I Shall Wear Midnight

Written by Terry Pratchett

Narrated by Stephen Briggs

Tiffany Aching, the young witch from The Wee Free Men, A Hat Full of Sky and Wintersmith is back in a new adventure featuring Discworld characters both familiar to fans (such as Tiffany, the Wee Free Men, Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg) and new (meet Wee Mad Arthur, the Nac Mac Feegle on the City Watch whose only previous appearance was a brief cameo in Feet of Clay and city witch Mrs Proust — a fabulous Pratchett creation).

Oh, and there's a magic book or two, a twist through time, a Cunning Man — and a Giant Man of chalk...

A Random House UK audio production.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House UK Audio
• Release date: Nov 25, 2010
• ISBN: 9781446431429

Terry Pratchett

Terry Pratchett (1948–2015) was the acclaimed creator of the globally revered Discworld series. In all, he authored more than fifty bestselling books, which have sold more than one hundred million copies worldwide. His novels have been widely adapted for stage and screen, and he was the winner of multiple prizes, including the Carnegie Medal. He was awarded a knighthood by Queen Elizabeth II for his services to literature in 2009, although he always wryly maintained that his greatest service to literature was to avoid writing any.

Reviews for I Shall Wear Midnight

[librarycin · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

3.5 starsTiffany Aching is now 15 years old. She is a good witch and helps people when they need help. Unfortunately, an older man, the Baron (also the father of Tiffany’s friend, Roland) passes away under her care. Also a girl, Amber, has been abused by her father and she is found with the Nac Mac Feegles (the tough Scottish fairies) and their “kelda” (female leader). Somehow an evil force has awakened and is coming after Tiffany. Hard to write a summary, as there were a few different things going on. Overall, I liked the book, though some parts were better than others. I found Amber’s storyline interesting, as well as when Roland’s fiancee, Letitia, appears – I liked her, too. There were parts that I didn’t find quite as interesting, but overall, it was enjoyable.

[sussura · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I have two copies of each of the books in the series. One copy for having, one for sharing out. The final book did not disappoint... I laughed, I may have cried *a very little* at the end. Not much. We are not saps over here at Casa Wilde. Oh no.

I am glad these books are in the world.

[neverstopreading-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The Tiffany Aching series' of Discworld is my favorite so far largely because of the performance of Stephen Briggs on the audiobook. While the books are excellent, funny stories, they're made much better when I can hear the shouts of Crivens! for myself. I've got one book left in this series, The Shepherd's Crown, and I can't imagine reading it on paper (or e-ink) at this point.

[jlharmon · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was a good ending to the Tiffany Aching story. (Though I hear there is a new one coming? Yay!) Tiffany has the hardest test yet. A witch-finder ghost is after Tiffany, and her witch mentors/friends have come to make sure she succeeds. Or they will kill her? Seems extreme, but that is the Discworld way. Tiffany also has Boy Troubles. Her old flame has a new girl, and the witch-finder is turning even him against everything to do with witches. How will Tiffany survive? By using Pratchett's wit and wordplay and a bit of independent thinking. Plus the Feegles. Of course they will help. A fine conclusion to the Tiffany arc. Though I would not refuse to read a 5th book...

[ameise1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It is not the kind of story I would first choose, so I needed a while to dive into the story. Nevertheless, it was an entertaining story and I can well imagine the eigious witches and fantasy fans coming to their bills. Tiffany had all hands to do, to defeat the evil and to unite the good. The story is funny, even if you can usually guess the next step in advance.

[sageness · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

<3 Possibly my favorite of them all.

My favorite thing about this is seeing the community of characters come together -- both in terms of characters from various Discworld sub-series appearing AND in terms of the community-building within this book. So many novels consist of a few lead characters and zillions of incidental walk-ons who don't really matter. But here every character is part of at least one community, and they all feel valued as individuals rather than utilized as extras to accomplish a plot device. It's fantastic.

Now I'm impatient for Snuff to come out!

[dickmanikowski · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Discworld's more darling witch, Tiffany Aching, struts her stuff and reminds us of the role that witches played in Western tradition, long before Halloween and the Puritan bullshit.

