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I Shall Wear Midnight (Discworld #38)

by Terry Pratchett

4.34 · Rating Details · 32,608 Ratings · 1,687 Reviews

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 ev ...more

Hardcover, 349 pages

Published September 2nd 2010 by Doubleday Childrens (first published January 1st 2010)

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The Best of Discworld!

32nd out of 49 books — 799 voters

The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley

Speculative Fiction that Passes the Bechdel Test

9th out of 515 books — 484 voters

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Community Reviews

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Jun 23, 2011 Dan Schwent rated it really liked it

Shelves: pratchett, 2010, young-adultery

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Things are hostile toward witches on The Chalk and Tiffany Aching aims to find out why. But how can she with the future mother-in-law of the new baron gunning for her? Can the Nac Mac Feegle help her clear her name and the name of witches everywhere?

Terry Pratchett has been one of my "buy everything" authors for years now and this book is a good example why. It would be easy for old Pratch to phone it in at this point. He's written something like 50 Discworld books and has been stricken with ear Things are hostile toward witches on The Chalk and Tiffany Aching aims to find out why. But how can she with the future mother-in-law of the new baron gunning for her? Can the Nac Mac Feegle help her clear her name and the name of witches everywhere?

Terry Pratchett has been one of my "buy everything" authors for years now and this book is a good example why. It would be easy for old Pratch to phone it in at this point. He's written something like 50 Discworld books and has been stricken with early onset Altzheimers. I'm proud to say there was no phoning in, or even texting in, in this one.

Like all of the Discworld books, this book is about something. It's about prejudice and mass hysteria, how seemingly rational people can be driven to do some pretty irrational things. It's funny how a lot of people dismiss the Discworld books as fantasy parody when they're so much more.

The Nac Mac Feegle, demented Scottish smurfs that they are, provide comic relief as always. Preston, the guard who's too smart to be a guard, provided a believable future love interest for Tiffany. Tiffany herself has come a long way since the Wee Free Men. Her grace The Duchess was such a foul villainess I couldn't wait to see her taken down a peg. The Cunning Man was pretty horrible as far as Pratchett villains go. And the cameos by Vimes, Nanny Ogg, and Granny Weatherwax were worth the price of admission.

Something that not many people mention, Terry Pratchett does a lot to advance the concept of the fantasy witch as more than juts a cackling hag. He portrays them more like shaman or jacks of all trades, doing whatever is necessary for the people in their steading.

So why a four? Why not five? I'll tell you, Arnold. For one thing, the ending was a little too easy. For another, too many plot threads were swept under the rug. Amber, the girl who's dad beat the hell out of her, was forgotten for most of the book after spending time with the kelda of the Nac Mac Feegle. The Duchess, likewise, was defused at the wedding near the end and it seemed out of character. The thread of Letitia being a witch came out of left field and also didn't go very far. It could be that old Pratch is planning another Tiffany Aching novel but I was under the impression that this one is the last.

All in all, this was a worthy addition to the Tiffany Aching saga and the Discworld series. Lots of laughs and also some thought provoking stuff. ...more

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Jan 25, 2011 Mariel rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: anyone who's ever had to grow up

I didn't become a Terry Pratchett fan until 2009. My twin sister told me numerous times that it would be a very good idea for me to read him. I do listen to my twin, it's just that particular urgency to heed her advice hinges on many factors: did she tell me too much (in the interest of fairness, I do this more to her than she does to me), was I feeling a loner and left out of hyper enthuasism... Probably that last one. Everything good about Terry Pratchet you've probably been told or read (or s I didn't become a Terry Pratchett fan until 2009. My twin sister told me numerous times that it would be a very good idea for me to read him. I do listen to my twin, it's just that particular urgency to heed her advice hinges on many factors: did she tell me too much (in the interest of fairness, I do this more to her than she does to me), was I feeling a loner and left out of hyper enthuasism... Probably that last one. Everything good about Terry Pratchet you've probably been told or read (or said and written, if you're a fan) is true. His fans love him to peices. Me too. (It is a very good thing for me that I came to The Beatles and The Smiths on my own with no awareness of fanbases...) (I'm not trendy. Proof of my inbred untrendiness: Welsh roots instead of Irish.)

