I loved this sequel! Fable is such a strong girl and I love seeing strong girls in middle grade books! I can’t wait to let my daughter read this.

This is the second book in William Ritter's new middle grade series within that world of magic and monsters established in his Jackaby books (for YA and adults). In the first book, Tinn and Cole are brothers raised as human twins, although one of them is actually a goblin changeling. Having found out which is which, now the boys are dealing with the fact that they are actually not identical. The changeling brother is visiting the local goblins and having lessons on the other side of his heritage, while the fully human brother is feeling a bit of jealousy over his brother going off and doing something without him.

Still, there are bigger problems to worry the entire town. Someone has bought land near the Wild Wood and plans to employ some of the locals with his drilling, but their activities have roused the anger of the inhabitants of the wood. Explosions, destruction of the drilling rig, giants attacking workers...that is only the beginning. Fable, daughter of the Queen of the Deep Dark, is impatient with her mother's lessons on controlling her magic and would rather spend time with the twins exploring the human town. Is the vision of violence and blood proclaiming an unready queen about the present Queen being unready to deal with the conflict between town and the Wood? Or is it a foreshadowing of Fable being forced into her mother's position? Either one is frightening.

As I said of the first book, this story has wonderful fantasy elements with goblins, witches, and spriggans. There is the whole man versus nature (or in this case, the fae creatures who live in nature). But what makes the book such a wonderful read is the relationships (between the two boys, between them and their mother, between Fable and her mother), and the tension and angst of growing up. It hurts to face situations that force one to mature, to see that parents are not perfect, that adults don't have all the answers, and the world is not a safe place. Readers will be rooting for the young protagonists and turning page after page to see how everything is resolved.

Perfect for readers of Fablehaven, Harry Potter, and other fantasy books full of magical creatures and brave youngsters.

Review Time! I am part of the blog tour for The Oddmire Book 2: The Unready Queen by William Ritter. Thanks to Algonquin Young Readers and Netgalley for the arc. I really enjoyed book one, so I immediately jumped into reading the sequel.

The Oddmire Book 2: The Unexpected Queen is William Ritter's sequel to his newest series. It's a children’s series focusing on twins, Cole and Tinn, and their new friends Fable(who we met in the last book) and Evie, a school friend. I picked up this series because I’ve enjoyed Ritter’s other series, Jackaby. One of my favorite aspects of that young adult paranormal series is Ritters extensive knowledge of mythology/mythical creatures/folklore/fairy tales. This is where the Oddmire shines. I said that about the first Oddmire book and it's true for this one too. I love these books.

They’re just charming. The stories are cute but where the books shine are the characters. Ritter creates great young protagonists and awesome friendships. The ideas of found family and bonding by being different are big elements in the story that I loved. Coming of age children's books are so great and I love that these books can be enjoyed by all ages.

I also love the celebration of all things folklore in the book. That's still my favorite aspect of this series. Ritter clearly knows a lot about the subject. I was obsessed with this kind of stuff as a kid. I would have loved this series when I was young.

There is also a subtle weaving of ideas of inclusiveness. I love that.

This book is great for kids and grownups alike. It's just so whimsical and fun. I really really enjoyed this second novel.

4 stars.

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher and netgalley. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: The Unready Queen

Author: William Ritter

Book Series: The Oddmire Book 2

Rating: 5/5

Recommended For...: Middle Graders, adventure

Publication Date: June 23, 2020

Genre: MG Fantasy

Recommended Age: 10+ (adventure, violence, war mention)

Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers

Pages: 320

Synopsis: Human and goblin brothers Cole and Tinn are finding their way back to normal after their journey to the heart of the Oddmire. Normal, unfortunately, wants nothing to do with them. Fable, the daughter of the Queen of the Deep Dark, has her first true friends in the brothers. The Queen allows Fable to visit Tinn and Cole as long as she promises to stay quiet and out of sight—concealing herself and her magic from the townspeople of Endsborough.

