The Shepherd's Crown (Tiffany Aching)

A most enjoyable book, sad to know it's the last Sir Terry wrote. As always I find it hard to put the Discworld books down and this was no different. I would have loved to be able follow more of Tiffany Aching

High praise for sadly, Mr. Pratchet's last Discworld work. RIP. Humankind will not see another like him for quite some time. Whoever takes his mantle, remember Tiffany, and do it your way. Terry you are missed.

Another wonderful story written by a true artist. Mr. Pratchett had such a way with words that I would find myself relishing each word he wrote, and this book is no exception. As he has charmed us all for many years with his Discworld novels, I'm sure he is doing the same for the very angels of heaven. Thank you, Mr. Pratchett, for making my world a better one. You will be sorely missed.

Terry Pratchett packed more thought, insight, wisdom and silliness in each book he wtote than any 10 other authors. Only fantastical fiction was big enough to contain his wildly disciplined imagination and all the little things he knew. I suspect he is riding the back of the great world turtle a'tuin into further mad adventures, but, alas, we can only re-read and cherish the ones he has left behind. Farewell Terry. I hope the next part of your journey is as enjoyable as you found this one.

Full disclosure: I think Terry Pratchett is one of the most enjoyable writers of English prose of all time. My rating of this book is as much because of what is missing as what is on the page.
If you haven't read his other books, read them first. Any of them. If you HAVE read several of his other books, you will be able to appreciate the missing nuance and mastery that was unceremoniously stripped from this genius by a cruel disease.
So read other Pratchett books for pleasure. And think of this as the fade out at the end of a favorite pop song, or the slightly bitter aftertaste at the end of an excellent coffee.

I love the Tiffany Aching books and am so sorry there won't be any more. Some parts moved me to tears. It is incredible that Terry Pratchett continued to write so beautifully right up to the end of his life.

The scene with granny Weatherwax, in my opinion, may have been meant to mirror Terry Pratchett's own death. The disease he got was one that allowed him time to know he was dying and to know that there was so much to do before he died. Perhaps someday, with any luck, his own task of creating magic may be picked up by some other Tiffany aching to continue his tradition of creating Tales of the Discworld. I give this book 5 stars because it's a great way to end the series by a great man who was lucky enough to foresee is own ending. I recommend this book to anybody, but first I recommend you read the entire Tiffany Aching series beginning with The Wee Free Men. (i'm sorry for any misspellings or grammatical errors as I am using the voice program on my phone and I have an accent and my phone doesn't understand Texan)

I can't believe that this is the last book from Sir Pratchett. I purchased the book and didn't read it for fear that it would be an piecework forced together by another author from notes left behind. Fear not...this was a wonderful swan song....one of his best...featuring the much beloved Tiffany Aching. As sad as I was to see the last of his works, I am so happy to see that the last book should feature her. It was one of his best. So long Sir Pratchett...you will be missed. And thanks for this last one....nobody has done it better.

Arrived today, I'm halfway thru - and very impressed. Sir Terry has given us a grand work to go out with.

To my mind, the Tiffany novels have always been some of the more thoughtful of the Discworld tomes, and this does not disappoint.

As was stated in the official statements after his death - His daughter, who assisted with (at the minimum) this final volume said that this would indeed be the final volume, and that the family would not continue his writings. This work appears to be a fitting finale to his writing career, and he will be sorely missed.

It was a bittersweet experience reading Sir Terry Pratchett's last book. I have always been a huge fan. In my opinion, "The Shepherd's Crown" was not one of his best (understandable in the circumstances - and in no way a criticism because his best was so very very extraordinary); but still an enjoyable, humerous and thought provoking read. The death of one of my favorite characters was a somewhat expected shock. As I turned the pages I kept expecting her to turn up somewhere; just like, I am sure, I will continue to expect and search for Sir Terry's brilliance for several years to come. I choose to believe that it will be everywhere. I got the feeling throughout this book that I was sharing a very deep and personal experience with the author - an experience I was honoured to have and deeply moved by. As his swan song, it was perfect and I admit to shedding a few tears when I read "The End". I am a voracious reader of everything and anything, but Sir Terry Pratchett will always be, in my opinion, one of the finest writers and one of the most exceptional minds of our time. I will continue to reread, enjoy and learn from his works for many years to come and will actively encourage everyone I meet to discover the joys, the laughter and the exquisite wisdom of this awesome talent. I feel like I have lost a very dear friend and mentor, but am so glad and grateful that he left such a huge legacy behind. He is definitely someone who left the world a better place than he found it. His was a life well lived, indeed, and the world is poorer by his passing.

This is not the best book Pratchett wrote, but it is the best last book a writer can probably write to encapsulate what he had been writing about, for years.

Why? Because it is a strong story about being who and what you are -- about being the best that you can be and even exceeding that best at times. Pratchett knew people, deeply, and his characters -- the witches Nanny Ogg, Granny Weatherwax, Tiffany Aching are individuals but of a kind -- those who deal with what has to be dealt with because that's what they expect of themselves and others. There's a parallel here deeply embedded in the American Girl Tradition of the late 19th Century in America where one didn't think much of women who couldn't cope. Pratchett clearly felt the same. I prefer to point to the entire series with the witches as the next place to go, starting with the early ones like Witches Abroad, Wyrd Sisters, Masquerade, and most importantly, Lords and Ladies. (I'm assuming all of the Tiffany Aching books have already been read).

It's not a book for young teen girls, by any means. There are the usual puns, asides, observations as well as one truly exceptional male character, Geoffrey, who is we find out, a calmweaver.

Poorest of the Discworld series. Disappointing and mildly incoherent. The author (clearly not Pratchett) uses some very amateurish devices to solve the issues which should have given major tension to the book. To a lover of all things Discworld, you can yield to your impulse to put this down halfway through and walk away. You won't have missed anything.

While Tiffany Aching is not in my top 5 list of best Pratchett characters, this is a fitting tale to be the last of Pratchett's Disc World books. The Tiffany novels have never had as much humor in their narrative, and this one is no different.
Tiffany is again being run ragged trying to fulfill all her self-imposed responsibilities, and then the elves add more problems.
Tiffany and other assorted witches come together to solve the problems, and do bring the story to a satisfying conclusion.

The Shepherd's Crown (2015) is the fifth Fantasy novel within the Tiffany Aching subseries in the Discworld sequence, following I Shall Wear Midnight. The initial volume in this series is The Wee Free Men.

In the previous volume, Tiffany was visiting the annual scouring fair. She saw many people that she had met while witching and, of course, they recalled her. OTOH, the towed broom and the pointed hat are a dead giveaway.

Tiffany was moving toward the cheese roll. She was not competing in the roll this year, for a witch could neither win nor lose without causing comments. But she noticed Horace in the group rolling down the hill.

Horace was a strange cheese wheel. She had made him much like her other cheeses, but he was the only one that ate mice and -- if not staked -- other cheeses. He was rolling down the hill and then back up it while bumping other cheeses and causing pandemonium.

Tiffany took Horace and stuck him in her bag. She called for Rob to show himself and found him sitting on her shoulder. He said that Jenny wanted him to find her and says that she hasn't been to the mound in two weeks.

In this novel, Tiffany Aching is the witch of the Chalk steading. She is young and idealistic. Moreover, she swings a mean frying pan.

Jennie is the kelda of the local Nac Mac Feegles or, as they are also known, the Wee Free Men. Naturally, Jenny is the mate of Rob Anybody, the clan chief.

Rob Anybody is chief of the Wee Free clan and the husband of Jennie. He is also the smartest of the Wee Free Men.

Esmerelda Weatherwax is a very senor witch. Her steading is within Lancre.

Nanny Ogg is also a senior witch. She usually sees the bright side of things.

Mustrum Ridcully is the Archchancellor of Unseen University. He is the most important wizard on discworld.

Geoffrey Swivel is the third son of Lord Swivel. He is not appreciated by his father. Geoffrey has a pet got he has named Mephistopheles.

You is Granny Weatherwax's familiar. She is a pure white cat.

In this story, a shepherd finds a crown in the chalk. It has a bit of gold flashing in it. He takes it home to the Aching farm.

Tiffany is high in the downs. The air is so clear that she can see to the edge of the disc. She is visiting the stone circle where she had transferred to Fairyland.

She finds that she is not alone in the circle. Rob has been sent to fetch her to Jennie. She is told that the kelda has a premonition about the circle.

Esmerelda also has a premonition. She prepares everything for her death. She washes the walls, floors and ceilings of the house. She even washes the stepping stones in the yard.

After everything is fully prepared, Esmerelda lies in her bed and waits for death. Soon Death arrives with his sickle. He takes her soul back with hlm.

Esmerelda's death ripples through the disc. Nanny Ogg sense it and goes to the house. Mustrum also senses her death and flies to her home.

Tiffany doesn't sense Esmerelda's death, for she is delivering triplets. Then You shows up rubbing her legs. Tiffany flies her broom to Esmerelda's cottage.

Nanny Ogg and Tiffany take care of the body. They bury it in the woods as Esmerelda wanted. They show Mustrum the grave when he arrives.

Other witches also sense Esmerelda's death and fly to her home. They have a wake in honor of Esmerelda. Nanny Ogg keeps them supplied with liquor.

Meanwhile, Geoffrey doesn't want to hunt foxes, so he sneaks off while nobody is looking. His father is very angry, but Geoffrey faces him down and leaves him angry and shocked. Geoffrey wants to be a witch and he takes Mephistopheles toward Lancre.

This tale brings the senior witches together to pick a successor to Esmerelda. Esmerelda has been the unofficial leader of the witches. Some others wanted her position and authority.

Yet Esmerelda has lead by example instead of authority. Nanny Ogg told them that Esmerelda had selected Tiffany to replace her. Although others wanted the steading, Tiffany was given the position.

Now Tiffany has two steadings to serve. She flies back and forth between them. The weather is rainy most of the time. She is becoming very tired of traveling.

Then Geoffrey shows up at the back door of the cottage. This is the last Discworld novel. However, the author also has been collaborating with Baxter in SF novels of the Long Earth series.

Highly recommended for Pratchett fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of witch magic, true leadership, and a bit of romance. Read and enjoy!

-Arthur W. Jordin

This was a very hard book to read.

Not that it was bad, mind you. It may have been a bit incomplete. It did feel short - not even 300 pages. If you’re reading this, you might know. The author died.

He died, and the day I heard, I sat at my desk and cried. I’m a grown man, right? So I closed the door and made a coworker who looked in on me feel bad, If you’re like me, you’ve spent hours and hours with Terry. He’s a friend you lost, and this is the last letter he wrote before you lost him.

It is hard because in the beginning of the book, a beloved character dies too. It was impossible for me to read it without thinking that Terry was a stand-in for the character. There’s a conflation that I cannot escape. The character who passed was a witch, and a special thing about the witches is that they know when they will die, so their rendezvous with Death can be orderly and planned, unlike most of us. Terry knew too. He’d been facing the reality of his impending mortality since 2007. I guess that gives you more focus, and more urgency.

In here, Terry writes: “No long faces, [...] please. She’s had a good death at home, just as anyone might wish for. Witches know that people die: and if they manages to die after a long time leavin’ the world better than they went an’ found it, well then that’s surely a reason to be happy” (61). The world is a better place that Terry was in it.
As for the book, it is all you could want for a final coda from a friend. We learn more about the Chalk, and we see Tiffany come into her own. What more could you ask?

Yes, this is a Tiffany Aching story. Yes, Granny Weatherwax dies in the beginning. Nonetheless this story is about Granny Weatherwax from beginning to end.

Granny Weatherwax has always been the mistress of headology. This final story is homage to her approach to life. Even her absence is a palpable presence at all times. The fact she is NOT there is the driving force behind everything that follows. No one can fill her shoes, and in this story literally no one does. She would be pleased, though she would never show it.

Some things do change. You may remember her old broom, which always required a running start to get it going. It is given to a new witch -- so far the only male witch. It becomes the perfect personification of the new owner, but in an entirely new way.

I wish Terry Pratchett had the time to complete the struggle over which witch took over her duties as the non-leader of all the witches. But it still had his touch, This book was not as fleshed out as it would have been if Terry Pratchett had lived long enough, and it shows in a number of areas. But it is still a great story. Granny Weatherwax made sure everything was clean, neat and perfect before lying down for her final rest. This is Terry Pratchett's attempt to do the same with his series. The ending is still living and vibrant, with new interesting characters showing that Disc World is still evolving, still changing, and that there are still surprise awaiting. This book is not a tombstone showing an end. It is part of a river, and the river continues.

It was Terry's last work. Was it as good as his work before his illness? No. Do I care? No. I love and miss him. I'd have purchased it even if it was random letters held together with spit. Sir Terry and Granny Weatherwax are playing Cripple Mr. Onion in paradise, and my world has grown smaller because he has left it.

I have to admit that I cried my way through about half this book - both because it was Terry Pratchett's last complete story for us, and because of the story and beautiful imagery it holds. It makes me miss him more and gives me impetus to go back and read his earlier works.

Thank you, Mr. Pratchett.

Terry's death this year was so sad. It took a while before I was ready to read The Shepherd's Crown, but a very few pages in I was in familiar territory again. The sense of place, home, and the familiar characters were as comfortable as ever, and the wry humor and word play were there too. I'll miss Terry's work, but I'm so grateful to have known the Discworld.

Much as I adored Terry Pratchett, this was really a letdown. At the end of the book, the editors said there was a beginning, a middle and an ending. Yes, there was. I wish I had borrowed it from the library instead of buying it.

I know he was trying to tie up loose ends, but his friends should have stopped him. "Steam" was pretty bad, but this one is even worse. Such a great writer cut down by an insidious disease - I cried when I read this book for the way he used to write. Like seeing a great singer going on stage with his voice cracking on all the hard notes. Buy it for his memory if you are a Prachett collector, but don't expect a Prachett story.

I am feeling a deep sense of saudade, for I have just finished Terry Pratchett's last Discworld novel, the Shepherd's Crown, and I know there will be no more. It was the finale of finales. It is that feeling of finishing a book, and being strangely stuck in a place of nostalgia and melancholy because it has ended, but it is a thousandfold because the author has passed and this was his last finished work. It was also the last of a series that has spanned forty amazing books. I do not know when the catharsis will happen. Indeed, I feel that I was not even aware that a catharsis was needed until I read the last page, not only because of the series end but also in grief over the world's loss of such a great author. Do not mistake my words here as a bad review. Quite the contrary... the book is wonderful. I was in tears before I was one third through it.