What decided me? A Buffy the Vampire Slayer comparison on the book jacket of the first Tiffany Aching book. (With 38 and counting Disc World books out there, the four book series is a good place to start. It's not intimidating to have a little slice cut out. That said, you can read any Disc World book first.) (One thing I love about the Disc World books, one person's "It's funny and quite good" can be another person's "My personal favorite!" Don't always go by those four or five star ratings on gr. You could still hit your own "Oh hell yes" Disc World stride. This isn't prolificness for the sake of being prolific. Pratchett has something to say. Tiffany Aching, for instance, came to him as such that he dropped everything else he was doing to write her.) Lots of things are wrongly compared to 'Buffy', of course (probably by people who didn't realize why 'Buffy' was really great). Maybe it was my twin's rec coupled with the Buffy. Whatever it was, Buffy decided me. No, Tiffany Aching isn't Buffy herself, but one thing 'Buffy' the show and 'Tiffany' the series have in common (besides names with unfair reputations. Thank goodness Mariel hasn't yet become a "bimbo" name. I'm flying below the radar he he he) is that everything good you've heard is true. You can open up any line in a Terry Pratchett book and find a line to knock your socks off.

I'll do it right now, for example. (Trust that I'm doing this randomly. No fixed fights.) (John Turturro in Quiz Show is theatrically patting the sweat off his brow.) "The world is full of omens, and you picked the ones you liked." (page 145 of I Shall Wear Midnight, hardback edition). (Turturro: "They made me take a dive!" You could've chosen a better line than that. But I like that one!)

I'm going to try (I said try!) to express why I loved the final Tiffany Aching book (hell, that whole series) so much in a way that doesn't veer into hyperbole that will not make an outsider feel lonely.

The magic is personal magic, from the heart, earth, soul. The witches are the people who fix things that nobody else knows needs fixing. People who fall through the cracks, are left to die alone, the witches warm their cold feet, bury them when they need to. That's magic. The darkness of the world is fear of the unknown, losing yourself to hatred, being too clever and stupid at the same time, stupid people being clever, losing because the world is often unfair. Are you yourself, the girl, or the hat (the witch)? I think anyone can relate to that feeling of being just your job, how sometimes the lines blur because of how you are seen by others.

I don't think this is just a ya series. Sometimes I feel embarrassed by coming-of-age stories about younger characters who become much more emotionally evolved than I am (turning 31 the day after writing this review). Not so with Tiffany. I don't think the expectations are unreasonable, or ignore other complicated human feeling possibilties. If anything, it is encouraged to think about things (the magical powers of first thoughts. And second thoughts, thinking about what you were thinking in first thoughts). It's not denying your own personal hurts, but also acknowledging that the world isn't about only you. Adjusting to expectations, retaining the dreams and keeping the right to have them without bitterness... I loved that. Yeah, I'm not 9-15 (her ages in the series), but Tiffany is my role model.

Terry Pratchett is funny, he's witty, tongue in cheek, he's got style and grace. He does it that it looks easy and you don't even notice he's doing it. It would be easy to take him for granted because he's always at least very, very good. Pratchett could probably be one of those witches that are taken for granted because they are always there doing their thing sometimes on the fringes and sometimes in big saving the day blasts. (He won't always be there. Sad face.) This isn't technical fantasy about fictional distant lands and politics name-dropping and weaponry names. It's very real feeling. That's what would appeal to me the most, anyway. Emotions in the thinking way.

I loved The Wee Free Men. Hopefully the Nac Mac Feegles won't "find" all of my personal belongings for saying this, the fairy folk in Martin Millar's The Good Fairies of New York are more my style: rock 'n' roll and punk as opposed to... pub drunken fun. I love the little blue men, just they aren't my favorite part of the series. Give me Johnny Thunders over Floggin' Molly any time. (Or I could've said they aren't my bag...pipe. I'm not Terry Pratchett, clearly. And I've used that ahem joke before.) I loved so very much the flashbacks of Tiffany's dead grandmama. Definitely one of the most heartfelt tales of bereavement and memory I've read. The stories of the old lady terrorized to her grave that made Tiffany want to become a witch were moving and terrifying. That it had a profound effect on young Tiffany and suitable motivation for becoming a witch was something I could believe wholeheartedly. I dug the story of the travelling teachers, the chalk (based on Pratchett's own upbringing), cheese and sheep and sheepdogs, fighting the fairy queen. Every day fantastical fantasticness and seeing the mundane in the terrifying. Awesome book.

Book two A Hat Full of Sky is my fuck yes that was amazing favorite Tiffany Aching book. I loved the story of the hiver who takes up camp in Tiffany's mind, how the knowledge of others changes how Tiffany thinks. It's all about thinking and feeling those first and second and third thoughts. I do that all of the time, constantly try to put myself into how someone else feels and trying to remember that I'm not the only person. This is magic to me.

Wintersmith is the third book. Tiffany gets moved into the morris dance to bring in the change of the seasons and takes the place that did not belong to her, that of Summer, setting the Winter after her to take her place as his queen. Being who you aren't meant to be, making up for mistakes, learning the way of it through daily grind, that's the way of things. Some things are everything falls into place falling from the sky realizations, most of the time it is ingrained in the mind through constant wax on and wax off practice.

