Short review: One of my favorite humorous novels, expertly read by Martin Jarvis. I’m sure I’ll listen to this book over and over again.

Long review: I have a deep and abiding love for this novel. I’ve read it on paper a number of times, and was happy to find an audio version of it. I’m an unabashed fan of both authors, and find works like this one feel particularly suited to audiobook format, since it is such a storyteller’s story. It’s funny and silly, but also examines important questions about belief and ethics. It’s peopled by interesting, charismatic characters who are wonderful to listen to. And, as is vital to a work like this, the authors know the source material they’re playing with.

In short, the angel Aziraphale and the demon Crowley become unlikely friends way back in the way back, and both end up being posted on Earth in the UK in our modern world, expected to do their work to support their sides in the great ongoing war between heaven and hell. The two fall in love with their lives on Earth, and decide that perhaps the apocalypse wouldn’t be all that great for them and maybe should be prevented. They set out to track down the Anti-Christ, an 11 year old boy unaware of his true parentage, and try to prevent his rise. As the story progresses, we learn of Agnes Nutter, Witch and her descendant Anathema Device, witch-hunters, the Four Horsemen, some interesting kids, and a number of other kooks wandering around this Gaiman/Pratchett universe of the book. I won’t say more, because I can’t say any of it as well as they did.

Author: Terry Pratchett

Reader: Stephen Briggs

Short Review: This follow-up to Going Postal follows Moist Von Lipwig as he embarks on a new venture: running the Mint at the all-too-pointed behest of Lord Vetinari. Briggs, as usual, reads well and beautifully. Pratchett, as usual, is funny and satirical. What’s not to love?

Long Review Considering when this book was released and when Pratchett must have started work on it, I’m beginning to believe the man is downright prescient. Making Money opens in the midst of a financial crisis in Ankh-Morpork. Lord Vetinari encourages Lipwig to take over Ankh-Morpork’s banks and mint and reverse the longstanding gross mismanagement and corruption. Lipwig tries to refuse, finds he can’t, and digs right in.

The familiar Vetinari, Lipwig, and Dearheart all return, and are joined by a number of other interesting characters like Malvolio Bent, chief cashier and Harry King, garbage kingpin. We learn more about Dearheart’s work in the Golem’s rights movement, Lipwig’s past, and business happenings in Ankh-Morpork.

The plot isn’t quite as organized or fast-paced as Going Postal, which makes me wonder if it was rushed to press, or if Pratchett fell out of love with the story towards the end. Whatever the reason, I’m not all that disappointed. This isn’t Pratchett’s best work, but it’s much more entertaining than most of the jolly satire laying about. I’ll keep listening to his audiobooks and reading his paper books as long as he produces them, and I’d encourage you all to do the same.

Author: Terry Pratchett
Reader: Richard Mitchley

Short Review: A standout story from Pratchett’s Johnny Maxwell trilogy, read with great personality and skill by Richard Mitchley. Our hero Johnny learns that he can see and speak to the Dead in his local cemetery, and winds up facing down corrupt, frightening enemies.

Long Review: The second book in the Johnny Maxwell series follows Johnny as he discovers his ability to see and talk to the dead, and then intercedes on the behalf of the ghosts living in his local cemetery. Johnny stands up to crooked local politicians and thugs, hangs out with his friends, and learns a great deal about local and British history and politics along the way. As I’ve come to expect, Pratchett’s story is funny, sharp, and thoroughly enjoyable. The story is slightly scary in a few parts, but it’s never the Dead who are frightening–Johnny is threatened by normal, flesh and blood evil.

Mitchley is a fantastic reader. He developed many distinct voices for the different characters in the novel, and he maintains clear separation between the characters as he narrates. His pitches, accents, and pacing are enchanting. Mitchley’s work is an absolute treat to hear, and I plan to seek out other audiobooks he has narrated.

Author: Terry Pratchett
Reader: Stephen Briggs

Short Review: Another very entertaining Discworld novel read wonderfully by Stephen Briggs. This story follows forcible-reformed former con-artist Moist von Lipwig (a.k.a. Albert Spangler) as he attempts to reform the Ankh-Morpork post office at the behest of Lord Vetinari. The story teems with great characters, intrigue, technomancy, bureaucracy, golems, ponzi schemes, small gods, mail, stamps, secret societies, and a pirate.

Long Review: As I mentioned in my review for Thud!, I love Briggs’ narration. Love it. Again, he does a wonderful job voicing a variety of different characters, keeping the story moving at a good clip but maintaining clear diction, and generally just being a damn good reader.

Pratchett plays with a lot of current events in this book, as he does in several discworld books. In this instance, we’re looking at amoral business practices, monetizing of information transfer, competition between old and new methods of moving information, and labor law and ethics. Pratchett elevates the importance of the written world within the discworld universe in general and this novel in particular, which is a downright common trope among writers and one whose absence would make me wonder. He also comes down firmly in favor of workers’ rights. As usual, the ideology Pratchett serves up goes down easily because it’s sweet and easy to chew. I guess some people would take umbrage with Pratchett’s political content, but I tend to agree with the man so I don’t quibble.

Moist von Lipwig and Adora Belle Dearheart make a great pair of central characters, and I look forward to reading more about them in future books. I also prefer layered characters to flat ones, and Lipwig and Dearheart are both craggy enough to hold a lot of interest. I also loved getting a closer look at Lord Vetinari and learning more about the Golems of discworld.

