Wyrd Sisters (Discworld, #6; Witches, #2)

Title: Wyrd Sisters (Discworld, #6; Witches, #2)

Author: Terry Pratchett

Published in: 1988

Date read: 30th January 2007

Score: 4/5

Genre: Fantasy, Comedy

Plot: (Warning, may contain spoilers):
"Wyrd Sisters," published in 1988, is the sixth novel in Terry Pratchett's Discworld series and the first to feature the iconic trio of witches from the kingdom of Lancre. It is a brilliant, whimsical, and satirical take on Shakespeare's Macbeth, blending high fantasy, political farce, and Pratchett’s unique brand of humour.

The story begins in the kingdom of Lancre, where the noble and benevolent King Verence is murdered by his ambitious cousin, Duke Felmet. Felmet, a man consumed by paranoia and a profound sense of self-loathing, takes the throne, a plot twist that mirrors Macbeth's dark rise to power. However, the King's ghost remains, unable to find peace, and his infant son and heir, also named Tomjon, escapes with his loyal guards into the night.

The escaping guards, desperate for help, seek out the three most powerful witches in the kingdom:

Granny Weatherwax: The head of the coven, a powerful, stubborn, and often intimidating witch who practices "headology" (the psychology of witchcraft) and believes in doing the right thing, even if it's the hard way.

Nanny Ogg: A fun-loving, practical, and highly sociable witch, who loves a good drink, a good singalong, and her formidable tomcat, Greebo.

Magrat Garlick: A young, idealistic witch who is more interested in spells, potions, and all things mystical than in the down-to-earth realities of witchcraft.

The witches take the baby prince into their protection, but due to a magical complication, they are forced to send him twenty years into the future to a traveling theatre company. Meanwhile, back in Lancre, Duke Felmet's tyranny begins to turn the land itself against him. The kingdom, personified, actively resists the unjust rule, with trees walking, rivers moving, and the very air humming with discontent.

The novel is a grand, comedic chess match between the witches and Duke Felmet. Granny Weatherwax and her coven must outwit a paranoid tyrant who, ironically, is a far greater threat to himself than they are. The witches' goal is not simply to restore the king but to ensure that the story of Lancre, and the future of its people, is told correctly, rather than being twisted by evil.

The climax involves the return of the grown prince, now a skilled actor, and a theatrical performance that mirrors the events of the usurpation. The witches use their collective power and wit to confront Felmet and his increasingly delusional wife, Lady Felmet, on the battlements of their own castle. "Wyrd Sisters" is a brilliant send-up of classic tragedy, reminding us that reality and narrative are never quite what they seem and that even the most powerful magic in the Discworld is often just good old-fashioned headology.

Comments:
Brilliant book, although I remember it fondly, I am struggling to remember specifics that do not appear in the plot summary.

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)