Review: Terry Pratchett's Discworld Imaginarium - Paul Kidby

A stunning portfolio of Discworld illustrations from the brush of Paul Kidby, Sir Terry Pratchett's artist of choice.

Paul Kidby, Sir Terry Pratchett's artist of choice, provided the illustrations for The Last Hero, designed the covers for the Discworld novels since 2002, and is the author of the bestselling The Art Of Discworld.

Now, Paul Kidby has collected the very best of his Discworld illustrations in this definitive volume, including 40 pieces never before seen, 30 pieces that have only appeared in foreign editions, limited editions and BCA editions, and 17 book cover illustrations since 2004 that have never been seen without cover text.

If Terry Pratchett's pen gave his characters life, Paul Kidby's brush allowed them to live it, and nowhere is that better illustrated than in this magnificent book. For fans old and new, this beautiful collectors item is the perfect gift for Christmas.

'The closest anyone's got to how I see the characters' - Sir Terry Pratchett

Discworld Series:
The Colour of Magic (Rincewind book 1)
The Light Fantastic (Rincewind book 2)
Equal Rites (Witches book 1)
Mort (Death book 1)
Sourcery (Rincewind book 3)
Wyrd Sisters (Witches book 2)
Pyramids
Guards! Guards! (Ankh-Morpork City Watch book 1)
Eric (Rincewind book 4)
Moving Pictures (Industrial Revolution book 1)
Reaper Man (Death book 2)
Witches Abroad (Witches book 3)
Small Gods
Lords and Ladies (Witches book 4)
Men at Arms (Ankh-Morpork City Watch book 2)
Soul Music (Death book 3)
Interesting Times (Rincewind book 5)
Maskerade (Witches book 5)
Feet of Clay (Ankh-Morpork City Watch book 3)
Hogfather (Death book 4)
Jingo (Ankh-Morpork City Watch book 4)
The Last Continent (Rincewind book 6)
Carpe Jugulum (Witches book 6)
The Fifth Elephant (Ankh-Morpork City Watch book 5)
The Truth (Industrial Revolution book 2)
Thief of Time (Death book 5)
The Last Hero (Rincewind book 7)
The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents
Night Watch (Ankh-Morpork City Watch book 6)
The Wee Free Men (Tiffany Aching book 1)
Monstrous Regiment (Industrial Revolution book 3)
A Hat Full of Sky (Tiffany Aching book 2)
Going Postal (Moist von Lipwig book 1) (Industrial Revolution book 4)
Thud! (Ankh-Morpork City Watch book 7)
Wintersmith (Tiffany Aching book 3)
Making Money (Moist von Lipwig book 2) (Industrial Revolution book 5)
Unseen Academicals (Rincewind book 8)
I Shall Wear Midnight (Tiffany Aching book 4)
Snuff (Ankh-Morpork City Watch book 8)
The World of Poo
Raising Steam (Moist von Lipwig book 3) (Industrial Revolution book 6)
The Shepherd's Crown (Tiffany Aching book 5)

Discworld Related books:
The Discworld Mapp - Terry Pratchett & Stephen Briggs
Terry Pratchett's Discworld Colouring Book - Paul Kidby
Terry Pratchett's Discworld Imaginarium - Paul Kidby

Visit Paul Kidby's website for more information

Review:
If you're a fan of the Discworld series then there is no way you've not come across Paul Kidby's gorgeous artwork as he's been illustrating the covers since 2002 and has brought all of Terry Pratchett's most popular characters to life.

This is an absolutely gorgeous hardback that includes all of Paul Kidby's favourite Discworld pictures, many you may have seen before but also some that were only used for foreign covers or limited editions or that have never been published elsewhere. You'll find images in a mix of mediums from black and white pencil drawings to sepia or full colour acrylic and oil paintings. I loved that some images we get to see the whole process from initial pencil drawing to finished acrylic painting.

The images are split into categories which should make it easier for you to go back and find your favourite images at a later date.

The Chalk - Focuses on images of Tiffany Aching and the Wee Free Men along with the occasional appearance from Granny Weatherwax and other characters found in the Chalk.

Lancre - Set in the Ramtop Mountains Lancre is home to Granny Weatherwax, Nanny Ogg (and of course her cat Greebo) and Magrat.

Ankh Morpork - Expect to find characters like Rincewind, Twoflower, Moist Von Lipwig, Lord Vetinari, the Hogfather and groups like the Fool's Guild.

Pseudopolis Yard - Home to the Ankh Morpork City Watch Headquarters here you'll see Captain Sam Vines, Captain Carrot, Sergeant Fred Colon, Corporal Angua, Sergeant Detritus, Nobby Nobbs and of course Errol.

Unseen University - Hangout of wizards like Archchancellor Cutangle, the Librarian, Hex, the Eater of Socks and Eskarina Smith.

Uberwald - Discworld's version of Transylvania and home to vampires, werewolves, the igors, dwarves, trolls and don't forget Amazing Maurice and his educated rodents.

Death's Domain - Focuses on Death & Binky, the Death of Rats, Mort, Susan, Albert and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

Terra Incognita - this includes all the images that don't quite fit into any of the other categories, things like Rincewind on the moon, the Dungeon Dimension, Dunmanifestin (the home of the gods), the Wyrmberg, Four Ecks, Rimfall and of course the Great A'Tuin.

Ex Atelieris - This section includes drawings, paintings and sculptures of the great man Terry Pratchett himself both with and without his characters included and one of my favourite images of Terry playing chess with Death.

This really is a stunning book, I wish I'd been able to afford the Deluxe Special Edition that is only available directly from Paul Kidby or via the Discworld website but even the standard edition is a book that any fan would be proud to add to their collection!

Source: Purchased

Other reviews of this book:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Signed Limited Edition Hardback / Standard Hardback / Kindle:

Review: Terry Pratchett's Discworld Colouring Book - Paul Kidby

Paul Kidby, Sir Terry Pratchett's artist of choice, provided the illustrations for The Last Hero, designed the covers for the Discworld novels since 2002 and is the author of the definitive portfolio volume The Art Of Discworld. If Terry Pratchett's pen gave his characters life, Paul Kidby's brush allowed them to live it. Containing black-and-white line drawings based on his hugely popular artwork as well as original pieces produced exclusively for this book - featuring such iconic Discworld personalities as Granny Weatherwax, Sam Vimes, Archchancellor Ridcully, Rincewind, Tiffany Aching and, of course, DEATH - Terry Pratchett's Discworld Colouring Book is required . . . reading? . . . for all Discworld fans.