Going Postal

Short Review: This fun, funny, and often thoughtful story follows Sam Vimes as he investigates the murder of dwarven leader Grag Hamcrusher. Vimes is a father and husband, an unwilling member of the nobility, Commander of the watch, and a good old copper. He is pressured into hiring the first Vampire on the watch and has to manage religious and racial tensions between humans, vampires, werewolves, igors, dwarfs, and trolls while simultaneously solving a murder and preventing the outbreak of a troll v. dwarf war. The book is read by the wonderful Stephen Briggs, a regular reader for Pratchett’s books and one of my absolute favorite audiobook narrators.

Long Review: Briggs is a wonderful reader. Let’s start with that. I’ve listened to a number of Pratchett books, all read by Briggs, and the man is a wonder. He is comfortable working in many different accents, differentiates the characters clearly without losing rhythm or overdoing it, and reads with a lot of humor but also real tenderness when necessary. He’s a wonderful reader. The concept of anyone else reading Pratchett’s work makes me itch.

Thud! parodies The Da Vinci Code, a book I can’t stomach. I tried to read it, gave up within a few pages of the front cover, and seethe when I’m reminded of its mere existence. So, I love things that make fun of it. Love them. Pratchett, of course, is funny and smart and kind, so his parody is sweet and sharp without being overly cruel to Dan Brown. The book also satirizes ongoing religious and racial tensions in the Middle East and the West, maintaining a light tone while also pointing out the ridiculous amount of stupidity that abounds in our modern world.

Pratchett’s kindness is one of the best things about his humor. Throughout this and his other discworld novels, he creates deeply flawed and often stupid characters–Nobby Nobbs comes to mind–and then he deals with them kindly. We’re not to hate or even pity Nobbs and his stupidity and kleptomania, but to see him as some sort of object lesson.

All in all, I think this is one of Pratchett’s best. I love that he entertains us while encouraging us to be open minded and kind. I love that he encourages the reader to play board games, read to children, and treat people with respect, but wraps that encouragement up in slap-stick, puns, word-play, and general silliness. Thud! is funny and smart and well worth a listen.

A Hat Full of Sky: The Continuing Adventures of Tiffany Aching and The Wee Free Men

Author: Terry Pratchett
Reader: Stephen Briggs

Short Review: If you loved Wee Free Men, you will love Hat Full of Sky. Same great reader – same fun mix of humor, youth, adventure and self-discovery. Tiffany Aching is now 11 and training with a mountain witch. She finds herself faced with a new opponent called a Hiver. It takes all her strength of will (plus the help of the Nac Mac Feegle and a number of other witches) to make it to the end of this entertaining story.

Long Review: Tiffany Aching, 11-year-old witch in training, returns in this sequel to Wee Free Men. The Feegles are keeping an eye on her as she takes the next step in her training to be a witch and moves in with a senior witch up in the mountains. Miss Level is odd. Most young witches assigned to her apparently don’t last very long, but our very practical Tiffany takes her oddities in stride. We also meet a group of young witches who are all training with other mountain witches, so Tiffany gets to make some new friends. For Discworld fans, we also get decent screen time for Granny Weatherwax and an appearance by Death.

The main challenge Tiffany faces in this book is something called a Hiver, but in true Terry Pratchett style we are along for a ride that teaches Tiffany a lot more than how to do what others say can’t be done. I don’t want to say anything else about the plot, I hate spoilers!

Stephen Briggs is back with his fabulous voice and his nack for keeping all the characters clear and the Feegles understandable. I could listen to him all day. Aimed at young adults, I think people of all ages will enjoy this tale. Laugh out loud funny but with some nice messages about doing what must be done mixed in – I would recommend it to just about anyone.

A Hat Full of Sky is also available through both the Simply Audiobooks Rental Program and the Simply Audiobooks Dowload Club.

Short Review: Fabulous and laugh-out-loud funny. Tiffany Aching, 9 year old witch-in-training, takes us on a wild ride to fairyland to rescue her baby brother and save the world from the evil queen. She has the help of the Nac Mac Feegle who happen to be 6 inch tall, fearless, phenomenally strong, kilt-wearing, blue-skinned, red-haired little men who speak with a strong Scottish brogue and are prone to thieving, drinking and fighting. Stephen Briggs reads this brilliantly. It is Terry Pratchett and Discworld at their best.

Long Review: 9 year old Tiffany Aching is good at making cheese. She is also blessed with First Sight, Second Thoughts and understands that a frying pan can make a mean weapon when necessary. When her ever-sticky baby brother gets kidnapped into fairyland, Tiffany follows to rescue him because it must be done – and even though she isn’t sure she loves him, she is clear that he is HER brother and she wants him back.

At her back (and sometimes under her feet) are Rob Anybody and his band of Nac Mac Feegle. Nac Mac Feegle generally are feared by anyone who knows enough about them – but they respect and follow Tiffany because they already see her as the witch meant to replace her recently deceased Granny. Granny Aching was the sort of strong, solitary old woman who did what needed to be done. She was a witch in everything but name. She spoke little but always made sure to speak for those who had no voice. She protected her community (and its sheep) in ways most never understood but came to depend on. This story does tell of Tiffany’s path of self-discovery – but don’t let that fool you into thinking it isn’t funny or entertaining. Tiffany makes a fine role model for any strong minded young girl (or boy for that matter) – but she does it within a story that delivers its message under the cover of laughter.

Stephen Briggs’ voice brings this story to life. Every charcter is clear and distinct. He does an especially fine job with the strong Scottish brogue of the Nac Mac Feegle. I suspect that I understood a lot more of what those crazy little blue warriors were saying due to the craft of his reading than I would have had I read it in print.

This book is targeted at a young adult audience, but I enjoyed it immensely and recommend it to anyone of any age who enjoys funny fantasy books. If you haven’t read Pratchett before, this is a fine first choice. If you already know and love the Discworld books – then you can’t miss this one. Crivens! Get this audio book right away – you won’t regret it.

The Wee Free Men is available on Audible.com