“I Shall Wear Midnight” is the fourth book in the Tiffany Aching series by Terry Pratchett, which, in turn, is part of the larger discworld series. The first three books in the Tiffany Aching series are: “The Wee Free Men“, “A Hat Full Of Sky“, and “Wintersmith“. I recommend to read them in that order before starting on “I Shall Wear Midnight“.

I Shall Wear Midnight

Tiffany Aching is 16 and finished her training to become a witch, not just a witch but the witch of the Chalk, or hag o’ the hills as the Nac Mac Feegle would say. She does what witches do: doing her rounds, delivering babies, salving wounds, being there when people die, bandaging legs, taking pain away, and cutting old ladies’ toenails.

Then things start to go bad, an evil has awakened and with it come all the old stories, the stories about evil old witches. It starts with whispers, murmurs, and looks. Then someone picks up a stone. Before you know it they start looking for fire-wood. The evil has set its eyes on Tiffany. I don’t want to spoil the story, so I will just mention that Tiffany Aching ends up in Ankh-Morpork with a bunch of Nac Mac Feegles, meets a city witch and a legend, … before returning to the Chalk to face the evil on her own turf and on her own terms, and finds some unexpected allies.

These last couple of years some new elements have entered Terry Pratchett’s novels: sentiment, romance, drama, tragedy, and some novels have become darker, like this one. This came at the expense of what made the discworld series of comic fantasy novels so unique; a mix of great storytelling, wit, humor, satire, parody, and littered with puns, allusions and culture references. Those elements are not gone, but they are not as abundant as before.

It is a very good story, but it is not a very good traditional discworld story; the tumbling-down-the-rabbit-hole kind of fun has gone. I miss the shear joy, sarcasm, and wittiness of “Going Postal“, “The Wee Free Men“, “The Last Continent“, “Eric“, “Pyramids“, “Thief of Time“, …

Rating:

I participated in my first readathon last weekend. A readathon is an event during which people read books for a certain period of time. This can be to raise money for charity or just for fun. My first readathon was a read-your-own-books readathon, starting Friday morning and ending Monday morning. I managed to read 5 books between Friday afternoon and Sunday evening, but I cheated a little.

The readathon was organized by the Bibliophilic Book Blog and the word was spread via Goodreads.

The books I read were mostly pockets, with each having somewhere between 100 and 150 pages — this is the cheating I mentioned.
My books in reading order:

1. The Last Castle by Jack Vance
2. Lao Tzu – Tao Te Ching by Ursula K. Le Guin
3. Planet of Exile by Ursula K. Le Guin
4. The Many Worlds of Magnus Ridolph by Jack Vance
5. Lao Tzu – Tao Te Ching by Ralph Alan Dale

Before I started I thought that Ursula K. Le Guin‘s translation/interpretation of Lao Tzu’s Tao Te Ching would be better than Ralph Alan Dale‘s, but this was not the case. Ralph Alan Dale‘s book is a more modern interpretation of the 2500 year old verses, more accessible, easier to read and beautifully illustrated with black and white photographs to really get you into the mood. Doing a comparison on Tao Te Ching books could be an idea for yet another article as I already have read 4 of them.

I always wanted to read both The Last Castle by Jack Vance and Planet of Exile by Ursula K. Le Guin in a short period of time. The stories are very similar and so I thought, more than half a lifetime ago when I was a huge fan of Jack Vance, that Ursula K. Le Guin must have copied his work.
It was only more recently that I discovered that both books were published in 1966. So who copied who? Or is it possible that 2 very similar stories were published almost simultaneously. I now say that Ursula Le Guin is by far the better writer. Her writing and storytelling is better, her characters are more real and you get to know them, even her fighting and battle scenes are better written. But the comparison between both books will be the topic of a complete article.

The Many Worlds of Magnus Ridolph by Jack Vance is a combination of old school SciFi and detective story. A fun read.

