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libraryluna's review
3.0
The Wise One is an adventure-filled story of friendship, family, and magic. We start off seeing 17-year-old Mckenna discovering the truth about her mother who has passed down magical abilities to her along with the mysterious title of the "Wise One". I absolutely loved the witchy, magical atmosphere, and it just gets better as Mckenna and her new friend Nissa travel to Ireland. The backdrop is described beautifully while still being concise. There's also faeries (that are actually cute and not creepy) and overall a very fun and intriguing cast of characters. I would describe this book as having cottage core vibes, which is a huge plus for me.
The pacing was really fast, which was usually nice but could also be slightly disorienting as you jump between characters, times, and settings. I had a lot of fun following Mckenna on this adventure to find her mother, but I still couldn't get super attached to the story and the characters. I think I'll enjoy the sequel a lot more as we dive into the characters, but I didn't love how some of them acted in this book. The romance that's being developed has an age-gap and huge power dynamic gap, which really isn't my thing personally and I just didn't see why they liked each other at all. I'm also on edge about how the bisexual rep (Mckenna has two dads, and her bio dad's relationship with her mother is where it gets iffy) was being handled, but I can see that improving a lot in the sequel. Overall, this was a super fun story with perfect witchy, magical, fall vibes, and all I could ask for is the characters' feelings to be more fleshed out.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an arc of this book!
The pacing was really fast, which was usually nice but could also be slightly disorienting as you jump between characters, times, and settings. I had a lot of fun following Mckenna on this adventure to find her mother, but I still couldn't get super attached to the story and the characters. I think I'll enjoy the sequel a lot more as we dive into the characters, but I didn't love how some of them acted in this book. The romance that's being developed has an age-gap and huge power dynamic gap, which really isn't my thing personally and I just didn't see why they liked each other at all. I'm also on edge about how the bisexual rep (Mckenna has two dads, and her bio dad's relationship with her mother is where it gets iffy) was being handled, but I can see that improving a lot in the sequel. Overall, this was a super fun story with perfect witchy, magical, fall vibes, and all I could ask for is the characters' feelings to be more fleshed out.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an arc of this book!
zeryl's review
4.0
I wasn't sure when I started this book, but I really did enjoy the plot and finish. I look forward to any more in the series, if/when they come!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
reveneration's review
4.0
I received an advance review copy for free, and would like to thank the publisher for the opportunity to leave a voluntary review.
Anglehart's The Wise One is an enchanting story that infuses Celtic mythology with the growing pains of teenagehood. I'm not normally one to engage with younger protagonists, but her struggles with folklore, witchcraft and her personal life coming into adulthood felt organic and relatable.
The story moves very quickly which was a bit jarring at times, but on the other hand, it never felt as if it was dragging its feet to the finish line. Quest stories can either be rushed or slow but this hit the right mark of just enough to be engaging and interesting. The only times it felt a bit slow was the longer descriptions and histories of their locations, but at the same time it's nice to have that information available. Mckenna seems to take her own trials with stride and uses her wits to navigate her journey both physically and emotionally. I also thoroughly loved her relationship with Nissa.
Mckenna herself is reckless and childish at times, but again, to me this feels very much what a teenager would do, though one drawback is she rarely encounter consequences for her less-than-great decisions. Nissa seems to be the one who grounds and guides her a little too much at times.
Overall, even with a very harsh cliffhanger ending, The Wise One is a fun and engaging read that I think any teen or young adult interested in Celtic folklore would enjoy.
Anglehart's The Wise One is an enchanting story that infuses Celtic mythology with the growing pains of teenagehood. I'm not normally one to engage with younger protagonists, but her struggles with folklore, witchcraft and her personal life coming into adulthood felt organic and relatable.
The story moves very quickly which was a bit jarring at times, but on the other hand, it never felt as if it was dragging its feet to the finish line. Quest stories can either be rushed or slow but this hit the right mark of just enough to be engaging and interesting. The only times it felt a bit slow was the longer descriptions and histories of their locations, but at the same time it's nice to have that information available. Mckenna seems to take her own trials with stride and uses her wits to navigate her journey both physically and emotionally. I also thoroughly loved her relationship with Nissa.