[atimco-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Tiffany Aching, witch of the Chalk and hag o' the hills, here takes on the Cunning Man who is more than a man... he's an idea. The idea that witches are evil creatures who should be burned at the stake is one that reappears every couple centuries, wherever poison is welcomed. This time, she's the target and must figure out a way to defeat the most formidable enemy she's faced yet. The story also sees some big relational developments with Roland's marriage to Letitia, the old Baron's death, and the introduction of Preston. The Feegles are hilarious, as always. Captain Carrot has a cameo, and a few more witches are introduced. Much as I enjoyed it, the story would sit easier with me if Pratchett hadn't put some phrases from Scripture in the villain's mouth. I wonder if other readers (or even Pratchett himself) picked up on the anti-abortion message of Mr. Petty beating his daughter so hard she lost the baby. I wasn't sure what to make of the "rough music," Pratchett's term for mob justice. Most of the time, surely it is wrong, but other times doesn't it punish crimes that are otherwise ignored? Wouldn't the fear of the rough music give pause to someone who won't heed anything else? Yes, Mr. Petty felt bad about what he did, but he still killed a baby and almost killed his daughter. And it's okay that he gets off scot free since he demonstrated his sincerity by trying to hang himself?There was also a little more adult innuendo than I remember in the stories featuring Tiffany. Nothing too explicit, but I'd think twice before giving this to my kids. It's a pity, really... Pratchett is so incredibly gifted an author that I'd love to endorse him wholeheartedly.

[erlangeralpacajedis · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

 A good, fun, read for those into the Discworld/Tiffany Aching series. Pratchett is his usually witty self, and there was a nice touch of romance in this one. Love the Feegles, as always, but find the story a bit forgettable, also as always.

[tpausilver · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I've found this ridiculously hard to review. I shall wear midnight isn't as funny as some other Pratchett. It does, instead, give us some societal issues to deal with. A father who beats his child until she miscarries, for example. But then I felt almost like to fell in to the familiar Discworld patter of big external evil must be overcome in some way and forgot to go back and take care of the issues it raised in the first half. It was nicely paced, funny in parts, touching in parts, it just felt a little off for a discworld book and I'm not exactly sure why.

[dark_phoenix54 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is the fourth book in the Tiffany Aching series set on Discworld. Tiffany is THE witch of the Chalk- the open farmlands outside of Ankh-Morpork. As the witch, most of what she does is birth babies, tend to the sick and poor, and ease people as they die. It’s messy, dirty work that is unpaid except for potatoes, hams, old sheets to make in bandages and an occasional pair of old boots. Because witches can’t be paid, and most of the people of the Chalk are too poor to pay her, anyway. On Discworld, being a witch has little to do with sparkle and wands and much to do with human need. Tiffany is (almost) sixteen, and is almost as mature as she thinks she is. She’s tired all the time and scarcely stops to eat. When she tries to take a day off to attend the scouring (a country fair on the Chalk), of course things go badly- she ends up tending to a 13 year old young woman who’s father has beaten her so badly that she has miscarried. Tiffany helps her by taking her to the Feegle mound to be tended to by the kelda of the Nac Mac Feegle, a woman- a wee tiny woman- who has the art of the soothins, the easing of emotional pain, leading to misunderstandings with the girl’s family. Then the old Baron dies, with Tiffany in attendance, and she finds her self accused of murder, theft, kidnapping and of doing black magic. Tiffany has a couple of enemies, supernatural and human, but they aren’t the only problems that have led to her troubles. She has brought some of her troubles on herself, and this can be harder to deal with than the spirit of an ancient witch burner who has been roused from his long sleep and is set on destroying her. Tiffany doesn’t understand people nearly as well as she understands fire and magic, and her behavior has made it easier for people to turn against her when the spirit triggers their prejudice. It’s a novel about growing up, about letting go of preconceptions, about understand the first thoughts and second sight, about catching the words that people almost say but don’t dare to. I love all the Tiffany Aching books, but this one is my favorite. In between the slapstick humor of the Nac Mac Feegle and the magic flying broomsticks is a lot of psychology and philosophy and some musings on what constitutes magic. A lot of people have said that this is the last Tiffany Aching book. I do hope not. She is my favorite Discworld character, and there are a lot of plot threads left untied at the end that could launch several more novels of witching life on the Chalk. Well done, Mr. Pratchett, you have created the most believable witch in literature.

