For You Have Left the World Better than You Found it.

Ok let’s do this.  After avoiding the end for as long as I could, I finally read the last book by my favorite author of all time, Terry Pratchett.  Terry is a good guy to have as a favorite.  His books are witty and charming, full of reappearing characters and, unlike some fantasy writers (I’m looking at you GRRM), appearing at regular intervals.  Now he is gone.  Taken too soon by the thief of time, Alzheimer’s Disease.

The Shepherd’s Crown was released way back in August of 2015.  But I wasn’t ready to read it until recently.  Finally I caved, in part because I am way way behind on my cannonball read and I just abandoned two books I was reading for being boring.  so freaking boring.  I needed comfort food and that came in the guise of reading about the death of a beloved character in the first few pages.  Oh shit.

But because it’s Terry writing a bit about his own legacy, it was beautifully done.  This is not the best book, it’s total fan service, but I don’t care. I needed a goodbye and I know that Terry was struggling with communication and memory towards the end of his life (godsdammit dementia.) so there is the heavy hand of a ghostwriter finishing up the novel.  It’s ok.  It just serves to highlight that that light touch of farce/social commentary/current events/nerdiness does not exist within another person and the family is making the right choice to not continue the series with another writer.

Oye the fairies are back and Tiffany is going to need all hands on deck.  I can’t say why without spoiling the book, but the walls that keep the little bastards on their own side have weakened and they are coming out all over the place.  Tiffany is trying to balance being all things to all people and still trying to carve out her own existence and a life of her own.  It’s a fitting end to an amazing series.  Just be prepared for the full body sobbing that leaves your eyes all sore and puffy for days to come.

“And Tiffany knew that if a witch started thinking of anyone as “just” anything, that would be the first step on a well-worn path that could lead to, oh, to poisoned apples, spinning wheels, and a too-small stove… and to pain, and terror, and horror and the darkness.”