Up front. I am a rabid Pratchett fan. I have everything he ever wrote, including come rare stuff. But let me make a suggestion. If you are new to him, do not start with this book. It is nowhere near representative of his best. Ignore the 5 stars. Seriously. This isn't 5 star. Start off with The Color of Magic, or Interesting Times. Both are fantastic. I know Pratchett was very sick when this was written. But it' badly in need of cleanup and none of his dry wit and humor is here. And I have to say it reads as though it's an amateur, self published story. It does wrap up the saga of Tiffany Aching and once you've gone through all the other books that will mean something. Read the Tiffany Aching stories for sure - they are marketed as youth stories, but I'm 58 and loved them. But while I will miss Pratchett, this isn't him. It's sad.

I bought this book out of loyalty to Discworld and Terry Pratchett. The second chapter touched my heart and seems to be from the author himself but from that point on, I was just reading to finish the book. I hope no 'lost manuscripts' appear as they, like this book, will almost assuredly be shadows of the great work that is the Discworld series. This book, along with Raising Steam, showed that is is time to say goodbye to Terry Pratchett, although I will be rereading his earlier books for a very long time.

I haven't finished it yet, I've been putting it off because it's Terry's last book. .I finally braced myself to start it without soaking it with tears, and so far it is all I could hope for!

Highly recommended for Terry Pratchett fans! Keep a tissue close at hand though.

This is, by far,the weakest novel written by Sir Terry.
The plot tries to wrap up all the questions of the many characters created in previous stories, and fails to amuse. I really hate to think of it as my last memory of a brilliant humorist.

Truly the legacy of Sir Terry's novels ended in the best possible way. Throughout the book the feelings remained powerful, never becoming stale or trite. As witty and clever as all of his books, it is still an enjoyable read even without the tie ins to his other Discworld works (although reading those other books is a must before ending the series on this one). It brought laughter to my lips and tears to my eyes. Never before and never again will there be a series of books as uniquely hilarious and emotional as Pratchett's, and is more than a must read, its a necessity to bring his wonderful world into your life. It will make you laugh and cry and roll your eyes in derision, and perhaps most importantly, THINK. Normally at this point I would quote one of his works to try and get his genius across, but I truly hope that you go and find the examples for yourselves. Rest in peace, Sir Terry, safe in the knowledge that your final work was a brilliant final entry in a series of uncontested stellar quality.

Typical Pratchett, though this one is a bit bitter sweet. A well admired character dies, reminiscent of Pratchett's own demise. However Tiffany is as strong a character as ever, and we see her "grow up" in this episode.

I'm not going to read this yet. It's Terry Pratchett's last book. There will never be another from my favorite author. I have lots of other books to read yet, and some of the maps, cook book and other items that I want to read before I read the last pTerry book. He will be truly missed.

I would be lying if I said this didn't make me weep. I'm eternally grieved for the decade plus of Discworld books that might have been, but this is a most appropriate farewell. So long, Sir Terry...and thanks for all the Disc.

It's the proper plotline wrap-up to the splendid Tiffany Aching cycle by Pratchett but it's obviously just a rough version, without the style and verve that would have been layered on if the author had been allowed more time. Some parts are much more finished than others; the opening sequence is very good and quite touching. It's worth reading just to understand where Terry wanted the characters, and their world, to go.

I bought this book out of loyalty to Discworld and Terry Pratchett. The second chapter touched my heart and seems to be from the author himself but from that point on, I was just reading to finish the book. I hope no 'lost manuscripts' appear as they, like this book, will almost assuredly be shadows of the great work that is the Discworld series. This book, along with Raising Steam, showed that is is time to say goodbye to Terry Pratchett, although I will be rereading his earlier books for a very long time.

I haven't finished it yet, I've been putting it off because it's Terry's last book. .I finally braced myself to start it without soaking it with tears, and so far it is all I could hope for!

Highly recommended for Terry Pratchett fans! Keep a tissue close at hand though.

This is, by far,the weakest novel written by Sir Terry.
The plot tries to wrap up all the questions of the many characters created in previous stories, and fails to amuse. I really hate to think of it as my last memory of a brilliant humorist.

Truly the legacy of Sir Terry's novels ended in the best possible way. Throughout the book the feelings remained powerful, never becoming stale or trite. As witty and clever as all of his books, it is still an enjoyable read even without the tie ins to his other Discworld works (although reading those other books is a must before ending the series on this one). It brought laughter to my lips and tears to my eyes. Never before and never again will there be a series of books as uniquely hilarious and emotional as Pratchett's, and is more than a must read, its a necessity to bring his wonderful world into your life. It will make you laugh and cry and roll your eyes in derision, and perhaps most importantly, THINK. Normally at this point I would quote one of his works to try and get his genius across, but I truly hope that you go and find the examples for yourselves. Rest in peace, Sir Terry, safe in the knowledge that your final work was a brilliant final entry in a series of uncontested stellar quality.

Typical Pratchett, though this one is a bit bitter sweet. A well admired character dies, reminiscent of Pratchett's own demise. However Tiffany is as strong a character as ever, and we see her "grow up" in this episode.

I'm not going to read this yet. It's Terry Pratchett's last book. There will never be another from my favorite author. I have lots of other books to read yet, and some of the maps, cook book and other items that I want to read before I read the last pTerry book. He will be truly missed.

I would be lying if I said this didn't make me weep. I'm eternally grieved for the decade plus of Discworld books that might have been, but this is a most appropriate farewell. So long, Sir Terry...and thanks for all the Disc.

This is Terry Pratchett's last book and the final of the Tiffany Aching series. More bare bones than his usual stories, almost certainly because he was unable to complete his usual series of revisions and embellishments. So not quite so much fun, but there will be no more.

It makes me very sad to give this book a low rating, but it really wasn't good. If you are a long-time Pratchett fan, you have to read it, and will pretty much spend the entire time crying, knowing that it is his last book. If you are new to Pratchett, stay far away. Go read some of his older books.

I did not like this book. I thought the writing was second rate, the characters were not well developed, and both plot and character were poorly done. There were by far too many words that did not move the story along, and I got the distinct feeling that this one was fired off the cuff and did not add anything to the Tiffany Aching books. I really enjoy Tiffany's other books, so I was excited to get this one, then horribly disappointed. It's Pratchett at his worst, a real dud of a book. I really do not recommend it unless you are a serious Tiffany fan and MUST see how it goes. There is no other reason to even attempt this sad little mess.

Trying to review Terry Pratchett's final Discworld novel without including spoilers is quite a challenge, but what I can say is that The Shepherd's Crown - a beautiful and fitting title - didn't disappoint me.

The theme of change, positive, negative and neutral, is threaded through the book. The key to the story is the loss in the first few chapters of one of the major personalities of the Disc and the changes this brings about. The story takes place a few years after the events of I Shall Wear Midnight which was the last previous Discworld novel to feature the witch of the Chalk, Tiffany Aching.

I felt that the mood throughout this book was overall more poignant and reflective than many of the previous novels. I was a third of the way through before I chuckled to myself and halfway through before I put the book down to laugh out loud.

Most established Discworld readers have stories of embarrassing themselves on public transport with unexpected bursts of mirth; these risks are significantly lessened with The Shepherd's Crown. For me, it was still a great read, a wonderful story, which few writers could equal. I Shall Wear Midnight, alongside Hogfather, happens to be my favourite Discworld story and whilst it doesn't reach those heights, the further development of Tiffany Aching as a character is first class, as in its way is that of Jeannie the kelda of the Nac Mac Feegle, who feature throughout .
Other established favourites are true to themselves, and there is an excellent new character; it's sad that this is the only time we will meet him.

I found it impossible not to let the loss of Sir Terry colour my mood as I read the book. Not only that but Tiffany's expression and body language on the cover illustration by Paul Kidby is so perfectly fitting that it made me cry.
Never again will I open a book with the same sense of anticipation that you get when you are about to meet old friends that you haven't seen for a while. The Shepherd's Crown wasn't the very best time I spent with them, but it made for a very fitting farewell.

Note: I am in the UK, where the hardback edition was released on August 27th 2015, hence my reference to the book cover and 'opening' the book.

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.

Endings are sad no matter if it happens suddenly or you know it’s been coming for some time, but all good things come to an end. The Shepherd’s Crown is the final book of Tiffany Aching journey into mature witch as well as the 41st and last Discworld book by Terry Pratchett. Not only was this the last book, finished before Pratchett’s death, but saw the biggest development in the series ever—warning spoilers below.

While Tiffany Aching continues work as the Chalk’s witch both see and Jeannie the kelda feel something is about to happen, which it does with the death of Granny Weatherwax in Lancre that sets off a chain of events. Granny leaves everything, including her steading, to Tiffany thus making her be seen as “first among equals” amongst witches. But the death of Granny results in a weakened barrier between the Disc and Fairyland as many elves seeing the Queen as scared and cautious after her defeat by Tiffany years before and it only grows when they learn goblins have been accepted in human society and that iron—railways—now rule the land. The Queen is usurped by Lord Peaseblossom who begins raiding into Lancre and the Chalk, which adds to Tiffany’s burden of covering two steadings in to locales that becomes a bit easier when a Geoffrey leaves his noble family and travels to Lancre to become a witch and turns out to have some talent—for a man. Gathering together witch allies, the Feegles, elderly men looking for a fight, and the deposed Queen to battle an invasion, Tiffany uses the power in the Chalk to defeat Peaseblossom—who killed the Queen in battle—then summon the King of the Elves—who kills the usurper for killing his wife—to prevent them from ever returning. Afterwards Tiffany knowing no witch can replace Granny give the Lancre steading to Geoffrey then builds herself a hut from the bones of her own grandmother’s hut to have an official residence of her own.

Pratchett did not complete this book as he would have liked to as Neil Gaiman stated in a later interview and the clues were there for a more emotional ending and closure for fans, but this unfortunate missed opportunity does not detract seriously from the book. On the whole, the plot and character developments were nearly perfect with the only except of Mrs. Earwig who felt like she had more to be developed but that Pratchett hadn’t had enough time to provide it.

The Shepherd’s Crown is a book of endings for numerous reasons and because of that some people do not want to read it, especially those who have been fans longer than I have. However eventually I hope those people will eventually read Terry Pratchett’s last Discworld book and see that even right up to his own meeting with Death that he strove to create something that made you think and show your emotions.

This week’s review is a sort of sad one for me, dear readers. For it is the final book by Sir Terry Pratchett and the final book in the much beloved Discworld series. Having been a Pratchett fan for so many years, it breaks my heart to know this is the final book.

It is a shivering between world. Deep in the Chalk, something is stirring…something is gathering strength. The animals of the Chalk can sense it and Tiffany Aching can feel it deep in her boots.

The Disc turns and with it comes a time of endings and of beginnings, of old friends and of new, of light and dark, of good and bad; and Tiffany standing firmly in the middle.

With the fairy horde preparing for invasion, Tiffany must call upon not just the Nac Mac Feegle, but her fellow witches as well. She must ask them to stand with her and protect the land…her land.

Like most of the reviewers on the store and Good Reads, I came to this book with a feeling of great joy and great sadness. I was thrilled over having a new Discworld to read and enjoy and saddened because I knew it would be the last. I freely admit to tearing up some upon just opening the cover and before I had read a single word.

The first few chapters are a tad slow but I felt it was a proper build up for the action that comes later. We are given a feel of what has transpired since the previous Tiffany Aching novel, I Shall Wear Midnight, how the characters have changed as time continues to march on. When the story starts to pick up later on, it does so at lightening speed.

To those not familiar with Discworld and its myriad of characters, this book is not the one to start with. This book is not a beginning, but an ending; and a bittersweet one at that. Readers, like myself, who have been following the tales of the Disc for some time owe it to themselves to visit this one last time.

Those familiar with Terry Pratchett and his writings, give this one a read – and don’t forget the tissues.

I put off reading this book simply because it's the last new Pratchett novel ever. I saved it for a time when I needed something really nice.

And that was a good choice. This is a lovely book, a lovely story.

No one lives forever, not even witches, and Esmeralda Weatherwax has reached the end of her days. Being the sensible, organized woman she has always been, she has put everything in order, including a note saying that her home and all her possessions go to Tiffany Aching. Except, of course, for her cat, Yew, who is a cat, and will decide for herself.

She also told Nanny Ogg that of course Tiffany was the only person who could be her successor. Not that witches have a leader of any kind. Granny Weatherwax was the best leader the witches didn't have, and Tiffany will have big boots to fill.

There are others among the witches who think they're far better prepared for such a challenging role than Tiffany is. Tiffany has her own doubts. Oh, and the elves have noticed that Granny is gone, and they see an opening in the human world for them, again.

Granny's death and the inheritance of her cottage and responsibilities also means that Tiffany isn't just filling big boots; she's also trying to serve the needs of two steadings, the Chalk and Granny's section of Lancre.

It's a lot for one witch to do, even if the elves weren't on the move again.

Tiffany needs help, and she meets a young man named Geoffrey, wh has the, he feels, very natural ambition to be a witch, and who has a very clever goat named Mephistopheles. She asks Miss Tick to find her some likely girls to be apprentices.

She also meets an elf named Nightshade, and some other interesting people...

This isn't Pratchett at his best, understandably, but it is good, solid Pratchett, with new characters and old, familiar ones, with Pratchett's embrace of basic human decency, and "human" rights for all the intelligent species of Discworld.

This was a very satisfying read. Recommended.

I bought this book.

As a Discworld fan this was always going to be a difficult book to read, since it is the last, and as a reviewer I knew it would be hard to review because of spoilers. Well, I was spoiled by reviews that promised no spoilers, so I want to say now I’ll do my hardest not to have any spoilers in this review – and if you’re that worried don’t read any reviews! Just buy the book and read it if you’re already a fan. If you’re not a fan, go back to the first Tiffany book (The Wee Free Men) at the very least, or Equal Rites if you want to start at the beginning of the witches (although I think Wyrd Sisters is better and just as good a beginning).

With that out of the way, I did enjoy this final Tiffany book, although I will say it isn’t as good as some of the others. For obvious reasons. In it we see Tiffany growing even further as a witch, taking on new responsibilities, facing old enemies and once more learning just what it is to be a witch of the Chalk. I’ve always liked Tiffany, because she’s smart and she’s practical. As she’s grown older she’s become quietly confident in herself and her abilities and has lost that obnoxious arrogance she first started with. She’s good at what she does and she knows it, and she’s never afraid of doing hard work, no matter how small or overlooked or unglamorous it is. She’s a decent person and an excellent witch – and that is exactly what we get here. She’s just a little older, a little wiser and under even more pressure than ever. I had thought I Shall Wear Midnight was the last Tiffany book, but I can see why this one was written. There is still a little more room for her to grow.

