“The Near Witch” is only an old story told to frighten children.
If the wind calls at night, you must not listen. The wind is lonely, and always looking for company.
There are no strangers in the town of Near.
These are the truths that Lexi has heard all her life.
But when an actual stranger, a boy who seems to fade like smoke, appears outside her home on the moor at night, she knows that at least one of these sayings is no longer true.
The next night, the children of Near start disappearing from their beds, and the mysterious boy falls under suspicion.
As the hunt for the children intensifies, so does Lexi’s need to know about the witch that just might be more than a bedtime story, about the wind that seems to speak through the walls at night, and about the history of this nameless boy.
Part fairy tale, part love story, Victoria Schwab’s debut novel is entirely original yet achingly familiar: a song you heard long ago, a whisper carried by the wind, and a dream you won’t soon forget.
This new edition of The Near Witch also included the in-universe short story “The Ash-Born Boy” and a never-before-seen introduction from V. E. Schwab.
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“Schwab’s debut, a story of forbidden love, ancient magic, and unearthed secrets, surpasses the stereotypical teen witch novel through rich language and an entrancing story. With its bleak, Brontë-like setting and its relatable and realistic young couple, this will have immediate appeal.”
— Booklist
“Situated in the sweet spot of the supernatural and the melancholy alongside works like The Ocean at the End of the Lane, [The Near Witch] boasts the dark and inviting sensibilities of fairy tales.”
— Barnes&Noble.com“Part fairy tale, part legend with a little romance, this well-written mystery will capture the attention of teens…The ending of the story is intense, and young adults will read frantically to discover the outcome.”
— School Library Journal“This highly atmospheric debut crackles with tension and has a shivery horror tang…Part mourning and healing tale, part restless ghost story, the strengths here are Lexi’s sophisticated characterization (strong, sad, fiercely protective) and the extraordinary sense of place.”
— Kirkus Reviews" Heather Wilde did a beautiful job with the character voices but her digital staccato cadence drove me to abandon the audiobook for a print version. It made me very sad because I really liked the story & the voices. I was hoping she’d loosen up & get a better flow but it didn’t happen. Shame on the producers for not making a correction. "
— CopperGal, 8/8/2023" The story is written well but that narrator cadences is absolutely horrible it detracts so much I had to stop listening even though I was just starting to enjoy the story "
— Luluisa_md , 7/27/2019V. E. Schwab is the author of several books, including the New York Times bestselling Vengeful and A Conjuring of Light. Her young-adult book The Near Witch was named by Entertainment Weekly as one of the best YA books of the decade.
Heather Wilds is an award-winning narrator and actress. She has won three AudioFile Earphones Awards for her narrations. She trained at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama and the University of Glamorgan and has appeared in numerous plays, receiving critical acclaim. She has also performed in award-winning short films, appeared on television and in commercials, and has worked extensively as a voice-over artist.