I Shall Wear Midnight is the earned culimination of the three books that came before it. Almost like little hindsight short stories in Tiffany's daily life of hard work and precious little sleep, 'Midnight' is the just growing up story.

Making the every day into magic is the most magical thing there is. Doing that is HARD.

Now I'll indulge myself: Crivens! Terry Pratchett is awesome. ...more

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Apr 17, 2011 Lightreads rated it really liked it

Shelves: fiction, fantasy, young-adult

This is more of the same for this subseries – which is a good thing! More adolescent witch adventures, more growing up too fast, more dry humor with teeth underneath.

Critics go on about how magic in fantasy novels is a metaphor for political power or social power or insert power here. Which is usually a really unsatisfying reading to me because fantasy novel magic is so often inborn, inexplicable, a random or genetic gift. Which is a good metaphor for social power, often, but it’s not very inter ...more

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May 02, 2011 Vicki rated it it was amazing

I would read the phone book if Terry Pratchett wrote it. I have read all his books; including the ones for kids and young adults. I've given away a fortune in his YA and kids' books at schools.
I am only a short way into the book but it is already filled with Pratchett's signature wit and (yes) wisdom. No one uses the English language like Pratchett. If I sound like FanGirl, it's because I am, absolutely. Pratchett makes Tiffany "feel" like a real 16-year old girl; with all the confusion and ang ...more

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Dec 16, 2015 Carolyn rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, humour

It is with some sadness that I finished this knowing that Sir Terry will not write any more Discworld books. He writes in the voice of a 16 year old witch so brilliantly. Although Tiffany Aching is trying very hard to be grown up, she has to keep telling herself she is the witch of the Chalk and the people rely on her to be their witch. But now is no time to be unsure of herself. Something black and evil is hunting her down and putting bad thoughts about witches into people's heads. Tiffany is s ...more

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Oct 29, 2010 Carol rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: anglophiles, folklore fans, anyone who needs a good laugh, fans of the other Tiffany Aching books

Terry Pratchett is a genius! This book is the fourth in the Tiffany Aching Adventures, and my favorite so far, I think. Tiffany is a sixteen-year-old witch, self-assured and very wise beyond her years, yet still down to earth (or, in her case, chalk) and still sixteen. She is once again joined by her small, blue, kilted, ale-drinking, fist-fighting, hygienically challenged, oft-invisible clan of Nac Mac Feegles who provide the story's comic relief. Her nemesis this time is the Cunning Man--the p ...more

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Aug 31, 2015 Melissa McShane rated it it was amazing

Shelves: own, fantasy, humor

I realized some ten pages into this book that I'd only ever read it once before, which is unusual for me; I go to Terry Pratchett's books in the times when I can't handle anything else. (This happens often.) It seemed appropriate, given that the US release of The Shepherd's Crown is Tuesday, and turned out to be exactly what I needed on a Sunday evening.

There were things I remembered: Tiffany's changed relationship with Roland, the Nac Mac Feegle in Ankh-Morpork, Letitia the very damp Duchess's I realized some ten pages into this book that I'd only ever read it once before, which is unusual for me; I go to Terry Pratchett's books in the times when I can't handle anything else. (This happens often.) It seemed appropriate, given that the US release of The Shepherd's Crown is Tuesday, and turned out to be exactly what I needed on a Sunday evening.

There were things I remembered: Tiffany's changed relationship with Roland, the Nac Mac Feegle in Ankh-Morpork, Letitia the very damp Duchess's daughter with unsuspected depth. What I'd forgotten is the strong theme of responsibility that ties the whole thing together. Tiffany Aching, as the new witch of the Chalk, bears responsibility for hundreds of people, most of whom fear her, or possibly fear what she represents. One of Tiffany's gifts is balancing between good and evil, pain and peace, and at the beginning of the book she's become so obsessed with playing that role that she's forgotten, just a little, why it is she's doing it. She's justifiably proud of her skills--she's the girl who kissed the winter, after all--but it's made her somewhat distant from the people she has to serve. So when a formless evil sets its sights on her, she's put in a position where all her skills are, if not useless, at least ineffective to fight her opponent. Woven into the plot is Tiffany's need to grow and understand the world in ways outside her experience. By the end, she knows why witches face tragedy and suffering and the hard choices the way they do, and for all her skills, it's that moment when Tiffany is a true witch.