But when the trio discovers that humans are destroying the Wild Wood and the lives of its creatures for their own dark purposes, Fable cannot stay quiet. As the unspoken truce between the people of Endsborough and the inhabitants of the Wild Wood crumbles, violence escalates, threatening war and bringing Fable’s mother closer to the fulfillment of a deadly prophecy that could leave Fable a most Unready Queen.

Review: This was such an enjoyable book! I really liked story, even more than I did in the first book, and I thought the character development was much better in this book as well. The book also had a lot of world building and I thought the writing was very well done overall. It’s definitely a series I would recommend to any young child who likes adventure books.

My only complaint about the novel is the pacing in some places and that I thought that some of the minor characters could have been better well developed, but it was a very well done novel.

Verdict: Highly recommend!

We jump right back into this amazing world of changelings, goblins and witches. The twins Tinn and Cole who you meet in book one share quite a bit of page time as we learn more about them as they come to grips with one of them not being human but a changeling. But this book is solidly all about Fable who truly comes into her own by the end of this book.

The relationships in this series feel so real. You have Raina and Fable who are trying to come to terms with both of them being witches and Fable learning to control her powers. Then you have Annie who continues to poor adoration on the twins and helps theme strive for wha they want out of life. It really will speak to children who constantly are searching for the security that they are are loved in this world no matter who they are.

By the end of the story the whole community we come to learn about has learned how to become one with the wild woods and it all comes down to our Fable coming into her own as witch and really taking charge with those she comes to care about. This is an outstanding sequel but i do hope that their is more story to come.

While it’s just as whimsical and original as Changeling, The Unready Queen is even more exciting.

I read somewhere that both of these books can be read as standalones, but I’m going to go ahead and recommend you don’t do that. These stories are completely tied together. They feature the same characters and locales.

Ritter makes it very easy to completely lose yourself while reading his books. They’re quick-witted and oddly charming.

What I hadn’t realized when reading Changeling (even though I had noticed a blink-and-you-miss-it mention of an expert in New Fiddleham), is that this series is kind of a spin-off of the Jackaby series. We met Chief Nudd in that series and now we get to see a bit more of him. Being a massive fan of the Jackaby series, this made me endlessly happy.

And who knew you could create an epic cliffhanger in two sentences?

Another epic story by William Ritter. I love the mystery of the woods and how the characters stories weave through the trees.

In this second book, new characters are introduced to fight along side our favorite brothers as the balance between the people of the woods and those who live on the edge of it comes under attack.

This story was wonderful. I read the book in one sitting, taking in every little detail. All so often, authors get themselves lost in the wood, forgetting that description is still important in an almost redundant landscape, but I didn't feel lost in the pages. I feel in love with the Oddmire.

A BIG Thank You to Algonquin Young Readers for providing me a copy of “Unready Queen” for my review.

You know when you read a second book in the series, not expecting it to be as good as the first? I had the same thoughts which I picked up the Unready Queen . But after finishing it I was shocked. This book blew me away and was so much better than the previous book! I loved everything about this story!

The characters are so entertaining. While the first book focused on Cole and Tinn, this book focused on Fable. I LOVE Fable as the main character. She is awkward, funny, vulnerable, adventurous, and fearless and supports her friends and family. She is one of those fictional characters that you would not forget easily. I loved her relationship with Raina. The supporting characters like Annie, Raina, the twins, and even newbie Evie add so well to the mix.

The villain might not be as creepy and mysterious as The Thing in the first book, but Mr. Hill is devious because he was a human being and someone you could relate to. The war that starts between the humans and the creatures is something we can all relate to. People get mad with power and money that they don’t realize how they destroy our natural resources. This story resonates well in so many levels, and made it more meaningful for me.

I love Mr. Ritter’s style of writing. The author built up the events leading to the war so well. The climax is amazing and I was on the edge of my seat to see what would happen in the epic battle. Moreover, the note ends in a minor cliffhanger that provides the hint of the next book. Can we have the next book published now please? I cannot wait to read that!

Overall, I loved the Unready Queen more than the Changeling and cannot wait for the next installment of the Oddmire series!

