The Shadow Witch
Narrated by Andrew Bond
The Shadow Witch is Gertrude Crownfield's fireside fantasy of fire fairies and shadow lands, a quiet tale to ease you toward sleep.
The whole story is set inside the glowing, smoky world of an old hearth, split between the warm Land of Fire, home to the bright fire fairies, and the dim Land of Shadows, ruled by a cold-hearted Wizard. His sister, the gentle Shadow Witch, once helped a visiting fire-prince slip free of her brother's power, and for that small kindness the Wizard locks her away in a sealed Cave of Darkness, cut off from any light. Her faithful servant, Creeping Shadow, slips out to find help, and word reaches Prince Ember of the Land of Glowing Embers, who takes up her rescue. Armed with a Sword of Fire and a Cloak of Ash given by a wise old elf, he crosses the ashy plain and the Cave of Darkness itself to set her free.
It's a good choice for anyone who loves old-fashioned fantasy tales, small invented kingdoms, and stories where a rescue is won more by kindness than by battle. The rescue unfolds at ember-glow pace in Andrew Bond's low, steady reading, and sleep should come long before the fire burns down.