Discworld Series:
The Colour of Magic (Rincewind book 1)
The Light Fantastic (Rincewind book 2)
Equal Rites (Witches book 1)
Mort (Death book 1)
Sourcery (Rincewind book 3)
Wyrd Sisters (Witches book 2)
Pyramids
Guards! Guards! (Ankh-Morpork City Watch book 1)
Eric (Rincewind book 4)
Moving Pictures (Industrial Revolution book 1)
Reaper Man (Death book 2)
Witches Abroad (Witches book 3)
Small Gods
Lords and Ladies (Witches book 4)
Men at Arms (Ankh-Morpork City Watch book 2)
Soul Music (Death book 3)
Interesting Times (Rincewind book 5)
Maskerade (Witches book 5)
Feet of Clay (Ankh-Morpork City Watch book 3)
Hogfather (Death book 4)
Jingo (Ankh-Morpork City Watch book 4)
The Last Continent (Rincewind book 6)
Carpe Jugulum (Witches book 6)
The Fifth Elephant (Ankh-Morpork City Watch book 5)
The Truth (Industrial Revolution book 2)
Thief of Time (Death book 5)
The Last Hero (Rincewind book 7)
The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents
Night Watch (Ankh-Morpork City Watch book 6)
The Wee Free Men (Tiffany Aching book 1)
Monstrous Regiment (Industrial Revolution book 3)
A Hat Full of Sky (Tiffany Aching book 2)
Going Postal (Moist von Lipwig book 1) (Industrial Revolution book 4)
Thud! (Ankh-Morpork City Watch book 7)
Wintersmith (Tiffany Aching book 3)
Making Money (Moist von Lipwig book 2) (Industrial Revolution book 5)
Unseen Academicals (Rincewind book 8)
I Shall Wear Midnight (Tiffany Aching book 4)
Snuff (Ankh-Morpork City Watch book 8)
The World of Poo
Raising Steam (Moist von Lipwig book 3) (Industrial Revolution book 6)
The Shepherd's Crown (Tiffany Aching book 5)

Discworld Related books:
The Discworld Mapp - Terry Pratchett & Stephen Briggs
Terry Pratchett's Discworld Colouring Book - Paul Kidby
Terry Pratchett's Discworld Imaginarium - Paul Kidby

Visit Paul Kidby's website for more information

Review:
If you're fan of Terry Pratchett's Discworld series then you're guaranteed to be familiar with Paul Kidby's gorgeous artwork. He has been illustrating the Discworld covers since 2002 and has brought all of our favourite characters to life with his drawings so of course he was the obvious artist of choice for the Discworld Colouring Book.

This colouring book is absolutely stunning and a must have for any Discworld fan. It contains so many iconic images and even in black and white the characters practically leap off the pages. You'll find full page images of Rincewind, Death, Tiffany, Granny Weatherwax and the witches, Vimes and the Night Watch, the Librarian, the Wee Free Men and so many more of your favourite characters within this book.

The paper is a nice thickness and good quality although I can't confirm if pens give you any bleed through because I've only used coloured pencils. My one slight niggle is that a couple of the double page spreads ruin the image a little by splitting the page right through the middle of a character, it's nearly impossible to colour right up to the middle edge so you're left with characters who have a gap down the centre of their face. This isn't an issue on most of the pages though so I'm not going to mark it down because of that.

Towards the end of the book you'll even find full colour images of some of Paul Kidby's most well known images, I almost want to cut some of them out and frame them so I expect I'll be buying a second copy of the book before too long. Those images are also included in the book for you to colour so you can either copy the colour scheme from the original artwork or try out something completely different.

I've included a couple of the pictures that I've finished so far to give you an idea of some of the images included and I'll probably come back to this review to add more as I finish colouring them.

Nearly all of my favourite characters on one page!

The Librarian

Rob Anybody

Source: Received from Gollancz in exchange for an honest review

Other reviews of this book:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Paperback:

Review: The Discworld Mapp - Terry Pratchett & Stephen Briggs

They said it couldn't be done. Well, it has been done, proving them wrong once again. After years of research, cunningly contrived in as many minutes, the Discworld has its map. It takes full account of the historic and much documented expeditions of the Discworld's fêted (or at least fated) explorers: General Sir Roderick Purdeigh, Lars Larsnephew, Llamedos Jones, Lady Alice Venturi, Ponce da Quirm and, of course, Venter Borass.

Now travellers on this circular world can see it all: from Klatch to the Ramtops, from Cori Celesti to the Circle Sea, from Genua to Bhangbhangduc. The great cities of Hunghung, Pseudopolis, Al Khali and, of course, Ankh-Morpork are placed with loving care upon this world which is carried through space by Great A'Tuin.

Discworld Series:
The Colour of Magic (Rincewind book 1)
The Light Fantastic (Rincewind book 2)
Equal Rites (Witches book 1)
Mort (Death book 1)
Sourcery (Rincewind book 3)
Wyrd Sisters (Witches book 2)
Pyramids
Guards! Guards! (Ankh-Morpork City Watch book 1)
Eric (Rincewind book 4)
Moving Pictures (Industrial Revolution book 1)
Reaper Man (Death book 2)
Witches Abroad (Witches book 3)
Small Gods
Lords and Ladies (Witches book 4)
Men at Arms (Ankh-Morpork City Watch book 2)
Soul Music (Death book 3)
Interesting Times (Rincewind book 5)
Maskerade (Witches book 5)
Feet of Clay (Ankh-Morpork City Watch book 3)
Hogfather (Death book 4)
Jingo (Ankh-Morpork City Watch book 4)
The Last Continent (Rincewind book 6)
Carpe Jugulum (Witches book 6)
The Fifth Elephant (Ankh-Morpork City Watch book 5)
The Truth (Industrial Revolution book 2)
Thief of Time (Death book 5)
The Last Hero (Rincewind book 7)
The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents
Night Watch (Ankh-Morpork City Watch book 6)
The Wee Free Men (Tiffany Aching book 1)
Monstrous Regiment (Industrial Revolution book 3)
A Hat Full of Sky (Tiffany Aching book 2)
Going Postal (Moist von Lipwig book 1) (Industrial Revolution book 4)
Thud! (Ankh-Morpork City Watch book 7)
Wintersmith (Tiffany Aching book 3)
Making Money (Moist von Lipwig book 2) (Industrial Revolution book 5)
Unseen Academicals (Rincewind book 8)
I Shall Wear Midnight (Tiffany Aching book 4)
Snuff (Ankh-Morpork City Watch book 8)
The World of Poo
Raising Steam (Moist von Lipwig book 3) (Industrial Revolution book 6)
The Shepherd's Crown (Tiffany Aching book 5)

Discworld Related books:
The Discworld Mapp - Terry Pratchett & Stephen Briggs
Terry Pratchett's Discworld Colouring Book - Paul Kidby
Terry Pratchett's Discworld Imaginarium - Paul Kidby

Visit Terry Pratchett's website for more information

Review:
As a diehard Discworld fan I'm not too sure why it's taken me so long to buy this map but I'm so glad I have it now and I can't wait to start using it to plot the character's journeys on my next reread of the series!

