A Hat Full of Sky - Terry Pratchett > Reviews > A Hat Full Of Sky.

Author's product rating:   

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

Advantages:	Return of the Feegles !
Disadvantages:	None !

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

A Hat Full Of Sky.

“A Hat Full of Sky” is a “Discworld” novel but one that falls into the category of children’s books. Rather than concentrating on the Discworld that Terry Pratchett fans would be used to, this book can be read without too much of a working knowledge of the other books or characters. Though I would say you will enjoy it more if you read “The Wee Free Men” first.

This novel is a continuation of the life story of Tiffany Aching (11 year old witch trainee) and her sometime helpers (hindrances?) the Nac Mac Feegles. 6 inch tall Scottish Pictsies, who like nothing more than fighting and getting “Pished”. Both of who were given staring rolls in “The Wee Free
Men”.

Background,

In “the Wee Free Men” we are introduced to young Tiffany Aching (aged 9) and her first meeting the Nac Mac Feegles. She single handily rescues “the Chalk” from “The Queen” with nothing more than her wits and a frying pan…..oh, and her little brother as bate. (All that little brothers are good for when your 9!)

She gets to be a “Kelda” (queen of the Wee Free Men) till they find a replacement and has a talking frog for advice. At the end of the book we see a number of powerful Witches- including Granny Weatherwax rushing in to save the day to discover that Tiffany has done it all (more or less) on her own.

Moving on to “A Hat Full of Sky”…..

In this instalment we find Tiffany about to leave “The Chalk” that has been her home for all of her life to go and be an Apprentice Witch some distance away. She is a “Hag” from a long line of “Hags” in her family raised on the Chalk, Chalk is notoriously difficult to raise a good Witch on. But as she is her Granny Achings Granddaughter she is going to be they best Hag she can be. Even if that does involve lying to her family about where exactly she is going and leaving everything she is familiar with behind.

She learns that she vomits every time she travels by Broomstick, and cant make a shamble to save her life (literally!) and that most “Haggling” is nothing more than common sense and telling people what they want to hear. Despite the this somewhat disappointing revelation that its not all magic wands and spells she does her best.

However things start getting strange (stranger that having a Ghost called Oswald that is obsessed with tidying and a mistress that is “one person with two bodies- not twins dear”) when she steps out of her body to see what she looks like and a “hiver” moves in. (A hiver being a displaced entity that doesn’t have a boy of its own to call home). She firstly has to persuade the people around her that she isn’t the same Tiffany they have just met and get her body back before getting rid of the “Hiver” once and for all.

Discworld veterans will recognise Granny Weatherwax, and DEATH from other adventures but I think the rest of the characters are new. It is without a doubt the scenes with the “Feegles” that shine most, they are “giggle out loud” funny, simple and brilliantly written.

Now I am not going into any more of the plot, as it would spoil the book for those of you that will be rushing out to buy it. Other than to say it is of the usual high standard expected from Mr Pratchett, with cleaver plot twists, life, death, greed, confusion, jokes and of course real magic!

At the moment I believe it is only available in Hardback at about £12 (cheaper on line but I didn’t want to wait for delivery!)