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I’ve really been enjoying watching the Tiffany Aching books grow along with the character herself. A Hat Full of Sky feels a bit bigger and stranger than The Wee Free Men, but also more personal. It’s less about the adventure you go on and more about the kind of person you decide to be when nobody’s watching.
Tiffany’s now apprenticed to Miss Level, learning what it actually means to be a witch, and I liked how grounded that all felt. There’s a lot of sweeping floors, checking on old people, and dealing with things that aren’t remotely glamorous. Pratchett’s always been good at showing the unheroic side of heroism, but here it really comes through. Being a witch isn’t about power or spells. It’s about responsibility, empathy, and doing the jobs nobody thanks you for. That theme runs all the way through the book.
The main threat, the hiver, is one of the creepiest ideas in the series so far. It’s not just a monster you can hit with a frying pan or trick with cleverness. It’s something that gets inside your head and starts wearing you like a coat. There’s a real sense of psychological horror to it, especially for a younger Discworld book. Tiffany’s struggle against it feels more internal than external, which makes it quite tense in places.
I also really liked the introduction of new witches, especially Miss Level. She’s such a strange, memorable character, and very different from Granny Weatherwax, but you can feel the same steel underneath. And of course, the Nac Mac Feegle are back, still chaotic, still violent, and still weirdly sweet in their own way. They never stop being funny, but they also don’t feel like a crutch. The story doesn’t rely on them to carry it.
For me, the more abstract elements in the middle actually worked. I liked how strange and almost dreamlike parts of the hiver storyline became. It gave the book a slightly unsettling edge, and it felt different from the more straightforward Discworld plots. That said, even though these Tiffany books are shorter than the usual Discworld novels, I sometimes feel like the YA ones can drag a little in places. It’s not that they’re boring, just that the pacing occasionally feels slower or more stretched out than their length would suggest.
Still, the emotional core is really solid. Tiffany’s growth, her stubbornness, and her sense of right and wrong make her a brilliant lead. She’s practical, occasionally blunt, and very human, even when she’s dealing with things far beyond her years. Pratchett writes her with such warmth and respect that it’s hard not to root for her.
Overall, I really enjoyed this one. It’s thoughtful, funny, and a bit darker than it first appears. A strong four stars for me, and I’m very curious to see where Tiffany’s story goes next.
Gareth Ellis - Author 