The plot brings back most of the famous – and infamous – witches from previous books, all popping up to give advice or opinions or just to meddle where they can, in fine witch style. But it also brings the Witch tales full circle. Just as Equal Rites started with a girl who wanted to be a wizard, this book finishes it off with a boy who wants to be a witch. Geoffrey was interesting, but I never quite got a feel for his character. He’s calm and he’s nice and he wants everyone to be decent and not to kill things, but he didn’t have much life to him. I did, however, love his goat, Mephistopheles. I will forgive many things for a goat like that, especially if he can use the privy.

Being a Tiffany book there are also plenty of Nac Mac Feegles to go around. I love those Wee Free Men and they get up to as much mischief as ever. It might have been nice to have seen more of Horace, though.

However, although there are touches of traditional Pterry brilliance and the heart, wit and charm remains strong, this book did feel a touch unfinished, and the note at the end explains why. As a story it’s all there, beginning, middle, end, but the depth and detail wasn’t quite right. Which is understandable, considering everything. A few things, especially towards the end, felt more like a quick sketch and the danger never felt quite as overwhelming as the things Tiffany has faced before. It’s still thoroughly enjoyable, it just feels as if the reader needs to apply a little more of their own imaginations to fully flesh it all out. Which, considering all the wonderful tales Pterry has given us over the years, is the least we can do.

It might not be the best Discworld novel, or the most exciting Tiffany book, but I enjoyed it all the same. It’s still fun and funny, with plenty to say about the ordinary lives of ordinary people, and a few things to add about power, responsibility and how and when it should be wielded, not to mention facing up to changing times and learning how to cope when moving on. For me it’s a fitting farewell, to Tiffany, the Witches and Discworld itself, not that it can ever truly be goodbye when there are forty other novels to reread and enjoy and remember with great affection. Much like the great man himself. Thank you, Sir Terry. For everything.

(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)

Terry Pratchett was my favorite author. I'm giving it 4 stars if ONLY because it was clear he didn't flesh as many things out as he wanted to before he died. However, as a book to end on, he couldn't have ended with a better message and legacy.

So, we get to see the start and end of something amazing. It's silly to get emotional about a book that isn't going to stand out in terms of epic classics, but this book means the world to me. Thank you Terry Pratchett.

Okay. So, if you love wit, snark, and uplifting stories where good must struggle to overcome evil in a very honest way...well, that's almost all of Terry's books. There's something so very flawed about his heroes, but invulnerable and very, very normal. You can almost identify with all of them as someone in your life.

The story deals with Tiffany Aching, a witch who is coming into her own. If you are someone who loves positive messages about being able to do anything, breaking expectations, and that nothing gold stays forever this book is for you. It sometimes feels like he expects people to read his books and walk away wanting to be better and realizing that you can be human while doing so.

With this being the last book from Terry Pratchett and most likely the last Discworld novel I'd put off reading this for some time. I'm a big fan of his writing and the Discworld series in particular and while this wasn't the best of the series (Small Gods is my favourite) it is a welcome return.

The story focuses on the more recent characters with the witch, Tiffany Aching as the main protagonist and of course the attendant Mac Feegles - who add a bit of fun to every story. As well as some short appearances from old favourites, there's some new characters to meet. I liked Geoffrey, a young man with a rather spectacular goat. The quick cameos did feel a little forced though.

The story itself is a familiar blend of social commentary and humour. I didn't have many laugh out loud moments, but the humour did keep me smiling through most of it. One of my favourite scenes was the goblin facing the Queen of the Fairies. I like the goblins and would have liked to see more of them.

The faeries provide the enemy in the conflict and are well represented with their casual cruelty, but there are some twists and turns here. Although it's here that I had a few issues with the book. In his best writing there are subtleties and nuances that strike you after reading the lines and I found this aspect missing from The Shepherd's Crown. The plot was solid and well paced and as always his writing is strong, but just lacked the sparkle evident in some of his other books.

Reading a Discworld novel is like putting on well worn socks - they're lovely and comfortable. This final book felt like that, there was a comfort to it, it followed his established pattern. I enjoyed reading it a lot, but it won't be the book that his remembered for.

This is a fantasy novel and the last written by an extremely popular author before his passing.

Tiffany Aching has always felt the pull of the Chalk but never as strongly as this. Thrust into a situation she feels she is not ready for, she needs to learn to ask others for help. So with the aid of Geoffrey, who wants to be a witch, and his goat, as well as a hodge podge of local witches (even those who thought they had given up on witching), she and her army must fight against the elves who want to cause mayhem in her land. Tiffany has some big boots to fill - is she ready for the challenge again?

As I was reading the book very different voices came through-it was as though the book was a collaboration and didn't quite gel. Having read the afterword where the author's process is described, and realising that the book was never tweaked and edited to his satisfaction before his death, now makes sense. Many old faces make themselves known again and I enjoyed the underlying theme of humanity and friendship as well as being true to yourself. With some of the more adult themes that crop up in this book, I still find it strange to be categorised as a children's book, and unfortunately the kindle edition I received had terrible formatting errors with words and sentences broken up in strange places.

While I didn't love the novel as it didn't feel like a full Pratchett, I say thank you to him for leaving such a genius and witty legacy of stories rich in colourful characters and classic storylines for all to enjoy. A book for the fans to tip their hats to.

Thanks to NetGalley for the chance to review the book.

In some ways it's a sentimental read, as Sir Terry ties up a lot of ends in this final book of his life. Many characters make bows, the deserving receive their rewards, and the Mac Feegles get to lay out that kickin' they've been longing to do.

At the same time, the author reviews his own past work and makes a few tweaks to bring it into contemporary times. We meet a young man who's clearly suited to be a Witch -- traditionally a feminine role. We see technology (steam trains, in this case) changing the faux-Medieval Discworld and re-arranging economic lines, as the formerly despised Goblins begin to make a place for themselves between the human and elfin worlds. Some who were evil attempt to find redemption. Tiffany even encounters the very modern scourge of never getting a day off from work.

Despite all this, the book did feel scant. Though the story arcs reach a satisfying conclusion, the text is not as layered as Sir Terry's previous work. He simply didn't have time. Fans will still enjoy The Shepherd's Crown. Those who aren't familiar with Tiffany and the Discworld may not feel the full impact of this novel.

“The Shepherd’s Crown” is the last book Terry Pratchett wrote. It’s also the last of the Tiffany Aching series, which are my favorites of the Discworld series. Following Tiffany as she grows and learns has been touching and humorous. In this book, she experiences a great loss, which leads to her having to make a big decision about her life. Pratchett’s version of being witch- to, as he says, do the good in front of you- sets well with my version of how life should be and what makes someone a good person. So I was delighted to discover that there was one more in the series that I thought had ended with the 4th installment.

The book is not up to Pratchett’s usual standards. It was, basically, unfinished when he died. He had an outline, and certain scenes had been written, but a lot of it is bones with no flesh. It lacks the life and fullness that his writing usually had. But… what is filled out I found marvelous. It’s about being strong, and doing for other people and letting them do for you, dealing with the inevitability of death, and learning to be your own person. It’s about sometimes having to go against one’s normal beliefs when you have to protect others. Some parts that were unfinished make for jolting reading; the story arc of the Queen of the Elves seemed forced, and it ended suddenly in a way that totally surprised me. I suspect that she would have been given more time to transform had the book been finished. Likewise, I think Geoffrey would have been given more to do, and something more done with You, Granny Weatherwax’s cat. But even though it has a lot of rough places, I can’t help but give the story five stars for effort, atmosphere, and moral.

Pratchett apparently knew this would be his last Discworld novel, and a large number of characters from that universe make appearances- some barely cameos- but all saying goodbye to a beloved character and also to the reader. It’s sad to say goodbye to Discworld, although it will live on a long time, I suspect, as new readers discover the world that rides on the tortoise.

Fifth and last in the Tiffany Aching subseries and forty-first (and last) in the overall Discworld series. This story revolves around Tiffany Aching, the Chalk's own witch. If you're interested, there is a chronological listing of the Tiffany Aching books on my website.

My Take
It's an opportunity for everyone to make one last appearance (at least with Terry Pratchett writing) as we learn about the danger of pride as well as the price of independence with an excellent theme of do your best and let that be your recognition.
As Nanny Ogg says, "Granny never said as she was better than others. She just got on with it and showed 'em and people worked it out for themselves."
There's always someone who knows better, and you're better off holding your own counsel. And I'm that happy that Tiffany stands up to that nasty Earwig. (There is a bit in which Earwig agrees with Nanny Ogg! And if that ain't one for the books…)
"Sigh…"being a witch is a man's job: that's why it needs women to do it."
Don't let the teacher catching you recite your A-B-Cs the way the young Feegles do! Teens…those young 'uns are allus dressin' any which way. Why, now they're scrawny with their kilts hangin' low on their hips with their pants showin'!
"Our rulers rule by consent, which means that we like having them as rulers, if they do what we want them to do."
The Quin has her own bit of learning to do. It's a checkered sort of progress as the main story is on Tiffany, but I do wish Pratchett had taken a bit more time on this part. It's a very tiny bit of snark, this, on my part. I did enjoy Tiffany introducing her to the concept of people helping for no reward.

Oh, boy. I finally found out exactly what pig boring is. And it's exactly what it says. Petulia talks to pigs until they're bored to death. Those Feegles...lordy, they crack me up every time, and I am going to miss them.

I had to laugh, for it's too, too true that retired men are underfoot in their own homes. If you're one of them, read The Shepherd's Crown for ideas on a better retirement. It involves sheds.
"Just because they are old doesn't mean they can't be powerful."
Ach, waily, waily, it's the last of the Discworld, the last of Tiffany Aching… It's been a fun ride watching Tiffany grow into those boots. Although, the way The Shepherd's Crown is written, there are all sorts of possibilities for the future…*fingers crossed*…
We'll be offski…for now.
The Story
There's a muttering, an undercurrent of anger, rising in the Chalk and Lancre.

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

The Characters
Tiffany Aching is but a young girl yet old in experience and skill as a witch. Her steading is the Chalk, and she's living on her parents' farm. An ancestor, Daniel Aching, found the shell all those generations back. These days the Achings refer to it as the crown of crowns. Joe Aching is her father, a respected sheep farmer who holds his land from the baron. Jester is his dog. Wentworth is Tiffany's brother. Hannah and Fastidia are the married sisters. You'll be hearin' about Granny Aching, an old woman and Tiffany's mentor who died in Wee Free Men , 1. Thunder and Lightning were Granny's sheepdogs.

The Chalk is…
…named for the soil. Its local ruler is the new Baron, Tiffany's former sweetheart, Roland de Chumsfanleigh, who is now married to Letitia Keepsake, an untaught witch ( I Shall Wear Midnight , 4). And he's still putting his foot in it. Horace is, um, an animate Lancre Blue cheese.

Miss Milly Standish is having triplets with little Tiffany Robinson, the unwanted girl. Milly's mother and her cronies have lots of advice to hand out. Young Robinson will be marrying the new mother, if he knows what's good for him. Mistress Holland is the wife of the miller and thought she knew what she was doing. Mr. Aching's mates at the Baron's Arms (owned by John Parsley) include Sid Pigeon (he brings a friend, Of Piston the Steam); Shake Gently, who's a good ploughman but not too bright; Dick Handly; Thomas Greengrass; Robert Thick (he's married to Josephine); Jim Twister; Noddy Saunters; and, Jack Tumble. Mr. Block is the local carpenter. His sister, Margaret, was helped by Tiffany.

We first met Becky Pardon and Nancy Upright as little girls at the scouring fair in I Shall Wear Midnight . They're both wanting to become witches.

The city of Ankh-Morpork features…
…throughout the Discworld and is ruled by the Patrician, Lord Vetinari. Drumknott is his lordship's clerk. Boffo's Joke Emporium on Egg Street is the witch's go-to store for everything needed to appear to be a true witch and is run by Mrs. Eunice Proust, a witch, with the help of Derek, her son. Shrucker and Dave, the dwarves who run the broomstick business, have moved under the arches.

Preston is Tiffany's young man away ( I Shall Wear Midnight ) to Ankh-Morpork studying to be a doctor at Lady Sybil Free Hospital. He works with the Igors, a.k.a., Uberwald servants, who change their shape all the time by sewing body parts on themselves. Dr. Lawn has promoted Preston to surgeon.

Tiffany's fellow witches include…
… Granny Esmeralda "Esme" Weatherwax ( Wee Free Men ), one of the oldest and wisest of witches who didn't do nice, simply did what was needed, and her cat, You ( Wintersmith , 3). Long Tall Short Fat Sally is allergic to the tides and is being taught by blind Mrs. Happenstance. Miss Tick is the witchfinder who loves a good dunking ( Wee Free Men ); Agnes Nitt is a witch and a singer in Quirm; Letice Earwig is a right pain who thinks she's all that; and, Harrieta Bilk tends the young lumberjack. Eskarina feels the tsunami in the traveling now ( I Shall Wear Midnight ).

Gytha "Nanny" Ogg knows how to have a good time and has her cat, Greebo ( Wee Free Men ). Her sons and daughters and in-laws all pitch in to help, including Jason Ogg, a blacksmith, and Shawn who is the army of Lancre, and a few other things.

Tiffany's witch friends include Petulia Gristle, a witch who specializes in pig magic and was very good at pig boring (she married a pig farmer); Annagramma Hawkin is a much better witch since Wintersmith , 3; Dimity Hubbard; and, Lucy Warbeck.

Unseen University is…
…in Ankh-Morpork and teaches young men to be wizards. Archchancellor Mustrum Ridcully had been in love with Esme. Ponder Stibbons, the archchancellor's right-hand wizard, operates the Hex, the magic equivalent of a computer.