Mckenna herself is reckless and childish at times, but again, to me this feels very much what a teenager would do, though one drawback is she rarely encounter consequences for her less-than-great decisions. Nissa seems to be the one who grounds and guides her a little too much at times.
Overall, even with a very harsh cliffhanger ending, The Wise One is a fun and engaging read that I think any teen or young adult interested in Celtic folklore would enjoy.
mistghost1398's review
3.0
Thank you, NetGalley, Kat Biggie Press, and K.T. Anglehart, for a free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The Wise One follows the story of McKenna, a 17 year old teenager who discovers that her mother was not an anonymous surrogate as McKenna believed; she was married to one of McKenna’s dad, Sean, and was a witch. She also starts experiencing magical powers. She then sets out in search of her mother and to know more about her past and her origins.
Overall, I liked the concept of the story. I love stories about coming of age and finding oneself. I liked the sprinkle of Celtic folklore, as well as the fiery character of McKenna. It also had a creative take on modern mysticism with a relevant backdrop of radical environmentalism.
But I had way too many problems with it that triggered me. I feel like the book should be marketed as middle-grade fantasy instead of YA. The story was also too slow-paced for my liking but I did like the things I got to learn a lot about, especially Ireland and its myths. But the characters didn’t actually feel real to me. I didn't feel much when reading this book, but it was still enjoyable, I guess? There were also too many grammatical errors, and even though that may seem petty to some, it was just happening way too much and was putting me off as a reader. I am both a language student as well as literature, so this probably bothered me more so than others. I don't mean the grammar is an important aspect, but maybe just don't make silly mistakes all over the book like calling a "plain" a "plane" instead. There was a little bi-erasure going on too and that disturbed me as well.
I'm probably just pointing out abstract flaws, but I really have mixed feelings about this so it's hard for me to put things into words for this one. I don't mean to demean the author in any way, as I read only the advanced pre-published copy of the book one of her "The Scottish Scrolls" series, so I hope she'll fix the problems. Waiting for the next book, and to know what happens next. Good luck!
The Wise One follows the story of McKenna, a 17 year old teenager who discovers that her mother was not an anonymous surrogate as McKenna believed; she was married to one of McKenna’s dad, Sean, and was a witch. She also starts experiencing magical powers. She then sets out in search of her mother and to know more about her past and her origins.
Overall, I liked the concept of the story. I love stories about coming of age and finding oneself. I liked the sprinkle of Celtic folklore, as well as the fiery character of McKenna. It also had a creative take on modern mysticism with a relevant backdrop of radical environmentalism.
But I had way too many problems with it that triggered me. I feel like the book should be marketed as middle-grade fantasy instead of YA. The story was also too slow-paced for my liking but I did like the things I got to learn a lot about, especially Ireland and its myths. But the characters didn’t actually feel real to me. I didn't feel much when reading this book, but it was still enjoyable, I guess? There were also too many grammatical errors, and even though that may seem petty to some, it was just happening way too much and was putting me off as a reader. I am both a language student as well as literature, so this probably bothered me more so than others. I don't mean the grammar is an important aspect, but maybe just don't make silly mistakes all over the book like calling a "plain" a "plane" instead. There was a little bi-erasure going on too and that disturbed me as well.
I'm probably just pointing out abstract flaws, but I really have mixed feelings about this so it's hard for me to put things into words for this one. I don't mean to demean the author in any way, as I read only the advanced pre-published copy of the book one of her "The Scottish Scrolls" series, so I hope she'll fix the problems. Waiting for the next book, and to know what happens next. Good luck!
louisv's review
3.0
First of all, thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an EARC.
“AND IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO GO AROUND LIVING AS IF EVERYTHING IS NORMAL. AS IF YOU ARE NORMAL.”
The wise one follows Mckenna, a girl who just turned seventeen. Almost her entire life she had dreams, weird ones. That, and she lives together with her two dads, not knowing who her mother is. But she wants to know, feeling that could explain her dreams and soon other powers.
