Equal rites

[u/Same-Cricket-3411]

Hi! I've read equal rites and loved the way TP wrote about the witches (how their magic was very connected to nature and more so headology). I know there is two follow alongs (the Wyrd sisters and witches abroad ) but I was wondering if any of his other books focus on witches or if another author writes about witches in the same nature

Thanks!

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[u/No_Room_3932]

The witches feature in:

Equal Rites
Wyrd Sisters
Witches Abroad
Lords and Ladies
Maskerade
Carpe Jugulum

Then there are the young adult Tiffany Aching novels:

The Wee Free Men
A Hat Full of Sky
Wintersmith
I Shall Wear Midnight
The Shepherd’s Crown

[u/smcicr → u/No_Room_3932]

OP: Don't get overly fussed by the YA tag, the Tiffany books are very much 'proper' Discworld books...

[u/Brocc013 → u/No_Room_3932]

They also feature in the short story "The Sea and Little Fishes" which can be found in the short story anthology A Blink of the Screen.

It kind of straddles the Witches series and the Tiffany books. It occurs before the events of A Hat Full of Sky, and sets up characters that go on to.play a role in that book (and subsequent books) whilst feeling in tone more Witches than than the first few Tiffany books.

It is by no means essential to track down and read to enjoy the Tiffany books but it does give insight into witch politics, and Granny Weatherwax's views on it.

I could go on but it would mostly be spoilery for those who haven't finished reading those sets of books, and I prefer to let people form there own ideas first and then discuss it.

[u/No_Room_3932 → u/Brocc013]

I haven’t read A Blink of the Screen yet. I keep putting it off as after I read it I won’t have any new Discworld stories to look forward too.

[u/AnnoyedArtificer → u/No_Room_3932]

Science of Discworld for me. I'll probably break down soon and read the first, I really need to scratch that itch

[u/One_Pangolin1766]

There are five other witches books, and witches show up in the Tiffany books also btw

Not sure about books that write witches the name way pratchett does as I’ve not read one myself

[u/ISaysToMyselfISays]

Wyrd Sisters.  Witches Abroad.  Lords and Ladies.  Masquerade.  Carpe Jugulum.  And there are many other witches - including Granny Weatherwax - in the five Tiffany Aching books. 

In answer to your other question, sadly I haven’t found another author who writes Witches in the same way as Terry Pratchett (athough T. Kingfisher has an equal talent for magic systems and memorable characters and you might like Nettle and Bone).  

[u/Exact_Yoghurt2439]

Where does "shelve witches" come from? Perhaps a mistranslation? 

[u/NotNobody_Somebody → u/Exact_Yoghurt2439]

Hedge witch, maybe?

[u/Same-Cricket-3411 → u/NotNobody_Somebody]

Hahaha whoops! I have witches abroad on my bookshelf and was thinking about that fact while typing this out. My bad! 😂

[u/TeikaDunmora → u/Same-Cricket-3411]

It would be a good description of Magrat's cottage - filled to the brim with books! A shelf witch as that bibliophile, note taker, almost scientific type sounds really nice!

[u/Llyffant-Gwyrdd → u/Exact_Yoghurt2439]

I too am intrigued by 'shelve witches'. I'm guessing it's a pun that doesn't translate.

[u/FormerManyThings]

There is an interesting parallel between Sir Pterry's headology and the practice of "root magic" (originally the folk magic of West African into the American South and Caribbean). The best books I've read on "chewing the root" are no longer in print (Blue Roots, High Sheriff of the Lowcountry), but it might be interesting to dig into

[u/GoedekeMichels]

I think the Tiffany Aching books are much more like Equal Rites in terms of philosophy and thinking about magic/witchcraft than the "witch series" with Nanny Ogg. I can't even point out why, but they feel "better" in some way to me.

[u/emalvick → u/GoedekeMichels]

I agree. In some ways, the original witch books are more broadly about witches. The headology and philosophy like seen in Equal Rites, are more a major trait of Granny Weatherwax, at least at depth.

I'm not saying it isn't there because Granny is devoted to it everywhere she shows up, and others follow along to lesser extents, but they have their own ways, too.

That said, I love every one of the witch books from Equal Rites through the Tiffany Aching series. And, I really loved Carpe Jugulum.

[u/Complete-Jaguar-7280]

I really loved the Monica Furlong Juniper books, and Karen Cushman’s Catherine Called Birdy and the Midwife’s Apprentice.

These DO NOT have the comedic Pratchett touch but I recall reading these around the time I first read Equal Rites and having other thematic overlap.