The Nac Mac Feegles are…
…six inches high and blue with very red hair and a preference for not bathing. This particular group is the Chalk Hill clan. Rob Anybody is the Big Man, the husband to the kelda, Jeannie. Maggie is Jeannie's oldest daughter, and she's after fighting alongside the boys. Wee Mad Arthur was a stray Feegle in Ankh-Morpork's police force who didn't know he was a Feegle ( I Shall Wear Midnight ). Daft Wille is always putting his foot in it. Big Yan; Awf'ly Wee Billy Bigchin is the clan's gonnagle; Hamish is the one who pilots Morag, the buzzard; Wee Clonker; Wee Slogum; Wee Fungus; Wee Gimmie Jimmie; and, amongst the children, there's Slightly-more-wee-than-Wee-Jock-Jock, Wee Duggie Bignose, Wee Dangerous Spike, Wee Callum, and Callum.

Lancre is…
…the kingdom ruled over by Queen Magrat Garlick (she'll be wearing the faux Queen Ynci's fe-mail armor) and her husband, King Verence. She's a witch who thought she'd left magic behind. Esme is one of their children. I'm not sure if Millie is one of the children or the nanny. Hodgesaargh is the royal falconer who brings the Lady Elizabeth, his favorite gyrfalcon.

Captain "Sailor" Makepeace has a wife who is always washing, polishing, and cleaning. Reservoir Slump, Laughing Boy Sideways, Smack Tremble, Wrinkled Joe Hopper (his Betsy fusses like an old hen), and Stinky Jim Jones (his Milly worries about his tools). Mrs. Whistler likes Geoffrey's goat. Mr. Nimlet has some nasty toenails.

Lord Harold Swivel is a nasty man with a put-upon wife and three sons. Harry is the oldest and doesn't "need" school; Hugh is the middle son who wants to enter the church; and, Geoffrey is the youngest, the most literate, and the most inquiring. He's also got a useful knack that will stand him in good stead. Mephistopheles is the very clever baby goat Geoffrey raises and trains. Mr. Wiggall is the boys' tutor. McTavish is the elderly stable lad who befriends Geoffrey.

The Elves are led…
…by the Quin of…er…the Queen of the Elves, a.k.a., Nightshade. She is married to the King of the Elves, except he's been off rioting, drinking, and farting with all his buddies. Peaseblossom is an elf lord with a wicked, traitorous mind. Lords Lankin and Mustardseed are twittering in corners.

Of the Dew the Sunlight is a goblin who has changed his name to Of the Lathe the Swarf and is thumbing his nose at the elves. Darling Dove runs a pub. Oi Dong is the Abbot of the History Monks. Martin Snack and Frank Sawyer want to be lumberjacks, but, with a nod to Monty Python, only if they don't have to wear women's panties. Mr. Slack is in charge of the camp. Old Mother Griggs over in Slippery Hollow woke all a'flutter. Herne the Hunted is afraid while young Elsie is mesmerized. Dr. Sensibility Bustle still has a spot in Tiffany's brain after events in A Hat Full of Sky .

The kelda is the chief of a Feegle clan. A steading is the territory a witch thinks of as her own. Death only comes out to collect the most [note]worthy souls. A shamble is a witch's aid to inner concentration and always has to be made right there and then. Borrowing is moving one's mind into another creature to use its body and share its experiences.

The Cover and Title
The cover is rather conservative for the Discworld with its deep Wedgwood blue background with the shell back and center with thick rays of a lighter colonial blue pouring forth. Swarming out from the shell are bees. Both the author's name (centered at the top in gold) and the title (circling the shell in white highlighted with gold) are embossed.

The title is who will wear The Shepherd's Crown, who has earned it.

I had mixed feelings going into this book. Knowing it was Terry Pratchett's last glimpse into Discworld made it very bittersweet, but I could not ignore the call of Tiffany Aching and the Wee Free Men. I listened to the audiobook version, which was excellently narrated.

Granny Weatherwax wanders away with Death, leaving the witches without an unofficial leader among them. Tiffany Aching is nominated to take her place. The elf world is in revolt. Queen Nightshade has been cast out into the human world while her people plot an invasion. The Wee Free Men find the fairy queen badly beaten and bring her to Tiffany. An unlikely friendship begins to form between the young witch and the former queen as Tiffany teaches Nightshade what it means to be human.

As Tiffany struggles to fill Granny's shoes as well as maintain her work on the Chalk, she must also train a new apprentice and babysit the fairy queen. If that wasn't enough, she must also come up with a plan to thwart the elvish invasion before the wreak too much havoc on the human world.

As always, Pratchett's characters are lively and loveable (or hateable). There's a perfect blend of humor and action as well as sadness, both due to events that unravel as the story is told, and the touching afterword regarding Pratchett's passing and his passion for his work. It's a wonderful story, and one I know I will revisit, once I think I'll be able to make it through without crying.

Discworld fans, I have a question for you. Would Terry Pratchett compose the following description?

"She had chosen to sparkle today. The everlasting sunlight shining through the exquisitely carved stone windows had been pitched exactly to strike the tiny gems on her wings so that delicate rainbows of light danced around the audience chamber as she moved."

Maybe he was getting in touch with his feminine side as he neared the end of his life, but this book doesn't remind me at all of classics such as "The Wee Free Men" or "A Hatful of Sky" that came earlier in the Tiffany Aching Discworld series. The same old jokes are repeated over and over. The characters have had the sap sucked out of them. Nanny Ogg has turned into a querulous old drunk, Mustrum Ridcully into a weepy nonentity. I'm glad my favorite character died in this book and can't be dragged into any more sequels.

Unfortunately in this fifth and hopefully ultimate Tiffany Aching adventure, the sacred fire that lit up the horizons of our beloved Discworld and made us laugh and sometimes stare in awe has sputtered down to a feeble glow. "The Shepherd's Crown" would be an okay starter novel if it hadn't borne the name of one of the greatest fantasy authors of our time. Requiescat in pace, Terry. I miss you so much.

Terry Pratchett is my favorite author. I love an cherish the Discworld series. The Tiffany Aching cycle of stories is my favorite, followed by Moist Von Lipwig and then by the Watch.
This book is a testament to Terry Pratchett's will to live, fight, and write. It is a testament to the family and friends who supported him in his final years.
If you approach the book with that in mind, you will appreciate and enjoy the story, which is a satisfying conclusion to the Tiffany Aching series - satisfying in that it wraps up the story details in The Way You Would Hope.

However, if you approach this book with the intention to compare it to the previous Tiffany Aching books, you will be disappointed. Pratchett wrote a few duds in the Discworld series (The Last Continent comes readily to mind), and while this book occasionally rises above mediocre to give us some poignant and funny moments, it's hard to think that I will read it again. The book succeeds when we consider what Pratchett was struggling with, but as a book in itself it is clearly unfinished.
Three simples reasons why this book disappoints:

1. Long passages are not in Pratchett's voice. I realize that an author's voice may change over time, but much of this book is either in draft form or (perhaps?) written by someone else. I almost feel like a bad person in saying this - because we have to keep Pratchett's condition in mind, and Om bless whoever might have helped Pratchett finish the book. But the fact remains that throughout the book, you read passages and say, "This is not Pratchett."
2. The villain is absent, weak, not compelling, non-threatening. Who is the villain? Peaseblossom? He's weak and pathetic. Even the elves call him weak and pathetic. Furthermore, the villain role is confused with a couple of other characters for some of the story. Peaseblossom is only the central villain by default. THE WEE FREE MEN had the Fairy Queen. A HAT FULL OF SKY had the hiver. THE WINTERSMITH had...the Wintersmith. I SHALL WEAR MIDNIGHT had the Cunning Man. All of those villains were compelling. Peaseblossom never threatened Tiffany or her people substantially. I never thought there was any real risk of Tiffany losing the day. Lack of suspense killed the interest. (RAISING STEAM also lacked a compelling central villain.)
3. Speaking of a lack of suspense, the book drags on because there's too much Feel Good and Isn't Everything Great? and chapters ending with clever characters feeling chummy about each other. There's no suspense or risk to drive the narrative forward. Again, this speaks of an unfinished book. RAISING STEAM suffered from the same problem: too much Feel Good, too much Hero In Control, Nothing To See Here. I never had any doubt that the good guys were going to succeed. I was bored with happy times all around. Good stories, and good Pratchett books, raised the stakes, made things worse for the hero, and held your attention to the end (even if it was chaotic, a la MOVING PICTURES, and you had to reread the page a few times to understand the zany conclusion).

To be honest, I finished the book because I love Tiffany Aching and I love Terry Pratchett and this was the final book. I was disappointed throughout most of the book. I probably held out too much hope that it would compare to the previous Tiffany Aching books, to Pratchett's previous books.

I gave it 3/5 stars because (1) the world was authentic to Discworld (2) the story wrapped up nicely and (3) Terry Pratchett's condition makes the book a testament to a great author IF you read it in light of his final years.

We need to bear in mind that the Tiffany Aching subset of the Discworld books, has always been less concentrated, wry and funny than the usual books. The tale doesn't dwell in the stinking shades of Ankh-Morpork, it's up on the high chalk downs. Here is where one of Terry's oldest characters ends their life, and in a quite fitting, natural, normal way, with a grand country funeral and the reshuffle of the family / community after the will is read.
As such, we could not have asked for better for Terry's final gift.

We meet some favourite characters again, like the Elf Queen, the Lancre witches, and Feegles, with tiny cameos by persons like the Patrician. We see that since the rise of the railroads, prosperity is coming to those previously hopeless. We see that maybe you don't have to be a woman to be a good witch. And because all stories need a point of tension and an antagonist, the Elf Queen decides to wreck the iron roads now circling the land, painful to her people and thwarting their nasty plans for invasion.

If you've read Discworld all along, you need to read this one, obviously. If you haven't, you could start here by all means; but the impact won't be nearly as great because you don't know what has gone before or how the characters have interacted. Yes, we can see that more polish and tension could have been added. But this is what we've got, and I'm not complaining.

I can't give this five stars, I just can't. Most importantly because this is goodbye. What a long strange trip it's been folks. I still remember looking at the cover of 'The Colour of Magic' in the bookstore and thinking what the heck am I in for. I vividly remember telling my friends that they had to read this insane book I'd found and trying to describe it to them. Now here we are, it's over. In the past it never felt like Terry was milking the popularity to rake in more cash. Every book felt fresh and new, until now, here at the end of all things Discworld.
I understand Terry Pratchett was ill and not at the top of his game while writing Shepherd's Crown but I just couldn't love this book like I have the past dozens. The dialog seems wrong. The ending felt all too easy. At the halfway point I fairly accurately predicted the ending. It just happened, poof, it's over. Nowhere did the conflict feel like conflict. No one was in any real danger. . . well, okay, one person was but I guessed that part too.
I finished the book. Now I'm sad. I'm sad that this last Discworld book wasn't all that great. In fact, as I've been writing this review I've lowered it from four stars to three. According to the store three stars means "It's okay" and that all I really can say about it and that makes me even sadder. The last Discworld novel should have left me laughing and crying and the Luggage should have made a cameo!
The Shepherd's Crown should not have been Terry Pratchett's last book. It's not worthy.

I liked this, found it enjoyable and certainly recommend it to all of Sir Terry's fans. New readers that do not have a shared history with the characters may find it less involving. This may not be Sir Terry's best book ever. As the afterward points out (p. 276) it was "not quite as finished as he would have liked". In fact it reads like a draft cum outline for a longer work. But it deserves special recognition because a) it is his last novel and b) it marks the demise of Granny Weatherwax, one of his best characters. Why he chose to have her die is an interesting question and suggests that it may be related to his own sense of mortality in the last years of his life. At least in my mind there is at some question as to authorship. The afterword states that he wrote the "beginning, middle and (an) end" and "all the bits in between". Odd phrasing. Furthermore, it doesn't read like most Pratchett books and has a curiously flat aspect in some places. The characteristic puns and wordplay are largely missing and seem weak when they do appear. The acknowledgments (p. 274) state that it was was all done with the "assistance of his fine editorial team." One wonders how much of it is "editorial assistance" and how much is actually Sir Terry?

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.

Endings are sad no matter if it happens suddenly or you know it’s been coming for some time, but all good things come to an end. The Shepherd’s Crown is the final book of Tiffany Aching journey into mature witch as well as the 41st and last Discworld book by Terry Pratchett. Not only was this the last book, finished before Pratchett’s death, but saw the biggest development in the series ever—warning spoilers below.

While Tiffany Aching continues work as the Chalk’s witch both see and Jeannie the kelda feel something is about to happen, which it does with the death of Granny Weatherwax in Lancre that sets off a chain of events. Granny leaves everything, including her steading, to Tiffany thus making her be seen as “first among equals” amongst witches. But the death of Granny results in a weakened barrier between the Disc and Fairyland as many elves seeing the Queen as scared and cautious after her defeat by Tiffany years before and it only grows when they learn goblins have been accepted in human society and that iron—railways—now rule the land. The Queen is usurped by Lord Peaseblossom who begins raiding into Lancre and the Chalk, which adds to Tiffany’s burden of covering two steadings in to locales that becomes a bit easier when a Geoffrey leaves his noble family and travels to Lancre to become a witch and turns out to have some talent—for a man. Gathering together witch allies, the Feegles, elderly men looking for a fight, and the deposed Queen to battle an invasion, Tiffany uses the power in the Chalk to defeat Peaseblossom—who killed the Queen in battle—then summon the King of the Elves—who kills the usurper for killing his wife—to prevent them from ever returning. Afterwards Tiffany knowing no witch can replace Granny give the Lancre steading to Geoffrey then builds herself a hut from the bones of her own grandmother’s hut to have an official residence of her own.

Pratchett did not complete this book as he would have liked to as Neil Gaiman stated in a later interview and the clues were there for a more emotional ending and closure for fans, but this unfortunate missed opportunity does not detract seriously from the book. On the whole, the plot and character developments were nearly perfect with the only except of Mrs. Earwig who felt like she had more to be developed but that Pratchett hadn’t had enough time to provide it.

The Shepherd’s Crown is a book of endings for numerous reasons and because of that some people do not want to read it, especially those who have been fans longer than I have. However eventually I hope those people will eventually read Terry Pratchett’s last Discworld book and see that even right up to his own meeting with Death that he strove to create something that made you think and show your emotions.

This week’s review is a sort of sad one for me, dear readers. For it is the final book by Sir Terry Pratchett and the final book in the much beloved Discworld series. Having been a Pratchett fan for so many years, it breaks my heart to know this is the final book.

It is a shivering between world. Deep in the Chalk, something is stirring…something is gathering strength. The animals of the Chalk can sense it and Tiffany Aching can feel it deep in her boots.

The Disc turns and with it comes a time of endings and of beginnings, of old friends and of new, of light and dark, of good and bad; and Tiffany standing firmly in the middle.

