Ash born boy is a prequel to 'The near witch' (which I haven't read yet) and it's a short story of a boy who has a terrible childhood because he is a witch and I guess it's going to affect his character a lot later. Also, I have understood that this is a backstory for the character named 'Cole' from the near witch. I thought this short story has nothing to do with the actual story and read it since it was really short. But it's so shocking to find that it's actually a prequel. I really liked it. So now, I am even more intrigued to continue reading The near witch.