I remember being a little put off by the dissolution of Tiffany and Roland's romance (this is not a spoiler, it's revealed in the first few pages) because that relationship had been telegraphed fairly well in previous books. But the explanation even Tiffany has to accept is that the two of them really were just thrown together, and mistook their both being alone and different for being compatible. Their relationship as future Baron and witch makes a lot more sense, and I like Roland's fiancée Letitia very much, even before we find out her secret. (view spoiler)

But the heart of any Tiffany Aching story is the Feegles, who were mostly played for laughs in Carpe Jugulum but have steadily become--like pretty much everything about the Discworld--a serious, solid presence in the story. Not that they aren't still hilarious; I love Daft Wullie, who is guaranteed to say the wrong thing every time. But the image of Rob Anybody ready to start a war to defend his wife and family--that's deadly serious. And there are so many serious moments between the funny ones that it's a little strange to look back over the Discworld series and realize those early books were written by the same man.

I have no idea what to expect from the final Discworld book. Terry Pratchett's later works, after his illness was serious, aren't quite to the same quality as the earlier ones. What I'm looking for, I think, is a sense of closure. Raising Steam, for all its faults, brought to an end several plot threads that had been unreeling for several books, and I found that satisfying. I look forward to seeing how the final chapter in Tiffany's story plays out. ...more

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Jan 27, 2011 Jen3n rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy, young-adult

I still feel weird putting these under the heading of "children’s books." They aren't, really, and never have been. Even when the main character was just a ten year old girl.

So. This is the last of the Tiffany Aching books and the last time we will ever hear of Granny Weatherwax or Nanny Ogg ever again, thanks to Mr. Pratchett's disease. I am given to understand that most of this book was, by necessity, dictated.

And it's not a bad book. Quite good, given the circumstances. But a lot of character ...more

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Oct 02, 2010 Nathan rated it it was amazing

I don't find many books that I'd gladly give to my girl and say "this, this is what being human is". In the Tiffany Aching series, Pratchett nailed it and in this, the final book (which can be read alone), Pratchett nails the story too. The others have featured metaphors-come-to-life as antagonists, but they were very active antagonists. In this book, the antagonist is more in the background: he exists, there's pursuit, but it's all playing second fiddle to Tiffany's battle with her feelings and ...more

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Mar 29, 2015 Magrat Ajostiernos rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasía, 2015

Porque necesito a Terry más que nunca…. T___T

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Jan 07, 2015 Clouds rated it liked it

Shelves: discworld, fantasy, reviewed, young-adult, read-in-2013, pub-2010s

Following the resounding success of my Locus Quest, I faced a dilemma: which reading list to follow it up with? Variety is the spice of life, so I’ve decided to diversify and pursue six different lists simultaneously. This book falls into my LOCUS Y-A list.

I think I’ll always have a soft-spot for imaginative young-adult speculative fiction and as the good people at Locus did such a grand job with picking their Sci-Fi winners, I’ll trust them to single out some special y-a books too.

I read I S ...more

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Oct 12, 2010 Chris rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I Shall Wear Midnight is supposedly that last novel about the young witch from the Chalk, Tiffany. In some ways that knowledge colors the book.

Tiffany has done with her education and is back home serving as the Chalk's witch. Sadly, strange things seem to be happening, more than just what happens with an senient cheese named Horace, a lawyer who is frog (but who can be paid in beetles) and the Feegles around.

In some ways, the novel feels like a good-bye, if not to the Disc than to Tiffany. This ...more

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Apr 07, 2011 Rachel Hartman rated it really liked it

Bah. Made me cry. Curse you Terry Pratchett!

Hat Made of Sky is still my favourite of the Tiffany Aching books, but I might even put this one second. The plot wasn't as tight as he (historically) has been capable of, and the menace of the villain didn't live up to its potential, quite. But there was so much other stuff here to love, and be moved by, and remind me of other things, that I didn't really care.

For the first half, seriously, I could only read about forty pages at a time because then I Bah. Made me cry. Curse you Terry Pratchett!

Hat Made of Sky is still my favourite of the Tiffany Aching books, but I might even put this one second. The plot wasn't as tight as he (historically) has been capable of, and the menace of the villain didn't live up to its potential, quite. But there was so much other stuff here to love, and be moved by, and remind me of other things, that I didn't really care.

For the first half, seriously, I could only read about forty pages at a time because then I would get sad and have to go off by myself and think about things. I know people complain that the Tiffany Aching books are a bit didactic, or a bit obvious, but I think it's more complicated than that. It's like a beloved grandparent sitting you down and telling you his hard-earned wisdom about what it means to be human, and what's good in life. And, depending where you are in your own life, it may all seem rather trivial and obvious (because you're young and you already know everything, duh), or it may seem the old man is telling you the only knowledge worth knowing (because you've been through those fires, you have fought and lost, and earned this selfsame wisdom for your pains).

There's an urgency to these latter books, as if he has looked his own mortality in the eye and said, "Hold on, Death, there's a few last things I want to get off my chest." Maybe it's not as elegantly done as when he was younger, but he still just makes my jaw drop with the things he understands, and the depth to which he understands them. He is a thinker after my own heart.

I sometimes feel my reading superpower consists in being able to read between the lines, to see the writer behind the writing. I saw Terry Pratchett behind all the witticisms before he started tipping his hand more deliberately. In this particular book, he is transparent in every sentence; he's not even trying to fade into the background. It's sad, and it's lovely, and it felt like one long goodbye. I cried at the end -- and he actually did manage to surprise me, the old fox, which made me cry the more. ...more

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Oct 04, 2010 Nate rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy, young-adult

Sometimes I feel like there's not enough joy left in the world. Then Sir Pratchett publishes another gem like this, and it makes me feel better.

Tiffany Aching is 16. In a world that looks a lot like our 19th century, that's taking the 'young' out of Young Adult. This is a book with genuine terror, truly adult situations, and more joy and laughter than you'll find almost anywhere.

Tiffany is now the true witch of her Chalk; she's bandaging wounds, helping the old and sick shuffle off their mortal ...more

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Aug 28, 2015 Azumi rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Me ha encantado y se me ha hecho cortísimo. Al leer el epílogo casi se me han saltado unas lagrimillas y es que me ha dado la impresión como que Pratchett se estaba despidiendo ya del personaje de Tiffany, como si supiese que ese iba a ser el último libro que iba a escribir sobre ella y me ha dado mucha mucha pena :((

Por otro lado el título me parece precioso y más cuando conoces su verdadero significado al decir Tiffany que "cuando sea vieja se vestirá de medianoche".

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Dec 20, 2010 Peterb rated it really liked it

I Shall Wear Midnight is Terry Pratchett's final book in the Tiffany Aching series. While clever, thoughtful, and well-constructed, it suffers from the same problem Pratchett has had in his other recent books: he has fallen too much in love with his characters to truly hurt them. Compared to the latent menace that suffused, for example, The Wee Free Men, we never feel here that Tiffany is at any risk that she can't overcome through prodigious application of witch-bourne moxie. This is a drawback ...more

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Jul 17, 2011 Lee Battersby rated it it was ok

Pratchett-by-numbers, with nothing memorable or engaging to tie the plot around. Characters and subplots are added for no good reason and resolved without the slightest sign of conflict or character change, the antagonist is poorly defined and, in the end, despatched with such ease that it leaves the reader wondering just what the fuss was all about-- if this thing has been the scourge of witches throughout the centuries then the witches can't have been very good at what they do to have been bea ...more

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Jun 02, 2012 Nicole rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy-satire, favourite-characters, kick-six-heroines

4 1/2 stars. My objection to teenage marriage, even in a pseudo-18th century fantasyland, prevents me from finding this book perfect. But it's close.
I stalled a bit in getting to this one because it's the last of the Tiffany Aching books, and I hate to see a good thing end (even though I can re-read the books at my leisure). Tiffany, as I've said in previous reviews, is a wonderful character. She's a far better person than I am, but somehow I relate to her--in part because she continually ends u 4 1/2 stars. My objection to teenage marriage, even in a pseudo-18th century fantasyland, prevents me from finding this book perfect. But it's close.
I stalled a bit in getting to this one because it's the last of the Tiffany Aching books, and I hate to see a good thing end (even though I can re-read the books at my leisure). Tiffany, as I've said in previous reviews, is a wonderful character. She's a far better person than I am, but somehow I relate to her--in part because she continually ends up with the fuzzy end of the lollipop. But she always rises to the challenge. She's book-smart and clever, she's resourceful, she's generally kind even when she doesn't feel it inside. She's fantastically human and wonderfully witchy. She takes on all the less glamourous aspects of being a witch (being doctor, nurse, midwife, counselor, and mortician, among other things) in stride; and sometimes she gets to do a fancy bit of magic.
Anyone who's read and loved the Harry Potter books needs to read the Tiffany Aching books. She can stand toe-to-toe with Hermione Granger and never blink...and she'd be her friend, too.
Pratchett has a true gift for portraying three-dimensional female characters. He doesn't stoop to easy stereotypes and catty female rivalry. In this book in particular, I liked how Tiffany and Letitia come to understand each other and how Tiffany and Mrs. Proust deal with the Duchess. I enjoyed the appearances by other witches from previous books, as well.
The Roland situation made me sad at first, but I was made to see that things do work out for the best. Preston is delightful, with his sometimes cleverly concealed cleverness, his curious and word-loving mind, and his loyalty. The Nac Mac Feegle are hilarious as ever, Tiffany's brave and devious allies. The Cunning Man and his mind-poisoning are Tiffany's toughest challenge yet, also calling to mind real-life history.
As with Wintersmith, I found myself shedding a few tears when I reached the end of the story, not because it's sad, but because it's beautiful and has such a ring of truth and a life-affirming quality to it--sort of like crying at a graduation or wedding. Although I also wish there could be more Tiffany stories.
If you haven't read this series, please try it (starting with The Wee Free Men). Disregard the "YA" label; these books should be on the shelf next to the so-called adult Pratchett books. If you have read them, I hope you agree with me that Terry Pratchett is a literary treasure and a humanist of the first order. ...more

