The Wee Free Men (Discworld #30; Tiffany Aching #1) by Terry Pratchett

Format: Audio (Audible)
Read: Feb 2026

This is the first “Discworld for Children” book I have read, and the first one in the series that follows young new witch Tiffany Aching. Since it was written for children, the story is simpler, it is less satirical with fewer layers and fewer references than the adult series has, and of course, no innuendo (also no Nanny Ogg)! But otherwise Pratchett doesn’t change his tone and never talks down to a younger audience; this is definitely Discworld, and I was impressed!

Our new protagonist, Tiffany, is a child character. She is 9 years old, but she is very smart and independent and not, blessedly, in a precocious way. Tiffany is an intelligent character who always stops and thinks, and draws her conclusions based on evidence, and she is open to learning without thinking she knows best. So in that way, she’s a nice contrast to Esk from Equal Rites. I generally prefer characters who act more thoughtfully and less from impulse. Like a true witch, Tiffany only tries magic when she really has to, and has a natural inclination towards Headology, even if she doesn’t know what it is called yet. I thought she was fantastic!

Tiffany is the lone human for a lot of the book, but she does have help from the Nac Mac Feegle. These little blue tattooed “pictsies” (think Smurfs but drunk, violent and Scottish) were introduced in Carpe Jugulum, so it’s fun to see them back with a more central role! She also has a toad companion, left to aid her by the witch Miss Tick, who she’s away looking for grown-up witches to help them ward off the fairy Queen.

Granny and Nanny do briefly show up at the very end of the story, and Granny is impressed. The end is a little melancholy as Tiffany has been changed by her adventure, and now with knowledge and growing power, she also has a responsibility, but it is poignant, and I am excited to read more of her books and see her grow as a witch!

“And what do you really do?” said Tiffany.

The thin witch hesitated for a moment, and then:

“We look to…the edges,” said Mistress Weatherwax. “There’s a lot of edges, more than people know. Between life and death, this world and the next, night and day, right and wrong…an’ they need watchin’. We watch ’em, we guard the sum of things. And we never ask for any reward. That’s important.”

This book was wonderful, and the audiobook narrators were brilliant again. Not only Indira Varma, who I loved from the Witches series, but Steven Cree is doing the voices for the Nac Mac Feegle! (Crivens!) I definitely can see myself returning to this in the future!

This book also does good duty in the Law of Fives reading bingo this year: first in a series, magical creatures, and won the Lotus Award for young adult book (2004).