Book 2 gives the reader more of the story of the Wild Wood and the town of Endsborough. This time the focus is not on the Oddmire nor is it so much on Tinn and Cole. This is mostly Fable's story and her coming of age. As I read this book, our country was not only in the throes of a pandemic, but a terrible portrait of racism changed the already wounded landscape. What happens between the magical creatures of the Wild Wood and the humans in the town is not so different from what has befallen us. In the story things quickly spiral from the first misunderstanding. No one is telling the whole of what they know. If only there had been honest communication at the start. It only took a greedy human and a revengeful spriggan to rouse everyone to battle. Luckily there were clever and caring children paying attention and able to muster a bit of magic and then a whole lot more prompted by needless injury. This book could stand alone but is so much better knowing the back story of the main characters. It certainly could be used as a springboard for discussion about the nature of people and how easy it is to misunderstand and to be manipulated. It also addresses finding your strengths, appreciating differences, and making friends. It is only when sides come together honestly and address issues fairly from both sides that positive outcomes can come about. I particularly appreciate how little things can make a big difference especially as evidenced by the goblin's little shove of magic at just the right time because he was paying attention.

Book: The Oddmire: The Unready Queen
Author: William Ritter
Rating: 4 Out of 5 Stars

I would like to thank the publisher, Algonquin Young Readers, for providing me with an ARC.

I must say that I did enjoy this second book a little bit more than the first. The descriptions are very rich, making it feel like you are thrown right into the book. I kind of got Fablehaven vibes from this, which if you are a fan of Fablehaven, I encourage you to give this title a try. I love all of the little details that William puts into his writing. It just makes it feel like you are there in the Oddmire with the characters. I could actually picture what the Oddmire should look like in my head without any trouble.

What really made me enjoy this one even more was the character growth. In the first book, Tinn and Cole really seem like one person. Here, we actually get to see them grow and turn into their own person. I really enjoyed this, because it gave us a chance to get to know each boy better. While I did enjoy them in the first book, this change was greatly welcomed. We still see them go on adventures together and have that brotherly bond, but we also see them kind of starting to do their own thing. I can’t wait to see where this goes in later books.

Fable is the scene stealer here. While we go get to spend a lot of time with Tinn and Cole, this is very clearly her book. I really did enjoy her character. She really is a strong character, who isn’t afraid to stand up for what she believes in. She has a very deep and loving bond with her mother, she stands up for herself, and is really accepting. She wants to have the best of both worlds, meaning she wants to be a part of both the magical and human world. What I really like is that we get to see her make mistakes. Rather than allowing herself to wallow in them, we see her learn from them. This is something that I really enjoyed-especially with this being a middle grade book. I teach middle school, so having this in a book really drives home what I have been telling my students. It’s okay to mess up, but you have to grow from it. Having such a great character make mistakes and grow from it is really going to give something that middle schoolers can latch unto.

I really did enjoy all of the adventures. The action bits were really well done. The final battle was great. Now, this is a middle grade book, so it really didn’t go into all of the gory details that fantasy books tend to. I really liked the mix of magical and modern day human weapons, which is something that I don’t see too often in fantasy. It just made for a really nice touch. Again, what really stood out to me was the devotion that the characters shared with each other and the writing. Once again, William has put in so much detail in the adventures and battles that it really does feel like you are there.

Anyway, I had a fun time reading this and I can’t wait to see where the next book goes. This book comes out on June 23, 2020.

Youtube: https://youtu.be/Qy-Mvt3Pyo4

When I read the first Oddmire book, The Changeling by William Ritter, I knew there was more to Fable’s story. So I am so excited that this book mainly follows her journey as she learns to embrace her magic and understand how the world works beyond the Wild Wood.

Like the first book, this one has a great cast of characters, including several noteworthy new ones. Evie is a great addition to the trio’s friend group and she provides a new perspective on magic. One of my favorite aspects of the book is how easily she and Fable become friends--no drama, jealousy, or misunderstanding between them. We need more books that focus on positive female friendships, especially for a younger audience.

