Blog Tour + Review: The Oddmire, Book 1: Changeling by William Ritter

Today I am excited to share with you all my blog tour stop for The Oddmire: Changeling by William Ritter! This is a delightfully spooky middle grade read that I had a blast reading. On my stop, I'm sharing a quick review, some early praise, and some extra information about the author!

ABOUT THE BOOK:
Title: Changeling (The Oddmire, Book 1)
Author: William Ritter
Pub. Date: July 16th, 2019
Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers
Pages: 272
Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, B&N, Book Depository, Indiebound
*Please note that some of the links used are affiliate links!

SYNOPSIS:

"Magic is fading from the Wild Wood. To renew it, goblins must perform an ancient ritual involving the rarest of their kind—a newborn changeling. But when the fateful night arrives to trade a human baby for a goblin one, something goes terribly wrong. After laying the changeling in a human infant’s crib, the goblin Kull is briefly distracted from his task. By the time he turns back, the changeling has already perfectly mimicked the human child. Too perfectly: Kull cannot tell them apart. Not knowing which to bring back, he leaves both babies behind. 

Tinn and Cole are raised as human twins, neither knowing what secrets may be buried deep inside one of them. Then when they are twelve years old, a mysterious message arrives, calling the brothers to be heroes and protectors of magic. The boys must leave behind their sleepy town of Endsborough and risk their lives in the Wild Wood, crossing the perilous Oddmire swamp and journeying through the Deep Dark to reach the goblin horde and discover who they truly are."

REVIEW:

William Ritter's latest release is an exciting middle grade fantasy that is overflowing with goblins, faeries, a spooky wood, and just about everything I love in a good book.  Changeling starts out with a premise that I love: a goblin attempts to switch out a human baby for a changeling, messes up a bit, and ends up leaving both the human baby and the changeling behind. From there, the story takes off and the reader is thrust into a world that is both familiar and full of magic and folklore element.

I found Changeling to have a very carefully crafted blend of fairytales and folkloric aspects and adventure that really centers around a bit of a coming of age story for twins Tinn and Cole. Ritter's writing style worked excellently in this story, as it was both simple and accessible while also managing to maintain an airy quality of magic and mystique that I found highly captivating.

My favorite part of this book was Ritter's inclusion of the fairy tale elements that created a magical and unpredictable atmosphere to the story while also keeping things fresh and compelling. I loved watching Tinn and Cole interact with the world and how they handled all of the new obstacles and experiences that seemed to be constantly thrown at them. Tinn and Cole are characters that I loved almost right away. They have an incredible sibling relationship that transcends origins and material things, but stays strong and true no matter what seems to happen. In fact, the idea of family and unconditional love seemed to permeate throughout the entire book, especially in relation to the twins' mother, another wonderful character that I loved.

Overall, I've easily given The Oddmire: Changeling 4.25 stars! This is the perfect middle grade for any child that enjoys their fantasy on the spooky side--or any adult! I am already looking forward to the release of the sequel.

EARLY PRAISE:

“Set in a magical world filled with incredible creatures from folklore, this fast-paced fantasy will keep readers turning the pages as they follow the twins through the dark and mysterious woods. Unique characters with complex personalities will give readers insight into the feelings and actions of not only Tinn and Cole and their mother, but the creatures—both good and evil—they encounter on their journey. A captivating series opener.” 

—Booklist, starred review 

“A delightful series opener.” 

—Kirkus Reviews 

“[A] charming middle grade fantasy...Ritter (the Jackaby series) crafts a well-paced adventure filled with whimsy and peril, in which the bonds of family and love prove stronger than any spell or curse. With memorable characters—especially the irrepressible protagonists, who make a delightful team—and an atmospheric setting, this is a strong series opener.” 

—Publishers Weekly

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
William Ritter is an Oregon author and educator. He is the proud father of the two bravest boys in the Wild Wood, and husband to the indomitable Queen of the Deep Dark.The Oddmireis Ritter’s first series for middle-grade readers. He is also the author of the New York Times bestselling, award-winning Jackaby series for young adult readers. Visit him online at rwillritter.wordpress.com and find him on Twitter: @Willothewords.

LINKS: Website | Twitter