Conclusion

This one weekend I read 5 books, which gave me inspiration for 3 articles, including this one. All in all a productive weekend. But the fifth book proved a bit too much, it felt more like something I had to do rather than something I wanted to do.
Still, it was fun, devoting a weekend to reading. I am looking forward to doing it again, but not too often – a couple of times a year maybe.

Why write a review for a mediocre fantasy duology? Because the story reminded me of a much better fantasy trilogy I once read.

KingMaker, Kingbreaker

The titles of the 2 novels in this duology are:

1. The Innocent Mage
2. The Awakened Mage.

The second novel is sometimes referred to as Innocence Lost.

From the cover of the first novel The Innocent Mage:

Enter the kingdom of Lur, where to use magic unlawfully means death. The Doranen have ruled Lur with magic since arriving as refugees centuries ago. Theirs was a desperate flight to escape a powerful mage who started a bitter war in their homeland. To keep Lur safe, the native Olken inhabitants agreed to abandon their own magic. Magic is now forbidden them, and any who break this law are executed. Asher left his coastal village to make his fortune. Employed in the royal stables, he soon finds himself befriended by Prince Gar and given more money and power than he’d ever dreamed possible. But the Olken have a secret; a prophecy. The Innocent Mage will save Lur from destruction and members of The Circle have dedicated themselves to preserving Olken magic until this day arrives. Unbeknownst to Asher, he has been watched closely. As the Final Days approach, his life takes a new and unexpected turn …

From the cover of the second novel The Awakened Mage:

“The evil foretold has risen … and we are all that stands between it and the end.”
Asher has come a long way for a fisherman’s son. Together with his friend Prince Gar, he has defended their kingdom against its bitterest enemy, but at great cost.
Now, the evil mage Morg is preparing for his most deadly assault. Desperate, trapped in a broken body, Morg has little time and fewer scruples. And he has a plan.
As Gar and Asher unwittingly fall into a dangerous deception, Morg gets ever closer to his goal. And this victory would be particularly sweet, for who better to destroy the kingdom than the two who would give anything to save it?

Review

The Innocent Mage

Rating: 6/10 or
I would put these books in the category fast-food. Fast-food books are an entertaining read for a couple of hours (per book) or an evening or two. Don’t expect the answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe, and everything, though-provoking issues, sarcasm, witty remarks, or life-changing insights. I just wanted to spend some quiet evenings reading, nothing more and nothing less. These 2 books have served their purpose. After all, a bad book is still better than a good movie or TV series.
Karen Miller could use some help with her characters. Asher, the main protagonist is impatient, rude, bad-tempered and full of self-pity (what have I done to deserve this, why is everyone always picking on me). Not once did I feel any sympathy for him. Not once.

Why spend time writing a review for a mediocre fantasy duology? While reading these novels I got this feeling that I had read something similar before, but better. I kept hoping that it would come back to me, but it was only after I finished the second novel that I made the connection with a fantasy trilogy that I had read some years before.

The plot:

• 2 types of magic, one used by the nobility, the other used by outcasts who are hunted down and killed
• main protagonist swears absolute loyalty to his master, a prince and future king
• main protagonist discovers that he has magic too and uses it to help his master at great personal risk
• main protagonist makes few friends and lots of enemies
• main protagonist discovers that he has both kinds of magic
• main protagonist’s powers are discovered, he is hunted down, beaten, tortured, found guilty and (nearly) executed
• main protagonist is saved from death by a small group of loyal friends
• main protagonist saves the kingdom

The Awakened Mage

Where have I read this before? I am so glad that it came back to me and I immediately wanted to return to the library to get The Farseers Trilogy by Robin Hobb and reread it … again:

1. Assassin’s Apprentice
2. Royal Assassin
3. Assassin’s Quest

Robin Hobb is a far better writer than Karen Miller when it comes to storytelling, giving the characters depth, describing the landscape, …
Also by Robin Hobb in the same universe and with some of the same characters: The Liveship Traders Trilogy, The Tawny Man Trilogy, Soldier Son Trilogy and The Rain Wild Chronicles.