The plot was pretty straightforward with a group of humans trying to destroy the Wild Wood and the magical creatures that live there retaliating. It wasn’t a particularly new idea and some aspects did come across as been-there-done-that story line. But the other elements of the plot such as the Queen of the Dark Deep’s prophecy and Tinn struggling between his human life and his goblin heritage make up for the more cliche aspects.

I love that this book expands the world of the Wild Wood and introduces a plethora of new magical creatures alongside the goblins. The way they played a part in the story and helped tie everything together was so exciting.

And like book one, the ending left a hint of more to come. Fans of the first book are sure to enjoy this sequel and, like me, will eagerly await the next adventure in the Wild Wood.

Fans of William Ritter's will not be disappointed with this second book in his Oddmire series. Readers will see a lot more of Fable, daughter of the Queen of the Deep Dark. You'll see the beginning of Fable's preparation to one day take her mother's place as Queen of the Wild Wood among all the goblins, spriggins, pixies, trolls, shellycoats, and dryads. Tinn faces his new life as part-human, part-goblin and begins to learn and understand his goblin magic through Kull. Ultimately, the town and the Wild Wood must face a threat that could destroy them all. Will Fable find the power that's been so elusive to her? Or will all be lost? Readers will race through the pages to see what happens in the explosive ending. There are a few well placed hints about book 3, so I expect the adventures of Tinn, Cole, and Fable will continue into the Deep Dark!

I received an electronic ARC from Algonquin Young Readers through NetGalley.
Book 2 picks up shortly after the first ends. Tinn and Cole are coming to terms with knowing which is the changeling and which is the human. Tinn spends some time with the goblins to learn about his heritage. Readers also see more of Fable, the witch's daughter and meet Evie, a human friend who studies life in the wild woods. The four to them work together throughout the book.
Ritter presents the dilemma between conserving natural resources and expanding business areas when Mr. Hill comes to drill for oil. As the story unfolds, readers see what he is really seeking and who was causing the issues in Endsborough and the Wild Wood.
It's a delight to see Fable come into her powers and belief in who she is can be. The same is true for Tinn as he tackles his own abilities. Cole struggles to find his way as he feels ordinary. Evie is full of joy at being included in the group. Subtle message of getting along with those different from yourself permeates the book.
The four of them stop the war between the wood folk and the town people and begin an era of understanding with an open field for connections to form. Each group has their own space and a place to learn about others. Mr. Hill is released from his tree "prison" and placed in the town jail. That loose end may return in a future story but is wrapped up in this one.
Cole is at loose ends as he still believes his father is alive and wants to seek for him - despite warnings not to. The book ends with a hint that he may choose to search for him.
Readers will love learning more about these characters' lives.

Human and goblin brothers Cole and Tinn are finding their way back to normal after their journey to the heart of the Oddmire. Normal, unfortunately, wants nothing to do with them. Fable, the daughter of the Queen of the Deep Dark, has her first true friends in the brothers. The Queen allows Fable to visit Tinn and Cole as long as she promises to stay quiet and out of sight—concealing herself and her magic from the townspeople of Endsborough.

But when the trio discovers that humans are destroying the Wild Wood and the lives of its creatures for their own dark purposes, Fable cannot stay quiet. As the unspoken truce between the people of Endsborough and the inhabitants of the Wild Wood crumbles, violence escalates, threatening war and bringing Fable’s mother closer to the fulfillment of a deadly prophecy that could leave Fable a most Unready Queen.- Goodreads

William Ritter is one of my favorite writers. If you haven't taken the time to read the Jackaby series, you need to.  It is a young adult fantasy mystery and it is fantastic.

This book, The Unready Queen is a good follow-up to the first read.  Not as great as the first one but extremely solid with character development, family (and family boundaries) and plenty of magic. But also what should be noted in this book is how humans suck. *shrugs* it is what it is.

The book is a slow build. For sometime there is only vague hints that something big is about to happen and the foreshadowing within this novel was great.