This is exactly like those tourist maps you can buy for any other holiday destination, the ones that have a booklet of information on one side and then a huge fold out map on the other that you can lay out across your dining table and plot your holiday destinations. Unfortunately we can't visit the Discworld in real life but this definitely helps bring the spirit of the place to life. As much as I have been able to picture characters and parts of the Discworld very vividly thanks to Terry Pratchett's wonderful writing I love having this physical map to look at.

The little booklet included is quite small so it won't take you more than 20 minutes to read in it's entirety but it has a nice introduction to the map creating project from both Terry Pratchett and the illustrator Stephen Briggs. It also includes a brief history of the Discworld's most prominent explorers which is written with Terry's trademark wit and humour.

This book may not be for the casual Discworld fan but it's a lovely addition to any superfan's collection.

Source: Purchased

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Paperback:

Review: The Light Fantastic - Terry Pratchett

As it moves towards a seemingly inevitable collision with a malevolent red star, the Discworld has only one possible saviour. Unfortunately, this happens to be the singularly inept and cowardly wizard called Rincewind, who was last seen falling off the edge of the world . . .

The funniest and most unorthodox fantasy in this or any other galaxy.

Discworld Series:
The Colour of Magic (Rincewind book 1)
The Light Fantastic (Rincewind book 2)
Equal Rites (Witches book 1)
Mort (Death book 1)
Sourcery (Rincewind book 3)
Wyrd Sisters (Witches book 2)
Pyramids
Guards! Guards! (Ankh-Morpork City Watch book 1)
Eric (Rincewind book 4)
Moving Pictures (Industrial Revolution book 1)
Reaper Man (Death book 2)
Witches Abroad (Witches book 3)
Small Gods
Lords and Ladies (Witches book 4)
Men at Arms (Ankh-Morpork City Watch book 2)
Soul Music (Death book 3)
Interesting Times (Rincewind book 5)
Maskerade (Witches book 5)
Feet of Clay (Ankh-Morpork City Watch book 3)
Hogfather (Death book 4)
Jingo (Ankh-Morpork City Watch book 4)
The Last Continent (Rincewind book 6)
Carpe Jugulum (Witches book 6)
The Fifth Elephant (Ankh-Morpork City Watch book 5)
The Truth (Industrial Revolution book 2)
Thief of Time (Death book 5)
The Last Hero (Rincewind book 7)
The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents
Night Watch (Ankh-Morpork City Watch book 6)
The Wee Free Men (Tiffany Aching book 1)
Monstrous Regiment (Industrial Revolution book 3)
A Hat Full of Sky (Tiffany Aching book 2)
Going Postal (Moist von Lipwig book 1) (Industrial Revolution book 4)
Thud! (Ankh-Morpork City Watch book 7)
Wintersmith (Tiffany Aching book 3)
Making Money (Moist von Lipwig book 2) (Industrial Revolution book 5)
Unseen Academicals (Rincewind book 8)
I Shall Wear Midnight (Tiffany Aching book 4)
Snuff (Ankh-Morpork City Watch book 8)
The World of Poo
Raising Steam (Moist von Lipwig book 3) (Industrial Revolution book 6)
The Shepherd's Crown (Tiffany Aching book 5)

Discworld Related books:
The Discworld Mapp - Terry Pratchett & Stephen Briggs
Terry Pratchett's Discworld Colouring Book - Paul Kidby
Terry Pratchett's Discworld Imaginarium - Paul Kidby

Visit Terry Pratchett's website for more information

Review:
I've read most of the Discworld books many, many times over the years but I've not actually written reviews for most of them so I figured it really was about time I started yet another reread and this time actually sing their praises to the world!

If you've read The Colour of Magic you'll know it ended on quite a cliffhanger as we saw our two intrepid heroes, Rincewind and Twoflower, literally fall off the edge of the world. Luckily for them Rincewind happens to be carrying a very important spell around inside of him, and the Octavo (the magical book that the spell came from) can't let that spell disappear so it has to bend reality to rescue them. So Rincewind and Twoflower are now back on the Disc but they're in the middle of nowhere and they're going to have to try and figure out the way back to Ankh-Morpork, when Twoflower has finished sightseeing that is.

As I'm sure anyone who is familiar with the series will imagine lots of hilarious hijinks ensue as Rincewind and Twoflower, followed closely by the Luggage, meet up with the rather ancient and very toothless barbarian Cohen and proceed to accidentally rescue a virgin sacrifice. Meanwhile the lives of everyone on the Disc are in peril if the eight spells from the Octavo can't be reunited and spoken on a very specific date so every wizard from the Unseen University is taking part in a giant man hunt trying to find Rincewind before it's too late. Throw in a visit to Death's house and the Great A'Tuin's determination to fly the entire world into a giant red star and you're in for a bumpy ride.

Although most of the books in this series work as standalones I really think the first two books (The Colour of Magic and The Light Fantastic) should be read as a pair because the events from both books are so closely entwined. Rincewind and Twoflower have always been favourites of mine, I love the banter between them and like the way Twoflower's over enthusiastic love for everything balances out against Rincewind's fear of the unknown. The Luggage always steals the show though which is quite impressive since it's a wooden box that doesn't speak a word. It does have a lot of legs and very sharp teeth though so it can pull of menacing rather well whenever Twoflower is in danger. Although the series just gets better and better these earlier books will always be amongst my favourites just because they introduced me to this weird and wonderful world created by Terry Pratchett. I have never come across a series quite like this one and I seriously doubt I ever will.

Source: Purchased

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Paperback / Kindle:

Review: The Shepherd's Crown - Terry Pratchett

A shivering of the worlds

Deep in the Chalk, something is stirring.
The owls and the foxes can sense it,
and Tiffany Aching feels it in her boots.
An old enemy is gathering strength.

This is a time of endings and beginnings,
old friends and new, a blurring of edges and a
shifting of power. Now Tiffany stands between
the light and the dark, the good and the bad.

As the fairy horde prepares for invasion, Tiffany
must summon all the witches to stand with her.
To protect the land, Her land.

There will be a reckoning . . .

The final Discworld novel.

