I Shall Wear Midnight Review

I've just finished reading the latest Tiffany Aching book, I shall Wear Midnight

It's quite ironic that I last reviewed Equal Rites, a milestone book in the series which focused on character development more than narrative and farce as the first two books. It also introduced the iconic 'Granny Weatherwax' who is something of the archetypal witch.

The irony is most significant in the fact that Equal Rites was all about a character called 'Eskarina Smith' a little girl who ends up becoming a wizard and eventually a witch. After Equal Rites we never heard of her again... Until now.

It's interesting that the history of another minor Discworld character 'Wee Mad Arthur' of the city watch is also looked at in more detail - yet this is a book which the auther doesn't seem to want us to consider part of the main series?

I say that because as with all of the Tiffany Aching books, we are warned that is for younger readers. Now this I found appropriate in the Wee Free Men, and to a degree the other Tiffany Books too - but I find it sits less comfortable in 'I Shall Wear Midnight' It's a book about growing up - like the other 'Aching' books, but it focuses on morality and character development to a greater degree and it covers some fairly adult themes. Personally I don't think it's as suitable for younger readers as the other 'Aching' books. That said I really enjoyed it, found it very hard to put down and read it in three days.

At the start of 'I Shall Wear Midnight' Tiffany is a fully fledged witch going about her business, but there are strange forces at work people are becoming fearful of witches and starting to persecute them.

An unfortunate scene where a dying Baron is witnessed with the Witch results in further mistrust and fear and Tiffany has to take a trip to Ankh Morpork - accompanied of course by the Nac Mac Feegles. It turns out the Feegles are nearly almost as spectacular at rebuilding things as they are at destroying them.... Tiffany meets the infamous owner of 'Boffo's Emporium' and the mysterious Eskarina Smith...

The whole plot slowly turns into a who dunnit, the it being the summoning of an ancient power known as 'The Cunning Man' who was an old Omnian witch finder. There's a wedding taking place at the castle, the older witches turn up, but the Cunning Man is close behind.

This is a book full of folklore references and surprises and it's hard to say alot about it without spoiling some of the fun.

All in all it's a fantastic book, possibly the best in the 'Tiffany Aching / Nac Mac Feegle' series although I would have liked more confrontations with the Cunning Man, and I thought it was a little too adult themed to still bear the subtitle 'aimed at younger readers'.