Changeling (The Oddmire 1) by William Ritter | Blog Tour | Review

About Changeling
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, the goblin Kull is briefly distracted from his task of laying the changeling in a human infant’s crib. By the time he turns back, the changeling has already perfectly mimicked the human child. Not knowing which to return to the goblin horde, 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. When 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 to discover who they truly are.

Review

Title: Changeling (The Oddmire #1)
Author: William Ritter
Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy
Length: ~272 pages
Release: July 2019

When I was contacted about being part of the blog tour for this title, I was immediately intrigued. Twins where one child is human and the other is a goblin changeling? Sounds fascinating! Also, I had read and enjoyed the Jackaby series, so I was curious to see what Ritter's next book would be like. 

I was not disappointed.

This story has a magical forest, a witch, shapeshifters, goblins, and plenty of other magical elements. At it's core, it's a story about family and self worth and love all wrapped into an adventure.

The characters, Cole and Tenn in particular, were extremely likable. It was fun to read about their adventures and the silly things they would do and trouble they would cause. We also get to see each of them grapple with the fact that one of them (and they don't know which) is not human. The exploration of this aspect of the story is well done and turns out quite beautifully. Ritter has a way with words and his descriptions of these adventures is often beautiful.

The main thing that was a bit odd to me was the time period. I never could quite figure out when it was supposed to be set. At times it seemed almost modern and then it seemed older and it left me a little confused.

The ending has me very curious for the rest of the series. I don't know if it will continue to focus on the duo of Cole and Tenn or if we will be getting a deeper look at some of the other characters, but I'm excited to see what else there is to be explored in this magical world Ritter has introduced.

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 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 and find him on Twitter: @Willothewords.

The Anne Books

When I was a teen, I watched the Anne of Green Gables series staring Megan Follows and Jonathan Crombie and fell in love with the story. I then read the first five books in the eight book series and enjoyed all of them. For some reason, I stopped at that point and moved onto other stories.

Now, more than a decade later, I've decided to revisit this series and continue to its conclusion. I've been listening to the audiobooks and am currently listening to book four, Anne of Windy Poplars.

I am in love with this series. The writing is excellent, the characters are refreshing, and everything is vivid. I love how Montgomery is able to have time pass quickly and smoothly, without anything seeming rushed. They may lose a little steam in the later half of the series, but I appreciate that the stories follow Anne into adulthood, into her life as a wife and mother, and doesn't just end with her a happy teacher or engaged and in love. More of her life is explored and I think that can be a good thing to have sometimes, because it shows depth to the world and characters and also shows that the end of the story isn't when you've found love or earned a degree or finished a quest. That is only a step on the journey, not the end.

Have you ever revisited an old favorite or gone back to a series you didn't finish? What was it like for you?

falling in love with books

One of the things I love most about being a reader is reading a book and falling in love with it. This can happen quickly or unfold with each page I turn, the characters and story sinking into me until they feel like old friends.

My reading has slowed down a lot in the last year. My focus has shifted more toward writing and work, but that doesn't mean I'm not reading. I always have at least one book going, usually two or three. Or four or five. It really just depends.

When I started reading Song of the Abyss, I didn't think I was going to enjoy it. The first few chapters didn't quite grab my attention as much as I would like and I contemplated adding it to my DNF list. But I decided to give it a little longer and I'm glad that I did. After finishing, I immediately picked up the companion novel, Isle of Blood and Stone.


These companion novels have a rich world, interesting and well developed characters, and beautifully woven in elements of magic. I've been somewhat burned out on YA, particularly YA fantasy, for the last couple of years, but this one reminded me of all the things I have loved about the category in the past.

Song of the Abyss releases August 27, 2019, which gives you plenty of time to read Isle of Blood before it's release. With less than 1,000 ratings on goodreads, this is a highly underappreciated and underloved book. If you like YA fantasy, give this one a try. I don't think you'll regret it.