Discworld Series:
The Colour of Magic (Rincewind book 1)
The Light Fantastic (Rincewind book 2)
Equal Rites (Witches book 1)
Mort (Death book 1)
Sourcery (Rincewind book 3)
Wyrd Sisters (Witches book 2)
Pyramids
Guards! Guards! (Ankh-Morpork City Watch book 1)
Eric (Rincewind book 4)
Moving Pictures (Industrial Revolution book 1)
Reaper Man (Death book 2)
Witches Abroad (Witches book 3)
Small Gods
Lords and Ladies (Witches book 4)
Men at Arms (Ankh-Morpork City Watch book 2)
Soul Music (Death book 3)
Interesting Times (Rincewind book 5)
Maskerade (Witches book 5)
Feet of Clay (Ankh-Morpork City Watch book 3)
Hogfather (Death book 4)
Jingo (Ankh-Morpork City Watch book 4)
The Last Continent (Rincewind book 6)
Carpe Jugulum (Witches book 6)
The Fifth Elephant (Ankh-Morpork City Watch book 5)
The Truth (Industrial Revolution book 2)
Thief of Time (Death book 5)
The Last Hero (Rincewind book 7)
The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents
Night Watch (Ankh-Morpork City Watch book 6)
The Wee Free Men (Tiffany Aching book 1)
Monstrous Regiment (Industrial Revolution book 3)
A Hat Full of Sky (Tiffany Aching book 2)
Going Postal (Moist von Lipwig book 1) (Industrial Revolution book 4)
Thud! (Ankh-Morpork City Watch book 7)
Wintersmith (Tiffany Aching book 3)
Making Money (Moist von Lipwig book 2) (Industrial Revolution book 5)
Unseen Academicals (Rincewind book 8)
I Shall Wear Midnight (Tiffany Aching book 4)
Snuff (Ankh-Morpork City Watch book 8)
The World of Poo
Raising Steam (Moist von Lipwig book 3) (Industrial Revolution book 6)
The Shepherd's Crown (Tiffany Aching book 5)

Discworld Related books:
The Discworld Mapp - Terry Pratchett & Stephen Briggs
Terry Pratchett's Discworld Colouring Book - Paul Kidby
Terry Pratchett's Discworld Imaginarium - Paul Kidby

Visit Terry Pratchett's website for more information

Review:
I don't think it's possible for me to write an objective review of The Shepherd's Crown. As someone who has been a fan of Terry Pratchett for over 20 years I think it's fairly obvious to say that I went into this final Discworld novel feeling very emotional. We all know that we lost Terry Pratchett too soon, he was truly one of the best British fantasy writers and his voice will be deeply missed. I'll always be grateful that we have so many of his books though and I'm very pleased that he was able to give us one final adventure before he left.

The Shepherd's Crown isn't quite as polished as his other stories, it states quite clearly in the afterword that Terry hadn't quite finished working his magic on this book. It definitely has a beginning, middle and end but there are parts you can tell have had more polishing than others and there were definitely a few threads that I felt sure Terry would have expanded upon if he'd had the time. While this hasn't quite been finished it's still a wonderful story and I do think it would have been his best Discworld book yet if he'd been able to complete it. It was certainly the most poignant book and it's the only one in the series that has made me sob my heart out as well as laugh out loud.

I expected to feel sad after reading The Shepherd's Crown but I wasn't quite expecting the story to be as heartbreaking as it was. It's hard to talk much about why without giving spoilers so I'll just leave it that there is a devastating loss of one of my favourite characters within the first couple of chapters. This particular character has a wonderful, poignant and heart wrenching conversation with Death and I couldn't help but think about Terry while reading it. Those two pages of this book were absolutely priceless to me and I think they probably give a little insight into how Terry was feeling about his own battle with illness. They certainly touched me deeply and I'm tearing up again now just thinking about it.

It was wonderful to revisit Tiffany Aching and the Nac Mac Feegles up on the Chalk too. Tiffany has come a long way since she started her witch training and I've loved taking that journey with her, she is wise and powerful but more than anything she loves her home and her people. She isn't afraid of hard work and she always puts everyone else above herself which can sometimes be her failing as much as it's one of her strengths. Now she is facing an old enemy and she has to realise that it's okay to ask for help, she will need all of the witches to come together if they are going to put a stop to the fae a final time. There are a lot of other familiar faces in this book and it was nice to get a last chance to catch up with them all. I'm still not quite ready to say goodbye to this world but like I saw someone post on Twitter we shouldn't be sad that this is the final Discworld book, just grateful that Terry Pratchett wrote so many in the first place.

RIP Sir Terry, thank you for the memories!

Source: Received from publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review (but I'd already pre-ordered the hardback!)

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Hardback / Kindle:

Review: Equal Rites - Terry Pratchett

The last thing the wizard Drum Billet did, before Death laid a bony hand on his shoulder, was to pass on his staff of power to the eighth son of an eighth son. Unfortunately for his colleagues in the chauvinistic (not to say misogynistic) world of magic, he failed to check on the new-born baby's sex . . .

Discworld Series:
The Colour of Magic (Rincewind book 1)
The Light Fantastic (Rincewind book 2)
Equal Rites (Witches book 1)
Mort (Death book 1)
Sourcery (Rincewind book 3)
Wyrd Sisters (Witches book 2)
Pyramids
Guards! Guards! (Ankh-Morpork City Watch book 1)
Eric (Rincewind book 4)
Moving Pictures (Industrial Revolution book 1)
Reaper Man (Death book 2)
Witches Abroad (Witches book 3)
Small Gods
Lords and Ladies (Witches book 4)
Men at Arms (Ankh-Morpork City Watch book 2)
Soul Music (Death book 3)
Interesting Times (Rincewind book 5)
Maskerade (Witches book 5)
Feet of Clay (Ankh-Morpork City Watch book 3)
Hogfather (Death book 4)
Jingo (Ankh-Morpork City Watch book 4)
The Last Continent (Rincewind book 6)
Carpe Jugulum (Witches book 6)
The Fifth Elephant (Ankh-Morpork City Watch book 5)
The Truth (Industrial Revolution book 2)
Thief of Time (Death book 5)
The Last Hero (Rincewind book 7)
The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents
Night Watch (Ankh-Morpork City Watch book 6)
The Wee Free Men (Tiffany Aching book 1)
Monstrous Regiment (Industrial Revolution book 3)
A Hat Full of Sky (Tiffany Aching book 2)
Going Postal (Moist von Lipwig book 1) (Industrial Revolution book 4)
Thud! (Ankh-Morpork City Watch book 7)
Wintersmith (Tiffany Aching book 3)
Making Money (Moist von Lipwig book 2) (Industrial Revolution book 5)
Unseen Academicals (Rincewind book 8)
I Shall Wear Midnight (Tiffany Aching book 4)
Snuff (Ankh-Morpork City Watch book 8)
The World of Poo
Raising Steam (Moist von Lipwig book 3) (Industrial Revolution book 6)
The Shepherd's Crown (Tiffany Aching book 5)