PS: I have read the books in Dutch: De Onschuldige Magiër and De Magiër Ontwaakt. A story can be affected by the translation, but in this case I doubt I would have to make any changes to my review.

This is the first book of the Tiffany Aching series by Terry Pratchett. This series is about a young girl who wants to become a witch and is part of the discworld series.

The Wee Free Men

The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett

Tiffany Aching, a young girl on the Chalk decides that she wants to become a witch. She gets the opportunity to prove herself when another world makes contact with hers. A dark, cold and parasitic world, and it’s ruler, the Queen of the Elves, kidnaps her little brother.
With a weapon (her mother’s frying pan), her granny’s magic book (Diseases of the Sheep) and the help of the Nac Mac Feegle (aka the Wee Free Men) the fighting’, thieving’, tiny blue-skinned pictsies who were thrown out of Fairyland for being drunk and disorderly, she is going to get steal her brother back.
What could possibly go wrong?
Guest appearances: Miss Tick, Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg.

Review:

Rating: 10/10 or
This is Terry Pratchett at his best. Witty, entertaining, hilarious and the book contains lots of references to contemporary society and other stories. Terry Pratchett is probably the only author that can make me laugh out loud while reading. The Scottish dialect of the Nac Mac Feegle slows down the pace of reading a bit, but even as a non-native English speaker I find it understandable and very funny.
In this book Terry Pratchett defines what separates witches from the common folk. Witches have First Sight, the ability to see what is really there, and Second Thoughts, the thoughts you think about the way you think. This could as well be the definition of a skeptic.

With over 30 discworld novels it is sometimes difficult to know where to get started. The first discworld novel, The Colour of Magic, is an obvious good choice, there are some more or less stand-alone novels like Pyramids and Small Gods, and there is the Tiffany Aching series. You don’t need any prior knowledge of the discworld series to enjoy this novel.  The Wee Free Men is the first in a series and is followed by A Hat Full of Sky and Wintersmith. A forth Tiffany Aching novel is in the making: I shall Wear Midnight.
This series is intended for young adults and teens which makes it more accessible than his other work. His books are so full of wisdom, sarcasm, and references to contemporary society, classic stories, movies, … that I sometimes have the impression that I am missing something. It is what makes rereading his books so much fun; each time I discover new references and puns.

I have been a discworld fan since I read my first one some 15 years ago. Terry Pratchett is one of the maybe a handful of writers of which I keep on rereading the books, some even for the 5th time. I keep on discovering new jokes and references. For those not familiar with Terry Pratchett’s work, his books contain lots of references to contemporary society, economy, politics, computer networks, Shakespeare, the press, religion, movies, TV-series, Taoism, … While rereading his work, you sometimes discover new references.

Unseen Academicals by Terry Pratchett

Unseen Academicals

Football has come to the ancient city of Ankh-Morpork — not the old fashioned, grubby pushing and shoving, but the new, fast football with pointy hats for goalposts and balls that go gloing when you drop them. And now, the wizards of Unseen University must win a football match, without using magic, so they’re in the mood for trying everything else.

The prospect of a Big Match draws in a street urchin with a wonderful talent for kicking a tin can, a maker of jolly good pies, a dim but beautiful young woman, who might just turn out to be the greatest fashion model there has ever been, and the mysterious Mr Nutt, who no one knows much about. As the match approaches, four lives are entangled and changed forever.

Because the thing about football – the important thing about football – is that it is not just about football. (Text was taken from the cover)

Review

How does Unseen Academicals compare to the other discworld novels? Well, for a discworld novel it’s below average. I would rate most discworld novels 9 or 10 on a scale of 10 and this one only deserves an 8/10 or 4 stars. However, a book with a 4 star rating is still a very good book.

