Reviews

The Shepherd's Crown by Terry Pratchett, Rob Wilkins

Only show reviews with written explanations

badseedgirl's review against another edition

5.0

The Shepherd’s Crown by Terry Pratchett made me cry from Chapter 2 on. It was not just that this was Sir Terry’s final novel, or that I had tearful endings of my own to deal with, it was the death of a major character. And not just the death, but the nature of the death. One could not help but see it as a reflection of the authors own struggle with a terminal disease. Reading how the character prepared for her own death was one of the most touching and painful chapters of any book I have ever read. This is a novel of endings and it is reflected in this chapter.

I think it is a sign of Sir Terry’s gift as an author that this series started with the death of a major influence in Tiffany’s life, namely the death of her grandmother, and the last book in the series starts with the death of another major influence.

This novel is a fitting end to the career of a man who brought us the glorious Discworld, beautiful and wonderful not because it was a fantasy world, but because it was a world just similar enough to our own, that one immediately felt at home.

And that is all I will say, now I must go and have a cry.

5 of 5 stars

cwritesu's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous emotional inspiring

Strong character development? Yes

Pratchett came up with some interesting recontextualization for Book 1 of the Tiffany Aching series in Book 5 by bringing back the primary antagonist of Book 1, the Fairy Queen.

I honestly really appreciated that. It rewards faithful readers of the books, plus allows us to expand our definition of the characters along with Tiffany. I felt the growth in her in how she re-approached her relationship with the former antagonist.

coreysees's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous funny inspiring 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? No

4.25

It feels fitting that Terry Pratchett's final book should be about the death of one of his oldest and most beloved characters. The knowledge that he died while finishing this book certainly colors the story with added melancholy.

Despite this, the book is still shot through with his usual dry humor.

This book makes a wonderful close for both Tiffany's coming-of-age story and Discworld as a whole.

rainbowdragonz's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.5

This book makes me cry. Everytime. This is the last book, one Terry Pratchett never even finished, and it shows. Every loose end is wrapped up, apart from a little bit at the end that's deliberately open to interpretation. It's very bittersweet because the whole book is one long good bye, especially if read in succession after the others. It's not a bad book it's just one you may not want to read if you don't like endings. This is a book about death and how to carry on after tremendous loss, and about growing up even if you were already grown.