Discworld Related books:
The Discworld Mapp - Terry Pratchett & Stephen Briggs
Terry Pratchett's Discworld Colouring Book - Paul Kidby
Terry Pratchett's Discworld Imaginarium - Paul Kidby

Visit Terry Pratchett's website for more information

Review:
Wizards always know when they're going to die and Drum Billet is determined to pass on his staff, and his magic, to someone worthy. He has heard that a baby is about to be born, the eighth son of an eighth son, and therefore someone who should be incredibly powerful when they come of age and he has decided that they'll make a worthy heir. Unfortunately he forgets one tiny matter - to check that the baby is actually a boy before he makes the exchange. It's a well known fact on Discworld that girls can't be wizards and boys can't be witches but Esk has been gifted a magic that she never should have had access to and now it's up to Granny Weatherwax to figure out how to train her.

I've always loved the Discworld witches and Granny Weatherwax is a firm favourite but I had forgotten how much she changes throughout this series. When we meet her in Equal Rites she is still an intelligent and powerful witch but she's never left her remote village in the mountains and hates the idea of even visiting a large town, let alone travelling the 500 miles to Ankh-Morpork. I always think of her as being rather worldy and wise so it was quite amusing to see her so nervous about leaving her home. Unfortunately for Granny Esk starts to manifest magical abilities that are beyond Granny's experience and she realises that the young girl needs proper wizard training so it's off to the Unseen University that they go.

One of the things I love about Terry Pratchett's writing is his ability to take real life issues, like equality of the sexes in this case, and present them in a way that shows how utterly ridiculous it is that these problems still occur in our day to day lives. His stories are so full of humour, he is great at poking fun of old fashioned and pointless traditions and his characters are always so much fun to read about. Equal Rites is the third book in the Discworld series but it stands the test of time and I've read it many times over the years along with all of the earlier Discworld novels. I love the world he has created and I've grown really attached to all of the characters over the years, so many of them pop up time and time again even if it's only for a minor guest appearance and although the books can be read in any order I do think that it's best to start at the beginning, especially your first time through the series.

Source: Purchased

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Review: Mort - Terry Pratchett

Death comes to us all. When he came to Mort, he offered him a job.

After being assured that being dead was not compulsory, Mort accepted. However, he soon found that romantic longings did not mix easily with the responsibilities of being Death's apprentice . . .

Discworld Series:
The Colour of Magic (Rincewind book 1)
The Light Fantastic (Rincewind book 2)
Equal Rites (Witches book 1)
Mort (Death book 1)
Sourcery (Rincewind book 3)
Wyrd Sisters (Witches book 2)
Pyramids
Guards! Guards! (Ankh-Morpork City Watch book 1)
Eric (Rincewind book 4)
Moving Pictures (Industrial Revolution book 1)
Reaper Man (Death book 2)
Witches Abroad (Witches book 3)
Small Gods
Lords and Ladies (Witches book 4)
Men at Arms (Ankh-Morpork City Watch book 2)
Soul Music (Death book 3)
Interesting Times (Rincewind book 5)
Maskerade (Witches book 5)
Feet of Clay (Ankh-Morpork City Watch book 3)
Hogfather (Death book 4)
Jingo (Ankh-Morpork City Watch book 4)
The Last Continent (Rincewind book 6)
Carpe Jugulum (Witches book 6)
The Fifth Elephant (Ankh-Morpork City Watch book 5)
The Truth (Industrial Revolution book 2)
Thief of Time (Death book 5)
The Last Hero (Rincewind book 7)
The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents
Night Watch (Ankh-Morpork City Watch book 6)
The Wee Free Men (Tiffany Aching book 1)
Monstrous Regiment (Industrial Revolution book 3)
A Hat Full of Sky (Tiffany Aching book 2)
Going Postal (Moist von Lipwig book 1) (Industrial Revolution book 4)
Thud! (Ankh-Morpork City Watch book 7)
Wintersmith (Tiffany Aching book 3)
Making Money (Moist von Lipwig book 2) (Industrial Revolution book 5)
Unseen Academicals (Rincewind book 8)
I Shall Wear Midnight (Tiffany Aching book 4)
Snuff (Ankh-Morpork City Watch book 8)
The World of Poo
Raising Steam (Moist von Lipwig book 3) (Industrial Revolution book 6)
The Shepherd's Crown (Tiffany Aching book 5)

Discworld Related books:
The Discworld Mapp - Terry Pratchett & Stephen Briggs
Terry Pratchett's Discworld Colouring Book - Paul Kidby
Terry Pratchett's Discworld Imaginarium - Paul Kidby

Visit Terry Pratchett's website for more information

Review:
As someone who has been a fan of Terry Pratchett's Discworld series for close to twenty years I was absolutely devastated when he passed away last week. I have read and reread the earlier Discworld books so many times over the years but unfortunately I hadn't kept up with the more recent releases. I guess that's probably something to be glad about now because it means I still have a few new Discworld adventures ahead of me. Anyway, I've been telling myself for ages that I would do a series reread and review all of the books on my blog but although I've read a few of the books I've never managed to complete the task. After hearing the news I just had to dig out one of my old books to read though and since Death has always been one of my favourite Discworld characters I decided to start with his mini series and pick up Mort. I couldn't think of a more appropriate book to read right now and I have to say it cheered me up no end imagining the conversations that Terry Pratchett is now hopefully having with one of his most popular characters.

Although Death had played a minor role in several of the earlier books Mort is the first story where he is one of the main characters and it was here that we really start to get to know him better and understand what his life is like. He is such a fascinating character and I love reading his observations about humanity and life in general. Death doesn't look at things in the way that most of us do but he's an incredibly witty character and so much fun to read about. He also has a special fondness for cats so I'd love him for that if nothing else!

Death has decided it's time for him to take on an apprentice and Mort is the lucky guy who lands the job. Unfortunately things don't quite go to plan when Mort accidentally thwarts fate because he doesn't want to see a young girl die. Mort may have given Keli a temporary reprieve but when it's your time, it's your time and the world is determined to set things right. Mort has set a whole chain of events in motion and it's now up to him to figure out how to resolve things.

