Under the spell of a stressed-out young witch called Tiffany
I Shall Wear Midnight Terry Pratchett Published by Doubleday ISBN 9780385611077
Tiffany Aching is a witch and she takes her job very seriously. After a long apprenticeship, Tiffany, nearly 16, is now the chief witch of all the villages on the Chalk, the lowlands where they live. But her job is far from fun or glamorous.
A witch is a mix of nurse, do-gooder and social worker. She is out there on her own, day after day and night after night, helping people. Cutting old ladies' toenails and looking after sickly babies can be daunting and tiring for a teenager. But responsibility is responsibility, and Tiffany didn't get special training from Grannies Ogg and Weatherwax just to throw it away.
Tiffany is supported in times of trouble by her friends, the pocket-sized Mac Feegles. The group's leader, Rob Anybody, and his crew of feisty little blue men also tend to pop up when Tiffany least needs them. She feels she has the weight of the entire world on her shoulders.
Yet whenever she is needed, Tiffany puts on her black, pointed hat and gets onto her broomstick. She has also learned to live with the fact that a bunch of Mac Feegles might suddenly materialise, hanging onto the broomstick.
And the hard work of witching is just getting harder. Rumours are spreading around the Chalk that witches are not to be trusted. She discovers a dark force lurking in the shadows to destroy her.
I Shall Wear Midnight is the fourth and final novel by the wonderful Terry Pratchett to feature young Tiffany. It is a delight from start to finish. If you don't already know Tiffany and the bizarre cast of characters who live in her world, you are in for a real treat.
Pratchett is a genius who writes stories like no one else. His is a unique fantasy world populated with the wonders of Pratchett's voice and imagination.
Readers who like a good story, a strong heroine and classy writing will love I Shall Wear Midnight. The characters are lively and off-the-wall; the writing is witty and at times laugh-aloud-funny; and the story is full of suspense and atmosphere. Fans who have been waiting for this novel since Wintersmith in 2006 will be glued and smiling from page one.
I Shall Wear Midnight is a brilliant, funny and inventive novel. It is imaginative fiction for young adults at its very best.
