I Shall Wear Midnight (Tiffany Aching)

Tiffany, the hag of the hills, is becoming a young lady
and doing witchwork which brings the respect of the
other witches such as Granny Weatherwax -
you should read this one - it's fun as always!

It was good but not as good as his other tiffany aching books, still a delight to read and I loved the new characters

*spoiler* I was delighted to see Eskarina from Equal Rights make an appearance

I just love to read about Tiffany Aching and the wee free men. Re-read all the books by TP several times over. And over again. Gorgeous book, wouldn't have missed this for any price. I get a special feeling, a bit fairytale -like, with the world Terry has created... Discworld series is the comfort food of literary kind!

Terry Pratchet is a wonderful writer. Or maybe better to say was a wonderful writer. Discworld and Tiffany Aching are some of the great literary creations ever. I want them to keep going on forever, but this book is forced, stilted, and heavy handed. As much as I love Pratchet, its hard to recommend this book. The first half is barely readable. There are events that seem disconnected one from the other. The second half is better, but still not on par with other Discworld books. He has written a few clunkers before and this, sadly, is the next clunker of a discworld book.

Tiffany Aching is facing an insidious evil; "poison goes where poison is welcome". Not a literal poison, but a poison of souls that causes the people who need witches to question, misinterpret, and attack people like Tiffany. Tiffany spends her days helping people, she goes to "feed them as is hungry, clothe them as is naked, and speak up for them as has no voices". What comes for her is blind and hateful.

To add to this, the Baron is dying, his son is under the spell of someone other than Tiffany, Tiffany has to face the bane of witches throughout the ages, the other witches are watching and judging her, and, worst luck, the Nac Mac Feegle are ready help her again. Along the way, she meets the genius behind Boffo, a skeleton that is much happier with a teddy bear than without, a young woman with a unique gift for languages, and Roland's (the son of the dying baron) fiancée and her mother, the Duchess.

Dark, with humorous highlights. Sir Terry Pratchett addresses the worst aspect of the human soul; petty and willfully ignorant hatred for those to whom you are indebted. Someone spends their days healing and giving to others, so, of course, the human reaction is sullen rage and resentment. At the same time, the Nac Mac Feegle are in fine form. Jeannie, the Kelda of the Wee Free Men is growing into her role as their matriarch (and mother to most) of the clan. Rob Anybody has apparently mastered the hiddlins (secrets) of the explaining, the heart of being husband to the Kelda, but truly lets forth his rage before the tale is told. And of course, there is always Daft Willie and his pal, Horace the cheese.

This one was much darker than Pratchett's other books, cutting straight to what is worst in humanity and hauling it out into the daylight, then on to the fire. The themes and imagery are very powerful, and should have any reader stopping to think about where this has been seen, and what it is really about. Without spoilers, there is light at the end, but this is in question at times.

Deeply moving and absolutely brilliant.

Edward M. Van Court

Life is strange (and, if you read Terry Pratchett) wonderful, even when it is difficult or weird, So, the strangeness here is of my acquaintance of this book and others in this series is that I got ahold of them after Sir Terry died, Now I do love fantasy, but never grabbed onto the Discworld concept, as I don't think I took the time to investigate it. So I started getting to know the writing of this most incredible writer and person through the first book in the Tiffany Aching series, "We Free Men", and sadly closed this book, I Shall Wear Midnight" just a few days ago. So really this review is about this portion of Discworld, and what a ride these books have been. Oh! They're for teens? Sorry, didn't notice, some of the humor plays to an older audience, and certain references too. No, these books are certainly generation spanners. To watch Tiffany Aching go from 8 yrs. to 16 yrs. is a wonder, and he captures the subtle changes in the psyche of this girl/young woman in such true and subtle ways, I kept wondering in part, how could a guy know all that (well, he has a daughter, I suppose that helped) and to set all this in a place that is a quasi-Medieval setting Monty Python would feel quite at home in is a stroke of genius few could pull off, in fact I'd go so far as to say, nobody could do what this individual has done here. The colliding juxtapositions of humor, folklore, pathos and sheer delight
will keep me humming "Ankh-Morpork! It's a wonderful town!" for some time to come. So thank you belatedly, Terry Pratchett. I feel you are in a good place, but missed by millions in this one.

Some Tiffany Aching fans may be a little miffed by my title. They shouldn’t be. I am completely won over by Tiffany Aching. I have only just discovered Terry Pratchett. I have seen the movie adaptation of The Hogfather and I have read Guards! Guards! Oh, yes, I have also read Good Omens that Pratchett co-wrote with Neil Gaiman. I experienced these in stand-alone mode over several years and never connected the name Pratchett to them. Now, as I close I Shall Wear Midnight, Terry Pratchett has my attention.

I came to I Shall Wear Midnight having no idea who Tiffany Aching was or what her world was like. My first impression of Tiffany, after a few chapters, was that she was nothing much more than a certified nursing assistant on steroids. This isn’t a put down. The fact that Pratchett took a witch—a very real witch—and has her washing dishes, delivering babies, and taking care of toe nails struck me as quite original and rich.

Even so, I didn’t fully appreciate Tiffany Aching until the scene in the barn when she is trying to convince Mr. Petty to leave before the villagers come and kill him for beating his daughter near to death. In the face of his drunken belligerence Tiffany rose up as something much larger—much fiercer—than the sixteen-year-old girl that she is. She does not rely on magical powers as she faces down a man who could kill her with one punch. Instead, she summon an authority tied to her office as a witch (she is, after all, the Hag of the Hills) which gives her the right and confidence to tell this man what he should do, “Leave, Mr. Petty. Run.” She does so with all the intimidation of a drill sergeant who is in a trainee’s face, but with a quietness that is as ominous as approaching black clouds. She does use a bit of magic in this scene, but only in self-defense. When he attacks her she transfer the pain of his daughter to him. The self-restraint of Tiffany—the self-restraint of the author—is inspirational.

What ultimately made me give my heart to Tiffany was why she was trying to convince Mr. Petty to leave. Mr. Petty was a miserable brute of a human being who deserved what was coming to him. Tiffany makes that very clear. It was the villagers she was trying to save—they didn’t deserve to commit an atrocity, even against a man like Mr. Petty. It is rare that I ever read an author who can conjure up such sincere, meaningful humanity in a novel. Tiffany Aching carries herself with the grace and confidence of a queen, has the power of a witch, and yet her first purpose in each day is to serve and care for the people she is bound to. What the world would be like if we all knew someone like Tiffany Aching.

I’m not sure if others are drawn into books for the reasons I am, but I Shall Wear Midnight has all the usual draws, too. The characters live and breathe and are delightful. The world is colorful, vivid, and worth some of the precious time of your life to visit. A review by Booklist says, “The action never picks up much more momentum than a determined amble,” which is true. The battle with the Cunning Man seems almost anticlimactic for all the fear I felt leading up to it. In a lesser book this would have been a major flaw. In I Shall Wear Midnight it isn’t a flaw at all. This is because the plot (which is a very good plot, indeed) is secondary to joy of meeting the characters and listening to the delightful dialogues they have. All I can say is, I shall read more Terry Pratchett.

In this fourth book in the series Tiffany has grown from age nine to age sixteen, learning complicated lessons about witchcraft and life along the way. The major characters of the series are present in this story (including the witches, Roland the Baron’s son, and of course the Nac Mac Feegles).

Although filled with humor like the other books in the series, this story is darker. Roland is engaged to a suitably aristocratic girl (Tiffany is not sure whether she minds or not). A villager beats his wife and daughter, causes the death of his grandchild, and tries to hang himself, although Tiffany reluctantly rescues him. The old Baron dies after telling Tiffany the story of a day out hunting with his father when he saw a hare leap into a brush fire and come out alive. Witches have become very unpopular, as an evil entity spreads hatred.

Even in the midst of this grim scenario, there are a lot of very funny characters and events. It’s a strange mix, but it works. The story builds to a mythic and very moving climax.

It's difficult to think of an author who is more humane, more caring, more simply likeable than Sir Terry. He believes in people, even those he doesn't have much use for. And these traits have made him one of the most popular living authors in any language. Having said all that, it's also nice to be able to say that this is a very good wrap-up to the four-volume story of Tiffany Aching, Witch of the Chalk, Witch of the Hills, Big Wee Hag to the Nac Mac Feegles, and all of sixteen years old -- though she's been a witch since she was nine. At least, I *assume* it's the wrap-up -- but I previously thought _Wintersmith_ was the end of a trilogy. (On the other hand, there're Pratchett well-known medical problems. . . .) Tiffany has had a hard apprenticeship, what with overcoming local prejudice and kissing Winter and all, but now she's got a handle on things and she stays very, very busy, looking after her people. But trouble is brewing in the form of an ancient and evil force of hatred and prejudice, and if she doesn't defeat it, it could make things very difficult for all witches -- not to mention for innocent old ladies who merely seem a bit odd. But if the evil defeats her, it will take over her body and will know everything she knows. And then the other witches will have to kill her, whether they want to or not, for their own protection. As Granny Weatherwax says, "We do good. We don't do nice." But Tiffany has a number of uncommon skills she can call on, including her friendly relationship with fire. Meanwhile, she also has to help the old Baron prepare for his upcoming death, and help Roland become the new Baron, and figure out how to deal with the jealousy of Roland's fiancée, who is also an untutored witch. Note that this is (theoretically) a YA book, though some people (those who think adolescents must be protected from the world) will undoubtedly object to certain themes and scenes. But, like Robert Heinlein, Pratchett produces books for young readers that will appeal to us middle-aged types as well. And through it all, Pratchett spins his own magic with the language, which he does better than almost anyone. A lovely book.

The last of the Tiffany Aching books and an excellent ending to the series. Besides the first, I think this might be my favorite book of the four. Tiffany has finished her "apprenticeship" and is now the resident witch of her hometown. This means she's taking care of the community the way true witches do -- helping the sick who have no one to take care of them, easing the elderly to the next stage of life, fixing domestic disputes so no one knows she's really doing it. She's confronting anti-witches and land-grabbers and old fundamentalist ladies who simply don't agree with what she does.

We see a grown up Tiffany here, making and dealing with being an adult. She no longer has the wisdom and guidance of her fellow witches, so her mistakes are a result of a lack of experience (and a sharp tongue). But she does have the wee free men in her corner. You see her finally deal with some of the relationships that other books have let linger.

This book also borrows more from Pratchett's existing universe, as Tiffany travels to Ankh-Morpork. This chunk in the middle seems to be catering to Discworld die-hards. It harms a little of the overall narrative, but the rest of the story makes up for it.

Unlike the last two, this one doesn't have a big bad or a problematic witch teacher. You get to see Tiffany being Tiffany, rough and gruff, practical but still scared. All in all, it's a very satisfying conclusion, closer to the magic of the first book.

Tiffany Aching is the witch of Chalk, which means that she has to do all the messy rural stuff that witches do. But witches aren't always as appreciated as they should be, and Terry Pratchett's "I Shall Wear Midnight" flings the sensible young girl -- and the Nac Mac Feegles -- against a threat that really, really doesn't like witches.

Tiffany is doing the usual witchy rounds in Chalk -- nursing the sick, burying the dead, watching cheese races, and rescuing the occasional girl from an abusive father. Then the local Duke expires after a long illness, and it's up to Tiffany to tell his son Roland and his "watercolour-painting wife-to-be" about what happened.

The problem is, she's being stalked by a creepy eyeless man with a vile psychic stench, who is inspiring people to hate and distrust witches. Suddenly stones are being thrown, accusations are being made, and Tiffany even finds herself in the Ankh-Morpork jail. And if Tiffany doesn't find a way to stop the Cunning Man, things will get very toasty for the witches...

Due to having Alzheimer's disease, Terry Pratchett had to dictate "I Shall Wear Midnight" instead of the usual computer typing. As a result, the book's beginning is very rambly and scattered, as if Pratchett hadn't fully thought out how the plot was going to go -- but after the Duke's death, things start to tighten up and move faster.

And Pratchett hasn't lost any of his delicious wit, whether it's poking fun at cliches (the cackle box!) or sharp dialogue ("Have you boys got no shame?" "I couldnae say, but if we have, it probably belonged tae somebody else"), or his knack for writing truly chilling moments, such as Tiffany seeing the Cunning Man's holes-where-his-eyes-should-be, or the almost palpable darkness as hatred starts to take over people's hearts.

But unlike authors who talk down to "young readers," Pratchett doesn't shy away from realistically dark moments, like Tiffany caring for a girl who was badly beaten by her father until she miscarried. These parts -- and the "rough music" -- are more horrifying than the Cunning Man.

Tiffany herself is a very realistic depiction of a sensible, mature, no-nonsense young lady (like a younger version of Granny Weatherwax). While Pratchett occasionally reminds us that she IS still young (and prone to little stabs of jealousy), she grows up a great deal in this book. And there are some hints of romance with a young guard (who can pronounce the word "marvelous").

"I Shall Wear Midnight" is an excellent -- possibly final -- entry in Terry Pratchett's Tiffany Aching series. It starts out rather slow, but soon kicks into stride.

There's certainly a degree of "pride" to be experienced reading about Tiffany pretty much being a witch. And as much as it's not exactly a glamorous job, it's a strongly necessary one. And given how I've come to love Tiffany over the years, it is certainly worthy of respect to see how well she fulfills her duties and how she's able to hold her own even among fellow witches. That says a lot about the strength of the character and how much she has grown (and definitely matured) over the years. She's certainly growing up to be quite the formidable witch.

And this book helped address other questions about her development including resolving the question of Roland, better situating what place her father has in things and even the passing of the old Baron. Heck, we even addressed the question of Wee Mad Arthur from the Ankh-Morpork City Watch!

Pratchett's writing remains as playful and elegant as ever in this book and I don't see how one can make the statement that this is meant to be a young adult novel. If it truly is one, then it's a great one that doesn't talk down to its audience, and thus it works well on a number of levels. Plus it's the main place where one can read about the Witches of Lancre, and that inevitably draws older readers who love the likes of Granny Weatherwax.

Admittedly I enjoyed the complexity of our "villain" in the book, even though you can argue that the Cunning Man is practically simple given his singular motivations. But defeating him wasn't simple at all and how Tiffany managed to work her way through this problem in order to come out on top was definitely admirable.

Plus man, he totally had one of the best descriptions of cats in a footnote towards the end of the book.

I Shall Wear Midnight is essentially your true coming-of-age book for Tiffany Aching and one that makes her pass through the fire - quite literally, in fact.

This is the fourth book in the Tiffany Aching series set on Discworld. Tiffany is THE witch of the Chalk- the open farmlands outside of Ankh-Morpork. As the witch, most of what she does is birth babies, tend to the sick and poor, and ease people as they die. It's messy, dirty work that is unpaid except for potatoes, hams, old sheets to make in bandages and an occasional pair of old boots. Because witches can't be paid, and most of the people of the Chalk are too poor to pay her, anyway. On Discworld, being a witch has little to do with sparkle and wands and much to do with human need.

Tiffany is (almost) sixteen, and is almost as mature as she thinks she is. She's tired all the time and scarcely stops to eat. When she tries to take a day off to attend the scouring (a country fair on the Chalk), of course things go badly- she ends up tending to a 13 year old young woman who's father has beaten her so badly that she has miscarried. Tiffany helps her by taking her to the Feegle mound to be tended to by the kelda of the Nac Mac Feegle, a woman- a wee tiny woman- who has the art of the soothins, the easing of emotional pain, leading to misunderstandings with the girl's family. Then the old Baron dies, with Tiffany in attendance, and she finds her self accused of murder, theft, kidnapping and of doing black magic.

Tiffany has a couple of enemies, supernatural and human, but they aren't the only problems that have led to her troubles. She has brought some of her troubles on herself, and this can be harder to deal with than the spirit of an ancient witch burner who has been roused from his long sleep and is set on destroying her. Tiffany doesn't understand people nearly as well as she understands fire and magic, and her behavior has made it easier for people to turn against her when the spirit triggers their prejudice.

It's a novel about growing up, about letting go of preconceptions, about understand the first thoughts and second sight, about catching the words that people almost say but don't dare to. I love all the Tiffany Aching books, but this one is my favorite. In between the slapstick humor of the Nac Mac Feegle and the magic flying broomsticks is a lot of psychology and philosophy and some musings on what constitutes magic.

A lot of people have said that this is the last Tiffany Aching book. I do hope not. She is my favorite Discworld character, and there are a lot of plot threads left untied at the end that could launch several more novels of witching life on the Chalk. Well done, Mr. Pratchett, you have created the most believable witch in literature.

I loved this book as much as any of the rest of the Tiffany Aching books. Which is to say that it is a teensy bit better than all Terry Pratchett's witch books, and even slightly more excellent than the Inspector Vimes books. I confess - I am a Terry Pratchett fan! I am also a Tiffany Aching fan. In Tiffany Aching, Terry Pratchett fully explains his concept of witches, which I find utterly charming. His witches are the smart girls/women, who take responsibility for those in their communities that need their help. And sometimes the help that is needed, and provided, involves more than just knowledge of herbal remedies, or the right way to make a cheese. Sometimes there is magic. And, since it is about humans, and written by Terry Pratchett, there is often humor...
I Shall Wear Midnight is perhaps the least funny of the Tiffany tales, but no less satisfying for that. It also manages to be rather profound. Tiffany faces the loss of her first boyfriend, and learns to look past her personal feelings to do what is most important. And, as usual, risks her own safety to save her people.
Lovely.

I Shall Wear Midnight is a book that every teenage girl should read. It is hilarious, it is poignant, and it features one of the most bad-ass teen female protagonists I've read- not because she beats people to a pulp, but because she has common sense and self confidence.

This book is actually a follow up to Wee Free Men, A Hat Full of Sky, and Wintersmith, which I now MUST READ AND HOW DID I COME IN AT THE END LIKE THIS?!

I knew Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels were hilarious, because I've read Monstrous Regiment, and chatted about many others with my eldest brother, but I didn't realize they were this relevant.

I was seriously entertained by this novel, laughing a lot and cheering for Tiffany (the protagonist). It bears noting that I listened to the audiobook, narrated by the brilliantly spot-on Stephen Briggs. He may now be my second-favorite audiobook narrator ever.

Highly recommended for fans of YA, those who enjoy the Discworld series (of course), fans of cheeky humorous fiction, pastoral fantasy settings, and strong female protagonists.

Also, I want to party with the Nac Mac Feegle.

The Tiffany Aching series was recommended to me by some female friends, who read it an enjoyed it a good deal, and I've read it and enjoyed it as well. Reading along as Tiffany grows up has been a pleasure and a joy, and her adventures with the Nac Mac Feegle ("Wee Free Men") have given me many hours of good clean fun.

In this book an ancient priest of the Omnian religion, now a ghost, was awakened from death by Tiffany's dealing with the Wintersmith (in the 3rd novel of the series). He is a hateful ghost, full of malice toward witches, and he is able to influence people against witches just be brushing against them. Time after time he attacks Tiffany, turning individuals and crowds against her, while her witch friends (including Eskarina Smith, from the very first book in the witches series, Equal Rites) seek to help her fight him off. As the game of cat-and-mouse goes on and on, Tiffany comes to slowly understand the priest's weakness and formulates a plan against him. She will require the help of the Nac Mac Feegle to stand him down for good, as she is watched by the senior witches, who want to see how she deals with this evil character.

This book is darker than most of Pratchett's work, but it's a good time watching Tiffany and the Feegles come up with a plan against The Cunning Man, as he is called. There are plenty of minor cameos and sub-plots going on as well, which makes this an engaging and lively read. My one complaint is that after building up The Cunning Man to be a truly formidable force, Pratchett has the senior witches arrive and throw Tiffany their moral support, which to me undermines her independence. This is a minor complaint, and it was quite satisfying to see Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg once more, along with Mrs. Proust of the Boffo joke shop. An entertaining and enjoyable read, I hope you enjoy it!

I am an unabashed fan of Terry Pratchett. No writer I know brings more humanity, more humanness, to his writing than Pratchett. And it has never been more plainly on display than in the Tiffany Aching story arc. This is the fourth and probably concluding novel in that amazing series.

Tiffany Aching's adventures need to be read in publication order: The Wee Free Men (Discworld),A Hat Full of Sky: The Continuing Adventures of Tiffany Aching and the Wee Free Men,Wintersmith (Discworld) and now I Shall Wear Midnight. Each novel presents Tiffany, a very precocious young witch living on the Chalk Downs, with a more difficult challenge. All of them involve solving a problem, often enough a problem she helped create in the first place. Tiffany has to learn, sometimes at considerable sacrifice, how to make things right. How to be responsible.

In Midnight, the challenge is The Cunning Man, the eyeless spirit that hates all witches, and whose miasma infects everyone, even Tiffany's own friend, with that same hatred. In the three earlier novels, Tiffany has had the "help" of the Mac Nac Feegles, the Wee Free Men, the Pictsies. But against a ghost with no physical form, the thieving, drinking, fighting Feegles aren't much use. Their role is restricted to comic relief. When Tiffany asks them, "Have you boys got no shame?" They answer, "I couldnae say, but if we have, it probably belonged tae somebody else."

Pratchett's health no longer permits to him use a keyboard. Instead, he uses voice dictation/recognition software and a capable assistant. Amazingly, the change hasn't affected the quality of his writing. And no one living today writes better than Terry Pratchett. For example,

"Tiffany glanced around for a moment. 'That's Mrs. Proust. She's from Ankh-Morpork, you know. Is she an old friend of yours? She was asking about you only a little while ago.'"

"The Duchess smiled, but it was a strange little smile. If smiles had a color, it would have been green."

This is a wonderful story, wonderfully told. For long-time readers, there are some delightful cameos, including one utterly delightful surprise, reaching far back in the Discworld series, that I won't spoil here. Exceppt to remind readers that Granny Weatherwax had apprentices long before Tiffany.

If this is a children's tale, it is in the tradition of great children's stories, which means more than half of it is written for adults. The novel has its very dark moments. There are metaphorical dragons. But, as Pratchett has said, quoting Chesterton, "Children know there are dragons. Fantasy teaches them that dragons can be defeated."

My very highest recommendation. This is a work of wonder.

As a mother who screens everything her 11-year-old daughter reads, I am fairly familiar with the works of Diana Wynne Jones, Angie Sage and Kaye Umansky (a truly versatile writer in terms of style) - and I love them. I am also a fan of Terry Pratchett's Discworld series (although not a rabid fan) and more masculine style - but in "I Shall Wear Midnight", I found the perfect blending. I had feared that Pratchett's writings were a bit more adult than I wanted said daughter exposed to for the moment, but, happily, this was not the case. The more mature comic parts of the book simply slid right over said daughter's head while they had me in stitches - and the voice of Tiffany Aching spoke clearly throughout the book. I had to look at the cover to remember it was written by a man! Of course, knowing that Pratchett has been ill with early-onset Alzheimer's for these last few years now just makes reading this book more poignant. The book was a terrific read, and, to my surprise, said daughter actually proclaimed it her very favourite book ever, even more so than Harry Potter - so I would say that it's a good introduction to the Discworld books. In the words of said daughter:

"The book, 'I Shall Wear Midnight' by Terry Pratchett is a simply bewitching read.

"16-year-old Tiffany Aching has spent years studying with senior witches, and now she is on her own. As the witch of the Chalk, she does not do the sparkly, interesting types of magic. Instead, she helps the needy, from cutting old lady's toenails to saving a daughter and her baby from a father with a whip and a furious temper. However, when people begin to turn against witches, Tiffany, along with the Wee Free Man, a knight, a new baron, the baron's fiancé and all the witches in Discworld, must catch the person or thing responsible ...

"My favorite characters were, besides Tiffany and Preston, the Wee Free Men, because they are so little and blue, and very energetic.

"I would recommend this book to everyone who enjoys sorcery, magic and witchcraft of all kinds. I would also give this book 25 gold stars: five for the characters; five for the cover and title; five for the plot; five for the humor and five for the ending."

This is the fourth and final book in the Tiffany Aching series (after The Wee Free Men, A Hat Full of Sky and Wintersmith).

Tiffany is now the local witch on the Chalk. This means she mends broken toes and blows congested noses in the nearby villages.

When the old Baron dies under Tiffany's care (all she could do was take away the pain away), Miss Spruce the nurse accuses her of murder. On the way to Ankh-Morpork to warn her childhood friend Roland of his father's passing, she is attacked by the Cunning Man, a fiendish spirit. Roland, in turn, incriminates her.

Later she realizes it's actually the maleficent ghost who is poisoning people's minds against witches. She has to confront him. Of course, the Feegles are here to help... or not.

This volume is once again packed with philosophy and phun! I very much enjoyed meeting characters such as Preston (a young, smart castle guard who Tiffany befriends) and Letitia (Roland's watercolour fiancée, with whom there's more than meets the eye). I loved this Tiffany Aching book and I'm very sad it's the last one. I wish I lived on the Chalk with these people and these values: life and death as they should be.

Is it possible for the end of something to be both genuinely sad and yet utterly satisfactory? Sobered but satisfied might describe the legions of Terry Pratchett fans who, with I SHALL WEAR MIDNIGHT, will arrive at the end of his four-volume mini-series featuring the coming of age of apprentice witch Tiffany Aching.

When readers first met Tiffany in THE WEE FREE MEN, she was nine, a country girl in too-big boots, an aspiring cheese maker, unaware of her hidden talents as a witch until she was plucked off the Chalk and whisked away to the mountains to learn the often thankless art of witchcraft. Here, in her fourth and final adventure, Tiffany is 16, "a witch alone," operating free of the control of Granny Weatherwax, Nanny Ogg and the other senior witches --- but always, of course, looked after (whether she likes it or not) by her fiercest and fondest companions: the tiny blue Nac Mac Feegle, who follow her everywhere and would defend her to the death.

At the opening of I SHALL WEAR MIDNIGHT, Tiffany has discovered that being a witch means bearing all kinds of pain, acknowledging truths that most people ignore, facing difficulties that many never have to view head-on. Tiffany is learning that the life of a witch is hard, painful and often lonely (no matter how many Feegles might follow you), but also necessary to the well-being of her people: "You know how Granny Aching always used to say: `Feed them as is hungry, clothe them as is naked, speak up for them as has no voices'? Tiffany says. Well, I reckon there is room in there for `Grasp for them as can't bend, reach for them as can't stretch, wipe for them as can't twist,' don't you? And because sometimes you get a good day that makes up for all the bad days and, just for a moment, you hear the world turning."

Tiffany is both passionate and pragmatic about her work as a witch, but doing that work is becoming increasingly difficult, as a malevolent presence seems to be turning folks against witchcraft in general and Tiffany in particular. What's more, the Baron, the head nobleman in Tiffany's district, is at death's door, and his son Roland, Tiffany's childhood sweetheart, is poised to marry a young woman who couldn't be less like Tiffany (at least on the surface). Just as she's about to face her most daunting foe --- a task that will require proving herself in front of her teachers and peers --- Tiffany feels more alone than ever.

Although the four books featuring Tiffany Aching have been marketed to younger readers, they are part of Pratchett's expansive and endlessly entertaining Discworld series. I SHALL WEAR MIDNIGHT seems, in many ways, the most closely integrated into the rest of Discworld, as Tiffany journeys to the bustling city of Ankh-Morpork and even receives essential (if cryptic) counsel from one of Pratchett's earliest heroines. Perhaps Pratchett, as he draws this cycle to a close, is gently nudging his younger readers toward the riches that lie outside the Chalk but within the rest of Discworld.

