Review: I Shall Wear Midnight

I Shall Wear Midnight by Terry Pratchett

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



In "I Shall Wear Midnight" by (Sir!2009) Terry Pratchett, witch Tiffany, at 16, wants to don black only when old. Yet, for her home Chalk, she already decides life or death, such as when a drunk villager attempts suicide after beating his pregnant daughter to birth. She's wise beyond years, even advising on "passionate parts" as fun fact rather than salacious description, so the rating is not x, restricted.
An evil witch-hunter spectre infects and inhabits the most susceptible. (I miss any menace in name "the Cunning Man", but stink worse than pigsty is some smell - cleared my fellow schoolbus riders away from the farmkids next-door.) Even her vaunted wee kilted Feegle protectors cannot fight vicious rumors. They can repair (maybe front to back) what they destroy in jubilant rowdiness. I'm happy to see them again.
I missed or don't remember her off-again rescue and romance with the Baron's heir (now stuffy stick) Roland, so his wedding to a (tearful) blonde in white ("Letitia! What a name. Halfway between a salad and a sneeze."), and attentive erudite Guard Preston ("I was unfortunately born clever, miss, and I've learned that sometimes it's not such a good idea to be all that clever") have not so much emotional impact. The lad who can banter p204 about conundrum, shibboleth and her favorite, susurruation, holds promise in her destiny, despite swearing "I will marry you" p260 to the other.
Omens grow tedious; oracles seem like a poor substitute for convincing believability. Cameos are a bit much when I've been away from Discworld awhile.
"Learning ia about finding out who you are, what you are, where you are and what's over the horizon, and, well, everything. It's about finding the place where you fit." p329



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