Witches Abroad (Discworld, #12; Witches, #3)

Title: Witches Abroad (Discworld, #12; Witches, #3)

Author: Terry Pratchett

Published in: 1991

Date read: 28th August 2007

Score: 4/5

Genre: Fantasy, Comedy

Plot: (Warning, may contain spoilers):
"Witches Abroad," published in 1991, is the twelfth novel in Terry Pratchett's Discworld series and the third to focus on the witches of Lancre. It's a whimsical and sharp satire on fairy tales, tourism, and the power of stories, as three very different witches embark on a journey across the Discworld.

The story begins when the Fairy Godmother, Desiderata Hollow, dies. Her wand is bequeathed to a naïve young witch, Magrat Garlick, with a mission to prevent a "happily ever after" for a princess in a distant land called Genua. Magrat, along with the no-nonsense and formidable Granny Weatherwax and the boisterous, practical Nanny Ogg (and her ever-present cat, Greebo), sets off on a reluctant journey.

Their quest is complicated when they realize their magical opponent is not the dead Desiderata, but her much more powerful and malevolent successor, the "Fairy Godmother" herself, a woman who has a dark and twisted view of how stories should end. This Fairy Godmother uses her power to enforce a rigid, often cruel, version of a fairy tale, manipulating people's lives to fit a pre-ordained narrative, regardless of their own desires.

The three witches, traveling together for the first time, make their way through various strange and wonderful lands. They encounter a werewolf, a voodoo priestess, and a host of fairy tale characters, all of whom have been trapped by the tyrannical Fairy Godmother's magic. The journey itself is a character study, highlighting the amusing friction between the three witches' personalities: Granny's stubborn adherence to "headology" (the psychology of witchcraft), Nanny's easygoing, bawdy wisdom, and Magrat's wide-eyed, romantic idealism.

As they get closer to Genua, the Fairytale reality becomes more pronounced and dangerous. The very laws of magic seem to be bent to the will of the Fairy Godmother. The witches' mission is to stop her from forcing a young girl, Ella, into a "happily ever after" she doesn't want, which involves marrying a prince and becoming a passive princess, a fate both Granny and Nanny find abhorrent.

The climax is a grand, magical showdown in Genua during a Mardi Gras-like festival. The witches, especially Granny Weatherwax, must confront the reality that stories, and those who wield their power, can be more dangerous than any sword or spell. The battle is a clash of worldviews: the rigid, controlling narrative of the Fairy Godmother versus the messy, unpredictable, and truly human reality that the witches champion. In the end, they prove that real life is far more important and powerful than any fictional "ever after."

Comments:
More excellent tales of the witches.

Books that we've read by Terry Pratchett (39):
The Colour of Magic (Discworld, #1; Rincewind, #1) (1983), The Light Fantastic (Discworld, #2; Rincewind, #2) (1986), Equal Rites (Discworld, #3; Witches, #1) (1987), Mort (Discworld, #4; Death, #1) (1987), Sourcery (Discworld, #5; Rincewind, #3) (1988), Wyrd Sisters (Discworld, #6; Witches, #2) (1988), Guards! Guards! (Discworld, #8; City Watch, #1) (1989), Pyramids (Discworld, #7) (1989), Eric (Discworld, #9; Rincewind, #4) (1990), Moving Pictures (Discworld, #10; Industrial Revolution, #1) (1990), Witches Abroad (Discworld, #12; Witches, #3) (1991), Reaper Man (Discworld, #11; Death, #2) (1991), Small Gods (Discworld, #13) (1992), Lords and Ladies (Discworld, #14; Witches, #4) (1992), Men at Arms (Discworld, #15; City Watch, #2) (1993), Soul Music (Discworld, #16; Death, #3) (1994), Interesting Times (Discworld, #17; Rincewind, #5) (1994), Maskerade (Discworld, #18; Witches, #5) (1995), Feet of Clay (Discworld, #19; City Watch, #3) (1996), Hogfather (Discworld, #20; Death, #4) (1996), Jingo (Discworld, #21; City Watch, #4) (1997), Carpe Jugulum (Discworld, #23; Witches, #6) (1998), The Last Continent (Discworld, #22; Rincewind, #6) (1998), The Fifth Elephant (Discworld, #24; City Watch, #5) (1999), The Truth (Discworld, #25) (2000), The Last Hero (Discworld, #27; Rincewind, #7) (2001), Thief of Time (Discworld, #26; Death, #5) (2001), Night Watch (Discworld, #29; City Watch, #6) (2002), The Wee Free Men (Discworld, #30; Tiffany Aching, #1) (2003), Monstrous Regiment (Discworld, #31; Industrial Revolution, #3) (2003), A Hat Full of Sky (Discworld, #32; Tiffany Aching, #2) (2004), Going Postal (Discworld, #33; Moist von Lipwig, #1) (2004), Thud! (Discworld, #34; City Watch, #7) (2005), Wintersmith (Discworld, #35; Tiffany Aching, #3) (2006), Making Money (Discworld, #36; Moist Von Lipwig, #2) (2007), Unseen Academicals (Discworld, #37; Rincewind, #8) (2009), I Shall Wear Midnight (Discworld, #38; Tiffany Aching, #4) (2010), Snuff (Discworld, #39; City Watch, #8) (2011), Raising Steam (Discworld, #40; Moist von Lipwig, #3) (2013)