As one character remarks to young Tiffany near the end of the novel, "Classic endings to a romantic story are a wedding or a legacy, and you have been the engineer of one of each." Certainly Pratchett, a storyteller for the ages, knows how to craft a fulfilling, classic ending. Those who want to see Tiffany succeed in her chosen craft will cheer her on; those who long for her to find love might be surprised, but not disappointed, at what (or, rather, whom) she finds. Even those pesky, lovable, unforgettable Nac Mac Feegle receive their ultimate reward. So, although readers might at first be cursing "Crivens!" at the thought of never hearing from Tiffany, Rob Anybody, or Daft Wullie again, they can close the book on their adventures with a deep sigh of contentment. "All's right with the (Disc)world".

--- Reviewed by Norah Piehl

I was startled by the negative reviews.

This is not a children's book just because the pressures of book promotion impel the publishers to categorize it carelessly. Pratchett is writing for an older audience than those who enjoyed the adventures of 8-year-old Tiffany Aching. This is a book about coming of age, and not for little kids, but for young people of around 16.

It is about mob mentality. It is about why ignorance engenders hate.

It is about finding unexpected help in time of trouble.

It is about how talent can hide in the heads of the most unlikely people.

It is about looking at your parents (and parents generally) with new eyes. Parents are people too, and often very interesting people, and Pratchett was sidling towards this idea without actually stating it aloud. (After all, who wants to hear this kind of preaching?)

It is about how Tiffany might finally find romance, given that the young fellow we all thought might be the nominee seems unlikely to accept the nomination.

This is about a world that appears fearful and threatening, but which, in the final analysis, gives you a fair chance. Pratchett always believed in a world that was even-handed (perhaps something some of us would find unexpected in a determined atheist -- but let that be a lesson to them).

Arch

Summary: It starts with whispers.
Then someone picks up a stone.
Finally, the fires begin.
When people turn on witches, the innocents suffer. . . .
Tiffany Aching has spent years studying with senior witches, and now she is on her own. As the witch of the Chalk, she performs the bits of witchcraft that aren t sparkly, aren t fun, don t involve any kind of wand, and that people seldom ever hear about: She does the unglamorous work of caring for the needy.
But someone or something is igniting fear, inculcating dark thoughts and angry murmurs against witches. Aided by her tiny blue allies, the Wee Free Men, Tiffany must find the source of this unrest and defeat the evil at its root before it takes her life. Because if Tiffany falls, the whole Chalk falls with her.

The Tiffany Aching series is one of my favorite young adult series. The fourth installment in the series I Shall Wear Midnight is an excellent read. It was like meeting up with a good friend you had not seen in some time. I find it very sad that this is the last in the series. Though Tiffany would be the first to admit that she's not perfect, she comes about as close as you can get. It's hard to believe that she is only 16 years old. She has wisdom beyond her years, which is why I suppose, she is a witch. Tiffany and the Mac Nac Feegles and Granny Weatherax and Nanny Ogg will be greatly missed.

This story is somewhat darker than the other Tiffany books. It explores the worst of human nature. The writing and imagery are very powerful and will have the reader examining their own actions and thoughts.

I highly recommend this and the other Tiffany Aching books (you really should read them in order) for any young adult (or old adult) that enjoys fantasy and books that make them think.

Terry Pratchett is one of my favorite authors. I would love to meet him and shake his hand, thanking him for nearly single-handedly raising the intelligence-level of modern fantasy and satire. As you read his Discworld books with their deliciously irreverent mythologies and perfectly aimed character descriptions, you get the feeling that this guy has read more books than you could ever read-- and he's remembered all of it.

I Shall Wear Midnight is the fourth book in Pratchett's Tiffany Aching sequence and is in many ways the most sentimental and brazen. It follows Tiffany as she encounters an evil that is bent on destroying her and her kind. Her journey is accompanied by the delightful and brilliant Nac Mac Feegles. These people are a few inches tall, insanely strong, blue, and talk with a heavy brogue. They have names like Rob Anybody and Daft Wullie. They live by a strict code of honor, and aside from that code, anything goes.

Between Tiffany, love interests, the Nac Mac Feegles and a strong plot, I Shall Wear Midnight is a good read. What makes it an unusually moving yet frustrating read is the bold sentimentality and preaching done by Tiffany and witches in general. On the good side, Pratchett has a wonderful appreciation for women and what they do. He also has a reverence for life which is inspirational. Additionally, his protagonists are motivated by a strong sense of real justice and duty. Furthermore, his books are populated by people who act like real people and the people we are cheering for find strength and courage to become better, and by doing so, overcome their challenges.

This is wonderful.

But Pratchett is obviously atheist. There's nothing wrong with that. Indeed, he's typically been very indulgent towards believers, essentially allowing them their strong beliefs and rituals as long as their harmless. But in I Shall Wear Midnight, deity and worship seem to be a big joke. The priest of Om in this book seems to know perfectly well that what he believes is idiotic and silly. Indeed, the antagonist originated as a priest. It just feels a little preachy.

I have little trouble putting these attitudes aside as I read. Thus, the book is still excellent. There are long stretches of prose so beautiful that you marvel. There are brilliant, laugh-out-loud moments as well. As always, the Feegles delight. This book is highly recommended.

Pens: 4.5 out of 5

First published in 2010, "I Shall Wear Midnight" is set on the Discworld and is Terry Pratchett's fourth book to feature Tiffany Aching and the Wee Free Men.

Tiffany, still only fifteen, had been brought up on a farm in an area on the Chalk and - after a lengthy training period - has now returned home as the area's witch. Tiffany was inspired to follow the path's she's on by her Granny Aching, who'd always said it was important to stand up for those who have no voice. However, the Chalk's a wide area to cover, and there are times she has to push herself beyond her limits. Still, she wields a mean frying pan, is very good with cheese and, very luckily, she has the Nac Mac Feegle on her side. (The Feegle are a Pictsie race who were thrown out of Fairyland for being drunk, disorderly and rebellious : an extremely fast and strong race, their main hobbies are fond of fighting, stealing and drinking).

The book opens at the Scouring, a three-day fair held at the end of the summer. Most of the Chalk are there, but Tiffany feels pretty much alone. Now that she's "fully qualified", Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg are leaving her to it and people tend to avoid getting too familiar. (There's the respecct that comes with the position but, thanks to the fairytale image of malevolent old hags, there's a touch of fear too - an image that's dying, but hasn't fully gone yet). The isolation Tiffany feels is a little more pronounced, in that she's the Chalk's first "official" witch - although Granny Aching has fulfilled the role for the area, she'd never actually gone through the formal training and worn the hat. Things have even gotten frosty between Tiffany and Roland, the Baron's son. Roland is now engaged Letitia, an exceptionally wet, dreary streak of handwringing misery. It had been widely expected that Tiffany would have been Roland's intended - in fact, it was something the old Baron himself had wanted.

The old Baron has been on his last legs for some time, and Tiffany has been helping him deal with the pain - much to the annoyance if his nurse. Sadly, there's nothing she can do to prevent his death - though, tanks to her help, at least he dies happily. With Roland and his fiancee in Ankh-Morpork, Tiffany herself makes the journey to break the bad news. Having beaten the Elf Queen, danced with the Wintersmith and seen off an Hiver, Tiffany has now attracted the very unwanted attentions of the an evil spirit called Cunning Man - and she meets him, face-to-face, on the journey. He despises witches, and is bent on reiniting the fear, mistrust and hatred that once led to witches being burnt at the stake. If he succeeds in beating Tiffany, the temperature will once again rise.

Like everything else I've read by Pratchett, this is an excellent book. It's easily read, features plenty of likeable characters and there are plenty of laughs. On the down-side, I've never read a book by Pratchett that's felt so much like an ending - although Pratchett's personal circumstances mean there won't be too many more books, the thought of no more Feegle makes me a little sad. Absolutely recommended, naturally - though it's probably best to read "The Wee Free Men", "A Hat Full of Sky" and "Wintersmith" first.

This was my first experience with Discworld, and thus also my first experience with Tiffany Aching, and it was overall a quite enjoyable experience. The book stood alone well, and while I could tell there were quite a few references to events in previous novels (both in the Tiffany Aching series and in the larger Discworld series) they didn't get in the way of the story being told and didn't seem to spoil anything if I decide to pick up the earlier novels. (At least, nothing more than the jackets would have spoiled for me anyway.)

It's very definitely aimed at young adults (say 10-12 and up), with its teenage protagonist dealing largely with the issue of learning to act as a thoughtful independent agent. The Discworld setting was there as backdrop, but largely irrelevant to the story at hand, and while there were comic moments, particularly with the Wee Free Men, this was not a laugh-out-loud sort of book. It was focused on several themes common (but nonetheless vital) to young adult novels: finding your place in the world, thinking before you act (especially if you are short on sleep), and most importantly not standing idly by while those around you suffer. It also sounds a stern warning not to get caught up in the madness of crowds. And, impressively, all of those themes were well served, because Pratchett makes sure that the reader sees that there are no Bad Guys, just people reacting (often without thinking) to the people and circumstances around them.

Tiffany is a good heroine, strong-minded and action-oriented, but with a knack for self-reflection and enough humility that she quickly owns to her own mistakes and errors of judgment. I particularly enjoyed the fact that, unlike most heroines, she was expected to stand on her own two feet, and there was no one waiting in the wings to save her if she fell. This was unfortunately undercut by a mild love story that, while not in any way objectionable, simply didn't feel like it belonged in the tale of such an independent character. However, what was lacking in that department was made up by two very strong central images (the title and the hare) that Pratchett wove throughout; they are what I will take away from the novel long after I've forgotten (though not totally forgiven) its little bit of soppiness.

So all in all, a solid, well-paced and well-written work of fantasy for younger readers.

Trained in witchcraft by experts like Nanny Ogg (unofficially in this case that is), Tiffany Aching has become the Witch of the Chalk. Being young and wanting fun with and without witchcraft, Tiffany understands her responsibility to perform the spells to help those in need although she gains no acclaim as she does her work diligently in secret. Adding to her discomfit is reactions of the normal are rarely what she expects them to be.

However while at a fair feeling like a fool tied to her broom; just like the little kids with balloons, Tiffany senses something is not right. Soon people begin to assault witches for no apparent reason beyond their normal fear of the witches. She and her miniscule belligerent intoxicated pals, the Wee Free Men, begin to search what is playing on the trepidations of people towards witches. Needing help, she journeys to Ankh Morpork to meet with Roland, the baron's heir and with a shopkeeper before returning to confront whatever evil is stalking the Chalk.

Targeting teens, the fourth Aching fantasy (see The Wee Free Men, A Hat Full of Sky and Wintersmith) is a terrific entry that will have readers fully engrossed in the exciting story line. Yet the tale also ponders deep philosophical issues of esteem, fitting in (or not) and it's okay to be different and to a degree alone while making a strong case to speak up if you are domestic abuse victim. All that and more without decelerating and linked to the Discworld saga; fans of that great satirical series will also relish Tiffany's coming of age final test escapades

Harriet Klausner

Young witch Tiffany Aching keeps herself busy trying to keep society from breaking down and clipping toenails for an elderly woman who otherwise couldn't get around. She barely has time for sleep, let alone a social life. Still, seeing the son of the local baron, the boy she once rescued and who she once thought would be her husband, with a new fiancee, is painful to her. When the old baron dies and Tiffany is accused of being somehow responsible, the heir seems willing to believe everything bad about Tiffany no matter the years they've spent together.

Being a witch always comes with a certain amount of danger. The priests of Ohm may not actively pursue witch-burning any more, but there are plenty willing to blame the witch for anything that goes wrong. The 'rough music' can start up just about any time and when it does, someone generally pays. Despite everything Tiffany does, it looks like it she might be the one who pays this time.

Tiffany does have allies--the Wee Free Men (Feegle) are willing to fight for her any time. Of course if you don't want a fight, they're still willing to fight--it's what they do. Oddly, the other witches are less help than she would have thought. They do offer clues though, and Tiffany discovers that a long-dead witch-burner has somehow returned from beyond the grave and is behind the surge of hatred that affects not only her but all witches. Unfortunately, the witches have decided that either Tiffany will handle the spirit or they'll handle...Tiffany.

Using a magical broomstick, "help" from the Feegle, a bit of magic and plenty of common sense, Tiffany adds saving the world to the list of tasks she's got to accomplish.

Author Terry Pratchett concludes his Tiffany Acking miniseries with a strong and enjoyable entry in I SHALL WEAR MIDNIGHT. Tiffany has grown from a girl to a young woman, has endured heartbreak, and is coming to terms with her life as a witch. Pratchett combines humor with fantasy action and social commentary to create a story that will attract the teen-reader this series is ostensibly targetted to, but will also be enjoyable for the adult reader.

Although the Tiffany stories are set in Discworld, this has been a part of Discworld set apart from Ankh-Morpork. Here, Pratchett completes the integration, letting Tiffany visit a witch store in that great capital and deal with the Guard and witches from Ankh-Morpork. The real enjoyment of this story, though, comes from watching an extraordinary young woman deal with problems--while trying to preserve an essential goodness that all of us, I think, aspire to.

I SHALL WEAR MIDNIGHT can be enjoyed without reading the entire Tiffany Aching series. Fans of the series will get a bit of extra pleasure watching Tiffany's evolution. I enjoyed MIDNIGHT a lot.

I awaited the publishing of this book as others have, with real eagerness. And I felt disappointed from the beginning.

Two admissions up front: I'm a big fan of Mr. Pratchett's writing. I struggle to find writing as taught and freighted as his. And I prefer the books (like Monstrous Regiment, Going Postal, and Night Watch) that proceed at a quicker clip.

