The Unready Queen (The Oddmire #2) by William Ritter
Release: June 23rd 2020
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers
Source: Publisher
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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.
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 Oddmire is 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
Twitter: @Willothewords.
Unready Queen Review:
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!
