4.5 out of 5 Stars

Synopsis

On Discworld, a dying wizard tries to pass on his powers to an eighth son of an eighth son, who is just at that moment being born. The fact that the son is actually a daughter is discovered just a little too late. The town witch insists on turning the baby into a perfectly normal witch, thus mending the magical damage of the wizard’s mistake. But now the young girl will be forced to penetrate the inner sanctum of the Unseen University–and attempt to save the world with one well-placed kick in some enchanted shins!

My Thoughts

“This is a story about magic and where it goes and perhaps more importantly where it comes from and why, it doesn’t pretend to answer all of any of these questions.

It may, however, help explain why Gandalf never got married and why Merlin was a man. Because this is also a story about sex, although probably not in the athletic, tumbling, count-the-legs-and-divide-by-two sense unless the characters get totally beyond the author’s control. They might.”

Well, this is one of my favourite books in this series! I was really excited to get to it because GRANNY WEATHERWAX IS THE GREATEST!!

This woman is hilarious, she is strong, she is stubborn, and everyone needs her in their lives. She will never admit to being wrong in any way,

“But,” he said, “if it’s wizard magic she’s got, learning witchery won’t do any good, will it? You said they’re different.”

“They’re both magic. If you can’t learn to ride an elephant, you can at least learn to ride a horse.”

“what’s an elephant?”

“A kind of badger,” said Granny. She hadn’t maintained forest-credibility for forty years by ever admitting ignorance.

If something is wrong, it’s everyone else’ fault and not hers,

“Granny, meanwhile, was two streets away. She was also, by the standards of other people, lost. She would not see it like that. She knew where she was, it was just that everywhere else didn’t.”

But, she is so sure and concise in her wrongness that I would probably still believe her! Throughout this whole novel there is a lot of talk putting women down, as with this conversation between Esk and the Wizard Treacle,

“They’re without parallel when, when…”

“For having babies and so forth?”

“There is that, yes,” the wizard conceded generously. “But they can be a little unsettling at times. A little too excitable. High magic requires great clarity of thought, you see, and women’s talents do not lie in that direction. Their brains tend to overheat. I am sorry to say there is only one door into wizardry and that is only at Unseen University and no woman has ever passed through it.”

Just reading this conversation explains the above question as to why wizards don’t marry! Ha ha!! But, Granny takes it all in stride and has the most wonderful views of her own on the subject,

“She says if women were as good as men they’d be a lot better!”

I also always enjoy Pratchett’s way with words. I know his writing style is not loved by all and that it is the reason some people DON’T read his novels. But, it has such an air of whimsy to it, almost a Seussian style to it, that I, personally absolutely love,

“The average human, on the other hand, thinks about things, around the clock, on all sorts of levels, with interruptions from dozens of biological calendars and timepieces. There’s thoughts about to be said, and private thoughts, and real thoughts, and thoughts about thoughts, and a whole gamut of subconscious thoughts.”

Though, I can see why it would make other’s heads spin!

This is an enjoyable novel introducing some fun reoccurring characters and some of the hilarious views of Discworld, it’s definitely NOT one to miss! The best part about this one is that it can be read separately from the rest of the series as a stand-alone novel! So, for all of you who do not want to make a 41 book commitment… this one is safe!!

Pick up your copy Here!!

Check out the other reviews for this book!!!

Kathy @ Pages Blow the Vaulted Sky

Meeghan @ Meeghan Reads and Bakes

The Book Beach Bunny

A Storm of Pages

 

Feel Free to Join us Next month!!

We will be reading “Mort”

(which is another one that can be read as a stand alone novel for anyone who hasn’t joined us the previous months!!

Post date will be Monday October 29th and it’s a perfect read for Halloween!!

Comment Below if you’d like to join Kathy and I!

Equal Rites is Best Served with an AppleJack Fall Old Fashioned

Ok… so, this post is RIDICULOUSLY LATE!! But, I just HAD to make a drink with Applejack because of this quote,

“Look. Magic has a sort of- life of its own. That doesn’t matter, because – anyway, you see, wizard magic -” she looked up at his big, blank expression and tried again. “Well, you know cider?”

Smith nodded. He felt he was on firmer ground here, but he wasn’t certain of where it was going to lead.

“And then there’s the licker. Applejack,” said the witch. The smith nodded. Everyone in Bad Ass made applejack in the winter, by leaving the cider tubs outside overnightand taking out the ice until a tiny core of alcohol was left.

“Well, you can drink lots of cider and you just feel better and that’s it, isn’t it?”

The smith nodded again.

“But, applejack, you drink that in little mugs and you don’t drink a lot and you don’t drink it often, because it goes right to your head?”

The smith nodded again and, aware that he wasn’t making a major contribution to the dialogue, added, “That’s right.”

“That’s the difference,” said Granny.

“The difference from what?”

Granny sighed. “The difference between witch magic and wizard magic,” she said. 

Best explanation ever… HA HA HA! So, OBVIOUSLY I needed applejack! Well, it is STUPID hard to find in Canada, apparently! I actually wound up going to Toronto for it! (THIS is the dedication I have!) And the Fall Old Fashioned… (thank you to Kitchenswagger for the recipe!)  well, it just seemed right! It’s Fall, and Granny is an old fashioned kind of gal, for sure!!

After ALL THAT…. CHEERS!

Ingredients

• 2 ounces laird’s applejack brandy
• 1/4 ounce maple syrup
• 3-4 dashes angostura bitters
• 1 orange peel
• 1 cinnamon stick

Directions

1. In a pint glass, combine maple syrup, bitters, and brandy. Fill glass halfway with ice, then stir vigorously about a dozen times.
2. Strain into an old-fashioned glass over ice
3. Squeeze/twist orange peel over the drink to extract oils, rub peel around the rim of the glass, and add to the cocktail.
4. Garnish with cinnamon stick.
5. CHEERS!