The Ash-Born Boy (The Near Witch #0.5) by Victoria Schwab - Ashley's Review

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Title: The Ash-Born Boy
Author: Victoria Schwab
Year Published: 2012

My Review of The Near Witch
My Pre-Reading of The Near Witch

Synopsis: Before he came to Near... 
Before he met Lexi... 
Before they faced the witch... 
Who was the boy named Cole? 

Follow us to Dale, a city on a hill, where in a matter of days fire will devour everything. Meet the Lord and Lady, and their son, the boy destined to inherit all...until everything turns to ash. 

It's time to learn the truth behind the stranger's story.

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Review: This prequel story answered all of the questions I had about Cole after reading The Near Witch! It was really interesting to see who Cole was before he came to Near, and especially to find out why he is the way he is. We learn so much about why he thinks and acts the way he does, and it's both heartbreaking and enlightening. 

This story is written just as beautifully as The Near Witch, and I was so sad when it ended (even though it ends pretty much right before he comes to Near, minus the wandering in between). I didn't want to leave Dale or Cole or the world that Schwab so beautifully crafts in this series. 

Anyone who read and loved The Near Witch should definitely pick up this story as well! I mean, it's free, so you really have nothing to lose. I recommend reading this after reading The Near Witch though, because it might give away some things that are better discovered in the course of the full novel. But this story makes me want to go back and read The Near Witch again to see what hints i can pick up about who Cole is! A 4/5. 


--Ashley