Mckenna ends up going on a search for her mother together with Nessa, who doesn’t know both of her parents. There are a handful of characters as well, who slowly get introduced in the book. Even though I liked both these girls, I felt very much they had a selection of emotions and weren’t that complex. While introducing more characters, I think it is there where it got a bit messy for me. A lot of new POV’s got introduced, and for a short time. At some point, there was just too much jumping around for my taste. Even though it gave information a reader needs, I wished the information could have been given in an other way so that it didn’t feel like things were too obvious and more of a mystery that would fit the atmosphere better.
Speaking of characters, I wanted to like the two dads, but as soon as the mother came into the picture, I felt like there was going to be a second storyline that very much is going to feel like the dad versus the mom, since the other dad still gives the impression he likes the mom. Besides that, it is never stated he is bi, only saying he doesn’t like labels, and even though that’s valid, it only adds more to my feeling this is going to be something bigger further into the story.
The story itself goes fast, and sometimes I thought it would better if it slowed down. A lot of things go right, and get an explanation afterwards why it went right. There is barely ant conflict that went out of hand, besides the friends drama, and I do think that’s a missed chance, especially when you introduce folklore into a story.
Overall, it is the classic chosen one story, but it is almost so well hidden I didn’t mind reading about it. The book uses folklore, myths and legends from Ireland and Scotland, but in simple matters, so even people who aren’t too familiar with it would get it. At the end, there is even a list of books for people who are interested in reading more about it. I love the fact so much research came into this book.
“AND IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO GO AROUND LIVING AS IF EVERYTHING IS NORMAL. AS IF YOU ARE NORMAL.”
The wise one follows Mckenna, a girl who just turned seventeen. Almost her entire life she had dreams, weird ones. That, and she lives together with her two dads, not knowing who her mother is. But she wants to know, feeling that could explain her dreams and soon other powers.
Mckenna ends up going on a search for her mother together with Nessa, who doesn’t know both of her parents. There are a handful of characters as well, who slowly get introduced in the book. Even though I liked both these girls, I felt very much they had a selection of emotions and weren’t that complex. While introducing more characters, I think it is there where it got a bit messy for me. A lot of new POV’s got introduced, and for a short time. At some point, there was just too much jumping around for my taste. Even though it gave information a reader needs, I wished the information could have been given in an other way so that it didn’t feel like things were too obvious and more of a mystery that would fit the atmosphere better.
Speaking of characters, I wanted to like the two dads, but as soon as the mother came into the picture, I felt like there was going to be a second storyline that very much is going to feel like the dad versus the mom, since the other dad still gives the impression he likes the mom. Besides that, it is never stated he is bi, only saying he doesn’t like labels, and even though that’s valid, it only adds more to my feeling this is going to be something bigger further into the story.
The story itself goes fast, and sometimes I thought it would better if it slowed down. A lot of things go right, and get an explanation afterwards why it went right. There is barely ant conflict that went out of hand, besides the friends drama, and I do think that’s a missed chance, especially when you introduce folklore into a story.
Overall, it is the classic chosen one story, but it is almost so well hidden I didn’t mind reading about it. The book uses folklore, myths and legends from Ireland and Scotland, but in simple matters, so even people who aren’t too familiar with it would get it. At the end, there is even a list of books for people who are interested in reading more about it. I love the fact so much research came into this book.
larslovesbooks's review
3.0
An interesting introduction to a YA series based on Celtic Folklore.
McKenna is a Wise one who is basically a super witch with past lives that is wrapped up in a prophecy that may determine the fate of the world. At the same time she is also a 17 year old girl, with 2 gay dads, feeling a lot of teenage angst and that she doesn’t fit in a sleepy little nothing town in the US. Most of the book deals with her traveling through Ireland with her friend Nissa, and Cillian a potential love interest.
This book is short and even though not a lot happens - I found it engaging. I enjoyed reading about how McKenna grows into her powers. There are a lot of coincidences and lucky things happening to the girls that are explained as the mystics helping them on their journey, or are “engineered” for nefarious reasons. We are introduced to a potential baddy but she doesn’t have a lot of weight at the moment and comes across as 2 dimensional.
