read. The characters are strong, and the exploration of identity and connection is wonderful. There’s political intrigue, a sweet love story, mischievous magic, and high-stakes adventure. Plus, there’s a dog! If you don’t walk away from this book feeling touched by the way people and pets love each other, I don’t have a clue what to say to you.