Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.33 AVERAGE
4.33 AVERAGE
Pratchett going out with a bang -- I felt that his last couple of Discworld books weren't as good as most of the previous ones, but this is up there with the best of them. Wraps up a lot of things in very satisfying ways, leaves some things hanging but also in a good way.
I don't have the proper words, here. As a Discworld novel, this stands out as the darkest - its tone is almost somber, even with the leavening of footnotes and Feegles. The events are... shattering and building simultaneously, watching Tiffany grow into her steading and watching the Disc change, irrevocably, and knowing that it's the last we see of the Disc, and knowing they're raising steam into a future not so different from ours - I'm choking up.
The afterword included in this edition was extraordinarily moving.
Farewell, Pterry, and thank you.
The afterword included in this edition was extraordinarily moving.
Farewell, Pterry, and thank you.
It's a bit unpolished, and sometimes stumbles or takes some time where other Aching books were quick and smooth, but still – it's magnificent and we're so lucky to have it.
A very meta tale. It wasn’t done when Pratchett died. It was well worth publishing for what he had done. He wrote his own death right at the beginning, I think, in the death of Granny Weatherwax. Who, like Terry Pratchett, I mourned, just like so many denizens of Discworld mourned Granny. Who, like Terry Pratchett, will always be with us; in the words, in the bees, in the cat who looked the hell out of a King. It wasn’t done. So many threads left raw and unwoven. But the shape was there.
Granny dies and the elves come back. In grief, the old stories sound better. But the elves, like some of those old stories, are monsters. And quite possibly Tories.
The story is imbued with Granny's admonition: “Do the good that is in front of you.”
I wish there was more.
Granny dies and the elves come back. In grief, the old stories sound better. But the elves, like some of those old stories, are monsters. And quite possibly Tories.
The story is imbued with Granny's admonition: “Do the good that is in front of you.”
I wish there was more.
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Terry Pratchett's final Discworld novel...
I put off reading this for a long time. There's so much I could say about my feeling surrounding this book, but this isn't the place for them, so I'll try to stay focused.
Shepherd's Crown is the fifth Tiffany Aching book, and it comes in swinging. It's clear that Sir Terry knew this would be his final book. By Discwold standards, it's very emotional and reflective in tone. There's still humour in places, but it takes a bit of a back seat here.
I guess that, in the simplest of terms, this is a book about Tiffiny growing up. She's already a powerful witch who has faced so many challenges, but in her heart she still feels like a child in a world of adults. Those around her view her as an adult due to her actions, but she has big boots to fill and has to accept herself as her own sn, and not a copy of those she respects. It's a relatable stage of life that many of us never actually overcome.
On a technical level, SC suffers slightly from Sir Terry's worsening condition, and his limited time. It doesn't exactly have rough edges, but it does feel lke it lacks a lot of the complex narrative and thematical weaves that matk the prime of his ability.
That said, it was a fun and poignant experience to read, and I am very sad that I'll never get to continue the lives of my Discworld friends, but I am so very happy that I did get to spend what time I did with them.
Goodbye Terry Pratchett. Goodbye Discwold.
I put off reading this for a long time. There's so much I could say about my feeling surrounding this book, but this isn't the place for them, so I'll try to stay focused.
Shepherd's Crown is the fifth Tiffany Aching book, and it comes in swinging. It's clear that Sir Terry knew this would be his final book. By Discwold standards, it's very emotional and reflective in tone. There's still humour in places, but it takes a bit of a back seat here.
I guess that, in the simplest of terms, this is a book about Tiffiny growing up. She's already a powerful witch who has faced so many challenges, but in her heart she still feels like a child in a world of adults. Those around her view her as an adult due to her actions, but she has big boots to fill and has to accept herself as her own sn, and not a copy of those she respects. It's a relatable stage of life that many of us never actually overcome.
On a technical level, SC suffers slightly from Sir Terry's worsening condition, and his limited time. It doesn't exactly have rough edges, but it does feel lke it lacks a lot of the complex narrative and thematical weaves that matk the prime of his ability.
That said, it was a fun and poignant experience to read, and I am very sad that I'll never get to continue the lives of my Discworld friends, but I am so very happy that I did get to spend what time I did with them.
Goodbye Terry Pratchett. Goodbye Discwold.
How could I not be charmed Terry Pratchett's final Discworld novel? It does right by the Tiffany Aching series for one, showcasing the main character's evolution but allowing for the potential for future stories, if only in the reader's mind. And the tone is just right, somehow hopeful and somber at once. There are a couple of arcs that feel less-than-developed. But on the whole, the work stands on its own and is a solid closing to a wide range of Pratchett's novels that I've enjoyed so much.
Thank you, Terry Practchett, for the many wonderful spins around Discworld.
Thank you, Terry Practchett, for the many wonderful spins around Discworld.