L.A. reviewed The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett (Discworld, #30)
Wee Free Men
4 stars
Fun witchy adventure. Loved the humor and the mythology mixed with fairy tales.
Mass Market Paperback, 375 pages
English language
Published Nov. 8, 2004 by HarperTrophy.
"Another world is colliding with this one," said the toad. "All the monsters are coming back."
"Why?" said Tiffany.
"There's no one to stop them."
There was silence for a moment.
Then Tiffany said, "There's me."
Armed only with a frying pan and her common sense, Tiffany Aching, a young witch-to-be, is all that stands between the monsters of Fairyland and the warm, green Chalk country that is her home. Forced into Fairyland to seek her kidnapped brother, Tiffany allies herself with the Chalk's local Nac Mac Feegle - aka the Wee Free Men - a clan of sheep-stealing, sword-wielding, six-inch-high blue men who are as fierce as they are funny. Together they battle through an eerie and ever-shifting landscape, fighting brutal flying fairies, dream-spinning dromes, and grimhounds - black dogs with eyes of fire and teeth of razors - before ultimately confronting the Queen of the Elves, absolute ruler …
"Another world is colliding with this one," said the toad. "All the monsters are coming back."
"Why?" said Tiffany.
"There's no one to stop them."
There was silence for a moment.
Then Tiffany said, "There's me."
Armed only with a frying pan and her common sense, Tiffany Aching, a young witch-to-be, is all that stands between the monsters of Fairyland and the warm, green Chalk country that is her home. Forced into Fairyland to seek her kidnapped brother, Tiffany allies herself with the Chalk's local Nac Mac Feegle - aka the Wee Free Men - a clan of sheep-stealing, sword-wielding, six-inch-high blue men who are as fierce as they are funny. Together they battle through an eerie and ever-shifting landscape, fighting brutal flying fairies, dream-spinning dromes, and grimhounds - black dogs with eyes of fire and teeth of razors - before ultimately confronting the Queen of the Elves, absolute ruler of a world in which reality intertwines with nightmare. And in the final showdown, Tiffany must face her cruel power alone...
In a riveting narrative that is equal parts suspense and humor, Carnegie Medalist Terry Pratchett returns to his internationally popular Discworld with a breathtaking tale certain to leave fans, new and old, enthralled.
Fun witchy adventure. Loved the humor and the mythology mixed with fairy tales.
I might just be a shallow person, but I enjoyed the earlier, more Feegle-heavy parts of this book the most. In the later interactions with the Queen of Fae, I had the uncomfortable impression Pratchett had one or more serious points about psychological abuse.
Kva om Pippi var magisk?
Eit sitat om bokas heltinne er: «She’d read the dictionary all the way through. No one told her you weren’t supposed to.», som minner meg då eg fekk barneleksikon til bursdag, og kunne opplyse om at eg hadde lest dei ferdig to veker etterpå.
Eg har forsøkt meg på ulike inngangar i Discworld-serien, likt nokre og falt av andre, men det er først her eg har følt meg heime.
This is one I reread often. Tiffany Aching is probably my favourite fictional character.
A re-read, the usual tapestry of sources and influences that make for a great read but also much thought provoking material about perception and reality - topped off with the amazing Nac Mac Feegles - the creation of a genius mind
Tony Robinson does amazing voices in the audiobook, especially Miss Tick and the Nac Mac Feegle.
Tony Robinson does amazing voices in the audiobook, especially Miss Tick and the Nac Mac Feegle.
Tony Robinson does amazing voices in the audiobook, especially Miss Tick and the Nac Mac Feegle.
A bit YA for my taste, but still has a fierce Pratchett witch, which is always a good read. His take on the Little People is a hoot.