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:
Intriguing characters, imaginative, wide appeal .
Disadvantages:
Makes me wish I had read the prequel .
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
Tiffany Aching knows she is destined to be a Witch. She can feel it in her bones through her toes into the land, which she calls home. Why can others not see it? She defeated the queen of the fairies single handedly didn't she! Mind you it does not help when your only witnesses are the Nac Mac Feegle, a clan of fairies who were thrown out of fairyland for drinking, fighting and swearing. Something knows she is powerful though. It hunts her down as it has so many before her. How can she fight what she cannot see and how do you fight yourself?
Set in the magical land of Discworld, a land of witches and wizards who never agree, "A Hat Full of Sky" is billed as a children's novel. However, the concepts and ideas throughout are challenging to readers of all ages and if you suspend your pre-conceived ideas about what should constitute an "adult" book then you will enjoy the read. Themes such as marriage and monarchy are approached in a sardonic yet poignant fashion and indeed there is much merit in Pratchett's ability not to "dumb down" for a supposed younger audience. Yes the sentence structure is simple but Pratchett does not insult the reader by skimping on description or vocabulary and in fact challenges the reader to find meaning in complexity. The perfect example of this is the hilarious but nonsensical Nac Mac Feegle. Their strange Scottish/Gaelic dialect is a challenge in itself but for those who succeed much humour is to be found within.
"A Hat Full of Sky" is the second outing for apprentice witch and teenager Tiffany Aching. I have not read the first book "Wee Free Men" but it is a testament to the author Terry Pratchett that at no point throughout this novel did I feel I was missing out on some vital information. This is no sequel and seems more a continuation of a series. The characters are, as with all Pratchett novels, ordinary people in fantastic circumstances be it Tiffany, an average thirteen-year-old who happens to have defeated the queen of the fairies or Granny Weatherwax, the wizened old hag who also happens to be the most powerful witch on the disc.
I like this novel for so many reasons. It is hilariously funny yet manages to broach serious subjects other, more literary authors bludgeon their way through. Secondly, as a Discworld fan it features some of my favourite established characters and last but not least it has pace, character and imagination on every page. Every location is vividly and colourfully realised and every character given traits you can either love or loathe.
Perhaps it is because it is billed as a children's novel but I found this refreshingly entertaining and easy to read despite its challenging use of dialects and can see this appealing to people of all ages. It reminds me of "The Worst Witch" books by Jill Murphy but so much sharper and witty. Truly a worthy addition to anyone's book collection child or adult.
And now for a word from our sponsor:
Available from Amazon.co.uk for a mere £3.99 in paperback ISBN: 0060586605
Evaluate this review
How helpful would this review be to someone making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
witch Tiffany Aching and the Wee Free Men, is so ridiculously well written and consistently funny it makes you wonder how he can keep writing such superlative no...
witch Tiffany Aching and the Wee Free Men, is so ridiculously well written and consistently funny it makes you wonder how he can keep writing such superlative no...
very helpful
helpful
helpful
somewhat helpful
