Teen witch Tiffany is one of [Pratchett's]most formidable creations yet Time Out The final adventure in Pratchett's Tiffany Aching series brings this subset of Discworld novels to a moving and highly satisfactory conclusion. Tiffany, now nearly 16 years old, is forced to do battle with the hate-filled ghost of a long dead witchfinder, the Cunning Man, who has ... Read morebecome obsessed with the young witch and is gradually turning her own community against her. As ever, Tiffany is ably supported by her loyal, intensely fractious, and totally amoral companions, the Nac Mac Feegles, whose leader, Rob Anybody, believes, After all, ye ken, what would be the point of lyin' when you had nae done anything wrong? She must deal with the heavy workload of a professional witch (birthing babies, training apprentices, and the like), fight evil, and come to terms with her former boyfriend's impending marriage. Pratchett's trademark wordplay and humor are much in evidence, but he's also interested in weightier topics, including religious prejudice and the importance of living a balanced life. Tiffany Aching fans, who have been waiting for this novel since Wintersmith (2006), should be ecstatic. Publishers Weekly starred review Although he knows how to weave a story, the real fun of Pratchett's books is the line-by-line inventiveness: the jokes, aphorisms and insights. This book brings back the young witch Tiffany Aching, now 16 and much in demand helping the sick, the poor and the old, using her special power to alleviate pain. As she exhausts herself doing good, a new wave of suspicion about witches spreads, stirred up by an eyeless monster whose power is rumour and lies . Tiffany, aided in her tasks by the hilarious, belligerent, little, kilted Feegles, also confronts issues of the heart, as her friend Roland, the baron's son, is about to marry a frilly girl who is not all she seems. As Tiffany tackles domestic drudgery and the monstrous villain, Pratchett brings us reflections on the role of women, the dangers of religion and the follies of society. And, writing at the height of his powers, he makes us laugh a lot.
Nicolette Jones The Sunday Times funny Oxford Mail ... everything gets very funny Newcastle Upon Tyne Evening Chronicle Show Less