I find this book lacking in both those respects. I can't say that I love Mr. Pratchett's sharp writing in one breath and say that the writing in this book meets his standard in the next. There were glimpses of the brilliant wit and incisive dialogue I love. But they didn't make up as much of the book as they do in his best work.

And I agree with other reviewers who said the plot seemed to ramble. Again, the entire episode in Anhk Mohrpork didn't make much sense. It's not clear that Tiffany accomplished anything except reintroducing a popular character and setting up a touching ending. That's charming in some ways, but it doesn't make for a crisp storyline.

In a lot of ways, this book read like a multi-dimensional final episode of Happy Days - more intent on bringing together every notable character and tying up any loose than weaving moments of sharp insight and revealing action into a compelling story. In the entirety of the first chapter, for example, Tiffany walks across a fair grounds towing her broom, and has a conversation with a couple of kids. The rest of the chapter is given over to her musings on what it has meant to be a witch.

In the first chapter of "Going Postal", by comparison, the hero tries to escape prison, anticipates a reprieve, is hanged, is recruited by Vetinari, escapes, is hunted down, and is brought back. For my money Going Postal has a lot to say about human nature as well, and does much more of it through action rather than reflection. That makes it a much more enjoyable book for me.

In short, I enjoyed "I Shall Wear Midnight". But the slower pace, and meandering plot make it a book I won't revisit soon.

Terry Pratchett should need no introduction. He is a knighted author of Fantasy, most famous for his Discworld series, which has inspired everything from cartoons, BBC movies, figurines, t-shirts, postage stamps, street names in a Somerset city, their own convention, and even a line of beer. I Shall Wear Midnight concludes his Discworld based young adult series focused on the adventures of Tiffany Aching in a dark and thrilling novel.

Tiffany Aching is now a fifteen-year-old witch on the Chalk, an area known for soft soil and sheep. She is treated with respect, as any witch ought to be, but also with suspicion. Things get worse for her when the Baron, who owns most of the land, dies under her care and his nurse accuses her of black magic. She is sent on a mission to find the Baron's son, whom she saved in The Wee Free Men from the Queen of the Fairies. She was rumored to have feelings for the Baron's son, even going so far as to use the necklace which he gave her to ensnare the Hiver in A Hat Full of Sky, and his fiancé, Letitia, and her mother, who is a Dutchess and makes it clear to everyone in the vicinity that this is her rank.

On the coach ride to Ankh-Morpork, the Discworld equivalent to London or New York, she meets The Cunning Man, a conjured spirit of a murdered Omnian witch hunter who is occasionally resurrected throughout the history of Discworld to hunt and pursue witches, fueled by the deep seeded fear and mistrust of the members of their communities.

Tiffany is helped by a few of the witches in Ankh Morpork, including the famous Mrs. Proust, who runs Boffo's joke shop, and Eskarina Smith, who is the first ever woman bequeathed a wizard's staff, and thus lives on the borders between witch magic and wizard magic. All of them are aware of The Cunning Man's presence, but it pursues only Tiffany, who must ultimately battle him to the death in the final chapters.

As with many young adult series, as the characters grow and mature, so to do their worlds and the problems they must face. Tiffany Aching deals, within the first few chapters of the book, with alcoholism, domestic violence, infanticide and suicide, which is a far cry from slamming a river goblin in the face with a frying pan. Readers who have grown with the series will not be shocked, and indeed may champion Tiffany on these new adventures, but readers uninitiated may want to start with The Wee Free Men and work their way up through Tiffany's life. Still, this book certainly could stand alone, and deals readers a more realistic version of young adult life than many novels currently available. Though the themes are occasionally dark and mature, this is still a very entertaining and thrilling read, heavily spiced with Pratchett's trademark humor.

Reviewed by Shroud's Joshua Gage

Tiffany Aching has spent half her life finding out what she knows about being a witch. At age 8 she witnessed what happens when a community turns on someone branded a witch, and she determined it would never happen again if she had anything to do about it. As it turns out, she could do quite a lot.

Not by magic so much, as knowing how NOT to use magic to do what needs to be done. Learning the harder thing - people - and seeing what IS rather than what people would like to see. Having Second Thoughts - and sometimes Third and Fourth Thoughts. Always having a piece of string handy. And of course there are her friends, the Nac Mac Feegles, tremendous trouble in a deceptively small package who are determined to protect their "Big Wee Hag" - no matter how embarrassing and inconvenient their help might be.

After 8 years studying under senior witches, including the formidable Granny Weatherwax, Tiffany has gained a great deal of experience - and continued to develop her skills as a cheesemaker. As this latest tale opens, at 16 she is now a full time practicing witch on her own steading, her beloved homeland of the Chalk. While she's taken up the pointy hat as a mark of her calling, she has yet to formally adopt the black attire of her trade. She's almost too busy seeing to all the things regular people tend to let slide, caring for injuries, settling disputes, and otherwise trying to head off the problems no one else takes time to see. And then things start going wrong. (There's always a test when you're a witch.)

Her relationship with the Baron's son has taken a turn neither saw coming; she's fighting a losing battle to keep the baron in good health; a local girl undergoes a horrible experience which she tries to deal with as best she can. Mind, this would be all in a day's work for a witch - but on top of it something ancient and dark is creeping up on her, accompanied by troubling omens. Anti-witch sentiments begin to appear - and Tiffany finds she is becoming a target.

Without giving too much away, this is a tale where the saga of the young girl Tiffany Aching becomes the tale of Tiffany Aching the young woman. She faces tests of adulthood that will either destroy her, or confirm her as the witch - and the Tiffany Aching - she has always striven to be. This tale is classic Pratchett and a fitting capstone to the tales of young Tiffany. There are some brief cameos by other great characters Pratchett has created when the story carries Tiffany to Ankh-Morpork briefly, but this is very much her tale. If all the world's a story, as Granny Weatherwax might say, this is one of the better ones to be following.

It's difficult to think of an author who is more humane, more caring, more simply likeable than Sir Terry. He believes in people, even those he doesn't have much use for. And these traits have made him one of the most popular living authors in any language. Having said all that, it's also nice to be able to say that this is a very good wrap-up to the four-volume story of Tiffany Aching, Witch of the Chalk, Witch of the Hills, Big Wee Hag to the Nac Mac Feegles, and all of sixteen years old -- though she's been a witch since she was nine. (At least, I *assume* it's the wrap-up -- but I previously thought _Wintersmith_ was the end of a trilogy.) Tiffany has had a hard apprenticeship, what with overcoming local prejudice and kissing winter and all, but now she's got a handle on things and she stays very, very busy, looking after her people. But trouble is brewing in the form of an ancient and evil force of hatred and prejudice, and if she doesn't defeat it, it could make things very difficult for all witches -- not to mention for innocent old ladies who merely seem a bit odd. But if the evil defeats her, it will take over her body and will know everything she knows. And then the other witches will have to kill her, whether they want to or not, for their own protection. As Granny Weatherwax says, "We do good. We don't do nice." But Tiffany has a number of uncommon skills she can call on, including her friendly relationship with fire. Meanwhile, she also has to help the old Baron prepare for his upcoming death, and help Roland become the new Baron, and figure out how to deal with the jealousy of Roland's fiancée, who is also an untutored witch. Note that this is (theoretically) a YA book, though some people (those who think adolescents must be protected from the world) will undoubtedly object to certain themes and scenes. But, like Robert Heinlein, Pratchett produces books for young readers that will appeal to us middle-aged types as well. And throughout it all, Pratchett spins his own magic with the language, which he does better than almost anyone. A lovely book.

I've missed Pratchett's books. It's been way too long since I've last read one. He's one of my favorite authors and one I think more people should read. So if you aren't reading him already, go grab one of his books. If this series sounds intriguing, start with The Wee Free Men. Also, Harper's actually reprinted the first two books together as The Wee Free Men: The Beginning, so you can check that out too.

I love this series and just Pratchett's writing in general. The characters are always fully realized that they feel like old friends even from the beginning, the humor is spot-on and makes me laugh out loud, and some scenes just make you think about the world around you and how you look at things. His prose just flows so easily and half the book is over with before you know it.

I also love how he does his witches. They aren't your usual witches with spells and magical powers. They're more organic, in a sense- they just know things most people don't, help out the people in their village, are usually very clever, and they do occasionally fight evil, but not necessarily with spells and potions. It's just such a refreshing and original take on witches. And Tiffany is such a great role model and protagonist- strong, clever, and just all-around awesome.

My favorite characters of these books though are the Nac Mac Feegle (the blue people you see on the cover). They are HILARIOUS and I'm always cracking up whenever they're in the scene. They're just such great characters.

There were times though that some scenes felt like deja vu, like I'd seen them before, and that bothered me a bit because I could see where something was going and ended up being right (I'm usually horrible at this, so when I can actually do it, it's a big deal). But overall, it's still a really good book and a fitting conclusion to the series. I really enjoyed it and now need to find time to fit more Pratchett books into my reading schedule!

I loved this book. I loved that Tiffany has grown so believably from the first book through the fourth. I loved that the story tackled such big issues. I loved that Tiffany visited Ahnk Morpork and fit so nicely into the larger Discworld. I loved seeing Carot and Anqua and Vimes (I always love seeing Vimes) and The Times and everything that makes the Discworld such a fully realized and amazingly created place. I loved the plot. I loved the sense of threat.

And boy did I love the ending. It was beautiful. It was done so well. It actually brought a tear to my eye.

To me, each Tiffany Aching/Wee Free Men book has been better than the last.

And I loved how even beyond Tiffany's trip to Ahnk Morpork, this book tied into so many other Discworld novels (even more so than the other Tiffany books), with references to or characters from many previous books. In addition to the members of the watch mentioned above, Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg appear (as they tend to do in the Wee Free Men books), and so does Magrat. References are made to events in Discworld books as diverse as Carpe Jugulum, Sourcery, and Small Gods, in addition to the previous Tiffany books. Unseen University and its library are discussed, along with a running joke about Wizards staffs that has come up in more than one Rincewind book. What's amazing is that even if this was your very first Discworld book, you could appreciate it competely and feel as if you didn't miss anything, but as is so often the case with Mr. Pratchett's books, the more of them you read, the more rewarding each one becomes.

With the Discworld, Mr. Pratchett has created a world that is as complex and well designed as anything in literature--from my reading, only Robert Jordan's 14 massive-book Wheel of Time series comes close--and all the while Mr. Pratchett assembles some of the smartest, funniest, cleverest, most beautiful, and most simply truthfull sentences I've ever read. I have been choked up and touched more than once by the things that he's written. Even better, unlike some humorous writers, Mr. Pratchett's comedy never comes at the expense of the story, but rather enhances and illuminates it. And on top of all that, he has created some of my favorite characters of all time (Sam Vimes being right at the top of that list, but Granny and Tiffany and Rob Anybody are all fantastic as well, as are Carot and the Patrician (definitely the Patrician). And Death, and of course Moist Von Lipwig, (and I could go on and on). Preston, a character just introduced in this book is great as well (although he hasn't had the time to become as iconic and solid and real as so many of the Discworld regulars have)). It's because his writing is so true and his characters are so good that Mr. Pratchett's books can be so touching.

I look forward to the release of every Terry Pratchett book, and after I finish reading one, I look forward to re-reading it a second and even a third time. I have a lot of authors I enjoy, but no other author I consistently re-read. There are generally too many new books for me to have time to go back to old books, but with Terry Pratchett the books and the series are so well structured and the prose is so brilliantly conceived, re-reads are generally just as rewarding as the first time through.

Back to the point--this is a great book, well worth reading, wholly enjoyable, and highly recommended. If it truly is the last Tiffany book, it's a fantastic send off (and of course it's more than a little sad to say goodbye). The whole book is fun and funny and touching, and the ending is brilliantly done. If it is a goodbye to Tiffany, it's a sad one because I will miss her little corner of the Discworld, but it couldn't have been done any better, and I thank Mr. Pratchett for it.

I like Pratchett but this last book wasn't up to his normal work. Maybe my Kindle missed a few pages on the download, but it seemed to me there were missing parts. SPOILER ALERT, Like why did Tiffany have to marry Roland and Letitia during the fire? What did that have to do with anything? What bothered me the most was the whole Petty deal. Multiple times in the book (and in previous books) they talk about witches doing what is right and not what is nice. It's right to let a man who beat his daughter so hard that his unborn grandson dies get away with it? It's right to allow that to happen? What happens to Mr. Petty? Nothing as far as I can tell. They revisit the incident and the daughter is a major character in the book, so it's not like this was a throw away incident. That amazed me that there was no resolution to that incident. Maybe Mr. Petty realises he was wrong and stops beating his wife/daughter but that doesn't change the fact he beat his daughter so hard it killed his grandson. In Lonesome Dove (an amazing book, I suggest you read it) Woodraw Call and Augustus McCrae hang their friend Jake Spoon for murder. They do what is right, not what is nice. He begs them to let him go and talks about their past history together to try and get them to relent. They don't let their past history get in the way of what needs to be done, that is doing what is right, not what is nice. Mr. Petty committed murder, he should be punished and he wasn't. That bothered me.

This was a much more somber visit to Tiffany's stead than her previous three outings, but a good--and important--one nonetheless. Still, it's my least favorite Tiffany Aching book, which is a shame.

One thing I've noticed with many of Pratchett's recent books is the overabundance of bloated dialogue. Tiffany doesn't escape this new trend. I think it's a result of Sir Terry having to dictate his books and not realizing how long-winded it makes his characters sound. The book gets bogged down in too many monologues and unnecessary diatribes and not enough plot.

There's a lot of character development here, especially with Tiffany and Roland. It just feels like it takes a long time to get going. But throughout it all, Tiffany remains a strong person who does a lot of great things for people. She accepts the fact that life is a never-ending series of choices, not necessarily between 'good' and 'evil' (whatever those are), but just choices. And she's fine with that.