[catym_14 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Tiffany Aching is now fifteen. No longer a trainee, she is the witch of the hills. She spends her days and nights delivering babies, setting broken limbs, bandaging sores, clipping toenails and doing a hundred and one other thankless tasks for the people of the chalk. Just occasionally, she also gets to eat, sleep and do a little bit of magic.But someone somewhere doesn't like her very much. And they've woken up some old fears, and the fears are spreading. Witches are being threatened again. In fact, anyone with books with strange symbols and languages, or a cat, or a warty nose is becoming a target for hate. And the Thing - a Thing with no eyes but an awful lot of hate - is coming after Tiffany...Tiffany has grown up a lot in this book: she's a little worn down by the responsibility, and she's suffering the normal romantic tribulations of a fifteen year old girl. The story is very focused on her, and her role within her community. That won't be to everyone's taste - the Tiffany-must-beat-the-supernatural-threat plot is only one of many, and if one thing disappointed me slightly it was that the final confrontation was resolved without as much suspense and drama as I expected.The supporting characters were strong, both the old friends and the new characters, and the Thing chasing Tiffany was wonderful horrible, in part because of its subtlety. The character development of Tiffany herself, of Roland and of the new characters Letitia ("Halfway between a salad and a sneeze") and Preston ("When I'm on night duty and somebody comes to the gate, I have to say 'Who goes there, friend or foe?' To which, of course, the correct answer is 'Yes'.") is excellent.All in all, I think this a wonderful addition to the Tiffany Aching series.

[christin305_27970396 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Such a great novel! I loved every minute of it!

[martialalex92 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Probably the best for characterization of Tiffany Aching. Pratchett really does some magic making this story feel deep. The ending to the conflict was a bit weak, however the build-up more than made up for it, as well as the author's note.

[nonesuch42 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was a good ending to the Tiffany Aching story. (Though I hear there is a new one coming? Yay!) Tiffany has the hardest test yet. A witch-finder ghost is after Tiffany, and her witch mentors/friends have come to make sure she succeeds. Or they will kill her? Seems extreme, but that is the Discworld way. Tiffany also has Boy Troubles. Her old flame has a new girl, and the witch-finder is turning even him against everything to do with witches. How will Tiffany survive? By using Pratchett's wit and wordplay and a bit of independent thinking. Plus the Feegles. Of course they will help. A fine conclusion to the Tiffany arc. Though I would not refuse to read a 5th book...

[ritaer_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

As Tiffany settles into her job a new menace appears. The ghost of a witch finder is able to stir up ancient fears and Tiffany must confront it and kill it before it possesses her.

[london_stj · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Tiffany Aching of the Chalk is no longer wielding iron pans against mythical creature, but she is still driven by the same fire that has always existed in her soul. She is now The Witch, and the Hag of the Hills, and she's damn good at it. Too good at it, at times, as her past actions bring her to the attention of a demonic soul intent on seeking revenge on a memory. While I have enjoyed all of the Tiffany Aching books, I Shall Wear Midnight is undoubtedly my favorite. Pratchett's wit and keen eye for social criticism and satire are on full display, and the story itself will take readers on a wild and magical ride.

[fred_mouse · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed it, but I didn't rip through it as I have Pratchett books in the past (which is less a failing on the part of the book, and more a lack of energy on my part). I loved the way that reader's interpretations of books is explored when two young women discuss a book of fairy stories they both read as children, and the fact that the pseudo love triangle wasn't sorted out by the aristocratic male dumping his aristocratic fiance to run off with the local working class female. And I very much liked the meta references to Tiffany being good with endings, such that Pratchett could congratulate himself on the way that the plot is tidied up.

[juva_3 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

In this installment, Tiffany must contend with a powerful ghost of a witch hunter. He is drawn to powerful young witches who remind him of his first love. His coming causes otherwise normal people to suspect and fear witches. Unfortunately, this is all exacerbated by the death of the Baron and the approaching wedding of Roland. Roland's new bride seems soppy at first but soon turns out to be a powerful witch in her own right.Tiffany must fight for her steading as well as reality itself. If the ghost defeats her it could me another dark age of witch hunting and the deaths of many innocent people. A complex and captivating story full of wisdom and beauty.

