The Oddmire, Book 2: The Unready Queen (The Oddmire)

by William Ritter

Human-raised brothers Tinn and Cole join forces with Fable, daughter of the Queen of the Deep Dark, to stop the fighting between the people of Endsborough and the creatures of the Wild Wood before violence turns into all-out war.

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.

In this second book in the Oddmire series, the New York Times bestselling author of Jackaby takes readers on an adventure full of monsters, mayhem, and magic.

• ISBN10: 1616208406
• ISBN13: 9781616208400
• Publish Date: 23 June 2020
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 6 March 2023
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Algonquin Books
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 320
• Language: English

Reviews

[tweetybugshouse]

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.

[Witty and Sarcastic Bookclub]

After reading and loving The Oddmire: Changeling, I couldn’t wait to read The Unready Queen. The series continues wonderfully, combining the fantastical with the everyday wonder of childhood.

Cole and Tinn are still a large part of this book, but Fable takes center stage this time. Oh, wow, I love that character! She has a self-confidence and a desire to believe the best of everybody that is refreshing. Each character is nuanced, and Fable is no exception. She doesn’t feel ready to take on the responsibilities her mom is training her for, completely unaware that her unique way of doing things is exactly what the Wild Wood needs.

Of course, Tinn and Cole each have their own obstacles. Tinn is learning how to be a goblin after discovering that he is, in fact, a goblin changeling. More importantly, he’s learning how to be himself, without fading into his brother’s shadow. Cole, on the other hand, is learning that there are places his brother goes where he can’t follow. He is discovering how to be his own person. I really love Tinn in particular. He reminds me of my oldest in many ways.

As with the first book, a lot of attention is paid to relationships. I absolutely love that both the boys’ mom and Fable’s mom are very involved in this book. Not only that, it’s apparent that they are caring and involved, subverting the “hero alone” trope. From an adult standpoint, I love seeing positive relationships between parents and children in literature.

The fantasy aspect of this book is epic. Spriggins, and goblins, and hinkypunks, oh my! I adored the sheer variety of fantasy creatures that show up in these books. It’s not often that I read a book that includes hinkypunks. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. The adventure is fabulous, the story moves quickly, and there’s never a dull moment.

This series is so much fun! William Ritter is an excellent author (I highly recommend the Jackaby series to adults) and I can’t wait to see what happens as the Oddmire adventures continue.

[alisoninbookland]

I received an ARC from Algonquin Young Readers for an honest review.

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If The Changeling was all about familial love, The Unready Queen is all about finding your place in this world. It’s something everyone has struggled with at one point or another. Cole, Tinn, Fable and our new friend Evie struggle with different varieties of it.

The thing I’ve enjoyed the most about The Oddmire series is how Ritter handles big subjects in a zany, fun way. I’ve read many children’s/middle grade books over the years. Not every adult does a great job of exploring big subjects in a way that isn’t preachy to kids. Ritter is able to present these ideas and let them play out. He knows kids are smart enough to read the story and connect the dots to things they see in their lives.

I’m also a big fan of how much mothers play a part in the story! Far too often in kid lit we have dead parents, missing parents, or oblivious parents. Not here. Annie is the mama bear we all need. She fiercely loves her kids as well as the other children she claims as her kids. She will do anything for them. Then we have Raina, a literal mama bear, who is doing the best she can (even if it might be a bit misguided).

Thankfully, there is no boring middle book syndrome here. Just our characters continuing to grow. Hopefully that continues in the next (final?) installment.