"Learning is about finding out who you are, what you are, where you are... what you are good at and what's over the horizon, and, well, everything."

--chancelee.com

Discworld novels are generally light, fun reading. Not that they aren't well written, but on a literary menu, they're a gourmet snack, not a meal. This explains some of the criticism of this book. While it has humor and mirth, it isn't light. The humor is needed to balance the hard, painful parts of life that Sir Pratchett is portraying here.

It isn't much of a spoiler to say that in the first part of the book, one of the major events is the beating of a pregnant teenager by her father, to the point where she miscarries. Prejudice, angry mobs, religious bigotry are all covered here. This is not light reading, and while I recommend the book even for adolescents, parents should read the book with their children (never a bad idea, but essential here) and be prepared for some uncomfortable conversations.

Folks that have read the earlier Tiffany Aching books will find this to be a dramatic departure from the earlier books. This Tiffany is more mature and less innocent. She's been dealing with the ordinary problems of folks on the chalk for several years, and she's grown up a lot. We even see another side of the Nac Mac Feegle as well. We get a glimpse of what they would be if their home was seriously threatened.

I enjoyed the book, perhaps even more than the earlier books in the series, but I had read a few of the reviews here and was prepared for a serious novel. I strongly recommend this book, but be ready for some serious reading.

Terry Pratchett's DiscWorld novels are always enjoyable, easy to read, and fun, but this one went a step further. Get this book for the teenager in your life. Or the teenager in you!

The two features that set this book apart from Terry Pratchett's other books, for me, were the descriptions of what a witch is and does, and the evil that protagonist teen witch Tiffany Aching must fight.

Witches are the people who take on the problems that are no-one else's problems, that see what no-one wants to see. She tends to the sick and forgotten, buries the unwanted, and is generally the mortar that keeps their society together.

Sure, she has some magic. And a broomstick. And a pointy black hat. Mostly though, she's got common sense and a caring attitude, and it suits the villagers to think it's magic.

The evil chasing her is a witch-hunter, twisted by religious beliefs, who died long ago, and is now an idea. The idea infects people when they start to hate, to fear, to be jealous. At the end of the book Tiffany gets a school built, so that the villagers have ideas in their head, and don't have space for the evil one.

This would be a great book for a young teenager (the protagonist is 16, so probably ages a bit under that). It's funny, entertaining, and brings up important issues in a light-hearted fashion.

Terry Pratchett entertains all once again. This is a great story in the Tiffany Aching series, it is written to be read by all ages. Terry is a wonderful wry storyteller, whether writing for adults or younger folks. This latest in the series has Tiffany learning some of the not so nice things the preconceptions and fear can create in the world. She must overcome changes in her life and world that would bring a lesser person to their knees. She must restore reason and peace to a family torn apart by abuse and liquor. She must do what she can to ensure that Roland ends up happy even though he must bury his father, and marry a sun starved, wispy and ever so fragile girl; who is being controlled by an intimidating countenance of a matron who happens to be her mother. While the subjects seem dark, Terry manages to keep the tale upbeat and highly entertaining. Read the book and find out about witches and life in general on the disc world. You will be amused, dismayed, tickled and above all else entertained as you read the story. Oh yes...Nac MacFeegle's are little blue fellows with a penchant for colorful language, drinking, fighting and snail rustling and those are the good qualities. They seem to find a way to be helpful throughout the story. Well, as long as your definition of helpful includes colorful language, drinking, fighting and snail rustling.

I have long been a lover of Terry Pratchett's work, and the Witches of Lancre are by far my favorite group of characters. As someone who enjoys young adult fiction as well, I was pleased as punch when Mr. Pratchett fused the two in the Tiffany Aching series. Completely charming. It was interesting to see Granny Weatherwax in a different element, as an observer rather than a participant in the continuing eldritch adventures of Disc-world. And Tiffany Aching has been the girl to take over the mantle of witchery from one of the greatest witches the Ramtops has ever produced. This fourth book appears to conclude our young heroine's journey, though it opens many questions and brings back Eskarina Smith, who started the witch series and who has been absent in the last 35 novels. Though I enjoyed the ending of the book, I would love it even more if the Tiffany Aching series continued!

Tiffany Aching is a young woman serving as the witch for the Chalk, a stretch of countryside in an alternative universe. Tiffany serves her flock with devotion, even though she is viewed with as much suspicion as respect. When the occasional suspicions turn into a more pervasive threat, Tiffany begins to worry. She finds help in the big city--Ankh-Morpork--when she goes their on a separate mission to bring news to the new Baron of his father's death.

Tiffany is a charming character, and the humor that pervades this book is indeed uproarious. The Week folk and their antics are similarly amusing. I'd read one other Discworld book previously, which was often hilarious, but also very confusing. This was much clearer to a reader unfamiliar with the series. I enjoyed the book thoroughly. Mature topics of life-and-death, etc. suggest a readership of at least 15 or 16 years of age.

This has been marked as the "final" Tiffany Aching book, and indeed by the end, Tiffany has come into her own in a way that would be hard to top for any more books. That being said, I will miss the Feegles and am thankful for the stories Sir Terry has written about them.

This book is much, much darker than Pratchett's usual stories, but he deals with those subjects with as much grace and gentleness as they can be dealt with and still have them in the book at all. I think the way Tiffany handles the horrors she has to deal with is a good role model for teenage children. I think the book is even appropriate for some younger children because the horrors that happen are vague in such a way that they might recognize "awful" but not really know why.

I appreciate the book's timing. A book about witch hunts and the evils of mob mentality in an era when far too much of it has gathered media attention seems particularly appropriate this year.

My husband is a huge Terry Pratchett fan and I when he upgraded his Kindle, I inherited his old Kindle 2G with this book still on it. I am glad I read it! It's different from his other Discworld books and is actually the 4th in a series centered on the main character, young witch Tiffany Aching. I was concerned about starting at the end of a series but my husband insisted I could read it as a stand alone book without having read the rest of the series and he was right. Tiffany is a wonderful character and the Nac Mac Feegles who accompany her everywhere are additional comic relief. They may be annoying but I sort of wish I had my own set of Nac Mac Feegles following me around! Story is more serious than other Pratchett books but still manages to remain lighthearted and quick-moving. Another classic Pratchett tale that leaves me wanting to read more of his books

Tiffany Aching is a trainee witch and has served as the main character in The Wee Free Men, A Hat Full of Sky, Wintersmith and I Shall Wear Midnight. Although not technically part of the 'proper' Discworld series, Terry Pratchett's Tiffany Aching novels are set on the Disc, predominantly in the Chalk and Ankh Morpork, and are in keeping with the general tone and aesthetic of the series. The reason that these four novels are generally excluded from the main Discworld cannon is that they are classed as children's books and so are more often found in the Teenage section of bookshops rather than the Fantasy section. I, however, believe, like many long-term Pratchett fans, that such a distinction is artificial and that the Tiffany Aching stories are just as worthy of being read and appreciated by adults as all the rest of the great books that Sir Terry has written so far.

The title of I Shall Wear Midnight comes from a quote in A Hat Full of Sky attributed to Tiffany Aching: "When I'm old I shall wear midnight, she'd decided. But for now she'd had enough of darkness." It's fitting therefore that the Tiffany Aching in this book is more grown-up and facing far more perilous dangers in this novel than she has in the previous three.

It's not easy being a witch but Tiffany Aching has always done her best, but just recently her best doesn't seem to be good enough anymore. An ancient evil has arisen, an ancient evil that drags up stories about wicked old witches and makes the very act of wearing a pointy hat seem like a decidedly bad idea. There's worse yet to come, as this particular ancient evil is hunting down one witch in particular - our Tiffany of course - and he's finally been able to track her down .

I Shall Wear Midnight is another fabulous Discworld novel filled with adventure, laughs, witches and magic. It has been a delight to watch Tiffany grow and develop her powers and to find her witchy place in the world. This is the darkest novel featuring her to date as Tiffany is here forced to shoulder the full responsibility for her steading and all the human failings that come with it. There are some excellent cameos from Discworld regulars to enjoy here: the Nac Mac Feegles, Granny Weatherwax, Nanny Ogg and even Death all pop up to help Tiffany achieve her moment in the sun. Terry Pratchett is a master of fantasy but he's also a fantastic humorist and this book had me laughing out loud in many places. Despite the humour, this latest outing for Tiffany Aching is actually quite profound and emotional on the subject of good versus evil and on the idea of growing into one's responsibilities. I Shall Wear Midnight is the perfect ending to a wonderful series of books.

Forgive me for being blunt, pompous and brief, hopefully my brevity will impart far more than others with somewhat obese verbiage. I Shall Wear Midnight does not disappoint. Like other T.P. youth oriented books, adults will find this book witty, pithy, and absolutely worthy of their "uh hum" valuable time. Read through the less than 5 star reviews and you may find very wordy excuses for less than 5 stars, still they liked the book as well. You will laugh, you will muse over life's many oddities perhaps you will even shed a tear or two. While listening to this audiobook I felt a tremendous loss as not only the character passes through a life change but so does the author. At least we will always have the stories and the Author, He Shall Wear Midnight.

I Shall Wear Midnight (2010) is the fourth Fantasy novel in the Tiffany Aching series, following Wintersmith. The initial volume in the series is The Wee Free Men.

In the previous volume, Tiffany danced with the Wintersmith. The Nac Mac Feegles trained Roland as a Hero and he rescued Summer from the underworld. Then Tiffany kissed the Wintersmith.

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

Roland de Chumsfanleigh is the son of the Baron. His old man is highly respected and well liked in the Chalk. At one time, he and Tiffany had thought that they would be married, but they learned better.

Jenny 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.

Letitia Keepsake is betrothed to Roland. She is a very weepy girl with a wicked mother.

Amber Petty is a very young woman with a tailor boyfriend and a violent father. She is pregnant by her boyfriend and her father is angry.

In this story, Tiffany is visiting the annual scouring fair. She sees many people that she has met while witching and, of course, they recall her. OTOH, the towed broom and the pointed hat are a dead giveaway.

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

Horace is 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 is rolling down the hill and then back up it while bumping other cheeses and causing pandemonium.

Tiffany takes Horace and sticks him in her bag. She calls for Rob to show himself and finds him sitting on her shoulder. He says that Jenny wanted him to find her and says that she hasn't been to the mound in two weeks.

Tiffany mentions that she has much to do and suggests that he should not take Horace out again in public. She reminds him that Horace gets excited. She also tells him that she is doing well, but is now needed to bandage some of the boisterous crowd.

Then a coach rolls up and Roland steps out. From inside the coach, an unpleasant voice tells him that he should have waited for the footman to open the door, but he hurries into the crowd. He immediately asks about the commotion.

Tiffany explains the situation and he responds with a compliment. Then Letitia appears and suggests that they get going before her mother gets more vexed. The coach drives off to the castle.

After returning home, Tiffany is awakened with bad news. Mr. Petty has beaten his daughter and caused Amber to miscarriage. The terrified Mrs. Petty ran to the village pub and spread the news. Now the people are angry and coming to get the malefactor.

Tiffany goes to the Petty farm, where she drags Mr. Petty from his bed and down the stairs. As he is puking on the kitchen floor, she advises him to pack and run away. The mob enters the farmyard and Mr. Petty runs out the back.

Tiffany takes Amber to the Nac Mac Feegle mound and puts her in the care of Jenny. The kelda performs some soothings and Amber calms down. But she definitely doesn't want to go home again.

This tale has Tiffany confronted by the Cunning Man. He is no longer corporate, so he possesses other people. He hates witches with an extreme passion and his hatred is contagious. Now he is stalking Tiffany.

Tiffany also meets Preston, a young man with insight. Unfortunately, this is the last volume in the series, unless fans can convince the author to write more about Tiffany. Read and enjoy!

Highly recommended for Pratchett fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of witch magic, troublemaking ghosts, and brave young women.

-Arthur W. Jordin

Tiffany Aching refuses to wear midnight--the dark colors traditional for witches. And though she is growing older, she also refuses to give up the seemingly innocent ways of her people. But when evil looms, she is forced to don the mantle of her craft and stand against the darkness.

The fourth and final book of Terry Pratchett's Tiffany Aching series leads the young witch through physical and personal mine fields, accompanied by the loyal and obstinate Nac Mac Feegle--an army of tiny blue, rowdy, drunken pixies. Not yet 16 years old, Tiffany is now the official witch of the Chalk, her pastoral home region, and must uphold the duties expected of any adult witch. She understands the vagaries of her people, but lacks many of the experiences of her older sister witches.

Something wicked walks the world however. An evil spirit is turning the people against their witches, and it may be Tiffany's fault. When the beloved Baron dies, and Tiffany is blamed, her tenuous standing among the inhabitants grows even more strained. By the customs of her profession, and to prove her abilities to care for her land, Tiffany must stand alone to fight against the Cunning Man, an ancient Omnian witch-hunter returned from the dead. How she fares in this battle decides not only her place among the witches and her people, but also the fate of the world.

Like Douglas Adams and Tom Holt, Pratchett has long been known for his ability to intricately weave social and personal issues with laugh-out-loud humor in a style often unique to British authors. The 38 books of his DiscWorld series have touched upon seemingly every social issue, all while steeped firmly in an outlandish and hilarious fantasy world. And while his Young Adult Tiffany Aching series contains all of these, I Shall Wear Midnight seems especially poignant and insightful. Whereas the first book in the series, The Wee Free Men, introduced a nine-year-old Tiffany and her minuscule band of blue fighters, she was a more innocent, wide-eyed child, who slowly grew through the next two books. In Midnight, however, Tiffany experiences personal moments that all who have suffered the strains of such insecurities have felt. And it is up to her to find the strengths within to overcome the terror--to walk through the flames and accept the Midnight we all must wear, without being consumed by its darkness.