Essentially this feels like the fluff piece before we get to the meat of the story in the next book. I enjoyed reading about the fae and random creatures based in Ireland and Scotland and I want to visit the places mentioned. Overall, I would give this a 3.4/5 stars.
McKenna is a Wise one who is basically a super witch with past lives that is wrapped up in a prophecy that may determine the fate of the world. At the same time she is also a 17 year old girl, with 2 gay dads, feeling a lot of teenage angst and that she doesn’t fit in a sleepy little nothing town in the US. Most of the book deals with her traveling through Ireland with her friend Nissa, and Cillian a potential love interest.
This book is short and even though not a lot happens - I found it engaging. I enjoyed reading about how McKenna grows into her powers. There are a lot of coincidences and lucky things happening to the girls that are explained as the mystics helping them on their journey, or are “engineered” for nefarious reasons. We are introduced to a potential baddy but she doesn’t have a lot of weight at the moment and comes across as 2 dimensional.
Essentially this feels like the fluff piece before we get to the meat of the story in the next book. I enjoyed reading about the fae and random creatures based in Ireland and Scotland and I want to visit the places mentioned. Overall, I would give this a 3.4/5 stars.
b00ksandqu0tes's review
4.0
Thank you K.T. for an eArc of your novel!
The Wise One is not my normal genre that I delve into - it's an urban fantasy with rich historical fiction, environmentalism, folklore and new age themes. All of those combine to create a really interesting experience - I definitely read this gem over the course of two days, staying up late on a Friday to finish!
I feel like I went on a tour of Ireland while I was reading, which was such an adventure! It was fast paced, and still there was so much information about folklore that I feel like I learned a lot. There are multiple narrators, so you do have perspectives from all sides of the story. What I appreciate about the writing was in the strategic choosing of the narrator. Specifically, the slow reveals so that we don't truly know all (or most - there's still more to come!) until the end of the novel. Sometimes with multiple narrators I wish I didn't know as much, because I love a good reveal, but enough was hidden so that in every character switch there was an opportunity for that perspective to share something new or reveal something and I didn't know 100 pages ahead of time how it was going to end.
I particularly recommend this book to people who enjoy Irish history and folklore, and/or the concept of fairies combining with our contemporary world. Obviously if you're an urban fantasy enthusiast, go for it, but if you haven't tried this genre yet, The Wise One is a good place to start!
The Wise One is not my normal genre that I delve into - it's an urban fantasy with rich historical fiction, environmentalism, folklore and new age themes. All of those combine to create a really interesting experience - I definitely read this gem over the course of two days, staying up late on a Friday to finish!
I feel like I went on a tour of Ireland while I was reading, which was such an adventure! It was fast paced, and still there was so much information about folklore that I feel like I learned a lot. There are multiple narrators, so you do have perspectives from all sides of the story. What I appreciate about the writing was in the strategic choosing of the narrator. Specifically, the slow reveals so that we don't truly know all (or most - there's still more to come!) until the end of the novel. Sometimes with multiple narrators I wish I didn't know as much, because I love a good reveal, but enough was hidden so that in every character switch there was an opportunity for that perspective to share something new or reveal something and I didn't know 100 pages ahead of time how it was going to end.
I particularly recommend this book to people who enjoy Irish history and folklore, and/or the concept of fairies combining with our contemporary world. Obviously if you're an urban fantasy enthusiast, go for it, but if you haven't tried this genre yet, The Wise One is a good place to start!
charliadams's review
3.0
This was a fun read. The pace of this story was nice, and I believe perfect for this story. I know there are some underline messages in this story. One message was okay, not to pushy, and it gave Nissa and another character something to be passionate about. It intertwined with the story well, but it got heavy towards the end.