The quality of the book is uneven. The first half is wittier and better worked out than the second half, which feels a bit like a rush job. There are several plots that go nowhere. The second half is also darker than the first half.
It’s a typical Pratchett book in the way he takes on issues in contemporary society (self-worth, xenophobia, power games, football, idolization). He is still a master of sarcasm and parody, and one of the funniest and wittiest authors around, but this book sparkles a bit less. Some people think that Alzheimer’s disease is starting to affect his writings, but I don’t want to go there. This book still shows his genius, but especially the second half could have used some more fine-tuning and editing.
I also expected a greater role for Rincewind, but he might have well been no part of this story at all. There are 3 well-known discworld protagonists that gain a lot of depth in this novel, but that will only appeal to and be noticed by experienced discworld readers.

Conclusion

Rating: 8/10 or
Has this book worth? Yes, it sure does.
Is it a good book to start reading the discworld series? No, The Colour of Magic, Small Gods, Pyramids, The Wee Free Men, Going Postal … are better suited for this.

I am looking forward to the next discworld novels Raising Taxes and I shall Wear Midnight.

Rating: 8/10

How do you build or in this case rebuild a nation ? Is there more than one way to do it ? What do you need ? How do you deal with the voices from the past (aka tradition) ? This and much more you will find out in Terry Pratchett‘s latest novel, Nation. This review contains no spoilers or at least a lot less than you will find in other reviews on forums, blogs, online bookshops and newspapers.

Nation by Terry Pratchett

Nation

I hadn’t paid much attention to any reviews before buying this book, so when I opened it, immediately after delivery, and saw the map I was a bit disappointed, but that didn’t last long. It showed a map of roundworld, not exactly our roundworld, but one set in a parallel universe in something that could pass for the 19th century. So no discworld, no turtle, no elephants, no Unseen University, no Ankh-Morpork, … .
The book starts with 2 disasters: a tsunami strikes a group of islands in the Great Southern Pelagic Ocean and Mau, a boy on the brink of manhood, is the sole survivor on his island and the Russian influenza strikes England and the King and his 138 successors die. The next successor in line is the Governor of a trading post in the Great Southern Pelagic Ocean, whose daughter is the sole survivor of a shipwreck and is marooned on … Mau’s island. Between the 2 of them, they have to rebuild a nation and no hanky-panky.

Review

It is definitely not a discworld novel (no witches, no dwarfs, no trolls, …) and yet it has many things in common with it. Even if the name of the author would have been removed or replaced with an alias, you could never doubt that this is a Terry Pratchett book. According to Amazon, the reading level is for young adults, well I tend to agree for any given value of young.
Like other Terry Pratchett novels, this book can be read on more than one level. As a funny fantasy novel, as a satirical view on contemporary society and history or as a deeply philosophical work on leadership, religion, patriotism, traditions, culture, relationships, … or all in one.
What else can be said to describe this novel without spoiling the fun; it’s funny, witty, a coming-of-age, a touch of Robinson Crusoe, satirical, … As I thought on how to describe the differences between this novel and the average discworld novel, without stating the obvious ones, the word fairy-tale came to mind. It doesn’t have the obligatorily ‘Once upon a time‘ in the beginning or, you know, the other phrase at the end, but that’s just some words that are missing. In a way, they are there, even the ending … for a certain value of ever after.

Conclusion

Don’t let the 8/10 rating put you off. I hadn’t read any reviews before buying it and was expecting a discworld novel. The last couple of years we have been really spoiled with fantastic discworld novels like Going Postal, Making Money, The Wee Free Men, A Hat Full of Sky, Wintersmith, Thud! and before that, the Monstrous Regiment, The Last Continent, Thief of Time, … Books that I would rate 9 or even 10/10. Is this one book about Mau and Ermintrude Daphne really a match for the funny, fast-paced, witty Moist von Lipwig-series or Tiffany Aching-series ? No, so I cannot give it a 9/10 and I don’t want to start using decimals, like the first time I read it I gave it a 8.4/10, but after the second read I decided it was worth 8.6/10. OK, I go as far as 8+.
As this is a stand-alone book, it is an ideal starting point for people who are not yet familiar with Terry Pratchett’s work.