The Night Window~Dean Koontz | Review

Title: The Night Window (Jane Hawk #5)
Author: Dean Koontz
Genre: Suspense/Thriller
Length: 432 Pages
Release: May 2019

A copy of this novel was received through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Review

Dean Koontz has been one of my favorite authors since I first read one of his books in 2011. I always trust him to wrap up a story well, but I will admit, I was a bit worried about this conclusion. 

Through the first four books, Jane had faced one perilous adventure after another. When they said that the Arcadian thread of the series was going to be wrapped up in book five, I wondered how he would make this work. I shouldn't have worried. This was fantastic. 

This is my favorite book of the series, wrapping things together so well that the end left me satisfied and happy. It wasn't a happy ending for everyone, but it made sense and there was hope for many. A beautiful conclusion to a beautiful series. It was disturbing at times, but mainly in how real it seemed. A decade or two ago this may have seemed farfetched, but now it almost seems inevitable. I hope that when, not if, people try to take over my mind, I fight like Jane did. 

If you have read the previous books in this series, then I think you are in for a treat with this one. If you have not--well then, now is as good a time as any to get started. 

Code of Valor~Lynette Eason | Review

Title: Code of Valor (Blue Justice #3)
Author: Lynette Eason
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Length: 336 Pages
Release: January 2019

A copy of this novel was received through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Review

Code of Valor by Lynette Eason is filled with a great supporting cast of characters, with the adorably lovable St. John clan. Many of Brady’s siblings have fairly prevalent roles, including Derek, Link, Ruthie and Izzy. And at the other end of the spectrum, Eason has created a plethora of delightfully evil characters. One word of caution, she has filled this book with a large amount of sub-characters, all important to the story, so pay close attention to who’s who. Eason always does a great job of creating a plot filled with twists and turns. She always reveals just enough to keep the story moving, while withholding just enough to keep the reader in the dark. She’s also excellent at developing very real and relatable characters — Emily is a girl that so many women will relate to, one who struggles with weight and body issues, as well as a major mistake in her past. Brady has to overcome trust issues, both in himself and in others, as he must learn when people genuinely need help and when they genuinely are willing to get help.

But as always, Eason doesn’t only offer a great, intense, heart-pounding thriller, she also writes a story that offers so many amazing lessons. “Code of Valor” also reminds us that life can be fickle, while throwing us curve balls; the difficulty of overcoming shame and trauma; the effects of betrayal; and the importance of loving ourselves.

Lethal Target~Janice Cantore | Review

Title: Lethal Target (Line of Duty #2)
Author: Janice Cantore
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Length: 386 Pages
Release: October 2018

A copy of this novel was received through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Review

Lethal Target by Janice Cantore was an amazing book!! With vivid descriptions, genuine characters, plenty of action and suspense, and a touch of romance, Lethal Target held my interest until the very end.

There is a lot going on in Lethal Target with multiple twists, turns, and surprises in store. Of course there is at least one more book in this series so I will have to be content to wait along with other readers to find out how everything works out. If you have not read any of this author’s books and are a fan of suspense novels featuring law enforcement, be sure to give Lethal Target a chance.

Mind Games~Nancy Mehl | Review

Title: Mind Games (Kaely Quinn Profiler #1)
Author: Nancy Mehl
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Length: 336 Pages
Release: December 2018

A copy of this novel was received through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Review

This book by Nancy Mehl is very 'mind-blowing'. So many twists and turns! I am really looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

Kaely Quinn is a very complex and interesting character. Her quirks and her job make her so unique. I'm not sure I've read a book with a character that was even similar to Kaely. Noah Hunter was also interesting, but I feel like Mehl only scratched the surface of his character in this book, and I hope she'll delve deeper in the upcoming books.

The story and plot were also very unique and grabbed my interest from the beginning. The premise of Kaely's job and her methods were fascinating as well. While a little light on action, there was definitely loads of suspense, and, as I mentioned, a ton of completely unexpected twists and turns! I thought I had the villain pegged, but was shocked when his identity was revealed.While overall the story was wrapped up by the end of the book and left you feeling satisfied, there are still a lot of threads to be continued in later books.