With the fairy horde preparing for invasion, Tiffany must call upon not just the Nac Mac Feegle, but her fellow witches as well. She must ask them to stand with her and protect the land…her land.

Like most of the reviewers on the store and Good Reads, I came to this book with a feeling of great joy and great sadness. I was thrilled over having a new Discworld to read and enjoy and saddened because I knew it would be the last. I freely admit to tearing up some upon just opening the cover and before I had read a single word.

The first few chapters are a tad slow but I felt it was a proper build up for the action that comes later. We are given a feel of what has transpired since the previous Tiffany Aching novel, I Shall Wear Midnight, how the characters have changed as time continues to march on. When the story starts to pick up later on, it does so at lightening speed.

To those not familiar with Discworld and its myriad of characters, this book is not the one to start with. This book is not a beginning, but an ending; and a bittersweet one at that. Readers, like myself, who have been following the tales of the Disc for some time owe it to themselves to visit this one last time.

Those familiar with Terry Pratchett and his writings, give this one a read – and don’t forget the tissues.

I put off reading this book simply because it's the last new Pratchett novel ever. I saved it for a time when I needed something really nice.

And that was a good choice. This is a lovely book, a lovely story.

No one lives forever, not even witches, and Esmeralda Weatherwax has reached the end of her days. Being the sensible, organized woman she has always been, she has put everything in order, including a note saying that her home and all her possessions go to Tiffany Aching. Except, of course, for her cat, Yew, who is a cat, and will decide for herself.

She also told Nanny Ogg that of course Tiffany was the only person who could be her successor. Not that witches have a leader of any kind. Granny Weatherwax was the best leader the witches didn't have, and Tiffany will have big boots to fill.

There are others among the witches who think they're far better prepared for such a challenging role than Tiffany is. Tiffany has her own doubts. Oh, and the elves have noticed that Granny is gone, and they see an opening in the human world for them, again.

Granny's death and the inheritance of her cottage and responsibilities also means that Tiffany isn't just filling big boots; she's also trying to serve the needs of two steadings, the Chalk and Granny's section of Lancre.

It's a lot for one witch to do, even if the elves weren't on the move again.

Tiffany needs help, and she meets a young man named Geoffrey, wh has the, he feels, very natural ambition to be a witch, and who has a very clever goat named Mephistopheles. She asks Miss Tick to find her some likely girls to be apprentices.

She also meets an elf named Nightshade, and some other interesting people...

This isn't Pratchett at his best, understandably, but it is good, solid Pratchett, with new characters and old, familiar ones, with Pratchett's embrace of basic human decency, and "human" rights for all the intelligent species of Discworld.

This was a very satisfying read. Recommended.

I bought this book.

As a Discworld fan this was always going to be a difficult book to read, since it is the last, and as a reviewer I knew it would be hard to review because of spoilers. Well, I was spoiled by reviews that promised no spoilers, so I want to say now I’ll do my hardest not to have any spoilers in this review – and if you’re that worried don’t read any reviews! Just buy the book and read it if you’re already a fan. If you’re not a fan, go back to the first Tiffany book (The Wee Free Men) at the very least, or Equal Rites if you want to start at the beginning of the witches (although I think Wyrd Sisters is better and just as good a beginning).

With that out of the way, I did enjoy this final Tiffany book, although I will say it isn’t as good as some of the others. For obvious reasons. In it we see Tiffany growing even further as a witch, taking on new responsibilities, facing old enemies and once more learning just what it is to be a witch of the Chalk. I’ve always liked Tiffany, because she’s smart and she’s practical. As she’s grown older she’s become quietly confident in herself and her abilities and has lost that obnoxious arrogance she first started with. She’s good at what she does and she knows it, and she’s never afraid of doing hard work, no matter how small or overlooked or unglamorous it is. She’s a decent person and an excellent witch – and that is exactly what we get here. She’s just a little older, a little wiser and under even more pressure than ever. I had thought I Shall Wear Midnight was the last Tiffany book, but I can see why this one was written. There is still a little more room for her to grow.

The plot brings back most of the famous – and infamous – witches from previous books, all popping up to give advice or opinions or just to meddle where they can, in fine witch style. But it also brings the Witch tales full circle. Just as Equal Rites started with a girl who wanted to be a wizard, this book finishes it off with a boy who wants to be a witch. Geoffrey was interesting, but I never quite got a feel for his character. He’s calm and he’s nice and he wants everyone to be decent and not to kill things, but he didn’t have much life to him. I did, however, love his goat, Mephistopheles. I will forgive many things for a goat like that, especially if he can use the privy.

Being a Tiffany book there are also plenty of Nac Mac Feegles to go around. I love those Wee Free Men and they get up to as much mischief as ever. It might have been nice to have seen more of Horace, though.

However, although there are touches of traditional Pterry brilliance and the heart, wit and charm remains strong, this book did feel a touch unfinished, and the note at the end explains why. As a story it’s all there, beginning, middle, end, but the depth and detail wasn’t quite right. Which is understandable, considering everything. A few things, especially towards the end, felt more like a quick sketch and the danger never felt quite as overwhelming as the things Tiffany has faced before. It’s still thoroughly enjoyable, it just feels as if the reader needs to apply a little more of their own imaginations to fully flesh it all out. Which, considering all the wonderful tales Pterry has given us over the years, is the least we can do.

It might not be the best Discworld novel, or the most exciting Tiffany book, but I enjoyed it all the same. It’s still fun and funny, with plenty to say about the ordinary lives of ordinary people, and a few things to add about power, responsibility and how and when it should be wielded, not to mention facing up to changing times and learning how to cope when moving on. For me it’s a fitting farewell, to Tiffany, the Witches and Discworld itself, not that it can ever truly be goodbye when there are forty other novels to reread and enjoy and remember with great affection. Much like the great man himself. Thank you, Sir Terry. For everything.

(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)

Terry Pratchett was my favorite author. I'm giving it 4 stars if ONLY because it was clear he didn't flesh as many things out as he wanted to before he died. However, as a book to end on, he couldn't have ended with a better message and legacy.

So, we get to see the start and end of something amazing. It's silly to get emotional about a book that isn't going to stand out in terms of epic classics, but this book means the world to me. Thank you Terry Pratchett.

Okay. So, if you love wit, snark, and uplifting stories where good must struggle to overcome evil in a very honest way...well, that's almost all of Terry's books. There's something so very flawed about his heroes, but invulnerable and very, very normal. You can almost identify with all of them as someone in your life.

The story deals with Tiffany Aching, a witch who is coming into her own. If you are someone who loves positive messages about being able to do anything, breaking expectations, and that nothing gold stays forever this book is for you. It sometimes feels like he expects people to read his books and walk away wanting to be better and realizing that you can be human while doing so.

With this being the last book from Terry Pratchett and most likely the last Discworld novel I'd put off reading this for some time. I'm a big fan of his writing and the Discworld series in particular and while this wasn't the best of the series (Small Gods is my favourite) it is a welcome return.

The story focuses on the more recent characters with the witch, Tiffany Aching as the main protagonist and of course the attendant Mac Feegles - who add a bit of fun to every story. As well as some short appearances from old favourites, there's some new characters to meet. I liked Geoffrey, a young man with a rather spectacular goat. The quick cameos did feel a little forced though.

The story itself is a familiar blend of social commentary and humour. I didn't have many laugh out loud moments, but the humour did keep me smiling through most of it. One of my favourite scenes was the goblin facing the Queen of the Fairies. I like the goblins and would have liked to see more of them.

The faeries provide the enemy in the conflict and are well represented with their casual cruelty, but there are some twists and turns here. Although it's here that I had a few issues with the book. In his best writing there are subtleties and nuances that strike you after reading the lines and I found this aspect missing from The Shepherd's Crown. The plot was solid and well paced and as always his writing is strong, but just lacked the sparkle evident in some of his other books.

Reading a Discworld novel is like putting on well worn socks - they're lovely and comfortable. This final book felt like that, there was a comfort to it, it followed his established pattern. I enjoyed reading it a lot, but it won't be the book that his remembered for.

This is a fantasy novel and the last written by an extremely popular author before his passing.

Tiffany Aching has always felt the pull of the Chalk but never as strongly as this. Thrust into a situation she feels she is not ready for, she needs to learn to ask others for help. So with the aid of Geoffrey, who wants to be a witch, and his goat, as well as a hodge podge of local witches (even those who thought they had given up on witching), she and her army must fight against the elves who want to cause mayhem in her land. Tiffany has some big boots to fill - is she ready for the challenge again?

As I was reading the book very different voices came through-it was as though the book was a collaboration and didn't quite gel. Having read the afterword where the author's process is described, and realising that the book was never tweaked and edited to his satisfaction before his death, now makes sense. Many old faces make themselves known again and I enjoyed the underlying theme of humanity and friendship as well as being true to yourself. With some of the more adult themes that crop up in this book, I still find it strange to be categorised as a children's book, and unfortunately the kindle edition I received had terrible formatting errors with words and sentences broken up in strange places.

While I didn't love the novel as it didn't feel like a full Pratchett, I say thank you to him for leaving such a genius and witty legacy of stories rich in colourful characters and classic storylines for all to enjoy. A book for the fans to tip their hats to.

Thanks to NetGalley for the chance to review the book.

In some ways it's a sentimental read, as Sir Terry ties up a lot of ends in this final book of his life. Many characters make bows, the deserving receive their rewards, and the Mac Feegles get to lay out that kickin' they've been longing to do.

At the same time, the author reviews his own past work and makes a few tweaks to bring it into contemporary times. We meet a young man who's clearly suited to be a Witch -- traditionally a feminine role. We see technology (steam trains, in this case) changing the faux-Medieval Discworld and re-arranging economic lines, as the formerly despised Goblins begin to make a place for themselves between the human and elfin worlds. Some who were evil attempt to find redemption. Tiffany even encounters the very modern scourge of never getting a day off from work.

Despite all this, the book did feel scant. Though the story arcs reach a satisfying conclusion, the text is not as layered as Sir Terry's previous work. He simply didn't have time. Fans will still enjoy The Shepherd's Crown. Those who aren't familiar with Tiffany and the Discworld may not feel the full impact of this novel.

“The Shepherd’s Crown” is the last book Terry Pratchett wrote. It’s also the last of the Tiffany Aching series, which are my favorites of the Discworld series. Following Tiffany as she grows and learns has been touching and humorous. In this book, she experiences a great loss, which leads to her having to make a big decision about her life. Pratchett’s version of being witch- to, as he says, do the good in front of you- sets well with my version of how life should be and what makes someone a good person. So I was delighted to discover that there was one more in the series that I thought had ended with the 4th installment.

The book is not up to Pratchett’s usual standards. It was, basically, unfinished when he died. He had an outline, and certain scenes had been written, but a lot of it is bones with no flesh. It lacks the life and fullness that his writing usually had. But… what is filled out I found marvelous. It’s about being strong, and doing for other people and letting them do for you, dealing with the inevitability of death, and learning to be your own person. It’s about sometimes having to go against one’s normal beliefs when you have to protect others. Some parts that were unfinished make for jolting reading; the story arc of the Queen of the Elves seemed forced, and it ended suddenly in a way that totally surprised me. I suspect that she would have been given more time to transform had the book been finished. Likewise, I think Geoffrey would have been given more to do, and something more done with You, Granny Weatherwax’s cat. But even though it has a lot of rough places, I can’t help but give the story five stars for effort, atmosphere, and moral.

Pratchett apparently knew this would be his last Discworld novel, and a large number of characters from that universe make appearances- some barely cameos- but all saying goodbye to a beloved character and also to the reader. It’s sad to say goodbye to Discworld, although it will live on a long time, I suspect, as new readers discover the world that rides on the tortoise.

Fifth and last in the Tiffany Aching subseries and forty-first (and last) in the overall Discworld series. This story revolves around Tiffany Aching, the Chalk's own witch. If you're interested, there is a chronological listing of the Tiffany Aching books on my website.

My Take
It's an opportunity for everyone to make one last appearance (at least with Terry Pratchett writing) as we learn about the danger of pride as well as the price of independence with an excellent theme of do your best and let that be your recognition.
As Nanny Ogg says, "Granny never said as she was better than others. She just got on with it and showed 'em and people worked it out for themselves."
There's always someone who knows better, and you're better off holding your own counsel. And I'm that happy that Tiffany stands up to that nasty Earwig. (There is a bit in which Earwig agrees with Nanny Ogg! And if that ain't one for the books…)
"Sigh…"being a witch is a man's job: that's why it needs women to do it."
Don't let the teacher catching you recite your A-B-Cs the way the young Feegles do! Teens…those young 'uns are allus dressin' any which way. Why, now they're scrawny with their kilts hangin' low on their hips with their pants showin'!
"Our rulers rule by consent, which means that we like having them as rulers, if they do what we want them to do."
The Quin has her own bit of learning to do. It's a checkered sort of progress as the main story is on Tiffany, but I do wish Pratchett had taken a bit more time on this part. It's a very tiny bit of snark, this, on my part. I did enjoy Tiffany introducing her to the concept of people helping for no reward.

Oh, boy. I finally found out exactly what pig boring is. And it's exactly what it says. Petulia talks to pigs until they're bored to death. Those Feegles...lordy, they crack me up every time, and I am going to miss them.

I had to laugh, for it's too, too true that retired men are underfoot in their own homes. If you're one of them, read The Shepherd's Crown for ideas on a better retirement. It involves sheds.
"Just because they are old doesn't mean they can't be powerful."
Ach, waily, waily, it's the last of the Discworld, the last of Tiffany Aching… It's been a fun ride watching Tiffany grow into those boots. Although, the way The Shepherd's Crown is written, there are all sorts of possibilities for the future…*fingers crossed*…
We'll be offski…for now.
The Story
There's a muttering, an undercurrent of anger, rising in the Chalk and Lancre.

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

The Characters
Tiffany Aching is but a young girl yet old in experience and skill as a witch. Her steading is the Chalk, and she's living on her parents' farm. An ancestor, Daniel Aching, found the shell all those generations back. These days the Achings refer to it as the crown of crowns. Joe Aching is her father, a respected sheep farmer who holds his land from the baron. Jester is his dog. Wentworth is Tiffany's brother. Hannah and Fastidia are the married sisters. You'll be hearin' about Granny Aching, an old woman and Tiffany's mentor who died in Wee Free Men , 1. Thunder and Lightning were Granny's sheepdogs.

