A Man With An Agenda

I thought I had already said good-bye to Discworld, but when I spotted this on the shelf in a shop in London who was I to argue? 'Raising Steam' had been a let-down, and I'd frankly hoped that the rumors of another Discworld book would have meant one focused on the characters of Death and Susan Bones. I'd forgotten all about it and somehow missed the buzz of this book's release.

Tiffany Aching is a favorite of mine though, so a sequel to 'I Shall Wear Midnight' was a pleasant surprise. The time has come for Granny Weatherwax to move on and she leaves Tiffany Aching her cottage in Lancre, and with it her 'unofficial' position as head witch. Granny's death causes grief and consternation, to be sure, but it also sparks unhealthy ambitions in old enemies.

The main dilemma of the book, however, is the difficulty of striking a balance between a personal life and a private one. Also, where to draw the line of helping people before you allow yourself to ask for help. The afterword to the book gives some insight into Pratchett's writing style and a reader can see where areas would have been filled in if Pratchett had had the time. It is a solid book though, and in many ways stronger than the previous two Discworld outings.

Discworld

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