I Shall Wear Midnight is a masterfully fitting and strong end to this series within a series. While it may leave one longing for more adventures of Tiffany and her friends, its resolutions and inspirations confirm that, wherever her journeys may lead, Tiffany and the wee free men will clomp, shout, and muddle through just fine.
- Danny Evarts
This review originally appeared in Shroud Magazine Issue #10, Oct. 2010

Tiffany Aching is the witch of Chalk, which means that she has to do all the messy rural stuff that witches do. But witches aren't always as appreciated as they should be, and Terry Pratchett's "I Shall Wear Midnight" flings the sensible young girl -- and the Nac Mac Feegles -- against a threat that really, really doesn't like witches.

Tiffany is doing the usual witchy rounds in Chalk -- nursing the sick, burying the dead, watching cheese races, and rescuing the occasional girl from an abusive father. Then the local Duke expires after a long illness, and it's up to Tiffany to tell his son Roland and his "watercolour-painting wife-to-be" about what happened.

The problem is, she's being stalked by a creepy eyeless man with a vile psychic stench, who is inspiring people to hate and distrust witches. Suddenly stones are being thrown, accusations are being made, and Tiffany even finds herself in the Ankh-Morpork jail. And if Tiffany doesn't find a way to stop the Cunning Man, things will get very toasty for the witches...

Due to having Alzheimer's disease, Terry Pratchett had to dictate "I Shall Wear Midnight" instead of the usual computer typing. As a result, the book's beginning is very rambly and scattered, as if Pratchett hadn't fully thought out how the plot was going to go -- but after the Duke's death, things start to tighten up and move faster.

And Pratchett hasn't lost any of his delicious wit, whether it's poking fun at cliches (the cackle box!) or sharp dialogue ("Have you boys got no shame?" "I couldnae say, but if we have, it probably belonged tae somebody else"), or his knack for writing truly chilling moments, such as Tiffany seeing the Cunning Man's holes-where-his-eyes-should-be, or the almost palpable darkness as hatred starts to take over people's hearts.

But unlike authors who talk down to "young readers," Pratchett doesn't shy away from realistically dark moments, like Tiffany caring for a girl who was badly beaten by her father until she miscarried. These parts -- and the "rough music" -- are more horrifying than the Cunning Man.

Tiffany herself is a very realistic depiction of a sensible, mature, no-nonsense young lady (like a younger version of Granny Weatherwax). While Pratchett occasionally reminds us that she IS still young (and prone to little stabs of jealousy), she grows up a great deal in this book. And there are some hints of romance with a young guard (who can pronounce the word "marvelous").

"I Shall Wear Midnight" is an excellent -- possibly final -- entry in Terry Pratchett's Tiffany Aching series. It starts out rather slow, but soon kicks into stride.

Fourth in the Tiffany Aching fantasy series — and technically for middle-grade readers <em>and</em> I found this extremely appropriate for adults! — and thirty-eighth in the overall Discworld series. The series order can be confusing as there are a number of mini series within it. If you're curious, there is a chronological listing (http://kddidit.com/reading-books/series-info/chronological-lists-of-complex-intersected-series/#discworld) of the Discworld books on my website.

Tiffany is a young witch who has responsibility for the Chalk, its people, and the Nac Mac Feegles. The last and fifth book in the Tiffany Aching series will be <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22886868-the-shepherd-s-crown" target="_blank" title="Opens a new page"><em>The Shepherd's Crown</em></a> (Discworld, 41; it will also be the last book in the overall Discworld series as Sir Terry has died), and it is scheduled for release September 2015.

In 2010, <em>I Shall Wear Midnight</em> won the Andre Norton Award for Young Adult Science Fiction and was nominated for the Fantasy, Goodreads Choice for Young Adult Fantasy. In 2011, it won the SFX Award for Best Novel and was nominated for the Locus Award for Best Young Adult Book and the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Children's Literature.

<b>My Take</b>
If I could give this a "7", I would do it in a heartbeat!

I do adore Tiffany and her Nac Mac Feegles. Oh, lordy. Be prepared to laugh and howl as Pratchett pokes fun at society's shibboleths and makes you think on human behavior.
"'Have you boys got no shame?'
Rob Anybody matched him grin for grin. 'I couldna say,' he replied, 'but if we have, it probably belonged tae somebody else.'"

I don't know if you're the type to skip footnotes. You must <em>not</em> skip these lest you miss some of the fun.
<blockquote>"…as noise went, it was sticky: you got the feeling that if you let it, it would try to follow you home."</blockquote>
It's a story of being aware of what's around you. See not only the beauty and the surface, but see when someone is hurting and needs a less attractive sort of help.

I do adore how the Nac Mac Feegles can turn anything around, the tall tales they create, and their terrible fright of the shakin' of the head, the tappin' o' the feets, the need for Explainin'…
<blockquote>"Weel, I think I did hear that maybe a piece of sheep kind of accidentally fell intae the pan when it was cooking and we tried to drag it oot but — well, ye ken what sheep is like — it panicked and fought back."</blockquote>Ach, well, tisn't farmin' so much as "livestock herding" those snails. Although Wee Honeymouth Jock says the "stampedes can be a wee bit embarrassing".

That nurse. She's so very religious, quick to accuse Tiffany, and a gossipy old besom. She's too much like those "good" Christians who stir up trouble. It's not surprising that she's a thief as well.

Pratchett takes a proverb and words it literally. He'll have you up and cackling, and then let you down easy. Ooh, suspenders. Yep, yep, nothing worse when those suspenders don't work right on a coach.

I love it! Seems the Baron had been sweet on Granny Aching all those years ago, and part of what he loved about her was that she wasn't afraid to argue with him. Now, he's sweet as he lies dying and thinking about his actions in the past, about Tiffany's aid.

Oh, I do love the end, and I think Tiffany is turning out to be a very good witch with a practical mind.

It's a moral story pointing out human failings and requiring that we look to ourselves, our innermost thoughts and feelings, to the realities that others are facing — <em>not</em> making up fears about others to calm yourself. Of not giving in to bigotry and prejudice. It's a situation that forces Tiffany to realize that simply being a witch does not make one wise, and that knowing people, developing wisdom, is better than knowledge.</p>
<blockquote>"You try to make plans for people, and the people make other plans."</blockquote>

<b>The Story</b>
It's a dreadful time on the Chalk with the Cunning Man spreading hatred, fear, and poisonous bigotry, a miasma Tiffany first notices at the scouring fair. Matters are only worsened when even Roland turns against her and plots to undermine everything and everyone Tiffany loves.

<b>The Characters</b>
<strong>Tiffany Aching</strong> is the witch for her steading, the area a witch thought of as her own, and it encompasses the whole of the Chalk (she makes good cheese, too). Her parents are good people even if they are a bit confused about their young daughter being even more respected than them. <strong>Wentworth</strong> is her younger brother who's getting in too many fights. <strong>Granny Aching</strong> had been Tiffany's role model. Still was, if you want to know. Not a witch, but she was a wise woman.

<em>The Nac Mac Feelges are…</em>
…also known as the Wee Free Men. <strong>Rob Anybody</strong> is the leader of the clan in the Chalk, and it's their sworn duty to protect Tiffany, their wee big hag (see <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/233669.The_Wee_Free_Men" target="_blank" title="Opens Terry Pratchett Wee Free Men in Goodreads"><em>Wee Free Men</em></a>, 1). Rob is married to <strong>Jeannie</strong>, the kelda of the clan. <strong>Daft Wullie </strong>"dinna have enough brains to blow his nose" and frequently puts his foot in it. <strong>Wee Honeymouth Jock</strong> is the spokesfeegle. <strong>Slightly-more-wee-than-Wee-Jock-Jock</strong> is a good fighter and one of Jeannie and Rob's children. <strong>Big Yan</strong> is a giant among Feegles. <strong>Wee Jock 'o the White Head</strong> talks of the Battle o' the Middens. <strong>Slightly-thinner-than-Fat-Jock-Jock</strong> says it's the troosers. <strong>Toad</strong> used to be a lawyer before he insulted the wrong person (<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/233669.The_Wee_Free_Men" target="_blank" title="Opens Terry Pratchett Wee Free Men in Goodreads"><em>Wee Free Men</em></a>), and the Feegles consider him the brains of the clan.

<em>Tiffany's fellow witches include…</em>
…her friends: <strong>Petulia</strong> is a witch who specializes in pig magic and was very good at pig boring, and <strong>Annagramma</strong> is a know-it-all witch who knew nothing until she learned better in <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34492.Wintersmith" target="_blank" title="Opens Terry Pratchett's Wintersmith in Goodreads"><em>Wintersmith</em></a>, 3. The older witches who have been teaching Tiffany include <strong>Nanny Ogg</strong> who knows the old magic of people and the earth (<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/233669.The_Wee_Free_Men" target="_blank" title="Opens Terry Pratchett Wee Free Men in Goodreads"><em>Wee Free Men</em></a>); <strong>Granny Weatherwax</strong> (<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/233669.The_Wee_Free_Men" target="_blank" title="Opens Terry Pratchett Wee Free Men in Goodreads"><em>Wee Free Men</em></a>) and her kitten, <strong>You</strong>; <strong>Miss Level</strong> (<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/618145.A_Hat_Full_of_Sky" target="_blank" title="Opens Terry Pratchett's A Hat Full of Sky in Goodreads"><em>A Hat Full of Sky</em></a>, 2); <strong>Miss Treason</strong> is the witch from whom Tiffany learned how useful Boffo's was (<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34492.Wintersmith" target="_blank" title="Opens Terry Pratchett's Wintersmith in Goodreads"><em>Wintersmith</em></a>); and, <strong>Miss Tick</strong> is the witch who looks for new young witches (<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/233669.The_Wee_Free_Men" target="_blank" title="Opens Terry Pratchett Wee Free Men in Goodreads"><em>Wee Free Men</em></a>).

<h3>The Chalk is…</h3>
…named for the soil. It's local ruler is the ailing <strong>Baron</strong>. His son is
<strong>Roland</strong> who had been Tiffany's sweetheart. <strong>Miss Spruce</strong> is the horror of a nurse who is supposed to be caring for him. <strong>Brian Roberts</strong> is the castle sergeant. <strong>Lance Private Preston</strong> is one of the new guards and quite bright too. He'd like to apprentice to a doctor, but it takes quite a bit of silver to get all those letters after your name. <strong>Mrs. Coble</strong> is the suddenly nasty cook. <strong>Pastor Egg</strong> is of the modern Omnian sect, and he will officiate.

<em>Keepsake Hall is…</em>
…the home of <strong>Letitia</strong>, the daughter of the <strong>Duchess</strong>, a mean, spiteful, bullying woman, a.k.a., Deirdre Parsley. <strong>Mavis</strong> is one of the Hall's ghosts. <strong>Uncle Charlie</strong> ran away with all the books on Erotica, and Letitia simply cannot find it on the map. <strong>Mr. Tyler</strong> is the very ancient night watchman.</p>
<blockquote>

"'Well, child? Aren't you going to try to turn me into some kind of unspeakable creature?'</p>

…</p>

'I don't think I shall bother, madam, seeing as you are making such a good job of it yourself!'"</p></blockquote><strong>Mr. Seth Petty</strong> is a bully of a man, and his wife, <strong>Molly</strong>, is a "mouse of a woman". <strong>Amber</strong> is their thirteen-year-old, unwed, and pregnant daughter. Well, maybe. <strong>William</strong> is thirteen and wanted to become apprentice to a tailor. <strong>Mrs. Snapperly</strong> was an old retired woman with an interest in books. A victim of the rough music. <strong>Billy Teller</strong> is one of those nasty boys. <strong>William Glottal Carpetlayer</strong> is the coachman.

<em>At the scouring fair…</em>
…most of the Chalk was there to shop, to socialize, to find a spouse. <strong>Becky Pardon</strong> and <strong>Nancy Upright</strong> are two little girls who are only some of those who remind Tiffany of her aching heart.

<em>The city of Ankh-Morpork features…</em>
…throughout the Discworld. <em>And I have a hard time reconciling what I've read in the Tiffany Aching series with what I've read in the first three stories in Discworld. Doesn't seem the same at all.</em> <strong>Boffo's Joke Emporium</strong> is the witch's go-to store for everything needed to appear to be a true witch. <em>It's on Egg Street, if you need to know.</em> <strong>Mrs. Proust</strong> runs Boffo's with the help of <strong>Derek</strong>, her son. Her father was the hangman. <strong>Mr. Trooper</strong> is the current hangman and not as good. <strong>Long Tall Short Fat Sally</strong>, a.k.a., Miss Cambric, is allergic to the tides. She's learning how to be a witch from <strong>Mrs. Happenstance</strong>. <strong>Mr. Wilkin</strong> is the landlord of the King's Head, er, it's now the King's, um, Back. <strong>Miss Cripslock </strong>is with <em>The Times</em>.

<strong>Wee Mad Arthur</strong> and <strong>Corporal Nobbs</strong> are policeman in the City Watch. <strong>Captain Carrot</strong> is his superior; <strong>Captain Angua</strong> is his fellow officer. And a werewolf. <strong>Lance Constable Hopkins</strong> has a wee problem. <strong>Constable Haddock</strong> lets them go. <strong>Commander Vimes</strong> wants the Feegles out of his city. <strong>Macintosh</strong> is the prisoner who broke out of D wing. <strong>Frank</strong> is one of the warders.
<blockquote>"…the truth is so precious that it shouldn't be waved about too much."</blockquote><strong>Miss Eskarina Smith</strong> is a different kind of cunning — the only woman to become a wizard and the first witch ever trained by Granny Weatherwax — and lives in the Unreal Estate.

