Lords and Ladies (Discworld Witches #4) by Terry Pratchett

Format: Audiobook (Audible)
Read: October 2025

This is one of the rare Discworld books that can’t be read as a standalone; you really need to have read the previous two books to understand who the characters are and their relationships to each other.

It picks up immediately after Witches Abroad as Granny, Nanny and Magrat return to Lancre from their travels to Genua, and back home the long way. Magrat is reoccupied with her sudden proposal-less engagement to King Verance II, while Granny and Nanny discover there have been dangerous magical goings on in their absence. A coven of teenage girls formed under the leadership of Diamanda, who had returned from school. They’ve been dressing in black, wearing nail polish and meddling in what they don’t understand – using spell books and rituals, Granny does not approve – and this has put the whole kingdom in danger.

“You felt the power there?”

“Oh, yeah. Made my hair stand on end.”

“Someone gave it to her, and I know who. Just a slip of a gel with a head full of wet ideas out of books, and suddenly she’s got the power and don’t know how to deal with it. Cards! Candles! That’s not witchcraft, that’s just party games. Paddlin’ with the occult. Did you see she’d got black fingernails?”

I didn’t enjoy this one quite as much as previous books, and I think that’s because the trio are split up for most of it, and my personal favourite thing about the witches is their dynamic when they’re all together. Instead, they each have their own personal adventure.

We learn more about Granny Weatherwax’s past and, incredibly, romantic life with the arrival of Archchancellor Ridcully. There is a glimpse into the past at a teenage Esmeralda, who Nanny reminds her was not so different to Diamanda. This is a more vulnerable Granny than we’ve seen before; she doesn’t seem as certain of things as is usual, and that is truly disturbing! By the end of the novel, though, she demonstrated herself to be more powerful than ever.

Nanny Ogg gets to have some fun with Casanunda, who returns in this book – and it took this book for me to realise his name is a pun on Casanova! This was hilarious. I do enjoy some innuendo. Their date scene was fantastic. We also get to meet one of her sons in Shawn Ogg, whose enthusiastic and hectic employment as the palace guard is a pure delight

“It’d never work,” she said. “We’re basically incompatible. When I’m 5′ 4″ you’ll still only be 3′ 9″. Anyway, I’m old enough to be your mother.”

“You can’t be. My mother’s nearly 300, and she’s got a better beard than you.”

And of course that was another point. By dwarf standards, Nanny Ogg was hardly more than a teenager.

“La, sir,” she said, giving him a playful tap that made his ears ring, “you do know how to turn a simple country girl’s head and no mistake!”

Magrat, meanwhile, finds herself preparing for her royal wedding to Verence and for becoming Queen, which will be a major life change. She feels powerless and isolated in the castle, and wrestles with her new identity. This was some great character development for her, and her fractious relationship with Granny (does Granny always know best? Hmm… maybe). I do have a soft spot for dear Magrat!

Magrat had drawn the line at a wimple, and she wasn’t at all happy about the big pointy hat with the scarf dangling from it. It probably looked beautiful on the Lady of Shallot, but on Magrat it looked as though someone had dropped a big ice cream on her neck.

As usual, there are plenty of literary and fantasy references! Shakespeare is back – though I’m not as familiar with A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Elves are the villains of this story, and these are proper evil elves (or fairies) from folklore, not your poncy, noble Tolkien elves or you just-hot-guys-with-magic from modern Romantasy crap. The Elf Queen is a straightforward villain, which actually felt quite refreshing!

It was fun, and I continue to be in awe of Indira Varma’s narrator skills – sometimes I stop to remember that she’s doing all those voices! (Except for Death and the footnotes).