[stretch_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The Tiffany Aching series has quickly become one of my favorite Discworld line of books. And I thoroughly enjoyed the last (for me) book of the series. Dealing with the maturing of Tiffany Aching and the coming into her own as a witch. It was an engaging story about confronting the realities of the world, in all its ugliness and learning the balance of life. An important death forces the community to come to terms with their roles within society. I Shall Wear Midnight is darker and more serious than most of the Discworld, less humorous and jovial. I think on the whole the Aching series has been a bit more serious than the others. I also think this story arch is far superior to the witches' series, or at least more cohesive.

[kevn57-163679 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I love Terry Pratchett and Tiffany is one of my favorite characters, I can't wait for the next one.

[electrascaife · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A few years after we last saw Tiffany Aching, she seems firmly established as the witch of the Chalk, but then whispers and rumors start to move and suddenly Witches are Bad and Tiffany becomes suspect. She brought it on herself when she kissed Winter and unknowingly woke up something else...Another solid installment in the Discworld series. Tiffany is a wonderful character and I love spending time with her. There's even a bit of a crossover between her part of the world and the City Watch, and I may have geeked out just a bit at that.

[pwaites_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I Shall Wear Midnight is the fourth book following Tiffany Aching, a young witch. While the plot of I Shall Wear Midnight is completely separate, I would suggest reading the earlier books, which start with The Wee Free Men, so you can see how Tiffany ages over the course of the series (so far it’s 9 to 15).Unless The Shepherd’s Crown tops it, this is the darkest of the Tiffany books. Just to illustrate, in the beginning Tiffany is called out to deal with a situation where a thirteen year old girl who was pregnant was beaten so badly by her father that she lost the baby. In I Shall Wear Midnight, Tiffany has finished her training with the older witches and has taken over her own steading in the Chalk, which means dealing the messes and the people who fall through the cracks.“And there’s always an excuse, isn’t there, to throw a stone at the old lady who looks funny. It’s always easier to blame somebody. And once you’ve called someone a witch, then you’d be amazed how many things you can blame her for.”In the past, Tiffany has faced off against creatures like the Hiver or the Fairy Queen, but now she faces the Cunning Man, who is a very different sort of antagonist. For one, the Cunning Man is mostly dangerous in what he represents – the darkness in ordinary people, all the ugly emotions that lead to the witch hunts in our own world. But don’t be mistaken – “Poison goes where poison’s welcome.” The Cunning Man isn’t putting thoughts into people, he’s just bringing them to the surface.“I ken well that witches looks after everybody but theirselves.”Tiffany herself feels tired. It’s the natural result of the last three books. This series has been about Tiffany taking on ever more responsibility, and in I Shall Wear Midnight you can really feel how she’s straining under the weight of it. She’s really grown since the last book, and she feels older than her years. Also, she needs to remember to be a person first and a witch second.“There have been times, lately, when I dearly wished that I could change the past. Well, I can’t, but I can change the present, so that when it becomes the past it will turn out to be a past worth having.”I love Tiffany so much. This is the girl who chose to be a witch. No one chose her, and she wasn’t born with any natural ability. She saw an injustice, and she decided to become a witch so nothing like that would happen ever again. Tiffany’s smart and brave, and I love how she can use character traits like selfishness and pride to her advantage. Of course, she’s also flawed and makes mistakes. One, which is also an example of how generally amazing this series is with female characters, is that she was so judgmental of Letitia. Tiffany was so immediately scornful of the soppy blond girl in the frilly dress that she didn’t look closer. Tiffany, who’s always rejected the narrative the storybooks foisted on her, fell into the trap of applying “fairy tale thinking” to another girl.I strongly recommend the Tiffany Aching books. Please, please don’t avoid them because they’re not one of Pratchett’s “adult” books. These are magnificent books with so much to say about what it is to be human.Originally posted on The Illustrated Page.

[amandabock-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Tiffany Aching is older and a bit wiser in the final installment of the series. The Cunning Man, a supernatural witch hunter is on the loose and determined to finish her off. Is she clever enough to defeat him?