The Chalk is…
…named for the soil. Its local ruler is the new Baron, Tiffany's former sweetheart, Roland de Chumsfanleigh, who is now married to Letitia Keepsake, an untaught witch ( I Shall Wear Midnight , 4). And he's still putting his foot in it. Horace is, um, an animate Lancre Blue cheese.

Miss Milly Standish is having triplets with little Tiffany Robinson, the unwanted girl. Milly's mother and her cronies have lots of advice to hand out. Young Robinson will be marrying the new mother, if he knows what's good for him. Mistress Holland is the wife of the miller and thought she knew what she was doing. Mr. Aching's mates at the Baron's Arms (owned by John Parsley) include Sid Pigeon (he brings a friend, Of Piston the Steam); Shake Gently, who's a good ploughman but not too bright; Dick Handly; Thomas Greengrass; Robert Thick (he's married to Josephine); Jim Twister; Noddy Saunters; and, Jack Tumble. Mr. Block is the local carpenter. His sister, Margaret, was helped by Tiffany.

We first met Becky Pardon and Nancy Upright as little girls at the scouring fair in I Shall Wear Midnight . They're both wanting to become witches.

The city of Ankh-Morpork features…
…throughout the Discworld and is ruled by the Patrician, Lord Vetinari. Drumknott is his lordship's clerk. Boffo's Joke Emporium on Egg Street is the witch's go-to store for everything needed to appear to be a true witch and is run by Mrs. Eunice Proust, a witch, with the help of Derek, her son. Shrucker and Dave, the dwarves who run the broomstick business, have moved under the arches.

Preston is Tiffany's young man away ( I Shall Wear Midnight ) to Ankh-Morpork studying to be a doctor at Lady Sybil Free Hospital. He works with the Igors, a.k.a., Uberwald servants, who change their shape all the time by sewing body parts on themselves. Dr. Lawn has promoted Preston to surgeon.

Tiffany's fellow witches include…
… Granny Esmeralda "Esme" Weatherwax ( Wee Free Men ), one of the oldest and wisest of witches who didn't do nice, simply did what was needed, and her cat, You ( Wintersmith , 3). Long Tall Short Fat Sally is allergic to the tides and is being taught by blind Mrs. Happenstance. Miss Tick is the witchfinder who loves a good dunking ( Wee Free Men ); Agnes Nitt is a witch and a singer in Quirm; Letice Earwig is a right pain who thinks she's all that; and, Harrieta Bilk tends the young lumberjack. Eskarina feels the tsunami in the traveling now ( I Shall Wear Midnight ).

Gytha "Nanny" Ogg knows how to have a good time and has her cat, Greebo ( Wee Free Men ). Her sons and daughters and in-laws all pitch in to help, including Jason Ogg, a blacksmith, and Shawn who is the army of Lancre, and a few other things.

Tiffany's witch friends include Petulia Gristle, a witch who specializes in pig magic and was very good at pig boring (she married a pig farmer); Annagramma Hawkin is a much better witch since Wintersmith , 3; Dimity Hubbard; and, Lucy Warbeck.

Unseen University is…
…in Ankh-Morpork and teaches young men to be wizards. Archchancellor Mustrum Ridcully had been in love with Esme. Ponder Stibbons, the archchancellor's right-hand wizard, operates the Hex, the magic equivalent of a computer.

The Nac Mac Feegles are…
…six inches high and blue with very red hair and a preference for not bathing. This particular group is the Chalk Hill clan. Rob Anybody is the Big Man, the husband to the kelda, Jeannie. Maggie is Jeannie's oldest daughter, and she's after fighting alongside the boys. Wee Mad Arthur was a stray Feegle in Ankh-Morpork's police force who didn't know he was a Feegle ( I Shall Wear Midnight ). Daft Wille is always putting his foot in it. Big Yan; Awf'ly Wee Billy Bigchin is the clan's gonnagle; Hamish is the one who pilots Morag, the buzzard; Wee Clonker; Wee Slogum; Wee Fungus; Wee Gimmie Jimmie; and, amongst the children, there's Slightly-more-wee-than-Wee-Jock-Jock, Wee Duggie Bignose, Wee Dangerous Spike, Wee Callum, and Callum.

Lancre is…
…the kingdom ruled over by Queen Magrat Garlick (she'll be wearing the faux Queen Ynci's fe-mail armor) and her husband, King Verence. She's a witch who thought she'd left magic behind. Esme is one of their children. I'm not sure if Millie is one of the children or the nanny. Hodgesaargh is the royal falconer who brings the Lady Elizabeth, his favorite gyrfalcon.

Captain "Sailor" Makepeace has a wife who is always washing, polishing, and cleaning. Reservoir Slump, Laughing Boy Sideways, Smack Tremble, Wrinkled Joe Hopper (his Betsy fusses like an old hen), and Stinky Jim Jones (his Milly worries about his tools). Mrs. Whistler likes Geoffrey's goat. Mr. Nimlet has some nasty toenails.

Lord Harold Swivel is a nasty man with a put-upon wife and three sons. Harry is the oldest and doesn't "need" school; Hugh is the middle son who wants to enter the church; and, Geoffrey is the youngest, the most literate, and the most inquiring. He's also got a useful knack that will stand him in good stead. Mephistopheles is the very clever baby goat Geoffrey raises and trains. Mr. Wiggall is the boys' tutor. McTavish is the elderly stable lad who befriends Geoffrey.

The Elves are led…
…by the Quin of…er…the Queen of the Elves, a.k.a., Nightshade. She is married to the King of the Elves, except he's been off rioting, drinking, and farting with all his buddies. Peaseblossom is an elf lord with a wicked, traitorous mind. Lords Lankin and Mustardseed are twittering in corners.

Of the Dew the Sunlight is a goblin who has changed his name to Of the Lathe the Swarf and is thumbing his nose at the elves. Darling Dove runs a pub. Oi Dong is the Abbot of the History Monks. Martin Snack and Frank Sawyer want to be lumberjacks, but, with a nod to Monty Python, only if they don't have to wear women's panties. Mr. Slack is in charge of the camp. Old Mother Griggs over in Slippery Hollow woke all a'flutter. Herne the Hunted is afraid while young Elsie is mesmerized. Dr. Sensibility Bustle still has a spot in Tiffany's brain after events in A Hat Full of Sky .

The kelda is the chief of a Feegle clan. A steading is the territory a witch thinks of as her own. Death only comes out to collect the most [note]worthy souls. A shamble is a witch's aid to inner concentration and always has to be made right there and then. Borrowing is moving one's mind into another creature to use its body and share its experiences.

The Cover and Title
The cover is rather conservative for the Discworld with its deep Wedgwood blue background with the shell back and center with thick rays of a lighter colonial blue pouring forth. Swarming out from the shell are bees. Both the author's name (centered at the top in gold) and the title (circling the shell in white highlighted with gold) are embossed.

The title is who will wear The Shepherd's Crown, who has earned it.

I had mixed feelings going into this book. Knowing it was Terry Pratchett's last glimpse into Discworld made it very bittersweet, but I could not ignore the call of Tiffany Aching and the Wee Free Men. I listened to the audiobook version, which was excellently narrated.

Granny Weatherwax wanders away with Death, leaving the witches without an unofficial leader among them. Tiffany Aching is nominated to take her place. The elf world is in revolt. Queen Nightshade has been cast out into the human world while her people plot an invasion. The Wee Free Men find the fairy queen badly beaten and bring her to Tiffany. An unlikely friendship begins to form between the young witch and the former queen as Tiffany teaches Nightshade what it means to be human.

As Tiffany struggles to fill Granny's shoes as well as maintain her work on the Chalk, she must also train a new apprentice and babysit the fairy queen. If that wasn't enough, she must also come up with a plan to thwart the elvish invasion before the wreak too much havoc on the human world.

As always, Pratchett's characters are lively and loveable (or hateable). There's a perfect blend of humor and action as well as sadness, both due to events that unravel as the story is told, and the touching afterword regarding Pratchett's passing and his passion for his work. It's a wonderful story, and one I know I will revisit, once I think I'll be able to make it through without crying.

Discworld fans, I have a question for you. Would Terry Pratchett compose the following description?

"She had chosen to sparkle today. The everlasting sunlight shining through the exquisitely carved stone windows had been pitched exactly to strike the tiny gems on her wings so that delicate rainbows of light danced around the audience chamber as she moved."

Maybe he was getting in touch with his feminine side as he neared the end of his life, but this book doesn't remind me at all of classics such as "The Wee Free Men" or "A Hatful of Sky" that came earlier in the Tiffany Aching Discworld series. The same old jokes are repeated over and over. The characters have had the sap sucked out of them. Nanny Ogg has turned into a querulous old drunk, Mustrum Ridcully into a weepy nonentity. I'm glad my favorite character died in this book and can't be dragged into any more sequels.

Unfortunately in this fifth and hopefully ultimate Tiffany Aching adventure, the sacred fire that lit up the horizons of our beloved Discworld and made us laugh and sometimes stare in awe has sputtered down to a feeble glow. "The Shepherd's Crown" would be an okay starter novel if it hadn't borne the name of one of the greatest fantasy authors of our time. Requiescat in pace, Terry. I miss you so much.

Terry Pratchett is my favorite author. I love an cherish the Discworld series. The Tiffany Aching cycle of stories is my favorite, followed by Moist Von Lipwig and then by the Watch.
This book is a testament to Terry Pratchett's will to live, fight, and write. It is a testament to the family and friends who supported him in his final years.
If you approach the book with that in mind, you will appreciate and enjoy the story, which is a satisfying conclusion to the Tiffany Aching series - satisfying in that it wraps up the story details in The Way You Would Hope.

However, if you approach this book with the intention to compare it to the previous Tiffany Aching books, you will be disappointed. Pratchett wrote a few duds in the Discworld series (The Last Continent comes readily to mind), and while this book occasionally rises above mediocre to give us some poignant and funny moments, it's hard to think that I will read it again. The book succeeds when we consider what Pratchett was struggling with, but as a book in itself it is clearly unfinished.
Three simples reasons why this book disappoints:

1. Long passages are not in Pratchett's voice. I realize that an author's voice may change over time, but much of this book is either in draft form or (perhaps?) written by someone else. I almost feel like a bad person in saying this - because we have to keep Pratchett's condition in mind, and Om bless whoever might have helped Pratchett finish the book. But the fact remains that throughout the book, you read passages and say, "This is not Pratchett."
2. The villain is absent, weak, not compelling, non-threatening. Who is the villain? Peaseblossom? He's weak and pathetic. Even the elves call him weak and pathetic. Furthermore, the villain role is confused with a couple of other characters for some of the story. Peaseblossom is only the central villain by default. THE WEE FREE MEN had the Fairy Queen. A HAT FULL OF SKY had the hiver. THE WINTERSMITH had...the Wintersmith. I SHALL WEAR MIDNIGHT had the Cunning Man. All of those villains were compelling. Peaseblossom never threatened Tiffany or her people substantially. I never thought there was any real risk of Tiffany losing the day. Lack of suspense killed the interest. (RAISING STEAM also lacked a compelling central villain.)
3. Speaking of a lack of suspense, the book drags on because there's too much Feel Good and Isn't Everything Great? and chapters ending with clever characters feeling chummy about each other. There's no suspense or risk to drive the narrative forward. Again, this speaks of an unfinished book. RAISING STEAM suffered from the same problem: too much Feel Good, too much Hero In Control, Nothing To See Here. I never had any doubt that the good guys were going to succeed. I was bored with happy times all around. Good stories, and good Pratchett books, raised the stakes, made things worse for the hero, and held your attention to the end (even if it was chaotic, a la MOVING PICTURES, and you had to reread the page a few times to understand the zany conclusion).

To be honest, I finished the book because I love Tiffany Aching and I love Terry Pratchett and this was the final book. I was disappointed throughout most of the book. I probably held out too much hope that it would compare to the previous Tiffany Aching books, to Pratchett's previous books.

I gave it 3/5 stars because (1) the world was authentic to Discworld (2) the story wrapped up nicely and (3) Terry Pratchett's condition makes the book a testament to a great author IF you read it in light of his final years.

We need to bear in mind that the Tiffany Aching subset of the Discworld books, has always been less concentrated, wry and funny than the usual books. The tale doesn't dwell in the stinking shades of Ankh-Morpork, it's up on the high chalk downs. Here is where one of Terry's oldest characters ends their life, and in a quite fitting, natural, normal way, with a grand country funeral and the reshuffle of the family / community after the will is read.
As such, we could not have asked for better for Terry's final gift.

We meet some favourite characters again, like the Elf Queen, the Lancre witches, and Feegles, with tiny cameos by persons like the Patrician. We see that since the rise of the railroads, prosperity is coming to those previously hopeless. We see that maybe you don't have to be a woman to be a good witch. And because all stories need a point of tension and an antagonist, the Elf Queen decides to wreck the iron roads now circling the land, painful to her people and thwarting their nasty plans for invasion.

If you've read Discworld all along, you need to read this one, obviously. If you haven't, you could start here by all means; but the impact won't be nearly as great because you don't know what has gone before or how the characters have interacted. Yes, we can see that more polish and tension could have been added. But this is what we've got, and I'm not complaining.

I can't give this five stars, I just can't. Most importantly because this is goodbye. What a long strange trip it's been folks. I still remember looking at the cover of 'The Colour of Magic' in the bookstore and thinking what the heck am I in for. I vividly remember telling my friends that they had to read this insane book I'd found and trying to describe it to them. Now here we are, it's over. In the past it never felt like Terry was milking the popularity to rake in more cash. Every book felt fresh and new, until now, here at the end of all things Discworld.
I understand Terry Pratchett was ill and not at the top of his game while writing Shepherd's Crown but I just couldn't love this book like I have the past dozens. The dialog seems wrong. The ending felt all too easy. At the halfway point I fairly accurately predicted the ending. It just happened, poof, it's over. Nowhere did the conflict feel like conflict. No one was in any real danger. . . well, okay, one person was but I guessed that part too.
I finished the book. Now I'm sad. I'm sad that this last Discworld book wasn't all that great. In fact, as I've been writing this review I've lowered it from four stars to three. According to the store three stars means "It's okay" and that all I really can say about it and that makes me even sadder. The last Discworld novel should have left me laughing and crying and the Luggage should have made a cameo!
The Shepherd's Crown should not have been Terry Pratchett's last book. It's not worthy.