What I loved most about this read was the world building i.e. the Wild Wood. Ritter has a way of telling magic. There are details that show a care in research and an appreciation in nature. I was completely involved in this world that when he described where the city, I was over it LOL

I also love the growing pains that are exhibited within this novel. Tinn and Cole are becoming much more different and their goals are shifting. Not saying good verses evil but they are growing up and technically have different form of lives even though they are together a lot.

I love seeing their dynamic.

Fable is an interesting character and I say that because she is a mix of a rebellious teenager (although she is not a teenager), naive child, and extremely powerful being. Her desire for knowledge is refreshing because no one else seems to want to know things. They just do.

Ritter stresses the differences between Humans and those of the Wild Wood.  The baseline of wanting to live in peace is their common goal but other than that the moral ground is completely different.  It didn't take much for the Humans to want to "get rid" of the begins in the Wood. It didn't take much for them to want to destroy everything.  I was so frustrated.

But overall, I enjoyed reading this novel. There will be a third one and I look forward to that. 

3 Pickles

After having really loved Ritter Jackaby series, I saw this novel and was excited to give it a try. I haven't read the first in the series but this stood fine alone. I thought the various characters, Tinn Cole, Evie and Fable were all believable and strong in their way. All are dealing with self acceptance, being different and standing for themselves and the people and things that are important to them. I enjoyed the story. Full conclusion with a link to the next in the series. Great for MA, but really anyone!

This was a great sequel to the first book. I think I actually liked this one better. This story gave a lot more attention to Fable and her mother as Fable is destined to become queen one day. This book really did well at combining elements from the Woods and from the village and interweaving them together. It was also fun to see the fears and interactions between these two different sides of the forest edge.

I was given an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I really liked this book for tween reader range. I really like all the characters and the way they interact with each other. There wasn't as much "twinness" in this book which i kind of missed. Overall it was a very enjoyable read, I have some kids here at my library that will be anxiously awaiting it after I recommended The Oddmire: Changeling to them.

As an aside. I was really bummed one day when I had a particularly difficult readers advisory. The parent was the difficult 1 and everything had to be within a particular range despite what the kid would actually like to read. The mom was instantly turned off when I recommended the first book. "Ewww, No Changeling, implying not being themselves, dark magic. No"

Fine. Then.

This was the perfect sequel to the first Oddmire book. The story continues a few months after the first adventure finished, Cole and Tinn go back to school, Fable continues to learn about magic in the woods. Everything seems to be back to normal, but it's not, especially now that people are chopping down the Wild Wood.

The Unready Queen definitely is Fable's book. Although all other characters get some limelight, the story is about Fable's development. Some scenes reminded me of Pippi Longstocking; Fable is just as amazing a character as Pippi.

I received an eARC from Netgalley for an honest review.

I picked up this book to read a little before bed, and after three hours and multiple pleas from my husband to turn out the lights, I finished it.

This. Was. Phenomenal. If William Ritter never writes another book to this series, I would not be unhappy in the slightest because it was THAT good. The Changeling was great. It was a romp that set up the characters, and made you love them. The Unready Queen feels like going home. It brought back every memory I had of a child, roaming my own woods, making up worlds ad creatures that lived among the trees, except in Fable's woods, the magical creatures actually exist.

Tinn and Cole share a good bit of page time, but this story is solidly Fable's, and it's a story of her evolving into a truly strong young woman, one who loves her mother dearly, stands up for herself, and accepts everyone. Fable truly shows an admirable heart in this, straddling the human and magical world, wanting to live in both at all times. She's a force of nature, a child who makes mistakes and learns from them, and a loving daughter. I said this in my review for The Changeling, and I'll say it again in this one: strong moms are such a win. The tender relationship shown between Raina and Fable as well as Annie's continued adoration and all-encompassing love of both Tinn and Cole is actual goals. It's wonderful reading a story with such positive parent/children scenes as a strong backbone for the story as this is a story originally written for a younger audience who needs this kind of affirmation for their own parent/child relationship.

If you never pick up another Ritter book, at least pick up The Changeling and then this one. It's so worth it. Wholesome, sweet, with kid jokes/humor, well-written characters, and a great plot, it's a story for all ages.