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bluejayreads's review against another edition
3.0
I was a little apprehensive to start this one. Actually, a lot apprehensive, since I had so many issues with Granny Weatherwax in the previous Witches book, Witches Abroad. I had hoped that there would be some more books before I came to another Witches book, but there weren’t. So I went into this worried that I would spend the whole thing raging at Granny Weatherwax’s bullying.
But I was pleasantly surprised. Against a backdrop of attempting to stop elves (the inhuman, unfeeling, cruel variety) from getting into the world, Magret grew a spine and Granny Weatherwax ate some humble pie. Not a whole lot – this is Granny Weatherwax we’re talking about – but she’s starting to have some of that character development I knew had to come between Witches Abroad and the first Tiffany Aching book. It’s promising, anyway. And with Magret starting to take back her own agency and Granny starting to become less cruel, I’m liking the Witches sub-series more. It’s still not my favorite sub-series (currently, that honor is tied between Tiffany Aching and the first six Rincewind books), but it’s becoming tolerable.
I had a weird sense of almost deja vu with this plot. The main idea is that elves are trying to get through from their dimension into the world, and this is a very bad thing. It’s been so long since elves have been around that most people either think they aren’t real or aren’t so bad, so it’s up to the witches to stop them. Since I have read the books out of order, your reading experience might be different. But the basic plot is very, very similar to The Wee Free Men, just with a different cast of witches trying to stop it. I am not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing, but it did make it feel less unique than other Discworld books.
In my opinion, this is one of the weaker Discworld books. I haven’t loved the Witches series generally, and this one is no exception. It lacked much of the humor and wit I’ve come to expect, there weren’t many serious themes (I can’t think of any at the moment, actually), and since I’d read The Wee Free Men previously the plot itself felt like it had been done before. The main redeeming quality – which, to be fair, is majorly redeeming – is the start of some fantastic character growth for Magret and Granny Weatherwax. This book is perfectly okay, if not fantasic, but I have hope that future Witches books will get better.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Death, Animal cruelty, and Kidnapping
Mind controljessthanthree's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Death, and Torture
Minor: Infidelity, Bullying, Fatphobia, Kidnapping, and Animal cruelty
bloodandpoppies's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
I often find the Discworld novels to be slow or disappointing, but I loved this one. The witches books of the series seem to be the best ones (for me, anyway).
Content Warnings
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Stalking, and Violence
Minor: Animal cruelty, Death of parent, Kidnapping, and Torture
Scary fae folk (seriously, you'll never look at fairies the same way again).
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