Midnight Witchery

I shall Wear Midnight
Terry Pratchett
Book 4, Tiffany Aching

Genre: fantasy
Audience: Ages 12+ (with a few swearwords and mature concepts)
Rating: 5/5

If any author deserved a Knighthood, it is most certainly Sir Terry Pratchett. This book was his offering for 2011 and is a splendid "cross-over" novel - which means to say it should appeal to young and old alike. The indomitable Terry Pratchett spirit is alive and well here - with a sprinkling of puns, delightful use of language, parody and humour. Tiffany is back in full spirit in what is the last of her adventures (at least to be cast in print). With any luck we shall see her make an appearance in some later novels. Speaking of making an appearance, there's a few faces here that will be familiar to faithful readers - and I'm not talking about the irrepresible Nanny Ogg!

Tiffany has now earned her pointed hat and is the Witch of the Chalk. This is not a job to be taken lightly, with too many sleepless nights taking their toll. And something is stirring. Something dark and ancient. Something that witches, throughout the centuries, have learnt to fear. Suddenly it seems that the world is turning against witches and Tiffany must face the danger - but she's not alone. She's got her faithful Nac Mac Feegle friends to watch her back - and, as usual, they're spoiling for a fight.

Good stuff indeed!

Here's my review of book #2 - written in 2005, as you can see, I was trying to be a wee bit clever...

Hat Full of Sky
(sequel to "Wee Free Men")

Ach crivens! Tiffany Aching, the big wee hag has returned. Two years hae passed since she beat the scuggan fairie queen wi' nothin' more then her fryin' pan an' 'er wits. Now she's got somethin' more to contend with. She's off ter start her 'prenticeship wi' the peculiar hag Miss Level, and ter meet some other big wee hags her own age. But there's an eldritch beastie out ter get 'er. But it's a beastie ye cannae hit, one that gets inside ye head and takes o'er ye body an' ye mind. Luckily, she's got the Nac Mac Feegle Big Man, Rob Anybody, an' 'is pack of willin' volunteers ter 'elp her, aye?

Another fine offering from Terry Pratchett, whose children's books not only teach the reader some new words (thanks to Tiffany and her dictionary reading habits) but he does not write down to his audience although he's not as harsh on his characters as Eoin Colfer. A good, and very fun read with some serious moments and a good gutsy heroine. A delightful read for young an' old alike.

And ye cannae forget the Nac Mac Feegle, the wee red-haired pictsies what were thrown out of Fairyland fer being pished* all the time.

* According to the glossary of commonly used Feegle words, pished translates as "tired".