Wyrd Sisters

As usual with Pratchett, full of cheek. But I think he writes much better when he's dealing with the witches than wizards like Rincewind. So I find Pratchett's witch and Night Watch novels superior to the wizard novels. In them, his characters come out more rounded and earthy. His world becomes more realistic, because contrary And his plots become zanier because of this flawed earthiness.

What wins in his Witch novels are the incredibly inventive literary allusions. In this outing, Pratchett's favorite two witches, Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg, are cast in a sort-of retelling of Shakespeare's Macbeth. But the real neat thing is that it's told from the view of the three witches Shakespeare places at the beginning. Saying, "By the prickling of the thumbs, something wicked this way comes."

Which is followed up by a great snatch of dialog that deconstructs the illusion, in classic Pratchett style.

"When can we get together again?"

"What about Tuesday?"

Along the way, Pratchett sends up the idea of being a king. With all of it's back room intrigues and necessary brutish violence. And most king's propensities to be violent, repressive and ignorant thugs. The realization which causes Granny Ogg to ask, "Why would anyone want to be a king?"

The story line itself is typical Pratchett. A lot of warm humor based on simple, attractive and yet flawed characters. An almost story book romance between a young witch who weaves flowers into her hair because she thinks it makes her look attractive, when it just makes her hair look like a basket of potpourri. And the ending involving the three witches finding themselves on stage in a play that they are trying to rewrite since the playwright made witches look bad and scary. Which the aren't. And a hilarious climax sequence where Nanny Ogg puts a filthy cauldron on the stage to some good use.

Recommended to people who enjoy humor or Fantasy. And want a quick, light read.

Leo is a writer living in Cleveland, Ohio. Follow him at leo-walsh.com