Reviewed by Keith Mbuya for Readers' Favorite

When Samuel Alexander arrives in Cornwall in 1969, he intends to research his heritage. However, an encounter with a voice at a cemetery leads him to Glastonbury, where he finds a rare and mysterious ring with ties to ancient history. After eighteen years of trying to understand the ring, Samuel succumbs to a heart attack, but not before he realizes the ring’s purpose, leaving behind instructions that it be passed down to his young granddaughter, Sophia. It turns out Sophia is the descendant of an ancient Celtic bloodline of Avalon priestesses, the tenth of nine, and has been chosen to free them from a spell that trapped them in a mythical realm for centuries. Sophia must partner with a disgraced psychiatrist, a shapeshifter, and her mother as she embarks on a daunting spiritual journey that leads to unexpected discoveries and, ultimately, her destiny. Find out more in The Wisdom of Wood, Volume 1 - Hazelnut by Mary L Peers.

If you are looking for an epic fantasy flavored with adventure, suspense, plot twists, a splash of drama, and an unravelling backstory anchored in Arthurian legend and Celtic mythology, The Wisdom of Wood by Mary L Peers is just the pick. Through poetic and ethereal prose, Peers uses vivid imagery, journal entries, and conversations to immerse readers in a dynamic tale that feels both modern and ancient. One moment, I was watching Sophia grapple with visions and dreams in early twenty-first-century America—California, Oregon, and British Columbia. The next thing, I was closely following her in the spiritual realm as she interacted with the nine priestesses, a wizard, and other living energies, making decisions that determined their fate and that of those in the real world. Sophia is a flawed and vulnerable character whom I found relatable.