A Hat Full of Sky - Terry Pratchett > Reviews > The sky's the limit!

Author's product rating:   

Would you listen to it again?	Absolutely
Story	Outstanding
Characters	Good
Listenability	Once you start it, you won't be able to switch it off!
How does it compare to similar audio books?	Very good
How does it compare to audio works by the same author?	Very good

Advantages:	Another Discworld book, entertaining for both children and adults
Disadvantages:	Shorter than normal since it's (meant to be) a kids book

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

A Hat Full of Sky is fantasy author Terry Pratchett’s third foray into Discworld-based children’s literature. It sees the further development of Tiffany Aching, first encountered in Wee Free Men, as she once again fights an evil abroad in the land. Although it’s primarily aimed at young adult readers, it’s a tale that could be equally enjoyed by adults. And although it is technically a sequel to Wee Free Men, it stands alone fairly well in its own right despite references to previous plot lines (Tiffany’s invisible pointy hat given her by Granny Weatherwax and the fact that she, briefly, was a bigjob kelda to the Nac Mac Feegle clan).

Trying to help Tiffany out (even if she doesn’t want them to) are the Nac Mac Feegle, led by Rob Anybody and his Kelda. Rumoured to have been thrown out of fairyland by the Queen (possibly for being pished), at first glance you wouldn’t credit the wee free men from being the walking natural disaster they frequently are.

“We’re better at questions about fightin’, drinkin’ and stealin’,” [Rob Anybody] mumbled, “We dinna have the knowin’ o’ the haggin’.”

They’re six inches tall, with tattoos of woad, kilts and Scottish accents – making large parts of the book fantastic if you’re reading it aloud. If they aren’t drunkards, then certainly they are enthusiastic drinkers, and thieves too, albeit with a strange morality about not stealing from people who don’t have anything.

The gang are aided and abetted by Miss Tick, witch-finder of Wee Free Men, Miss Level, a research witch with one mind and two bodies, and Granny Weatherwax among others.

Now a witch in training (despite the well-known fact that you don’t get witches from chalk), Tiffany is sent away from her home, family and cheese-making facilities to live with Miss Level and learn everything she can teach – although her family don’t *exactly* know where she’s going. But there’s a power-seeking hiver on the loose, and it’s after Tiffany, so once again she has to save the world, and herself, from harm.

The plot of A Hat Full of Sky is centred on Tiffany’s coming of age, as she learns to recognise what’s important in witching, and what’s not. She has to deal with other young witches, the wider community (especially Mr Weavall of the indestructible toenails: “Yesterday she’d cut his toenails, because he couldn’t reach them; it was not a safe spectator sport, especially when one smashed a windowpane.”), Granny Weatherwax and, most importantly, herself. And it’s not always a pretty sight.

Witching is harder than expected, what with getting travelsick on broomsticks and making shamble components explode whenever she tries to make one. Being nice to people when they appear to be deliberately stupid is difficult too, and dealing with fellow witches in training is, well, a “valuable learning experience”.

For Discworld veterans, a couple of well-loved characters make an appearance in the shape of Death and Granny Weatherwax. But most of the characters, situations and places are completely new to this book, and suitable for the intended audience. As in Wee Free Men, the most entertaining and humorous scenes are those involving the pictsies, but this time they also introduce some pathos as well as comic relief.

The overall lesson, if I can call it that in such a light and entertaining read, is that about style and substance – and that substance will get you through, whereas style will only make you look good while failing miserably to achieve much.

Yes, this is shorter than a standard Pratchett Discworld novel, but it’s certainly written with an adult audience in mind along side the intended young adult reader. It’s about childhood, growing up and accepting who you are, flaws and all, as a path to finding your own identity. As such, it won’t only appeal to the young. After all, everyone can remember their childhood and will find elements in this book to identify with, as well as finding it enormously entertaining.

“You’re not different from us. We’re just much, much better at forgetting. And we know when not to listen to the monkey…The old bit of our brains
that wants to be head monkey, and attacks when it’s surprised,” said Tiffany, “It reacts. It doesn’t think. Being human is about knowing when not to be the monkey or the lizard or any of the other old echoes.”

My main question, having read this a couple of times now, is: when’s the next instalment about Tiffany and her pictsie chums coming out? And, just how far will Pratchett use Tiff to bridge the gap between young adult and adult fiction, introducing her to Agnes Nitt and Nanny Ogg as the newest member of their (not) coven? It seems inconceivable that it won’t happen to some extent.

“Mistress Weatherwax is the head witch then is she?” [said Tiffany].
“Oh no!” said Miss Level, looking shocked. “Witches are all equal. We don’t have things like head witches. That’s quite against the spirit of witchcraft.”
“Oh, I see,” said Tiffany.
“Besides,” Miss Level added, “Mistress Weatherwax would never approve of that sort of thing.”

Other information:

Published April 2004 by Doubleday, it runs to 356 pages and is available for £7.99 in hardback from Amazon.co.uk. I bought my copy from Asda for just under £9. ISBN: 0385607369. Expect the paperback version to be out in time for Christmas.