Wintersmith (Tiffany Aching Adventures, Book 3)
Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that, as fantasies go, this one is pretty mild. It contains minimal violence and displays solid values of hard work and responsibility.
Families can discuss the concept of witchcraft presented here. Why do the characters use so little actual magic? What are their primary qualities? Also, why does Tiffany help Annagramma?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Matt Berman
Sensible witch-in-training Tiffany and the crotchety witches she learns from are certainly appealing characters in this third installment of the Tiffany Aching Adventures.
But the book really comes to life when the Feegles are onstage -- which is too seldom. The red-haired, blue-tattooed, drinking, stealing, and fighting Wee Free Men with the thick brogues are the main source of fun and humor here.
Author Terry Pratchett continues to have plenty to say on a variety of subjects, including marriage, old age, the nature of myths and stories, and growing up, and he does so with a dry, twisty wit that often makes readers stop and think -- after they finish laughing.
The plot is often secondary to Pratchett's pungent observations, and he often subtly goes several layers deeper than you'd expect -- as when he goes from stories, to the way we play out our own stories, to the way we shape our stories to define ourselves.
From The Book
"Frost to fire," she whispered.
In the yard, the fire went white and roared like a furnace.
The snow wall spluttered and then exploded into steam, sending chunks of snow into the air. Tiffany walked forward slowly. Snow pulled back from her hands like mist at sunrise. It melted in the heat of her, becoming a tunnel in the deep drift, fleeing from her, writhing around her in clouds of cold fog.
Plot Summary:
When taken by her mentor witch to see the Dance of the Seasons, Tiffany accidentally attracts the attention of the Wintersmith, the elemental spirit of Winter, who develops a crush on her. To win her love he makes all the snowflakes (as well as some icebergs) look like her, writes her name in window frost, and creates a garden of ice-roses for her. But most of all he tries to make himself human by following the directions in a nursery rhyme.
Meanwhile the spirit of Summer is none too thrilled, and Tiffany also has to deal with the smothering protectiveness of the Feegles; Roland, who may or may not be her boyfriend; the death of her current mentor; and helping the snippy Annagramma in spite of herself.
Related Books:
The Bromeliad by Terry Pratchett
Truckers
Diggers
Wings
Discworld Books for Kids by Terry Pratchett
The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents
The Wee Free Men
A Hat Full of Sky
More Humorous Fantasies
The Boggart by Susan Cooper
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (Hitchhiker's Guide Series, Book 1) by Douglas Adams
Only You Can Save Mankind by Terry Pratchett
Related Web Sites
Official Site
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Sexual ContentTiffany reads a romance novel and kisses the spirit of Winter; some mentions of sex. |
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ViolenceSome swordfighting. |
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Drug/Alcohol/TobaccoThe Feegles get drunk, Tiffany drinks some brandy, and a minor character smokes. |
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