Discworld: I Shall Wear Midnight by Terry Pratchett

I Shall Wear Midnight by Terry Pratchett

This book is the third of a trilogy about Tiffany Aching growing into the responsibilities of being a witch, and this book engages with the downsides of it: when you're willing to do the things no one else is willing to do, but society needs done to keep going, then you might find yourself under a bit of suspicious from the rest of the community.

Originally published: 2010
Read: May 2023

I really liked this. I enjoyed the second through fourth Tiffany books a lot, but this one was my favorite of all of them. It's the darkest, opening with a posse coming for a man, and Tiffany being the one who protects him even though he kind of deserves what he gets; when there are neglected children, only Tiffany stands up to protect them. As the old lord dies, Tiffany comes under suspicion, and suddenly finds herself at odds with her old boyfriend, the old lord's son.

Pratchett is at his best when he uses the Discworld to shine a light on the issues of our world, the dimensions of power and prejudice, and this book is as strong an example of it as I've seen. While the City Watch novels let him explore state power, this explores the issues of social prejudice on a personal level; the Watch novels looked at those who directed the power, but Tiffany—for all her magical powers—is the person that power is directed against.

And yet, Tiffany keeps on going, because there are jobs to do, and is she doesn't do them, who will?

Marvelous stuff, if not perfect; the big bad, in particular, seems taken care of a bit too easily. But this book is the kind of magic ones goes to the Discworld for. Probably my favorite of the thirteen I've read, other than Jingo.