The Witch’s Boy (Book Review)

“A word, after all, is a kind of magic. Words call the world into being. That’s power indeed.”

~The Witch’s Boy, Kelly Barnhill

Not all Magic can be contained in potion bottles. Not all Magic can be controlled with spells. Not all Magic can be streamed from wands. There are some Magic that works on the power of words. “The Witch’s Boy” by Kelly Barnhill enchants her readers with one such unruly Magic which can only be tamed with powerful words.

When Ned and his identical twin brother, Tam, tumble from their raft into a raging river, only Ned survives. And the villagers are convinced that it’s the wrong boy who lived. Living amid them with his mother, Sister Witch, the quiet and stuttering Ned too starts to believe the same. But all that was about to change…

When Sister Witch, the village keeper of an ancient store of magic, is away on a journey, the Bandit King of the forest comes to steal the magic. But the magic, which only Sister Witch can control, bolts out of its pot into the wild world beyond. And it’s up to Ned now to safeguards the magic and protect his family, friends and community.

“It’s a terrible thing to be trapped in a place you don’t belong.”

~The Witch’s Boy, Kelly Barnhill

Thrown into a wild adventure, Ned must muster his courage and summon all his strength to venture into the enchanted forest that borders the village. And there his path crosses with Aine, the Bandit King’s daughter. But the brave, resourceful, pragmatic girl is haunted by her mother’s last words to her: ‘The wrong boy will save your life, and you will save his.’

Can Ned and Aine trust each other? Can she help him find his voice and a way to speak to the magic? Can they stop the war that’s about to boil over between their two kingdoms? It’s for the book to answer…

“Not every story is true. And sometimes the things that were wicked becomes the things that save us…”

~The Witch’s Boy, Kelly Barnhill

Beaming with the richly reimagined elements from the classic fantasy tales, the book captures the story of an unexpected hero, a thief’s daughter and a very special, powerful and tricky magic. But it’s not simply a fabled tale of kingdoms, prophecies, witches and magic; rather, it’s an enchanting tale of finding one’s inner power, of discovering the magic that’s hidden within oneself.

“You have more power than you think you do. Your fear is a problem, so lose it… The time has come.”

~The Witch’s Boy, Kelly Barnhill

With a vivid setting, rich narrative style, dark tone, compelling plot and timeless themes, the novel creates a spell-binding fantasy world that entralls the readers and ties them into an unbreakable bond that goes beyond all limits. The unforgettable lessons that the readers willfully gather from this tale will go a long way into shaping their mind and ultimately end up changing the way they look at the world forever.

“Because the world is wide and nimble and rich. And full of promise. And adventure. And tricks.”

~The Witch’s Boy, Kelly Barnhill

Echoing the everlasting spirits of ancient fairytales, “The Witch’s Boy” by Kelly Barnhill drives our attention to the most powerful magic that’s wrapped all around us: the magic of words. Words, indeed, are as powerful as magic. They can make one believe in something that’s not. They can also endow one with the power to believe in something that’s yet to be. They can create an entire being, an existence from nothingness. A single word can hold the power to do great, magical things…

“A world is a magic thing. It holds the essence of an object or an idea and pins it to the world. A word can set a universe in motion.”

~The Witch’s Boy, Kelly Barnhill