<strong>Queen Magrat of Lancre</strong> is a witch. She and her husband, <strong>King Verence</strong>, are coming to Roland's wedding.

The <strong>Cunning Man</strong> is an idea that appears wherever, whenever, whispering evil into a crowd, into a man's ear, sowing discord everywhere. He is a part of all of us, and he hates witches.
<blockquote>"Poison goes where poison's welcome."</blockquote><strong>Witches</strong> are women and usually don't get married. There's just too much to do. Their basic standbys include <strong>First Sight</strong> (you see what is really there) and <strong>Second Thoughts</strong> (thinking about what you are thinking; <em>I wonder? Does it apply to thinking about what you're reading as you're reading?</em>). Witches are needed, but they are not wanted. The <em><strong>traveling now</strong></em> is tame time, time that is on your side.

A <strong>bigjob</strong> is a Feegle word for humans. <strong>Wizards</strong> are found in universities and big cities and may not marry either. <strong>Spill words</strong> are those words that someone <em>almost</em> says. An Omnian priest wrote <em><strong>The Bonfire of the Witches</strong></em>. The <strong>Lady Sybil Free Hospital</strong> will be taking on an apprentice.

<b>The Cover and Title</b>
The cover is the dark charcoal gray of a "proper" witch's clothing with Tiffany presenting us with a handful of flames as the blue-skinned and orange hairy haloed Nac Mac Feegles look on with skepticism and trepidation.

"When I am old, <em>I Shall Wear Midnight</em>" is Tiffany's response to Granny Weatherwax and Pastor Egg. She's determined…until she receives her gift from William and Amber.

One of my favorite things about Terry Pratchett's novels is that he takes the most unpromising characters--in the case of "I Shall Wear Midnight, it is a pregnant-out-of-wedlock 14-year-old--and gives them dignity, originality, and sometimes even a dose of that sacred fire, magic.

Unfortunately in this fourth Tiffany Aching adventure, Pratchett also scrags a character and a relationship that he had been carefully building through the previous three novels, then blames the resulting casualties on witchcraft.

Tiffany survives this book intact, and even stronger than ever. Much of her energy is directed toward tasks that in our nonmagical world, would be palmed off on social workers. Even so, people are turning against witches, again. There is even talk of burning them.

"I Shall Wear Midnight" doesn't really have much of a plot to glue together the separate stories, and although the villain gets a tremendous build-up, he really didn't seem to live up to his bad PR, so the story's end seemed anticlimactic. This is a book with lots of talk but little action. Even the Feegles, who tend to act without much preliminary discussion, reveal a tendency toward wordiness, especially after their showdown with Wee Mad Arthur.

However, we Discworld fanatics get to meet lots of our favorite characters, even if most of them are in cameo roles, and the Feegle unleash mayhem where ever they tread (their mayhem is on a very short leash).

I enjoyed this further adventure of Tiffany Aching, although 'Midnight' is the least of the four books about this young witch and her little blue 'helpers.' Her character isn't so much further developed as it is hardened along lines suggested in previous novels. However, I'll still look forward to a fifth installation in this Discworld subseries.

I was a little concerned buying this one knowing about Terry Pratchett's current condition. There are so many authors who I enjoy for years and then their work just tapers off and isn't nearly as good as usual. Not so with Terry Pratchett! I love the Tiffany Aching series, maybe because the Feegles speak in a Yorkshire accent (or at least I think they do) and that's where I'm originally from. This is another really solid novel and I loved it. If you like Discworld, the witches series, etc. you will like this one. It's best to read the other novels in the series first (Wee Free Men, A Hat Full of Sky, and WinterSmith) and if you really want to "get" all the "in" comments, you should probably read the Discworld Witches books (Equal Rites, Wyrd Sisters, and Witches Abroad). All are wonderful books. Frankly, there's nothing by Terry Pratchett that I don't like. I love how he is able to keep the Discworld fresh and not use the same plots over and over. Pratchett really knows how to engage a reader and keep their interest. If you're new to Discworld, a good starting one is Soul Music. You don't need to read the Discworld books in order, but this is a good introduction to the Discworld. Note- The Tiffany Aching series is set in the Discworld, but follows characters not found elsewhere in the books.

If you are looking at this for a child to read, be aware that this one does have some darker themes (****spoiler**** there is child abuse, mob rule, an attempted suicide, and a stillborn child). Granted, this is just one small part and it is dealt with very well, not in a sinister way. It is necessary to show the power of the "rough music" and what happens. It certainly isn't graphic and most happens off screen and you just learn about it through the bruise on the girl, etc.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. Terry Pratchett always has something to say, and some commentary within his books. This one is no exception. Very well written, and one I will certainly re-read.

I felt like this book in the Tiffany Aching series went faster than the others. While the first is still probably my favorite because of all the Granny Aching lessons and wisdom, this is the natural progression. Tiffany is now back in the Chalk in her own steading and is certainly growing up. I began to notice that Terry Pratchett is writing as a woman instead of a child, and I think in general, I may have a problem with it, but in the Discworld, witches are so different from regular women that the writing really works. Witches are so practical in the Discworld that we are finally beginning to see that Tiffany was not just a gifted child, but instead she and the other witches are just humans wired differently.
I did not feel this story had the suspense that the others had, but the magic, the myth, the progression are all perfect. Her relationships with humans take the wheel rather than her relationship with the magic, which makes the story a little more painful at times. Painful in a good way, of course, but really aren't human relationships more painful anyway? The bad guy is truly the personification of human evil. The ending is superb and I pray there are more on the way.

I have to post a review in which I express my love for the quirky, amazingly talented author who has made my heart happy time after time. I just finished I Shall Wear Midnight, the fourth and seemingly last Tiffany Aching book. It made me laugh, cry, swear, laugh again, and swoon with happy at the end. All of the Tiffany Aching books are excellent, but he managed to tie up a lot of things in the last part of I Shall Wear Midnight. I was not left wanting, I was left with a sense of satisfaction, and joy for the characters. What Sir Pratchett writes about what it means to be a witch rings true with what it means to be a witch to me. Thought the Tiffany Aching books are listed as Young Adult, they read as timeless, ageless classics. They are beautiful, witty, and on par with my other favorite Discworld books. Thank you, Sir Pratchett, for your fantastic words and stories.

This is the most recent in the Tiffany Aching arc of Terry Pratchett's Diskworld novels. The Aching books chronicle the progress of a young girl as she grows up to become one of the witches of Diskworld, aided and abetted by the Nac Mac Feegle (AKA the Wee Free Men)a clan of Pictsies, or wee folk of a definitely Celtic/Scottish persuasion.

Although billed as a juvenile/YA series, the Aching books can be enjoyed by Pratchett fans of any and all ages. As always the book contains liberal helping of Pratchett's trademark wit, wisdom, satire, and sharp observations of human foibles.

The fourth book in the ongoing tale of Tiffany Aching is darker than the first three, but the same wisdom, cleverness and charm comes through.

Reading the book I was struck with the idea that this would be the end of the Aching novels, and some things at the end of the book (no spoilers!) seem to confirm that. Even so, the book is wonderful. There is always more than meets the eyeand Sir Terry delivers full value for your money.

Read the first three books (The Wee Free Men, A Hat Full of Sky, Wintersmith) and you will love the last (or perhaps latest) in the series.

Good stuff.

I thoroughly enjoy the "Tiffany Aching" series that takes place amongst Terry Pratchett's Discworld books, but not so much because of the main character, Tiffany Aching. The real enjoyment in reading these books for me are the Nac Mac Feegles, miniature pixies (for lack of a more accurate designation) who live to steal, fight, and kill anyone whom they consider a threat, an annoyance, or who simply finds themselves in the Feegles' line of sight when they're in need of a cure for boredom. They speak with a Scottish Brogue, believe that the Discworld is a heaven and that they must have been very good to have been sent there, and are fiercely loyal to Tiffany Aching, a teenage witch who has reciprocated their loyalty in the past.

In this, the fourth book in the series, Tiffany, who is finally starting to feel comfortable with her role and abilities as a witch, finds herself up against a force or presence that she inadvertently woke up at the conclusion of Wintersmith.

Laugh-out-loud on one page, wrinkle-your-brow-in-thought the very next...Pratchett continues to astound with his ability to imbue a book with wonder, humor and even horror of the things that ordinary people do (who needs monsters?). I have used this book (along with "Nghtwatch") to introduce many adult friends to Discworld and the marvelous experience of Pratchett's writings. I have no reservations about the book except to echoe anyone who has said that-yes, it is for a slightly older audience than the previou Tiffany novels. Buy it, read it, share it...everyone will be better off when you do...

I loved this book. Now, I am a big Pratchett fan, and with some exceptions, have enjoyed most of this books. The main reason I am writing this review, however, is to say that most of the Tiffany books are aimed at a younger crowd. They are good- and I enjoyed them, but they hold back on a bit of the tougher opinions that Pratchett sometimes expresses. This one does not hold back and is, in my opinion, appropriate for a little later age group than the previous ones.

Terry Pratchett is my guilty pleasure. Like all his other books, I Shall Wear Midnight is funny and fantastic, with a unique outlook on humanity and our capability for grace. His style is often very sarcastic and sly, but also very compassionate and generous, which I always love to experience. There's heaps of entertaining slapstick, but Pratchett has a lot more to say in his writing. No, really, he's deeper than just the awesome puns.

I really enjoyed this book. I enjoyed all of this author's books. I wanted to read this book before reading the latest book in this series. It did not disappoint. It is all about folklore surrounding witches. Like every book, it explores society. It is a phenomenal book.

Tiffany Aching once again has to do battle with a big bad guy. This time around its the Cunning Man. The story is great, but I am partial to Pratchett and any of his witch books especially. Tiffany is a great character.
I will say though that the big boss battle at the end was over kind've quickly... I was left feeling a bit cheated.
But, overall, I will never not buy any new Pratchett book. He's just that addictive.

The blurb inside the cover says "chilling drama combines with laugh out-loud humor and searing insight." That pretty much describes the book, as well as the whole Tiffany Aching series. In fact, it describes most of Pratchett's Discworld novels.

I didn't enjoy this book as much as the other Tiffany Aching novels, and the ending was somewhat anticlimactic and even a bit confusing. But still a recommended read.

Tiffany Aching is the witch of Chalk, which means that she has to do all the messy rural stuff that witches do. But witches aren't always as appreciated as they should be, and Terry Pratchett's "I Shall Wear Midnight" flings the sensible young girl -- and the Nac Mac Feegles -- against a threat that really, really doesn't like witches.

Tiffany is doing the usual witchy rounds in Chalk -- nursing the sick, burying the dead, watching cheese races, and rescuing the occasional girl from an abusive father. Then the local Duke expires after a long illness, and it's up to Tiffany to tell his son Roland and his "watercolour-painting wife-to-be" about what happened.

The problem is, she's being stalked by a creepy eyeless man with a vile psychic stench, who is inspiring people to hate and distrust witches. Suddenly stones are being thrown, accusations are being made, and Tiffany even finds herself in the Ankh-Morpork jail. And if Tiffany doesn't find a way to stop the Cunning Man, things will get very toasty for the witches...

Due to having Alzheimer's disease, Terry Pratchett had to dictate "I Shall Wear Midnight" instead of the usual computer typing. As a result, the book's beginning is very rambly and scattered, as if Pratchett hadn't fully thought out how the plot was going to go -- but after the Duke's death, things start to tighten up and move faster.

And Pratchett hasn't lost any of his delicious wit, whether it's poking fun at cliches (the cackle box!) or sharp dialogue ("Have you boys got no shame?" "I couldnae say, but if we have, it probably belonged tae somebody else"), or his knack for writing truly chilling moments, such as Tiffany seeing the Cunning Man's holes-where-his-eyes-should-be, or the almost palpable darkness as hatred starts to take over people's hearts.

But unlike authors who talk down to "young readers," Pratchett doesn't shy away from realistically dark moments, like Tiffany caring for a girl who was badly beaten by her father until she miscarried. These parts -- and the "rough music" -- are more horrifying than the Cunning Man.

Tiffany herself is a very realistic depiction of a sensible, mature, no-nonsense young lady (like a younger version of Granny Weatherwax). While Pratchett occasionally reminds us that she IS still young (and prone to little stabs of jealousy), she grows up a great deal in this book. And there are some hints of romance with a young guard (who can pronounce the word "marvelous").

"I Shall Wear Midnight" is an excellent -- possibly final -- entry in Terry Pratchett's Tiffany Aching series. It starts out rather slow, but soon kicks into stride.

This is a great book, and a satisfying end to the series.

I'm glad the SFWA (Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America) agrees with me - Sir Terry won the 2010 Andre Norton Award for young adult fiction for "I Shall Wear Midnight." He was presented with the trophy at the 2011 North American Discworld Convention by his old friend Neil Gaiman.

Link to the awards announcement: [...]

I really enjoyed this book. I enjoyed all of this author's books. I wanted to read this book before reading the latest book in this series. It did not disappoint. It is all about folklore surrounding witches. Like every book, it explores society. It is a phenomenal book.

Tiffany Aching once again has to do battle with a big bad guy. This time around its the Cunning Man. The story is great, but I am partial to Pratchett and any of his witch books especially. Tiffany is a great character.
I will say though that the big boss battle at the end was over kind've quickly... I was left feeling a bit cheated.
But, overall, I will never not buy any new Pratchett book. He's just that addictive.

The blurb inside the cover says "chilling drama combines with laugh out-loud humor and searing insight." That pretty much describes the book, as well as the whole Tiffany Aching series. In fact, it describes most of Pratchett's Discworld novels.

I didn't enjoy this book as much as the other Tiffany Aching novels, and the ending was somewhat anticlimactic and even a bit confusing. But still a recommended read.