I liked this, found it enjoyable and certainly recommend it to all of Sir Terry's fans. New readers that do not have a shared history with the characters may find it less involving. This may not be Sir Terry's best book ever. As the afterward points out (p. 276) it was "not quite as finished as he would have liked". In fact it reads like a draft cum outline for a longer work. But it deserves special recognition because a) it is his last novel and b) it marks the demise of Granny Weatherwax, one of his best characters. Why he chose to have her die is an interesting question and suggests that it may be related to his own sense of mortality in the last years of his life. At least in my mind there is at some question as to authorship. The afterword states that he wrote the "beginning, middle and (an) end" and "all the bits in between". Odd phrasing. Furthermore, it doesn't read like most Pratchett books and has a curiously flat aspect in some places. The characteristic puns and wordplay are largely missing and seem weak when they do appear. The acknowledgments (p. 274) state that it was was all done with the "assistance of his fine editorial team." One wonders how much of it is "editorial assistance" and how much is actually Sir Terry?

Some have expressed their doubt that this is Sir Terry's work, but it is. His dear friend Neil Gaiman said that Pratchett was not happy with the book and he had not had the chance to polish his final novel to his liking. He also did not get to write the ending he intended, but there are allusions to it. It is only because of that "not quite finished" feeling that I am giving it 4 instead of 5 stars.

Terry Pratchett evolved as a writer and so too did his characters and his "world". For me, his books will always be welcome friends; they made me laugh and they made me think. And no matter how many times I read or listen to them I find something new. In the beginning, before I felt deserving of wearing midnight I merely laughed without thinking. As time went I grew and evolved with the Discworld and began to think more and laugh less, but I loved them no less. In fact, I loved them more. They made me think about the kind of person I wanted to be and world I wanted to live in. It may sound trite, but his books changed me. And though I am in my mid-30s I still hope to one day grow up to be a happy mix of Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg.

Raising steam made me uneasy, I saw the world moving in a direction I wasn't prepared for it to go. I saw it coming too close to our own. The whimsy, and magic, and beautiful ridiculousness was fading away. Perhaps it had to be that way so we could prepare to say goodbye. With The Shepard's Crown that fade continued. I'll admit I cried like a baby (I promise no spoilers for you few people that may still remain ignorant of the driving force of he story). I cried for the Discworld, I cried for Sir Terry, and I cried for myself.

I did not love this book; it was too hard to knowing it was a goodbye and not just another book with the promise of more to come. His assistant, Rob Wilkins, told us of the ideas Pratchett had for other books, but the tone of this final book leads me to believe that he knew those ideas would never come to fruition. That too makes me cry. I had to listen to this book, but I know that it will forever sit in my library, never to be touched again. Not because it is bad, but because I don't want to say goodbye again. While the book remains unheard and unread I can pretend, for a little while at least, that I don't have too.

Let's be perfectly clear: Terry Pratchett did not write this book. The dialogue sounds nothing like Pratchett would write- the author in particular has no feel for how the Feegles would act or talk. What's wrong with being honest about the process and putting someone on a byline? While it may have been a little much to ask Gaiman to wrap it up, Brandon does this kind of thing very well and I'm sure someone would happily have done so. It feels like the same person who ghosted Raising Steam.
That being said, its not a bad book. I liked having a story arc that takes Tiffan back to the chalk where she belongs, and there we can leave her, with her ships and her feegles and her land under the waves. We aren't going to get any closure on Sam, or Carrot or CMOT,or any of the rest of them, but Tiffany Aching can stand for them all. Goddbye Mr Pratchett: You've given me a lot of joy a lot of laughter and a pensive thought or two, or three, and you will be missed.

There's two possible approaches to reviewing this book.

The first approach is reviewing it on its own merit with no regard to the Discworld series or Terry Pratchett.

The second approach is reviewing it in light of the earlier Discworld series.

Using the first approach I would have given it three stars. It's a decent story. Has some interesting characters such as the goat. But in general it was an unmemorable and not compelling juvenile novel, the kind you read in 30 minutes, groan at some of the obvious plot holes or forced characterizations and quickly forget about it.

Using the second approach I would have given it not a single star. The Discworld "voice" is barely present. Some of the characters say/do things they would never have done so in earlier novels. At times it's downright silly and ridiculous, not even satire or humour.

One might ask why I didn't average it and give the book a final one or two star ranking?

Because it's still Terry Pratchett. Just because of that I must give it four stars. I will never read the book again but I will cherish having the opportunity to read just one more final Discworld book.

Sadly we reached the point some time ago of getting Pratchett books from the library before investing in them. Having said that, I did enjoy The Shepherd's Crown enough to buy it at some point to complete the Tiffany collection, but not for full retail.

The only comment I can share about the book that I haven't found in other reviews is: (SPOILER!!!) I get that Geoffrey's the next big thing in witch gender equality, which is cool. But it doesn't ring true that he would be the only or best candidate to help Tiffany with her double helping of steadings.

All the other books describe a network of witches, eg Tiffany and Petulia and Agnes etc, and a stiff competition for who would take over a steading. As these young witches gained steadings, realistically we should expect a bunch of other up-and-coming contenders getting trained up, hungry for their own chance and unlikely to allow Tiffany to hold two steadings badly without a HUGE fuss. The lack of this obvious natural development left us with a neat but unrealistic scenario where a hugely inexperienced stranger Geoffrey becomes Tiffany's 2IC at Ex-Weatherwax Station, not even by positive discrimination but practically by default.

I can't avoid the thought that it's almost as if Pratchett couldn't imagine a proper female replacement for the irreplaceable Granny, so he made the replacement male.

"The Shepherd's Crown" is a return to form by the author, whose later novels set in the Discworld seemed a bit off somehow. Considering that he wrote them while suffering from a form of Alzheimer's, and that his worst books are pretty much better than most stuff out there anyway, this is no small feat.

Taking us back to Tiffany Aching and the Chalk, as well as Lancre and other familiar places and faces, the novel is a bittersweet farewell to a series spanning more than thirty years in real time and more than forty books.

When I have children I will read all of Terry Pratchett's novels to them. And I do mean ALL sixty-odd of them. Everything you need to know about life and people is there somewhere, provided you take a look.

"The Shepherd's Crown" was first published in 2015. It's the forty-first book in the Discworld series and the fifth to focus on Tiffany Aching. It was also the last book written by Terry Pratchett before his death. It sees a major change in the witching world, that has a profound impact on Tiffany's life, and the return of an old foe.

I was a little surprised that Pratchett went back to Tiffany for another book - to me "I Shall Wear Midinght" had felt like a farewell to the young witch and her Feegle. Not that I was overly upset, of course - the Wee Free Men were amongst my very favourite Discworld characters. (I had been silently praying for one final appearance from Death for Rats, Quoth or Gaspode, however brief. Not to be, sadly, though I did enjoy Mephistopheles' contributions). It was a very enjoyable book, much more so than "Raising Steam" in my opinion. There are parts that, maybe, that feel a little under-developed - the battle at the climax, for example. However, it's noted in the afterward that the book hadn't quite been finished to Pratchett's satisfaction and that more would probably have been added. There were also a couple of threads that I did wonder about. (After having read the book, I did a little rummaging on the interweb and discovered that Neil Gaiman had something to say about one of them).

Very much recommended, of course, but a book that I can't help but view with sadness.

The Shepherd's Crown is rather like an epilogue to the Tiffany Aching YA novels and the Discworld Witch stories. It provides a satisfying conclusion. After the first 30 pages, I had to set it down for a moment to regain my composure. Discworld fans will know why when they read it.

The incomparable Sir Terry had pretty much completed writing this final offering before his death. As we learn in the afterward, he would have polished it a bit more had he the time, but all the elements of a great story are here and I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to read it. My sincere thanks to his assistant Rob, his wife Lyn, his daughter Rhianna, and everyone else who made this possible.

'nuff said. GNU Terry Pratchett. You are missed, but the Turtle still moves.

I was crying very hard while reading this book and that was only partly because I knew it is the last - and knew he knew it might well be. I got the impression you can feel it in between the words and it is bittersweet. Once again Terry Pratchett creates a story that is totally absolutely and extraordinarily wonderful, we meet lots of old friends, some brandnew and as lovable, we see Tiffany grow up and say Goodbye too. My absolute favorite here is Mephistopheles - who absolutely lives up to his name, so very cool, he had me laughing all the time. It was a grand book, a fitting end and it was a real finale. I enjoyed reading it. You will too. Thank you so much, for this pleasure, Terry Pratchett - and mind how you go...

t was so sad to read the last Discworld novel, written as Terry Pratchett was dying of Alzheimer's. The novel itself, about the young witch Tiffany Aching, is just as full of magic and humor as any other Pratchett novel. But it starts with the witch Granny Weatherwax preparing to meet Death, then lingers on the indignities of old age. It is hard not to read this as autobiographical. Soon one is swept up into an adventure of witches, elves, and Feegles, as enjoyable as always. But I was near tears as I reached the end of the story -- and Sir Terry's story.

There are already so many reviews here that it's scarcely worth posting another, but I wanted to say that this is very good. I found Raising Steam almost heartbreaking because it really showed the ravages of Terry's illness, I thought, but this is a fine book, and a worthy place to end. It is funny, frightening, readable and above all full of Pratchett's wonderful humanity and insight.

If you're in any doubt, don't be. The only sad thing about The Shepherd's Crown is that it is a reminder of what a wonderful talent we have lost; as a book it's terrific.

Thanks, Terry. Go well.

This is a review of the Playaway format and not the book itself.

Not acceptable. Audio CD was what I ordered. This is not a format for storing your hard drive with the rest of your audiobooks. It's a miniature MP3 player with the book pre-loaded and no USB port. Transferring it to a hard drive will take days of playing and recording vs a simple file transfer.

The MP3 CDs are also a cop out. The quality of the recording pales in comparison to the actual studio recording. What happen to the actual publishers audiobooks?

I will not be purchasing my audiobooks from the store or Audible again.

Finishing this was a mixture of joy and sorrow. I waited to read it because it was his last book and I finished it, well, it was over. I was also worried that it wouldn't make up to his better stories.
As I write, I didn't want it to end. Was it his best? I'll leave that up to you. All I know is, it made me laugh out loud, it made me shed a tear, it made me stop reading and think about my life.

I love this book & it made me cry. It is obviously not *finished* & by that I mean like finishing a piece of furniture. The story is done it just isn't polished up. I am so glad Terry's last book was about witches because he wrote witches better than anyone else on earth. The story is sweet & sad & happy & I really like how Tiffany is growing up & the woman she is turning into. It made me cry because while I didn't know Sir Terry Pratchett, I sure knew Nanny Ogg & Granny Weatherwax & all the rest of the denizens of Disc World & they have all ended in this lovely sweet story.

This is Pratchett's goodbye to his readers. It is a wonderful read, if you haven't read the other Tiffany stories, you will likely be lost. If you have not read a lot of the other disc world books the magnitude of granny will not hit you. I recommend all of his works, I was rarely disappointed. The first book I read of his was the wyrd sisters on a long bus ride when I was a Freshman in high school. Picked it up off a wire spinning rack at a gas station...Best purchase ever. I hope you love this world he made as much as I did.

We can't have another ten years of Discworld books; this is what we have. And it is far better than I expected. The plot makes sense, the emotional urgency is there, and Tiffany Aching is absolutely herself - as are the other witches.

In some spots the writing is perfunctory, and in other spots a minor point is belabored. All typical of a book that the author did not have time to polish. But the book is still emotionally satisfying and a true work of art. Fewer subplots than Terry in his primebut he was not in his prime when he wrote this.

As for those who think he didn't write it, take a close look at what's here and what is in the books he truly had little part in, the Long Earth series. THOSE have only a little Pratchett. Cmpare the writing, compare the deftness of naming, compare the sentence structure, compare the emotional weight. This is real Pratchett, albeit diluted. Who else would have done the bit with the two pennies? That's not imitation Pratchett. It's real Pratch... Read more

I enjoyed this as much as any other Discworld book. Some people have complained that this did not seem to be fully written by Sir Terry, but I respectfully disagree. I am no expert, but it read like any other Aching novel. Loved the overall story. Feegles! Very appropriate allegory considering Sir Terry's health at the time this book was written. I will admit to shedding a tear or two while reading this book. I took my time reading this one since it was to be the last. I am sad to see the Discworld go. Sir Terry, you are missed. My introduction to the Discworld came about by happenstance. I was at my local bookstore (now closed, *sniff) when I came across a less than mint hardcover of Thud! that was on sale. I read it and immediately fell in love. I proceeded to buy the first fifteen Discworld books and when I was done with those I bought the rest.

I loved this book, as I have almost all of the late Sir Terry Pratchett’s other Discworld books. According to terrypratchettbooks.com, this book falls under the The Tiffany Aching series. The characters are great as is the action. Pratchett’s look at what makes humanity is priceless. I strongly recommend this book for fans of Discworld but I have a feeling that most fans have already read the book. If not then don’t wait.

Terry Pratchett writing about death and the meaning of a good life--while he was dying. There is less of his trademark humor and fewer notes than usual in one of his books; you can almost tell when his editorial team took over. But there is plenty still to enjoy. And I wish as much as any reader that Terry Prachett was still around and we could expect another book from him. He is missed and he can not be replaced. The Shepherd's Crown is a lovely part of Tiffany Aching's tale and at the same time a one on one chat between the Reader and Author on the meaning of life and death.Farewell Terry!

What a bittersweet, melancholy and yet utterly charming last book from one of my writing heroes, Sir Terry Pratchett. Witch of the Chalk Tiffany Aching's story reaches a perfect ending. The elves are dealt with sternly. And Sir Terry will be with us as long as his books are charming us, amusing us, and making us think deeper thoughts than we'd intended.

GNU Terry Pratchett

Whilst reading The Shepherd's Crown it was obvious that it wasn't as fleshed out as normal. Themes and events were touched on but lacking the depth that makes Terry's books so joyous to read, and the detail was missing which made the first few chapters very unsatisfying. I knew this was his last but didn't know what his health was when he was writing it. And then in the postscript they explained the mechanics of his writing and the 'emptiness' of the story then made sense.

But it is still a good story. I don't know if this is blasphemous or not but it would be interesting to see what one of his mates could do to finish it off. Worth the read, but be prepared to shake your fist at the universe in fury and frustration yet again at the loss of this very clever man.

A bittersweet ending to a beloved series. Not as lighthearted or satirical as many of the Discworld novels, and certainly not a polished work (as acknowledged in the afterword), but a satisfying end to a wonderful world and a beloved character's arc.