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Apr 17, 2014 Neil rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Despite this book supposedly being aimed at younger readers I am sure that there are plenty of us old'uns who have also enjoyed this. I do actually find the Tiffany Aching series much better than the Moist van Lipwig series which the 'grown-ups' are meant to read. Perhaps it is the inclusion of some of my favourite characters which added to my enjoyment, but I do so enjoy the witches, and hope that they will again feature prominently in books. For those who have never read any of this series ple ...more

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Oct 25, 2010 Libby rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy-comic-and-parody, fantasy-fairytale-and-myth, young-adult, read-in-2010, favorites

This book is the crowning jewel in the Tiffany Aching series. It tells the story of growing up - complete with all its ugliness and beauty. Tiffany is sixteen, back in the Chalk and must fully embrace her calling as The Witch, ready or not. It’s a wonderful adventure that brings this amazing character’s life full circle.

Terry Pratchett remains my favorite author for his ability to weave humanity into his books. I can’t think of any other word for it – his books are absurdly funny but also heartf ...more

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Feb 07, 2015 Michael Jones rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy, fiction-that-is-more-historical, right-before-i-snore-there-is-no-be, fun-fiction, dealing-w-illness, church-helps-the-hurting, funny-in-a-stinky-sort-of-way, heroism

If you're the sort of person who doesn't mind changing diapers, even for the elderly (that really depends upon whether you are dependable), and you need a good laugh (or maybe cry) this book may be for you (that all depends).

What this book does is to bring out the "other side" of the lore surrounding witchcraft. Many of the women historically who were called "witches" were actually just women who knew how to use herbs and other things to affect healing and did not mind cleaning up after the dead ...more

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Aug 04, 2016 Christopher rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I Shall Wear Midnight continues the adventures of Tiffany Aching and takes up the story a with Tiff now as a young adult and having to deal some with some big anti witch issues being stirred by a thousand year old evil, known as the cunning man, but at first she has to deal with the horrors of the cheese contest.....

I Shall Wear Midnight deals with serious subject matter but at the same time the book still has Pratchett's light feel of witty observation throughout and with Tiffany's running comm I Shall Wear Midnight continues the adventures of Tiffany Aching and takes up the story a with Tiff now as a young adult and having to deal some with some big anti witch issues being stirred by a thousand year old evil, known as the cunning man, but at first she has to deal with the horrors of the cheese contest.....

I Shall Wear Midnight deals with serious subject matter but at the same time the book still has Pratchett's light feel of witty observation throughout and with Tiffany's running commentary on events you get so see how she deals with all these situations as they arise and how she goes about dealing with them! :D This is handled by Tiffany with all sorts of aplomb that take her her all over the Discworld including into some very dodgy shops! :D Lol

Throughout the book though we see a much more adult Tiffany as she strives to sort everything out on her own two legs as a witch is supposed to do and we see her own relationships and friendships spiral off in different directions and all this combined really make for a very hard to predict what is going to happen! :D

I Shall Wear Midnight is the kind of novel which makes the whole tale brilliantly clever as well as witty and her whole solution to the ancient evil is brilliant and slightly surreal with elements of ancient custom in it as well as drama and dramatics but at the same time very funny considering she is saving the very embarrassed Duke and his betrothed lacey Letitia while counting on the world's most ill suited Guard but this gives everything a great buzz that will have you cheering along with the crowds as well a everything works out for the best! :D Her solution to the problem of the Cunning Man is brilliant and displays a very ruthless quality to her as well proving she is not someone to be crossed and has come into her own as a full fledged Witch of accomplishment which is pointed out to much mirth later by Granny Ogg! :D

Throughout though Tiffany evidences a whole host of new powers and her melting flint in her hands as a particular resonance showing how far she has come! :D Throughout though we are introduced to a host of new characters as well as well as some guest appearances from other characters with Eskarina and Weatherwax all putting in an appearance and the introduction of Preston and Wee Mad Arthur a Feegle Police Officer raised by Gnomes all add to the mix and Mrs Proust and her phobia of the countryside is hilarious and guest appearances by Sam Vines trying as every to have easy day will have the ribs hurting! :D

I Shall Wear Midnight has an almost nostalgic feeling to things as well as a lot of the characters are maturing and changing (in Tiff's case getting to meat her older self with rather nice boots! :D ) but it all the great events that make I Shall Wear Midnight a brilliant rocking rib cracking adventure filled with humour so funny 'Wear Midnight? It's barely 11:30!' :D :D Brilliant, funny and highly recommended! :D ...more

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Sep 08, 2015 DeAnna Knippling rated it it was amazing

The fourth in the Tiffany Aching series.