Rating: 7/10

The Demonwar Saga part 1 – Rides a Dread Legion by Raymond Feist

This review does not contain any spoilers. If you haven’t read any books of Raymond Feist yet, this book is not a good place to start. Although it is the first book in a new series, The Darkwar Saga just like the other series (The Empire Trilogy, The Riftwar Saga, The Serpentwar Saga, The Riftwar Legacy, …) is part of a bigger series. I recommend reading them in a more or less chronological order.

Review

Rides a Dread Legion

Fans of Raymond Feist will probably love or at least like this book and that includes myself. Regardless of the critique that will follow, Rides a Dread Legion, the first part of The Demonwar Saga is still a page-turner. But with this book some impressions that I had with the previous series, Darkwar, have become more clear. It’s quantity over quality: bigger battles, bigger onslaughts, bigger demons, more demons, bigger threats, bigger mysteries, … and were we really waiting for yet another lost tribe of elves ?
Over the years a lot of characters have died, either in battle or of old age like Aruthra conDoin, Martin conDoin, Nakur, Jimmy the Hand the later Duke of Krondor, Erik Von Darkmoor, … but they haven’t really been replaced. Yes, new characters are introduced on a regular basis, but they lack in depth. The characters that endure, especially Pug and Thomas, and the new ones are becoming 2-dimensional cardboard characters that move from scene to scene instead of persons of flesh and blood who live their lives. The scenery or landscape was always part of the story, but now it is becoming background noise. The first chapter in the first book, Magician tells about Pug as a boy and his fears when he has to run for his life to avoid drowning in a storm surge. It is much better written and more moving than the pain he has to endure in Rides a Dread Legion. Even everyday life in Crydee in The Riftwar Saga or life on Kelewan in The Empire Trilogy is much better described, with more attention for the scenery and the development of the characters. Is a craft being replaced by routine mass-production ?

Recommendations

I would like to recommend Raymond Feist to start a new side-project just to take his mind of demons and ever bigger onslaughts. I consider The Empire Trilogy, Jimmy the Hand, The Messenger, The Wood Boy, Honoured Enemy, … as side-projects. They introduce new characters even if it is just for one book, you get to see life on Kelewan or Midkemia or a confict form a different point of view. They provide a fresh breath of air for the bigger series. Some examples:

• New Kelewan. Just before the destruction of the planet Kelewan, millions of Tsurani were moved to their new home and left to conquer a new world, surely this should provide a fertile soil for some new stories, heroic deeds and even legends.
• Dwarfs. A story mainly about dwarfs …. you know mining, gold, a singsong and beer .
• Alien exchange students. The sorcerer’s isle houses students from other worlds. Why not a story about how one of them got there ?
• Honest John’s in the Hall of Worlds. Think of the stories that could be told, for example how did John get there, how did he build his inn, what about the people who make a living there, … ?

Extra challenge: no Mad God or Nameless One, no demons, no rifts, … in any of the side-projects mentioned above.

Conclusion

This book definitely is worth more than a 6/10 and for old times sake I gave it a 7. A rating of 7/10 for me means that it is worth the money. Being a fan of Raymond Feist’s work for a decade I still enjoyed this book, but I also noticed that the quality (story telling, characters, subjects) is declining. It was easy for me to compare them because I am rereading the series in English. I switched to English starting from Flight of the Nighthawks, that’s 4 books so far. His other books I have in my native tongue, Dutch. Uptil now I have reread the Riftwar Saga, Krondors Sons and The Riftwar Legacy in English.
Another question I always ask before buying a book is, ‘Is it worth the shelf-space ?’. I find it very hard to part from a book once I have it and I am already hard pressed for shelf-space as it is, so this is something worth considering. Most of my books are stored in boxes in the attic and buying a new book means that one of the books on my book-shelves will be banished to the attic. My answer to the shelf-space question is a hesitant yes.
I’ve bought this book less than 2 weeks after it became available, but I think I will wait for some reviews before buying the second part of The Demonwar Saga when it comes out in 2010. Considering that I have all his other books in hardcover this is quite a harsh judgment. But if you are a fan of his work, you will still enjoy Rides a Dread Legion, the first part of The Demonwar Saga.