TIFFANY ACHING'S GUIDE TO BEING A WITCH

An introductory guide to witchcraft, penned by Discworld’s Tiffany Aching (with a little help from her friends).

Though Tiffany’s story came to a lovely, bittersweet conclusion in Terry Pratchett’s last book, the posthumously published The Shepherd’s Crown (2015), she and her witch colleagues are sorely missed by their legions of fans. This guidebook for “an apprentice witch looking for extra guidance on the future” offers a little extra time with the Discworld witches. Tiffany’s voice, straightforward and occasionally snarky, is assisted by marginal notes, scribbles, and annotations from her closest friends. There’s the joyous lechery of Nanny Ogg, the helpful pragmatism of Miss Tick, the well-earned self-satisfaction and irascible snark of Mistress Weatherwax, and the anarchic, misspelled chaos of Rob Anybody, one of the Nac Mac Feegle. Rather than expanding on Discworld lore, Terry’s daughter, Rhianna, and co-author Kent present material that draws upon the original content; Tiffany summarizes information from the series about witchcraft and the Disc’s witchy adventures. The “root and heart and soul of witchcraft,” as Granny Weatherwax puts it, is “helping people when life is on the edge. Even people you don’t like.” The basic principles come down to practicality, placebos, and hard work. Abundantly illustrated by Kidby, Terry’s longtime collaborator, this is a visually lovely volume, with subtly colored, marbled backgrounds and handwritten notes on paper that evokes antique vellum.

A charming and comforting return to the world of Terry Pratchett’s witches that will delight completists.