Mort contains all the crazy hijinks you'd expect from the Discworld but it is also a coming of age story as we get to see the kind of man that Mort will grow into and it gives a rather poignant look at Death both as a character and as an inevitable event in everyone's lives. I found the last couple of paragraphs particularly heart wrenching in the circumstances so I just have to end this review with them:

'Goodbye,' Mort said, and was surprised to find a lump in his throat. 'It's such an unpleasant word, isn't it?'

QUITE SO. Death grinned because, as has so often been remarked, he didn't have much option. But possibly he meant it, this time.

I PREFER AU REVOIR, he said.

RIP Sir Terry, I'm going to picture you sitting side by side with Death putting the world to rights over a game of chess!

Source: Purchased

Other Reviews:
Notes of Life
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Review: Hogfather - Terry Pratchett

It's the night before Hogswatch.
And it's too quiet.

Where is the big jolly fat man? Why is Death creeping down chimneys and trying to say Ho Ho Ho? The darkest night of the year is getting a lot darker . . .

Susan the gothic governess has got to sort it out by morning, otherwise there won't be a morning. Ever again . . .

The 20th Discoworld novel is a festive feast of darkness and Death (but with jolly robins and tinsel too).

As they say: You'd better watch out . . .

Discworld Series:
The Colour of Magic (Rincewind book 1)
The Light Fantastic (Rincewind book 2)
Equal Rites (Witches book 1)
Mort (Death book 1)
Sourcery (Rincewind book 3)
Wyrd Sisters (Witches book 2)
Pyramids
Guards! Guards! (Ankh-Morpork City Watch book 1)
Eric (Rincewind book 4)
Moving Pictures (Industrial Revolution book 1)
Reaper Man (Death book 2)
Witches Abroad (Witches book 3)
Small Gods
Lords and Ladies (Witches book 4)
Men at Arms (Ankh-Morpork City Watch book 2)
Soul Music (Death book 3)
Interesting Times (Rincewind book 5)
Maskerade (Witches book 5)
Feet of Clay (Ankh-Morpork City Watch book 3)
Hogfather (Death book 4)
Jingo (Ankh-Morpork City Watch book 4)
The Last Continent (Rincewind book 6)
Carpe Jugulum (Witches book 6)
The Fifth Elephant (Ankh-Morpork City Watch book 5)
The Truth (Industrial Revolution book 2)
Thief of Time (Death book 5)
The Last Hero (Rincewind book 7)
The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents
Night Watch (Ankh-Morpork City Watch book 6)
The Wee Free Men (Tiffany Aching book 1)
Monstrous Regiment (Industrial Revolution book 3)
A Hat Full of Sky (Tiffany Aching book 2)
Going Postal (Moist von Lipwig book 1) (Industrial Revolution book 4)
Thud! (Ankh-Morpork City Watch book 7)
Wintersmith (Tiffany Aching book 3)
Making Money (Moist von Lipwig book 2) (Industrial Revolution book 5)
Unseen Academicals (Rincewind book 8)
I Shall Wear Midnight (Tiffany Aching book 4)
Snuff (Ankh-Morpork City Watch book 8)
The World of Poo
Raising Steam (Moist von Lipwig book 3) (Industrial Revolution book 6)
The Shepherd's Crown (Tiffany Aching book 5)

Discworld Related books:
The Discworld Mapp - Terry Pratchett & Stephen Briggs
Terry Pratchett's Discworld Colouring Book - Paul Kidby
Terry Pratchett's Discworld Imaginarium - Paul Kidby

Visit Terry Pratchett's website for more information

Review:
I have been a fan of Terry Pratchett's Discworld series for over 15 years now but I have to admit I've fallen a little behind with the more recent books. I've actually been promising myself for a few years now that I'll reread the series again from the beginning and catch up but for some unknown reason I never quite seem to get around to it. I decided it's time to bite the bullet but rather than read the books in order I used Christmas as an excuse to read Hogfather. This book is a perfect festive read, Death has always been one of my favourite characters in the series and seeing him dress up as the Hogfather (the Discworld equivalent of Father Christmas) is absolutely hilarious.

The Auditors are causing trouble again, they may be in charge of keeping the universe running smoothly but they think it would be much better if there were no humans around messing things up. This time they've decided to target the Hogfather and they've hired the assassin Mister Teatime (make sure you pronounce that correctly unless you want to upset him - it's Teh-ah-tim-eh NOT Tea-time!) to take him out of the equation. How exactly do you go about killing someone who can't die though? Teatime has a plan and Death is the only person who has noticed what is going on and is trying to put a stop to it. He's going to need help though and the best person for the job is obviously his granddaughter Susan who is used to dealing with all kinds of monsters using her trusty poker.

Hogfather is a hilarious read, obviously Death is the star of the show (he always is to me!) but we also get to visit with the wizards at the Unseen University, catch up with Susan, and spend time with the Death of Rats. With the Hogfather out of the equation (although Death is doing his best to fill in for him) the excess belief is causing all sorts of new creatures to pop up including the Verruca Gnome and the Oh God of Hangovers which makes for a lot of amusing moments. Death has always struggled to understand humans but this leads to some fantastic moments of insight. As with all of Terry Pratchett's stories we get an insightful look into the human psyche and you have to laugh at our way of thinking sometimes. Terry Pratchett obviously sees the world through a very interesting lens and I'd love to be able to take a trip inside his mind. This reread has left me more determined than ever to complete my Discworld catch up, so hopefully 2015 will be the year I finally make some serious headway.

Source: Purchased

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Review: The Colour of Magic - Terry Pratchett

On a world supported on the back of a giant turtle (sex unknown), a gleeful, explosive, wickedly eccentric expedition sets out. There's an avaricious but inept wizard, a naive tourist whose luggage moves on hundreds of dear little legs, dragons who only exist if you believe in them, and of course THE EDGE of the planet . . .