I really can't evaluate this rationally :)

Update: bumped up a star, on a reread.

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Nov 20, 2010 Kogiopsis rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: Pretty much everyone; but start with the first book, naturally.

Shelves: fangirl-alert, reviewed, galleys-are-win, once-upon-a-childhood

In much the same way as I grew up with Harry Potter, I have grown up with Tiffany Aching. Though our ages have never exactly matched, neither have mine and Harry's; the true parallel is the level of maturation of the characters, and of the reader, and in both cases those have matched almost exactly.
This said, the two are vastly different. If read as commentaries on growing up and becoming an adult, Harry Potter approaches it as an epic quest, full of destiny and the necessity of accepting the in In much the same way as I grew up with Harry Potter, I have grown up with Tiffany Aching. Though our ages have never exactly matched, neither have mine and Harry's; the true parallel is the level of maturation of the characters, and of the reader, and in both cases those have matched almost exactly.
This said, the two are vastly different. If read as commentaries on growing up and becoming an adult, Harry Potter approaches it as an epic quest, full of destiny and the necessity of accepting the inevitable. Tiffany Aching, instead, treats it as something you must work for, something about accepting responsibility- and yes, something a bit stupid and silly at times. Both are true, in my experience; growing up is not something avoidable, and yet is not the be-all and end-all of life. The ability to poke fun at it is essential to not breaking under the pressure it causes.
Terry Pratchett, wonderful, wonderful, wonderful man that he is, knows this. His Tiffany is one of my favorite protagonists, I think it's safe to say, and really one of the best-written. She is clever, but she makes mistakes; she is responsible, but strains under tremendous pressure. She, like most young people, thinks she is ready to take on responsibilities normally allocated to adults; and when she realizes that it's not going to be as easy as she had anticipated, she buckles down and works for what she wants. Personally, if I were more like Tiffany, my high school life would be going a lot more smoothly.
This book, in particular, is an excellent and satisfactory finale to such a funny, wise quartet. At times a little anvilicious with its message of tolerance, it nevertheless makes it clear that intolerance affects everyone- even the heroine. She must fight for her place on the Chalk, and the battle is not easy, requiring all of her courage, intuition, and cleverness. And, of course, some aid from the Nac Mac Feegles. (CRIVENS!)
While I as a reader am sad to see the end of Tiffany's adventures, I feel that I can wave goodbye contentedly, assured that there's more excitement- and twice as much ordinary day-to-day witch's work- in her future. Maybe she will show up in another Discworld novel. Maybe she already has.
Having finished this series, I'm now ready to approach Discworld as a whole. Time to pull that unread copy of The Colour of Magic off of my shelf... ...more

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Jan 26, 2016 Philip Nikolov rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: Тери-Пратчет

Чудесна книга, както всички останали на Пратчет.. Но колкото и да се усмихвам, докато дочитам последните страници, няма как да не избият сълзи в очите.. Сякаш, съзнавайки, че пише последните книги за любимия Диск, Пратчет се чувства длъжен да нареди всичко както трябва и да остави в добри ръце съдбата на всички, а по-подходящи ръце от тези на вещиците за тази цел няма. Тук са всички познати образи - Баба Вихронрав, Леля Ог, Маграт Чеснова, а и някои не толкова познати, или може би малко позабрав ...more

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Aug 31, 2014 Jen rated it it was amazing

Shelves: ya, fantasy, favorites, read-in-2010, re-read-in-2011, kindle, re-read-in-2013, re-read-in-2014

Wow. I was making happy meeping noises at the end, which caused my husband to ask whether I was happy or sad. This was a valid question, as 20 minutes earlier I'd mentioned that I really should be getting to bed, but I needed to know how it all worked out RIGHT NOW.