Tiffany Aching is the witch of Chalk, which means that she has to do all the messy rural stuff that witches do. But witches aren't always as appreciated as they should be, and Terry Pratchett's "I Shall Wear Midnight" flings the sensible young girl -- and the Nac Mac Feegles -- against a threat that really, really doesn't like witches.

Tiffany is doing the usual witchy rounds in Chalk -- nursing the sick, burying the dead, watching cheese races, and rescuing the occasional girl from an abusive father. Then the local Duke expires after a long illness, and it's up to Tiffany to tell his son Roland and his "watercolour-painting wife-to-be" about what happened.

The problem is, she's being stalked by a creepy eyeless man with a vile psychic stench, who is inspiring people to hate and distrust witches. Suddenly stones are being thrown, accusations are being made, and Tiffany even finds herself in the Ankh-Morpork jail. And if Tiffany doesn't find a way to stop the Cunning Man, things will get very toasty for the witches...

Due to having Alzheimer's disease, Terry Pratchett had to dictate "I Shall Wear Midnight" instead of the usual computer typing. As a result, the book's beginning is very rambly and scattered, as if Pratchett hadn't fully thought out how the plot was going to go -- but after the Duke's death, things start to tighten up and move faster.

And Pratchett hasn't lost any of his delicious wit, whether it's poking fun at cliches (the cackle box!) or sharp dialogue ("Have you boys got no shame?" "I couldnae say, but if we have, it probably belonged tae somebody else"), or his knack for writing truly chilling moments, such as Tiffany seeing the Cunning Man's holes-where-his-eyes-should-be, or the almost palpable darkness as hatred starts to take over people's hearts.

But unlike authors who talk down to "young readers," Pratchett doesn't shy away from realistically dark moments, like Tiffany caring for a girl who was badly beaten by her father until she miscarried. These parts -- and the "rough music" -- are more horrifying than the Cunning Man.

Tiffany herself is a very realistic depiction of a sensible, mature, no-nonsense young lady (like a younger version of Granny Weatherwax). While Pratchett occasionally reminds us that she IS still young (and prone to little stabs of jealousy), she grows up a great deal in this book. And there are some hints of romance with a young guard (who can pronounce the word "marvelous").

"I Shall Wear Midnight" is an excellent -- possibly final -- entry in Terry Pratchett's Tiffany Aching series. It starts out rather slow, but soon kicks into stride.

This is a great book, and a satisfying end to the series.

I'm glad the SFWA (Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America) agrees with me - Sir Terry won the 2010 Andre Norton Award for young adult fiction for "I Shall Wear Midnight." He was presented with the trophy at the 2011 North American Discworld Convention by his old friend Neil Gaiman.

Link to the awards announcement: [...]

Overall I really enjoyed this book. I like that witches deal with mundane and uncomfortable things. It gives the world a solid base. (even on chalk)

Terry, thank you for adding to the ways to commit suicide in the Discworld; "Taking a shovel to a Feegle mound" is just as great as "Going into a dwarf bar and ordering a 'short'".

Classic Terry Pratchett, yes, if you like the other Tiffany Aching books you'll like this one. However, as with Pratchett's other books there are amusing footnotes which Kindle mangles and places at the back of the entire book. If, like me, you love the wonderful asides these footnotes offer, buy the phyical book and get somethign else on the Kindle.

I have read this whole series and I think this last one is incredible! Tiffany Aching is a character I wish I would have created. I never grow tired of her. Terry Pratchett's Discworld in this series is so much fun and creative. There were times I laughed out loud. Terry, please give us another book about Tiffany! What a fun, fun book!

I have come to the Pratchett series in my old age. I am totally taken with it. I am now going to carefully read through the series though it does appear that each book stands easily on its own. I recommend the books to any age group.

I know this isn't much of a review for this particular book, but...
You just have to read it. :D
That's all there is to it. For people who haven't been introduced to Discworld, there is no way to do it justice in a review. You just have to be there. It's like someone describing the picture on a jigsaw puzzle to you, but not letting you put it together.
Sir Terry Pratchett is the Master Craftsman of authors. His writing contains an intelligence and wit that, once discovered, you will come to miss in nearly everything else you read. You will fall in love with characters and places. You will associate yourself with one group or another. You will want to read them all.
And then you can join the club. We have jackets. And when you are old, yours can be midnight. ;)

Another wonderful story from the amazing Terry Pratchett! Tiffany is one of my favorite characters ever created and this book continues her story with the same style and great writing of the first ones in the series.

The Nac Mac Feegles always make me laugh!

Watching Tiffany 'grow up' is delightful and catching up with Granny Weatherwax is always great fun.

I burst into tears when I finished this book - a first for me.

With Tiffany Aching, Terry Pratchett writes a love letter to young girls and a story of how to be a grown woman and not just 'pretty'.

This book tells such profound truth in such simple language that it could easily overlooked while Pratchett lovers look for the next pun. "Poison goes where poison is welcome" should be the motto for Fox News.

Thank you Mr. Pratchett for giving us Tiffany and if this is her last story, for creating such hope.

Having only recently just read the disappointing Unseen Academicals, i was uncertain what to expect with this book. I should not have worried, as this book is much better in terms of plotting, humor and plain old storytelling. The official review on this page states that Tiffany Aching's adventures are "concluded" with this title, and it does slightly feel that way. I won't say why, but the hardcore fan will pick up the clues.

But you don't have to be a hardcore fan to enjoy this, you just have to like a good story, chock-full of good characters.

Absolutely amazing! I love the Tiffany Aching books, but this is the best yet. I have read every book Pratchett has written, and this is definitely in my top three. Ignore the few negative reviews and read it! You won't regret it.

I've never read a Pratchett book. I read this to see if it was appropriate for my 10-year-old daughter. I think it would be better when she's 12. I was surprised at Pratchett's witty dialogue and interesting language. I will definitely be reading more Pratchett books.

This novel is an excellent continuation of the other world novels around Tiffany (hopefully, you've already read these). Tiffany is 16 years old by now. This is a thrilling story. Among other things topics in this novel are prejudices and choice of occupation. Well-known people reappear in this story, but also new ones, such as Letitia, the fiance of Roland, and like Nanny Ogg. All in all a nice story in the style of the other Tiffany novels.

On a personal/inspirational note, I find it extremely admirable that somebody can, being diagnosed with Alzheimers, still write so well. You can't notice any deterioration in his writing, and I wish him the best. I hope that he continues to publish these books, and continue beating back the disease.

Great book! Very much in keeping with the previous books in the series. I almost didn't buy it because I read another review which said the footnotes (one of the more entertaining sections of any Terry Pratchett book) were not included in the Kindle edition. They are included as asterisks - you have to go in front of the * to see the footnote.

Terry Pratchett has been reviewed over and over again, so there is nothing I can write, that was not already written. Except - I got my 11 year old daughter "into" Pratchett with the Tiffany Aching series.

Not the happiest book I've read, but like all his books, you'll end up reading it cover to cover. 5 stars. Very glad to support a great man and the great work he creates, and very much looking forward to the next. Thank you.

Lately I've been rereading my Discworld books. I read through the first three TA books and thought, "Wasn't there some other book in the series?" Came back to the store to check, and yes, this is the book, and yes, I did read it (from the library - had to go back and look at my 'checked out books' list). I apparently didn't like it enough to buy a copy for our library, even though we own all the other Discworld books (including The Science of Discworld series and Nanny Ogg's Cookbook and all that). I read the synopsis and don't even remember this book. Even now, knowing that I don't remember it, and being at the end of a Wintersmith reread, I have no interest in buying it! Well, a hole will remain in my Discworld bookshelf.

Discworld fans will enjoy this last book in the Tiffany Aching series because of all the loose ends it ties together. Finally learning what happened to Esk, from "Equal Rites," was the most satisfying loose end because we haven't heard from her since 1987.

I have every book that Pratchett wrote, some of which I have not yet read. I have read the previous three novels in the Tiffany Aching series and enjoyed them all. I gave each of them to my granddaughter because I thought they were suitable for her age as well as for an adult. She is now almost eleven years old and an avid reader. I would not give this book to her. I feel that his reference to adultery and his choice of words, such as whore, are not suitable for a child. My reason for the low rating for an author that I have enjoyed reading thoroughly is that I feel that this book Is far below his usual level. While it seems to include a lot of his style it reads like another author trying to copy it.

Bob Miller

I pre-ordered this book -ages- ago and had been extremely excited to get my hot little hands on it. When the book came, I tore open the package, sat down, and consumed it. And now that I have, I write this knowing full well that most people will disagree with my take on it. However, like Unseen Academicals and Monstrous Regiment, I disliked this story from the beginning.

I appreciate that he addressed -real- topics that happen in real life--domestic violence, the power of hate, the ugliness of rumors, and the bittersweet nature of growing into adulthood in general. He knows damned well that kids are more than able to deal with these topics, especially if they are being written about in an intelligent, thoughtful manner. That is one of the things I always have loved about Pratchett and that I always will, especially in his kids books. I reread most of my Discworld books at least once every few years--my absolute favorites I reread at least once a year. A few treasured ones (for me, Feet of Clay is my ultimate Discworld book, with the other Guard books behind it) are reread several times.

But this one felt...forced and stilted to me, from the start. Admittedly, part of that is the style. The beauty of Pratchett has always been in his utterly genius way with words, the way he skillfully takes innocent looking words and strings and slides them together into a prose that almost seems to glow on the page with a sly and intelligent sense of humor that -at the very same time- manages to make very real social commentary about our own world. This book lacked that same flow of words and blazingly fast wit. Before people pile on, I understand the main reason behind the style issue (apparently this book had to be dictated) and (frankly) am rather in awe of the achingly (ha, no pun intended!) brief but sweet glimpses of the turns of phrases that were prime Pratchett that occur occasionally in the book.

That said, the real problem with the story for me, period, was the actual....story. The villain was definitely scary but despite this, I found that I disliked MANY of the new characters in the story. The idea of new characters themselves don't bother me. (Moist Von Lipwig is still one of my favorite Discworld characters and Tiffany? Is fantastic!) But I violently disliked Amber, Preston, Leticia, the Duchess, Derek, and the urban witches. I disliked how several of the characters behaved in the book and the strange way their strange behavior never....really....got addressed. (Two in particular? Jeanne and Roland.) There was also the resurfacing of an long-gone Discworld character that made no sense, seemed tossed in for no particularly good reason and who, ultimately, contributed very little beyond a bit of 'so this is the backstory'. Tiffany's 'adventure' in Anhk-Morpork made zero sense as I read it and seemed, quite frankly, horribly forced.

As I read the book, I was to surprised to find that I felt angry the entire time and I violently threw the book away once I finished. I will reread it down the road and give it another try after some time passes but I'm not anticipating liking it on a second read (I didn't like Unseen Academicals or Monstrous Regiment on a second read either.) I understand where the more positive reviews are coming from but I have to say, when I finished reading this book, I was extremely disappointed.

Will I buy the next Discworld book? Absolutely, even while knowing I may well dislike it (won't know till I read it). Do I still love Terry Pratchett? Without even a smidge of doubt. Did I enjoy this book? Not even a tiny amount.

I loved the sweet budding romance between Tiffany the witch and the shy Roland and this book was a big disappointment when Roland ended up marrying someone else. I understand that Pratchett doesn't subscribe to the typical fairy tale endings, but just like Carrot and Angua, Vimes and Lady Sybil, Tiffany and Roland belonged together and to break them apart seemed more forced and un-natural than if they had ended up together.

Up until now I've liked everything I've read by Terry Pratchett but this is the last book of his I will be buying. One of the things that I have enjoyed so much about Terry Pratchett's work in the past is the number of well-developed, interesting, female characters that he creates. That, along with his wit and humor, should have made him a great choice to write a series for young adults, particularly teenage girls.

Unfortunately the beginning of the book involves a great deal of time spent on the topics of spousal and child abuse, and the way that Pratchett chooses to handle the topic is offensive and potentially quite harmful. Every awful stereotype I've heard about battered women is rehashed. The protagonist seems to see the batterer as more redeemable than his victim. The batterer places flowers on the grave of the fetus he caused his daughter to miscarry, and Tiffany consequently describes him as having "something good" inside of him. Nothing positive is said about his poor wife who he has been beating for years- she is dirty, promiscuous, a bad mother, a bad housekeeper. At one point Tiffany and another sympathetic female character sit down and discuss how she is worse than an animal.

Teenage girls are particularly vulnerable to dating violence. This is the last thing that they (or anybody) should be reading on the subject.

Other portions of the book are engaging and fun, but Pratchett's thoroughly terrible handling of such an important topic that is sadly going to be relevant to many of his reader's lives ruined it for me. The sheer meanness of his portrayal of survivors of domestic violence has also unfortunately put me off the rest of his work as well. I just don't think I can enjoy anything else by him knowing that he's capable of this level of victim blaming and flat out cruelty.

If you are a fan of Terry Pratchett -- as I am -- I strongly recommend that you don't read this book. I have read everything he has written, even his books for children. "I Shall Wear Midnight" feels like it was written by someone else, who had only been told about Pratchett's books, but had never read them himself. The book starts with a bloody miscarriage, a 13-year-old girl is beaten so severely by her father that he kills the fetus. Would you ever expect to see that in a Discworld book, especially one written for children? There is almost no humor. The Feegles, for example, are grotesque copies of the mischievous imps of Wee Free Men, at one point actually drawing their swords to cut the legs off people. The plot is a forced rehash of A Hat Full of Sky, another thwarted attempted possession of Tiffany Aching. Even the title comes from the prior book. The weirdest scene, not counting the miscarriage, is the bizarre "wedding" which inexplicable involves profanity.
I am terribly, terribly sorry that Pratchett has Alzheimer's. But I wish someone had warned me that he can no longer write, so that I could have avoided this horrible story and remember him only as the author of the books that I love to read and reread.