The Wee Free Men

In the Chalk, the sheepherding country of the Discworld, nine-year-old Tiffany Aching knows she wants to be a witch. Just in time, too. Since her Granny Aching died, the Queen of Fairyland has been testing the borders between their worlds, and will soon grow bolder without a local to protect it. Tiffany doesn’t know if she’s got the right skills, but when her brother is stolen, she has to get him back – even if she doesn’t like him much – because he belongs to her. She soon meets the Nac Mac Feegle (the Wee Free Men of the title), who have adopted her as their new “hag.” The Feegles are red-haired, blue-skinned, 6-inch high men who know what they do best: “stealin’ an’ drinkin’ an’ fightin’!” Though they have many amusing battle cries, their most common is “Nae king! Nae quin! Nae laird! Nae master! We willna be fooled again!” Short on complex thought but big on loyalty to the local hag (an’ stealin’ an’ drinkin’ an’ fightin’), the Feegles agree to help Tiffany find her brother. Although their help is invaluable, Tiffany comes into her own and is able to retrieve what she seeks and learns quite a bit about being a witch on the way. (It often has to do with noticing things other people miss!)

As a longtime fan of Pratchett’s adult Discworld novels, I was more than pleased with this story, which was published as a teen book. It is a less aggressive but lovely introduction to Pratchett’s work, full of fun with commonly held concepts (why does the witch have to be wicked?) and wordplay. I’m looking forward to the next two books that follow Tiffany and the Feegles, A Hat Full of Sky and Wintersmith.

Keys to the Kingdom series

Garth Nix is amazing. I'm not sure how he does it, but I thoroughly enjoy and am glued to any of his books I happen to pick up. Long ago, I read the Abhorsen trilogy on my brother’s recommendation, and it has become a favorite. Late last year, I started Nix’s other YA series, The Keys to the Kingdom. It had been written for a slightly younger audience, I believe, but is just as gripping.

Arthur Penhaligon is new at his school, and is reluctant to push the issue of his asthma with the pushy gym instructor, and so begins the cross country run planned for the day. Unfortunately, his lungs simply cannot keep up and an attack begins. Close to death, Arthur sees two strangely dressed men – one of which hands over “the key” to make him the “rightful heir.” Arthur’s life is saved, though, when two friendly classmates help him use his inhaler and call for medical help. The men have been thwarted – they meant only to hand over the key until Arthur died, then take it back. Arthur learns that the man who gave him the key is the slothful Mister Monday, one of seven trustees of the House which rests in reality, while Earth and the countless other Secondary Realms are outside it. Monday and the rest of the Morrow Day trustees have broken apart the written manifestation of the Architect’s Will, and Arthur must defeat each of them to set things right and stop the denizens of the House interfering in the affairs of the Secondary Realms.

Fantasy reviews are so difficult to do – there is an entire mythology behind every one that includes vocabulary and ideas that work with gradual introductions (the book) but sound like gobbledygook when referenced (the review). Suffice it to say, this is good stuff. I’m up to the last published volume, Sir Thursday and each installment is as exciting and innovative as the last. Thankfully, Lady Friday was JUST published (Amazon says Jan. 17) and although it will be awhile before the copy I ordered for the library will be in, the metropolitan library I live near should have it now or soon! If you have time to speed through volumes 1-5, get a hold of Mister Monday. You won't want to interrupt yourself until Lady Friday is finished.