Review: Changeling by William Ritter

Changeling by William Ritter 

Publisher & Release Date: Algonquin Young Readers, July 2019 

Type: Middle Grade, Fantasy (272 pages) 

Series: Book One of The Oddmire 

Summary: 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.

My Review:

Earlier this year I was asked to review the first book in William Ritter's new series, The Oddmire called Changeling and I jumped on the opportunity. I have never agreed to a blog tour so fast! I absolutely love Ritter's writing. His first book, Jackaby remains one of my all time favorites. He has a way of adding charm and wit into every aspect of his work!

Changeling is an enchanting fairy tale set in the same world as Jackaby. That was all I needed to know before I dove headfirst into the mysterious Oddmire Forest. Once I started reading I couldn't put it down! It is perfect for all ages, but I can see little kids particularly falling into the world Ritter has created in The Oddmire and never wanting to leave. This book is easily on the level of storytelling that is set up in the Spiderwick Chronicles!

The idea of the changeling is one of the oldest folk tales of Europe, a fairy child that is swapped out with a human child. Changelings have fascinated people for centuries and are prevalent even in today's pop culture, having recently been featured in shows such as Supernatural and Outlander and even an episode of the podcast Lore. I, myself, have always been interested in the idea of them.

So, with a myth so beloved by many it is hard to believe that there can be an original take on it, and yet Ritter does just that! What if the switch in interrupted? What if the babies, human and fairy alike grow up together? Changeling answers just those questions!

My favorite part of this book is the mix of beautiful, eerie setting in the Oddmire that I would love to explore and the amazingly rich and detailed, full of life and motive characters that inhabit it! Hinkypunks, Goblins, Shapeshifters, and fantastic Humans all come together to solve the mystery of the changeling!

As soon as I finished it I wanted to read it again. It was heartwarming and funny, but also just as dark as a true fairy tale should be! I enjoyed Changeling and am eagerly awaiting the next book in what is sure to become a beloved series for young readers for many years to come!

(Thank you to Algonquin Young Readers for sending me the advanced egalley in exchange for this honest review!)

~Laura!!