The main character Mckenna for myself was a little hard to get into at first. She is supposed to be a 17-year-old, and I kept mistaken her as a 14-year-old. The maturity level did not feel right in some parts. I know everyone is different, but I felt a miss here. I know I have been told I was more mature for my age and maybe this could be the reason. She seemed annoying and whinny at some points. Overall, I enjoyed how she followed her instincts and took signs given to her. For me, this showed the more mature side. She took chances knowing a new friend, Nissa, was there to balance her, Mckenna being the introvert and Nissa being the extrovert.
Nissa was my favorite. I love how optimistic and naïve she is. Like Mckenna, I kept mistaken her for a 14-year-old instead of a 17-year-old. At some points, though, I often felt Nissa being the oldest between the two. Nissa is not like Mckenna. Nissa is a passionate and curious person. She is not afraid to ask questions and learn. I feel as if she is more of a rounded character then Mckenna. I am excited to find out how Nissa’s story will continue to intertwine with Mckenna’s in the next one.
What drew me into this story was how well the Celtic Mythology was researched and told mixed into other cute stories. Everything was blended nicely, like it was natural. This is the only book I have read so far with witch/wiccan/pagan beliefs in its natural spiritual form instead of the “energy or flame balls" forming in your hands like Charmed or Supernatural and other fantasy paranormal books. Though I am not against this, I find it fun to read, I very much enjoyed this difference. I am familiar with most of nature spiritual beliefs and this connected me into the story. The Irish setting was pleasant. I felt I was there.
This was a fun read. I would recommend this to someone who wants a fun fantasy to read.
*I received an ARC from NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.
The main character Mckenna for myself was a little hard to get into at first. She is supposed to be a 17-year-old, and I kept mistaken her as a 14-year-old. The maturity level did not feel right in some parts. I know everyone is different, but I felt a miss here. I know I have been told I was more mature for my age and maybe this could be the reason. She seemed annoying and whinny at some points. Overall, I enjoyed how she followed her instincts and took signs given to her. For me, this showed the more mature side. She took chances knowing a new friend, Nissa, was there to balance her, Mckenna being the introvert and Nissa being the extrovert.
Nissa was my favorite. I love how optimistic and naïve she is. Like Mckenna, I kept mistaken her for a 14-year-old instead of a 17-year-old. At some points, though, I often felt Nissa being the oldest between the two. Nissa is not like Mckenna. Nissa is a passionate and curious person. She is not afraid to ask questions and learn. I feel as if she is more of a rounded character then Mckenna. I am excited to find out how Nissa’s story will continue to intertwine with Mckenna’s in the next one.
What drew me into this story was how well the Celtic Mythology was researched and told mixed into other cute stories. Everything was blended nicely, like it was natural. This is the only book I have read so far with witch/wiccan/pagan beliefs in its natural spiritual form instead of the “energy or flame balls" forming in your hands like Charmed or Supernatural and other fantasy paranormal books. Though I am not against this, I find it fun to read, I very much enjoyed this difference. I am familiar with most of nature spiritual beliefs and this connected me into the story. The Irish setting was pleasant. I felt I was there.
This was a fun read. I would recommend this to someone who wants a fun fantasy to read.
*I received an ARC from NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.
therealnani's review
5.0
Oh my gosh. This is one of the books where I was so disappointed that I finished it! I'd been crawling under the covers every night with this book, and I looked forward to it every night! Hopefully, Book 2 will come along soon. I love McKenna but I think my favorite character might be Nissa, a sweet little underdog who is the perfect supporting character to McKenna. Hopefully, we saw more of her in a future book!
aimsreads's review
3.0
I received an e-ARC of this book from NetGalley, and based on the description, I was super excited to read it. A "coming of age" story, involving a search for a long lost mother and magic. What's not to love, right? Overall, I liked the concept of the story. I feel like the mystical elements were there, and I loved the descriptions of the scenery. But a lot of the story felt really rushed, and the scenes felt jumpy. Also, the main character, Mckenna, didn't feel at all realistic - quickly making friends and traveling across the world, trusting in complete strangers for travel and sleeping arrangements. I didn't hate the book, but I definitely think some of the characters weren't realistic, and the book as a whole could use a lot more exposition and description - more description in the scenes, smoother transitions, etc. I want a little more from the book than what it delivered.