The Witch's Boy

By: Kelly Barnhill

Narrated by: Ralph Lister

When Ned and his identical twin brother tumble from their raft into a raging, bewitched river, only Ned survives. Villagers are convinced the wrong boy lived. Sure enough, Ned grows up weak and slow, and stays as much as possible within the safe boundaries of his family's cottage and yard. But when a Bandit King comes to steal the magic that Ned's mother, a witch, is meant to protect, it's Ned who safeguards the magic and summons the strength to protect his family and community.

In the meantime, in another kingdom across the forest that borders Ned's village lives Áine, the resourceful and pragmatic daughter of the Bandit King. She is haunted by her mother's last words to her: "The wrong boy will save your life and you will save his." But when Áine and Ned's paths cross, can they trust each other long enough to make their way through the treacherous woods and stop the war about to boil over?

©2014 Kelly Barnhill. Published by arrangement with Algonquin Young Readers, an imprint of Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, a division of Workman Publishing, Inc. (P)2014 HighBridge Company

What a story!!!!

Love love loved this. I bought it simply by the title and a brief scan of the synopsis...I couldn't put it down. The prose, the narrator's voice and sounds, the storyline...I am SO impressed. This story made me cry more than once, and that is powerful. Loved it!

I love this

I love her writing. To me it feels fresh and delightful. Her characters are unique and well drawn. I will definitely read more of her books

Great time! For any age!

Sure it's completely unrealistic with talking magic & demon like bandits, but the combo of the fantastic story & narrator who brilliantly portrays such a wide range of character voices makes this 10 hrs that fly by

Fun read

Narrator was easy to listen to. story was fun and entertaining. I will read more of authors works.

Adventure, love, bandits, battles, wolves, magic..

what's not to love? Bring me more! I loved every blessed word in this book