Discworld Series:
The Colour of Magic (Rincewind book 1)
The Light Fantastic (Rincewind book 2)
Equal Rites (Witches book 1)
Mort (Death book 1)
Sourcery (Rincewind book 3)
Wyrd Sisters (Witches book 2)
Pyramids
Guards! Guards! (Ankh-Morpork City Watch book 1)
Eric (Rincewind book 4)
Moving Pictures (Industrial Revolution book 1)
Reaper Man (Death book 2)
Witches Abroad (Witches book 3)
Small Gods
Lords and Ladies (Witches book 4)
Men at Arms (Ankh-Morpork City Watch book 2)
Soul Music (Death book 3)
Interesting Times (Rincewind book 5)
Maskerade (Witches book 5)
Feet of Clay (Ankh-Morpork City Watch book 3)
Hogfather (Death book 4)
Jingo (Ankh-Morpork City Watch book 4)
The Last Continent (Rincewind book 6)
Carpe Jugulum (Witches book 6)
The Fifth Elephant (Ankh-Morpork City Watch book 5)
The Truth (Industrial Revolution book 2)
Thief of Time (Death book 5)
The Last Hero (Rincewind book 7)
The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents
Night Watch (Ankh-Morpork City Watch book 6)
The Wee Free Men (Tiffany Aching book 1)
Monstrous Regiment (Industrial Revolution book 3)
A Hat Full of Sky (Tiffany Aching book 2)
Going Postal (Moist von Lipwig book 1) (Industrial Revolution book 4)
Thud! (Ankh-Morpork City Watch book 7)
Wintersmith (Tiffany Aching book 3)
Making Money (Moist von Lipwig book 2) (Industrial Revolution book 5)
Unseen Academicals (Rincewind book 8)
I Shall Wear Midnight (Tiffany Aching book 4)
Snuff (Ankh-Morpork City Watch book 8)
The World of Poo
Raising Steam (Moist von Lipwig book 3) (Industrial Revolution book 6)
The Shepherd's Crown (Tiffany Aching book 5)

Discworld Related books:
The Discworld Mapp - Terry Pratchett & Stephen Briggs
Terry Pratchett's Discworld Colouring Book - Paul Kidby
Terry Pratchett's Discworld Imaginarium - Paul Kidby

Visit Terry Pratchett's website for more information

Review:
I first discovered Terry Pratchett's Discworld series when I was in my teens and I have been a massive fan of his work ever since, over the years I've read most of the series but I thought it was about time I started a re-read. Although you don't have to read the series in order I have a bit of a thing when it comes to series so I have had to start again at the beginning.

If you've never discovered the Discworld books (although that is highly unlikely lol) then I can't recommend the series enough, Terry Pratchett has a fantastic imagination and a way of writing that will have you laughing throughout the whole book. The Colour of Magic is our introduction to Discworld, a flat, circular world that rests on the back of four giant elephants who are standing on an even bigger turtle that is flying through space. Has that caught your interest? How can you resist something as brilliantly crazy as that? I would love to spend time inside Terry's mind and see where he gets his ideas from!

Here we follow the adventures of the not very successful wizard Rincewind as he tries to keep hapless tourist Twoflower safe. The pair bumble along from one mishap to the next somehow managing to avoid serious injury despite being in the most difficult circumstances. They will meet dragons & barbarians, have more than one brush with Death and are constantly trailed by a walking luggage chest with very big teeth.

There are hundreds of reviews out there for this book so I'm not going to go into much more detail, I'll just say that I love the characters, I love this world and from experience the series just gets better and better with every book. If you like fantasy and are looking for something that is quirky and fun you can't go wrong with any of these books and I would highly recommend the series.

Source: Purchased

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Review: I Shall Wear Midnight - Terry Pratchett

"I'm feared for the big wee hag..."

Tiffany Aching is a witch.  And she thinks she's doing a good job for the people of the Chalk.  Even if the job does seem to involve a lot of bandaging legs and cutting old ladies' toenails and not much, well, magic.

Or sleep.

But somewhere - some time - there's a tangled ball of evil and spite, of hatred and malice, that has woken up.  And it's waking up all of the old stories too - stories about evil old witches.

Suddenly Tiffany isn't so sure she's doing the right thing.  And her tiny allies - the fightin' Nac Mac Feegles - are only making things more difficult.

Things are supposed to look better after a good night's sleep.

But they won't.

They're about to get a lot, lot worse.

And a witch has to deal with what is in front of her...

Discworld Series:
The Colour of Magic (Rincewind book 1)
The Light Fantastic (Rincewind book 2)
Equal Rites (Witches book 1)
Mort (Death book 1)
Sourcery (Rincewind book 3)
Wyrd Sisters (Witches book 2)
Pyramids
Guards! Guards! (Ankh-Morpork City Watch book 1)
Eric (Rincewind book 4)
Moving Pictures (Industrial Revolution book 1)
Reaper Man (Death book 2)
Witches Abroad (Witches book 3)
Small Gods
Lords and Ladies (Witches book 4)
Men at Arms (Ankh-Morpork City Watch book 2)
Soul Music (Death book 3)
Interesting Times (Rincewind book 5)
Maskerade (Witches book 5)
Feet of Clay (Ankh-Morpork City Watch book 3)
Hogfather (Death book 4)
Jingo (Ankh-Morpork City Watch book 4)
The Last Continent (Rincewind book 6)
Carpe Jugulum (Witches book 6)
The Fifth Elephant (Ankh-Morpork City Watch book 5)
The Truth (Industrial Revolution book 2)
Thief of Time (Death book 5)
The Last Hero (Rincewind book 7)
The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents
Night Watch (Ankh-Morpork City Watch book 6)
The Wee Free Men (Tiffany Aching book 1)
Monstrous Regiment (Industrial Revolution book 3)
A Hat Full of Sky (Tiffany Aching book 2)
Going Postal (Moist von Lipwig book 1) (Industrial Revolution book 4)
Thud! (Ankh-Morpork City Watch book 7)
Wintersmith (Tiffany Aching book 3)
Making Money (Moist von Lipwig book 2) (Industrial Revolution book 5)
Unseen Academicals (Rincewind book 8)
I Shall Wear Midnight (Tiffany Aching book 4)
Snuff (Ankh-Morpork City Watch book 8)
The World of Poo
Raising Steam (Moist von Lipwig book 3) (Industrial Revolution book 6)
The Shepherd's Crown (Tiffany Aching book 5)

Discworld Related books:
The Discworld Mapp - Terry Pratchett & Stephen Briggs
Terry Pratchett's Discworld Colouring Book - Paul Kidby
Terry Pratchett's Discworld Imaginarium - Paul Kidby

Visit Terry Pratchett's website for more information

Review:
Tiffany is now 16 years old and has finished her witch training, she has been given her own steading and has been the official witch for The Chalk for a year now. As we have already learnt from the previous books in the series this involves a lot of hard work and a lot less magic than you might expect. It isn't easy going back to the area where everyone knew her as a child and being the one everyone comes to with their problems but Tiffany is more than capable of taking up the challenge. But something strange is happening, people she has known all her life are starting to look at her differently and instead of giving her respect they are becoming suspicious and scared of her. Something out there is spreading malice wherever it goes and, as the general public are becoming more and more anti-witches, it is up to Tiffany to stop it - before the witch hunts begin again.