Totally worth it. If this is the last Tiffany book ever, I'll be a little sad. I'd love to see her make the jump from YA to Adult books and see what she does with her life. Still, this was a wonderful story and I'm so glad I had the c ...more

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Sep 30, 2015 Samantha Dragon rated it really liked it

Shelves: favorites, terry-pratchett

...more

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Oct 15, 2015 Angie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: teen, fantasy

Tiffany has grown up in this fourth book in the series. She is no longer learning to be a witch, but is the witch of the Chalk. Her home is now her steading and its people her charge. She is the one to take away their pain and heal their hurts, she births them and buries them, she sees wrongs and rights them. Does this come with a lot of rewards and accolades? Nope, sure doesn't. The people sort of respect her because she was born there and she is there, but they also kind of look at her sideway Tiffany has grown up in this fourth book in the series. She is no longer learning to be a witch, but is the witch of the Chalk. Her home is now her steading and its people her charge. She is the one to take away their pain and heal their hurts, she births them and buries them, she sees wrongs and rights them. Does this come with a lot of rewards and accolades? Nope, sure doesn't. The people sort of respect her because she was born there and she is there, but they also kind of look at her sideways. Tiffany is just happy to get used boots and old sheets for bandages.

This book centers around two of Tiffany's charges. The first is Amber who was beaten so badly by her father Mr. Petty that she almost dies and her unborn child does die. Now the people of the Chalk can turn a blind eye to a little smack, but when it gets excessive the rough music starts to play and the guilty find themselves gone or reformed or dead. The rough music starts for Mr. Petty and even though Tiffany knows he is bad she still doesn't want the good people of the Chalk to kill him. She whisks Amber away to heal and scares Mr. Petty off.

Tiffany has also been taking care of the Baron as he dies. She takes away his pain so that his passing will be peaceful. She has to contend with his small minded, evil nurse however, who doesn't believe in witches and thinks Tiffany is nothing but a thief and liar. When the Baron dies the nurse makes all kinds of accusations, but Tiffany is more concerned about making sure Roland knows his father is gone. Of course this has nothing to do with the fact that Roland is marrying Leticia, a beautiful blond who would never be a witch (until it turns out she is one). It is off to Ankh Morpork, which goes nothing like planned. Tiffany ends up meeting the owner of Boffo's who just happens to be a witch, the Nac Mac Feegles end up destroying a pub, and everyone ends up in jail.

During all of this Tiffany is followed by whispers and the whiff of a foul-smelling evil. It turns out the Cunning Man has caught her scent. The Cunning Man was once a witch hunter who was burned alive by a witch. He died, but his spirit remains and infects those around it with doubts and anger and evil. He will suffer no witch to live and is the reason good people go on witch hunts. He is coming after Tiffany now. The people around her start whispering and looking at her in fear and doubt, even Roland who has been her friend starts to doubt her intentions. They start wondering if they really do need a witch and what kinds of evil things witches get up to. It is up to Tiffany to defeat the Cunning Man and she has to do it on her own. Sure she has the senior witches around her, but they are more there to kill her if things go bad than to help her. They would help of course, but they would always look down on her after if she didn't take care of her own problems.

This is a much darker book than the previous Tiffany Aching stories. Sure there is the signature Pratchett humor, but it is not as front and center as it has been in other books. Even the Nac Mac Feegles have some serious scenes here. It is really a book with a message. A message about whether you are the job or the job is you. A message about mob mentalities and what it takes to turn decent people evil. A message about friendship and intelligence. A message about not judging people by their looks or their jobs or their families. It was a really interesting book and one I found I had to put down occasionally to think about. I think that is one of the things I am going to miss most about Terry Pratchett. His books are disguised as pure fantasy fun, but they are really commentaries on human nature and the world around us. They make you think even when you don't realize that is what you are doing. ...more

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Dec 31, 2015 হাঁটুপানির জলদস্যু rated it it was ok

বইটাতে পরযাচেটের লেখনীর উপসথিতি টের পাওয়াই দুষকর। ...more

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Sep 02, 2016 Robert rated it it was amazing

Shelves: books-i-own

This book had me worried in the beginning, it started out a bit slower then I'm used to and the eventual antagonist was not overly creative. At least that's how it started for me. It grew however into a page turner and even the antagonist's back story drew me in. Its incredibly original, fraught with comedy, lessons, morals, sadness, forgiveness, LOVE :). A pure treat to read.

As with all of Pratchett's books this has a lot of humor as well as some serious issue's. Early on in the story our Witch ...more

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Discworld: I Shall Wear Midnight Read Along Part III	12	44	Nov 11, 2013 04:25PM
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About Terry Pratchett

Sir Terry Pratchett sold his first story when he was thirteen, which earned him enough money to buy a second-hand typewriter. His first novel, a humorous fantasy entitled The Carpet People, appeared in 1971 from the publisher Colin Smythe.

Terry worked for many years as a journalist and press officer, writing in his spare time and publishing a number of novels, including his first Discworld novel, ...more

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