Of course, as with the other books, the plot is among the least interesting aspects of the book. What I adore and treasure about them is the commentary within the narrative. Pratchett has invented a fantastically reasonable view of witches and witchcraft, acknowledging that sometimes the things that are simplest are really the most complicated, and vice versa. He is a master at infusing humor into common sense and making it profound. I found myself wanting to call up friends just to read them paragraphs.

I love this book so much I have a hard time articulating my thoughts about it. Maybe I should go read it again....

[slmr4242 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Not as good as the previous Aching books, but there was a lot to compete with (not sure anything quite competes with _The Wee Free Men_. A solidly good book for Pratchett.

[chris4graham_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Makes you wonder, how DO rumours start, how DOES panic spread, who IS that whispering in your ear or is it INSIDE YOUR HEAD!

[thewallflower-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The last of the Tiffany Aching books and an excellent ending to the series. Besides the first, I think this might be my favorite book of the four. Tiffany has finished her "apprenticeship" and is now the resident witch of her hometown. This means she's taking care of the community the way true witches do -- helping the sick who have no one to take care of them, easing the elderly to the next stage of life, fixing domestic disputes so no one knows she's really doing it. She's confronting anti-witches and land-grabbers and old fundamentalist ladies who simply don't agree with what she does. We see a grown up Tiffany here, making and dealing with being an adult. She no longer has the wisdom and guidance of her fellow witches, so her mistakes are a result of a lack of experience (and a sharp tongue). But she does have the wee free men in her corner. You see her finally deal with some of the relationships that other books have let linger.This book also borrows more from Pratchett's existing universe, as Tiffany travels to Ankh-Morpork. This chunk in the middle seems to be catering to Discworld die-hards. It harms a little of the overall narrative, but the rest of the story makes up for it.Unlike the last two, this one doesn't have a big bad or a problematic witch teacher. You get to see Tiffany being Tiffany, rough and gruff, practical but still scared. All in all, it's a very satisfying conclusion, closer to the magic of the first book.

[borbet · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I love Pratchett, especially the Tiffany Aching series, most especially the Nac Mac Feegle. I recommend listening to these as audiobooks -- hearing the Scottish brogue so well done makes it just that much more fun. As always, Pratchett manages to mix humor with serious topics in a very satisfying way.

[pussreboots · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I Shall Wear Midnight by Terry Pratchett is the 38th Discworld novel and the last of the Tiffany Aching books. Tiffany is back on the Chalk as their witch. And that means dealing with the unpleasantries of life, such as domestic violence. As this is the Disc, there are things that feed off the anger of people, and now one of these things has come to the Chalk.Meanwhile, change has come to the Chalk with the death of the Baron. Tiffany therefore has to go and bring home the new Baron, Roland. It's her first time in the big city and you can imagine what can happen when a witch and her Nac Mac Feegles descend on Ankh-Morpork!As this is the end of the Tiffany Aching series, it's time for Roland and Tiffany to assume the roles laid out for them. Roland must do his part as the Baron and use his influence to guide the development of the Chalk. Tiffany as the witch takes on her grandmother's role, being a shepherdess and a mentor for the Baron.It's also a chance to see Tiffany as a full-fledge (albeit young) witch among her peers. Through Tiffany's friendship with the Roland, his wedding will be a big draw of both witches and nobility, including Magrat who is both. So it's fun to see Granny, Nanny, and Magrat all together again, even though Magrat has stepped aside from witchcraft for the most part, leaving her place in the trio to Agnes (Carpe Jugulum).Like so many good YA series, this is one that grows with its readers. In the course of four books (Wee Free Men, A Hat Full of Sky, Wintersmith, and I Shall Wear Midnight we see Tiffany grow. We see her go from raw talent, through initial lessons, to making mistakes and fixing them, to her first big responsibility as a full fledged witch.

[jazminderr-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

When I first came across this book (long before I knew of Tiffany Aching or Discworld), I wanted to read it, but the cowardly part of me didn't want to face the horrible things that were to come. If that makes sense..

Anyway I'm glad to have read it, though sad that the Tiffany Aching series has ended for now. I'm glad she found Preston..because there needs to be romance!

All in all excellent characters as usual, no diminishing of TP's trademark hilarity, though this had a few more serious overtones.

And yay as always for the Nac Mac Feegles & their new member Wee Arthur of the Polis (ye ken) :D