I Shall Wear Midnight is the 38th Discworld book and the 4th & final book in the Tiffany Aching series. You don't have to have read all of the Discworld stories to enjoy this one but I would definitely recommend reading the whole Tiffany series in order (starting with The Wee Free Men). The series is a great stepping stone to introduce young adults to the Discworld series but I'd also recommend it to adults who are already fans of the series.

If you've read any of my other reviews for the books in this series you'll already know that I love Tiffany and the Nac Mac Feegles so I couldn't wait to read this book. I Shall Wear Midnight didn't disappoint and although it is by far the darkest book in the series it still contained the humour and witty real life insights that you can expect in any of Terry Pratchett's books. The themes covered in the story include child abuse, miscarriage, hatred and prejudice but it is also an inspiring story as we watch Tiffany become an adult. We have seen her character grow a lot throughout the series, she has always been intelligent and caring but we now see even more the potential she has to become one of the Discworld's greatest witches.

We see quite a lot of the older witches in this one - old favorites like Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg but also some new but powerful characters we hadn't come across in this series before. I loved the fact that we get to visit Ankh Morpork with Tiffany and catch up with some of the city watch (Including Carrot, Angua & Vimes). I found it interesting seeing Tiffany out of her element in the big city and the Nac Mac Feegles manage to cause chaos while they're there as you might expect if you've ever met them before. I still love the humour provided in the form of the Feegles and it was great to see Wee Mad Arthur again.

If you're a fan of the previous Tiffany books then I'm sure you'll enjoy this last instalment. If you haven't started reading them yet but are a fan of humorous fantasy then what are you waiting for? Get your hands on a copy of The Wee Free Men asap!

Source: Thanks to RHCB for giving me an ARC of this book, I also have a signed hardback from the signing I attended.

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Nayu's Reading Corner
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Review: Wintersmith - Terry Pratchett

'Crivens!'

Tiffany Aching put one foot wrong, made just one little mistake...

And now the spirit of winter is in love with her. He gives her roses and icebergs and showers her with snowflakes, which is tough when you're thirteen, but also just a little bit...cool.

If Tiffany doesn't work out how to deal with him, there will never be another springtime...

Discworld Series:
The Colour of Magic (Rincewind book 1)
The Light Fantastic (Rincewind book 2)
Equal Rites (Witches book 1)
Mort (Death book 1)
Sourcery (Rincewind book 3)
Wyrd Sisters (Witches book 2)
Pyramids
Guards! Guards! (Ankh-Morpork City Watch book 1)
Eric (Rincewind book 4)
Moving Pictures (Industrial Revolution book 1)
Reaper Man (Death book 2)
Witches Abroad (Witches book 3)
Small Gods
Lords and Ladies (Witches book 4)
Men at Arms (Ankh-Morpork City Watch book 2)
Soul Music (Death book 3)
Interesting Times (Rincewind book 5)
Maskerade (Witches book 5)
Feet of Clay (Ankh-Morpork City Watch book 3)
Hogfather (Death book 4)
Jingo (Ankh-Morpork City Watch book 4)
The Last Continent (Rincewind book 6)
Carpe Jugulum (Witches book 6)
The Fifth Elephant (Ankh-Morpork City Watch book 5)
The Truth (Industrial Revolution book 2)
Thief of Time (Death book 5)
The Last Hero (Rincewind book 7)
The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents
Night Watch (Ankh-Morpork City Watch book 6)
The Wee Free Men (Tiffany Aching book 1)
Monstrous Regiment (Industrial Revolution book 3)
A Hat Full of Sky (Tiffany Aching book 2)
Going Postal (Moist von Lipwig book 1) (Industrial Revolution book 4)
Thud! (Ankh-Morpork City Watch book 7)
Wintersmith (Tiffany Aching book 3)
Making Money (Moist von Lipwig book 2) (Industrial Revolution book 5)
Unseen Academicals (Rincewind book 8)
I Shall Wear Midnight (Tiffany Aching book 4)
Snuff (Ankh-Morpork City Watch book 8)
The World of Poo
Raising Steam (Moist von Lipwig book 3) (Industrial Revolution book 6)
The Shepherd's Crown (Tiffany Aching book 5)

Discworld Related books:
The Discworld Mapp - Terry Pratchett & Stephen Briggs
Terry Pratchett's Discworld Colouring Book - Paul Kidby
Terry Pratchett's Discworld Imaginarium - Paul Kidby

Visit Terry Pratchett's website for more information

Review:
Tiffany is now 13 years old and is living with witch Miss Treason to continue her training. The trouble starts when Miss Treason takes her to the winter dance (the opposite of a Morris dance). Despite the warnings she has been given Tiffany is caught up in the music and joins in with the dance - ending up with the spirit of winter (the Wintersmith) mistaking her for summer and falling in love with her. Now the Wintersmith has Tiffany in his sights it is up to her to find a way to stop him - and if she fails summer will never arrive.

Wintersmith is the 35th book in Terry Pratchett's Discworld series and the 3rd book featuring Tiffany Aching. Although I have read this book previously I am currently re-reading the Tiffany books in anticipation of book 4 (I Shall Wear Midnight) which is released on Thursday (2nd September). You don't need to have read the whole Discworld series in order to enjoy A Hat Full of Sky but I would recommend reading the Tiffany Aching series in order starting with The Wee Free Men. These books are a great introduction for young adults who have yet to discover the Discworld series but fans of the series will also love getting to see characters they already know and love.

Tiffany has been in training for 2 years now and already knows that being a witch is hard work - it isn't as simple as just casting spells and is much more to do with getting to know people and helping with the tasks that nobody else wants to do. Working alongside Miss Treason she realises she still has a lot to learn - including how to put on a good show. When she inadvertently catches the attention of the Wintersmith she finds herself in a situation that she has no idea how to deal with. She knows the Wintersmith's attention is a dangerous thing but she can't help being flattered by it. But how can she correct her mistake and make sure that summer returns when it's supposed to?

Both Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg feature a lot more in this instalment than they have in previous books in the Tiffany Aching series. I love both of these characters and enjoy getting to see them through Tiffany's eyes. The Nac Mac Feegles stole the show again, making me laugh out loud on numerous occasions. It has been nice watching Tiffany's character grow throughout the series and you can see the changes in her as she gets closer to becoming an adult. Roland has also done a lot of growing up throughout the series changing from a spoilt and whiny boy to a likeable and brave young man. I didn't like him at all in the first book to but he has really grown on me. This is probably my favourite book in the Tiffany series and I can't wait to read the 4th and final book I Shall Wear Midnight.

If you're a fan of Terry Pratchett and Tiffany Aching then you'll love this instalment in the series. I'd recommend this series (and any of the Discworld books) to anyone who enjoys a good humorous fantasy story.

Source: Purchased

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.