I bawled my way through this one. Thank you, Sir Terry, for being unafraid to tackle all the big issues (racism, classism, sexism) before you went. Thank you for Geoffrey, the first male witch. Thank you for Headology and calm-weaving, thank you for Tiffany and Nanny and Granny Weatherwax and Magrat- my role models.

This book made me feel such love.

I love his books. And thoroughly enjoyed re-reading the Tiffany Aching series. Five stars. But this, the last book written by Sir Pratchett, was very far from his best - much missing from the ease with which his books usually drag you along the path... I rate it three stars by itself. But if you are a fan, the reading of it is a tribute to him, and thank I the publisher or editors for the afterward notes.

Good story of the hag o hags and the NacMcFeegle. Unfortunately, it is the last disc world novel from Terry Pratchett. I will miss the laughs, great characters, and stories created by Mr. Pratchett. I'm sure he was given the same courtesy by the person who speaks all in capital letters as was Esme Weatherwax.

I discovered Discworld at age 11. I read the Rincewind novel, Sourcery (Discworld #5), first and read the rest of the series out of sequence, picking up whichever second hand paperback was available at this small, hidden bookshop that no longer exists (it’s now a butcher’s). I used to read entire Pratchett novels in a day and burned through the series in no time. I was a Discworld fanatic.

My love of the series continued through high school and into my 20s, though something had changed at the turn of the century: Terry Pratchett had become respectable. He’d implemented chapters in his books AND begun writing Young Adult AND won a literary award – all things he’d never done before. The change began with The Amazing Maurice, which was anything but an amazing read. Still, Night Watch came out a year later, possibly the darkest Discworld book and a superb novel, and I thought things were back to normal.

Discworld is a series divided into characters: Rincewind, The Witches, The City Watch, and Death all had recurring stories, even Moist von Lipwig had a couple of books, with the rest of the numbers being made up with occasional one-offs. Then, following Night Watch, came the worst addition to the Discworld ever: the Nac Mac Feegles (6 inch tall blue Scottish warriors) in their first YA book, The Wee Free Men. Along with them came Tiffany Aching, a teenage witch who would become Granny Weatherwax’s apprentice.

Pratchett, it seemed, had become quite smitten with YA fiction (maybe because of the Carnegie Medal for The Amazing Maurice?) and several Tiffany Aching/Nac Mac Feegle books appeared along with a standalone novel, Nation – all terrible! I still read the “grown-up” Discworld novels but, apart from Unseen Academicals, a gem which came out of nowhere, their quality was dipping and dipping.

I’ve tried twice to read Snuff and haven’t made it more than a third of the way through; I skipped I Shall Wear Midnight entirely (yet another Tiffany Aching novel) and I didn’t even crack the spine of Raising Steam. The quality issue was understandable – Pratchett was diagnosed with a rare form of Alzheimer’s in 2007 – but I realised, sadly, Discworld was no longer for me.

And then Pratchett succumbed to his illness early this year followed by news that The Shepherd’s Crown was to be the last “official” Discworld novel (it’s rumoured his daughter Rhiannon will be continuing the series). Even though it’s a Tiffany Aching/Nac Mac Feegle book, I felt like I had to read the last Discworld book – I had to be there at the end of this place I used to love.

I so wish I could say this was a brilliant finale - really I would - but, sadly, The Shepherd’s Crown is as boring and unfunny as the other books in the Tiffany Aching/Nac Mac Feegle series and a poor addendum, not just to one of Discworld’s oldest and most beloved characters, but to Pratchett’s series as a whole.

“Something” happens to a major character – I won’t spoil anything in this review – very early on in the book before things shift back to Tiffany and her burgeoning career as a witch of The Chalk. But evil is stirring in the other realm as the Elves decide to reassert their power over the humans – the witches must unite to stop the invasion!

Unfortunately the novel peaks in the first 20% or so of the book where we see the touching end of said major character. From then on there’s hardly anything worth mentioning. The Elves talk big but don’t really do anything until the forces of good are assembled and organised enough to fight them, so that’s a tension-less storyline!

Discworld witches are sort of like country doctors and Tiffany spends most of her time zooming from farmhouse to farmhouse birthing babies, healing wounds, looking after sick animals, etc. Maybe if you’re an AJ Cronin fan you’ll love this, but chances are you’re thinking AJ who?! and the idea of reading about a healer healing is as uninteresting as you’d expect it to be – and this is the bulk of the book.

What I’ll generously call the “humour” is the Nac Mac Feegle calling Tiffany their “big wee hag” and the repeated mention of a goat who can use the privy. That’s it - a far cry from the comedy gold of earlier Discworld books.

Once again Pratchett’s banging the drum of social inclusivity and progressiveness, which is fine and I’m all for that, but he’s been doing that for years now and it’s no longer exciting to see happening in Discworld.

I’m glad I read the last Discworld book if only for closure but I’m disappointed at how bad it was. I think a better way to honour his memory is to read one of Pratchett’s great Discworld novels like Mort, Interesting Times, Guards! Guards!, or Wyrd Sisters, or, maybe for me, just be thankful that he provided so many hours of entertainment when I was a younger, different person. After all, maybe kids today love the Tiffany Aching books and if I was 11 again and picking these up, I’d be all about them? Maybe the Feegles’ cartoonish Scottish and incredibly irritating blather is hysterical to some readers?

I would’ve loved it if the final Discworld novel had nothing to do with Tiffany or the Feegles and was instead an epic team-up between Rincewind, Death, the Witches, and the City Watch to gather several far-flung ingredients spread out across the Disc in a race against time to save the life of a softly spoken elderly gentleman - the Creator - who was dying of a terrible sickness that was simultaneously “forgetting”/wiping out the world around them. Ah, well. I suppose the events at the start felt appropriately gloomy enough for a last book. My idea's probably a bit too egotistical/hits too close to home anyway.

All that said, it’s remarkable he was still able to produce books right to the end given how advanced his illness became.

Gods bless, Sir Terry.

The story is great, but the book itself is terrible. The binding is poorly glued, the formatting within the book is terrible, the images and the cover are bad copies of the original, and the paper is noticeably thinner than any of my other paperbacks. My copy of Good Omens is also like this. Harper Collins' quality has really gone downhill.

As always, I enjoyed his book. However it felt like it didn't quite end all of the Disc World Saga. I understand how that happened. I just want to say that we have certainly lost an author of great imagination - and one who was extremely kind hearted. Where will we ever find another one even remotely similiar to him!

I don't think it's quite fair to judge this particular book against his others. He knew he was close to death and that changes the parameters of comparison. This novel follows Tiffany Aching's coming into her own 'steading.' Sir Terry seemed to be writing a final farewell to both his readers and beloved characters; it was a heart wrenching read for me. I've loved his novels for so many years. It's hard to write this now without crying.

Don't make this your first Pratchett novel. Please. Read his earlier works first. Fall in love with his writing style. His characters. The way he expertly weaves together many threads of storyline. Travel to Discworld and have countless adventures and think big, deep thoughts before you read his farewell to all of us. And when you come to The Shepherd's Crown, you'll be ready. You'll see how much he was able to say in the end, and why he was one of the most loved authors of our time.

Unfortunately, I agree with many of the other low rating reviews of Terry Pratchett's "The Shepherd's Crown:" this book is not Pratchett. Everything's flat. There's no music to what's happening. As you read through it, there's nothing in your head but the words. There's no fizz. The characters are just words being written instead of the beings we know and love living their lives. So, with regret, I've got to rate the book at a Not Very Good 2 stars out of 5 and say "don't bother."

This, the last novel from Sir Terry Pratchett, is a beautiful beginning as Tiffany Aching steps into being a witch in her own right. The story soars through the exposition, neatly aligning Tiffany's story with that of the Witches. Pratchett's characters are fully balanced, the action smoothly transitions, and the story both brings in fresh ideas and new allusions as well as nods to most of our favorite old characters of the Disc and Lancre and the Chalk. I would not change a thing, and the notes at the end brought tears to my eyes. Thank you Terry Pratchett. You will be missed.

Utterly gripping & completely wonderful! A sense of the small & the big, the right & the wrong, & how we're all human together.
I will be collecting Pratchett's books because of these few.

If atheists had saints, then Terry Pratchett would have a calendar day.
The last episode in the adventures of Mistress Aching gets it right. A wonderful portrait of the role of a healer and caregiver.

"The Shepherd's Crown" by Sir Terry Pratchett is the most eagerly-awaited book I never wanted to read.

Pratchett died last March of the "Embuggerance," his term for the early onset Alzheimer's he had been battling since 2007. After 42 novels and multiple short stories and companion books, "The Shepherd's Crown," on sale in the U.S. Tuesday, is the last new book from the magical land of Discworld and its massive cast of characters that we shall ever see.

My review below contains spoilers about events that happen in the very beginning of the book that some readers still may prefer not to know ahead of time, so here's a short, spoiler-free version: It will never be considered his greatest work, but Pratchett ended his run with a book that not only revisits many old friends and ends on a wonderfully satisfying note, but manages to express the themes of empathy, rationality, responsibility and death that Pratchett hit upon again and again in the last 32 years.

If you're invested enough to want to avoid spoilers, you're going to buy the book anyway, of course. But from here on out I'll be discussing plot points, so beware.

Very nearly the first thing this dying author did in his last book was to show us how death should be handled.

Witches know when their death is coming, that's part of the deal, so Granny Weatherwax had plenty of time to get her things in order before Death came like an old business partner to take her hand. By the time young witch Tiffany Aching found her Granny was gone and Tiffany found she was suddenly the chosen successor to the most powerful witch Discworld had seen in years. Not everybody is happy about that.

Some of the other witches think, loudly, that it should be someone else. The people in Granny's territory want attention. The people in Tiffany's old steading are feeling left out, despite Tiffany's exhausting, nearly-constant shuttling from place to place. And, worst of all, the race of malevolent elves held back from this world by a powerful force have discovered that the force isn't in the way anymore…

Pratchett's Tiffany Aching books, meant for young readers, have never possessed the rampaging wit and surgical satire of his adult Discworld books, aiming rather at gentle humor and life lessons (and making fun of life lessons). And “The Shepherd's Crown,” written toward the end of his illness and published without the tweaking he surely would have given it -- as explained in the afterword by his assistant, Rob -- reads in many ways like a good first draft. There are several areas that deserve more development, such as Geoffrey the boy who wants to be a witch, just what's up with Granny's cat You, and a final battle that was perhaps more anticlimactic than it would have been.

But he hits every emotional beat perfectly and all the things Pratchett feels most strongly about, all the themes he's returned to again and again throughout his writing come through bright and clear.

Do what's in front of you. Pay attention to what's actually happening. Death is nothing to fear. Your dreams should never be limited by gender or age. Life live to the fullest. Caring for other people is what builds a society.and makes us human.

Ultimately, “The Shepherd's Crown” is a satisfying end to the Discworld universe, and a last chance to say goodbye.

Don't get me wrong - this is not a bad book in any way, It's just that there is something missing. It lacks Terry Pratchett's usual humor. I don't know how much was actually finished by Terry himself, but this book doesn't have the spark of his others. It's still a good read, although a sad one too, both due to the plot line, and the knowledge that there will never be any more Discworld books (at least not by sir Terry).

You could feel the power and depth, it just wasn't 100% to.

Well worth reading. If you think I am disparaging Terry, I am not, he created the outline and fleshed it out, but I see the parts of a Terry novel that I am missing.

I am very rarely ever disappointed by the work of the great Sir Pratchett... And when I am, it is usually in the length of the wait until the next book comes out. This one, being the last, shall prove to be both the most cherished and the most disappointing. There is a finality to the ending of this one that was never present in his other discworld novels; it is fitting.

Another story Terry Pratchett did not write, another fifteen bucks I could have spent on other things I don't need or want. Like chewing tobacco, or snake polish. Unlike raising steam, which was nearly unreadable, this one is completely unreadable! I would ask for my money back, but I do not want to hurt the estate. I know he was unable to write due to Alzheimer's but putting his name on this is a scam. I am not sure he even read the notes. Another reviewer said a brilliant thing, a decent first novel, but not Terry's.

Solid work, not Sir Pratchett's best, though. It feels a bit stitched together, with a number of uncharacteristically lightly explored plot elements. The postword indicates that novel was at least partially unfinished at the time of the author's passing, which would explain. All in all, a worthy final statement from a superb author.

Another great book fro Terry Pratchett. Interesting, funny and holds your attention. Just a little bit sad knowing this is his last book. I wanted to keep reading as it was enthralling, but at the same time take it slowly so it lasted!

This neither a great book nor a good book. It's not even reaching toward adquate status -- at least as far Sir Terry's work usually goes.

It is, however, suggestive.

I had the sad joy of imagining it as it might have been. Then came the odder reflections on what themes of the book might have meant respect to the external circumstances of its production.

In the end, it was literature. Good, great, whatever. It did what timeless literature must do.

The Kindle price is HIGHER than Hardback price??

No way - don't care how much I love Sir Terry - that is a vulture marketing rip-off based on his fond memory.

l have every single Pratchett book (Hardback edition/paperback edition AND Kindle editions on all) and WOULD have pre-ordered this in MOBI in order to receive it ASAP on release day - but now - will buy this one in used hardback about 45 days from now - consider it my vote of disapproval on the vulture marketing

This is not the book to start with if you don't know Terry Pratchett's work, but it is a satisfying finish for the arc of the Discworld. His last book, he completes a story that begins with the Wee Free Men and much earlier with Wyrd Sisters. We will miss you, Sir Terry, Tiffany, Granny Weatherwax and DEATH.

A sad, but uplifting end to the Tiffany Aching / Nac MacFeagles series. A must for all Pratchett fans. It brings to a conclusion the making of a great witch - Tiffany Aching. Once again Sir Terry has opened the heart and soul of the discworld and drawn us into its magic.
Thank you Sir P'Terry, wherever you are.

It's the proper plotline wrap-up to the splendid Tiffany Aching cycle by Pratchett but it's obviously just a rough version, without the style and verve that would have been layered on if the author had been allowed more time. Some parts are much more finished than others; the opening sequence is very good and quite touching. It's worth reading just to understand where Terry wanted the characters, and their world, to go.

A bittersweet ending to a beloved series. Not as lighthearted or satirical as many of the Discworld novels, and certainly not a polished work (as acknowledged in the afterword), but a satisfying end to a wonderful world and a beloved character's arc.