Armed only with a frying pan and her common sense, Tiffany Aching, a young witch-to-be, is all that stands between the monsters of Fairyland and the warm, green Chalk country that is her home. Forced into Fairyland to seek her kidnapped brother, Tiffany allies herself with the Chalk’s local Nac Mac Feegle - aka the Wee Free Men - a clan of sheep-stealing, sword-wielding, six-inch-high blue men who are as fierce as they are funny. Together, they battle through an eerie and ever-shifting landscape, fighting brutal flying fairies, dream-spinning dromes, and grimhounds - black dogs with eyes of fire and teeth of razors - before ultimately confronting the Queen of the Elves, absolute ruler of a world in which reality intertwines with nightmare. And in the final showdown, Tiffany must face her cruel power alone...
In a riveting narrative equal parts suspense and humor, Carnegie Medalist Terry Pratchett returns to his internationally popular Discworld with a breath-taking tale certain to leave fans, new and old, enthralled.
Dream-spinning dromes, grimhounds, and the Queen of Fairyland have stolen Tiffany Aching's brother, and she's not going to take it lying down. So, she uses her first sight, second thoughts, and new friendship with the local Nac Mac Feegle--a.k.a. Wee Free Men--to bring about a reckoning. One has to wonder who had more fun with this project--Terry Pratchett, as writer of yet another delightful tale in his bestselling Discworld series, or Stephen Briggs, as narrator. Both are masters of the high art of wordplay. Pratchett introduces us to a thesaurus full of odd and clever utterances. And Briggs reads the prose with rhythmic glee and suspenseful understanding. He has a great time handling the hearty brogues of the many and mighty Wee Free Men. This tale is especially recommended for all girls who wonder why boy characters like Harry Potter seem to get all the magical action. Tiffany Aching is a wise and perceptive 9-year-old heroine who can take care herself just fine, thanks. B.P. 2004 ALA Notable Recording, 2005 YALSA Selection (c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine
