Fantasy Buddy Reads discussion

This is a Buddy Read for Equal Rites by Terry Pratchett starting on February 8, 2024.


Happy Reading!

All set up and ready to go on my Kindle. :)

Same here:)))

Really liking this... feels like a true story...

Started last night, Kindle and spotify. so far so good :)

I finished it, and am fully on-board... if this is what the rest of the series is like, after some initial growing pains, I'm here for it... looking into the series, it looks like Granny Whistlewax is the throughline of the Witches series, not Eskaria Smith...

Started, about 1:30 hours in--liking it okay, but it's not the upsurge I was hoping for after being told "just get to book three"--I find the premise interesting--(view spoiler)[a female wizard rather like a woman in STEM, with some possible autistic aspects, (hide spoiler)] but I'm not laughing that much and I'm not really engaged yet... hanging in there though.

I'll be starting this whenever I finish my current read.

I started and I am halfway through (view spoiler)[ i am liking it more than the first two books but I agree with Nirkatze that its less humorous in tone. But I really enjoy Granny and Esk and the whole girls can't be Wizards thing. I want to her to go to the academy and bring chaos (hide spoiler)]

Finished and liked it better once (view spoiler)[Granny & Esk left the village. The story picked up and the characters gelled more, to get in line with the interesting satirical premise. Would not mind at all to see more Granny in the future. (hide spoiler)]

I’m alright with less funny to have a more well-rounded story to enjoy while laughing occasionally…

Finished too! And I am quite early too, I feel proud haha (view spoiler)[ the best one at the moment. I really enjoyed Granny and want to learn more about the witches since it appeared like they did few magic things but that confrontation with the other wizard was really cool. And I want to see how Esk change things since she is both (hide spoiler)]

I loved Granny's witch training... (view spoiler)[it's more about image than tangible magic/results... make people believe you're a witch, and everything you do seems witchy... (hide spoiler)]

Took a while to finish my last book. Starting this one tomorrow.

Just started. First chapter. (view spoiler)[ 8th son of an 8th son is mentioned a lot for a series where book 1 made a really big deal about wizards considering 8 bad luck and not saying it out loud. Or was that just bad luck and the not saying it out loud was because of where they were? (hide spoiler)]

Oh, good catch! (view spoiler)[I forgot about the number 8 thing... I wonder if it is connected or if it is just a play on seventh-son of a seventh-son? (hide spoiler)]

(view spoiler)[It's both. Definitely a play on 7th son of a 7th son, but throughout the whole series 8 is the number of magic. I don't recall book 1 wizards not saying 8; they are well aware of its magical importance. I don't think that comes up again. (hide spoiler)]

I think the don't say it thing was more a reference to those 8 spells and the spellbook they come from, than the number 8 itself... in Color of Magic & Light Fantastic...

Ryan wrote: "[spoilers removed]"

Book 1(view spoiler)[When they were in the spider thing's lair they were sure not to say the number 8 cuz that's what bounced off the walls and made it attack them, but I thought i remembered them saying they didn't say it in their normal lives as well. I think Rincewind's college room number was 7b instead of room 8 cuz they don't use the number 8 in the wizard world. (hide spoiler)]

I'm enjoying this one less than book 1 or 2. Those at least had more humor. I'm starting to think Pratchett isn't for me.

I finished a day or two ago. It started out strongly with so much promise and kinda fizzled for me. It's a "3" read for me. So far all three are in that "ok range".

My print copy is finally on the way! I have started the audio and am about 44% (Chapter 34) and am struggling to follow everything that is going on. I really need print in order to not zone out and miss what is happening.

So far (view spoiler)[ I like how the genders and how they are viewed in this world are something that can be a conversation starter. Witch vs. Wizard, Female vs. Male. I am invested in seeing Esk and Granny learn some new things. (hide spoiler)]

RachelG. wrote: "My print copy is finally on the way! I have started the audio and am about 44% (Chapter 34) and am struggling to follow everything that is going on. I really need print in order to not zone out and..."

This has chapters?

Timelord Iain wrote: "This has chapters?.."

I guess? When I open the audiobook version I have it lists a total of 63 chapters. Possibly just spots they choose to start and stop if you get lost?

There was a whole discussion in the previous thread about how Pratchett doesn't believe in chapters...

I wasn't really paying attention when I read...

Timelord Iain wrote: "I finished it, and am fully on-board... if this is what the rest of the series is like, after some initial growing pains, I'm here for it... looking into the series, it looks like Granny Whistlewax..."

Makes sense because (view spoiler)[ Esk is a wizard ;) (hide spoiler)]

I liked this a whole lot more than the first two! Hope it continues like this!

I got the paperback version and there are no chapters.. it also means I can't seem to find where I left off so I have basically started over.

End of story thoughts: I enjoyed the characters but wasn't thrilled about the story. I actually liked the two previous books more than this one because I felt they had more humor. I am curious to see what the next book brings.

I am 70% in and I am just loving it! I want more of Granny! She is awesome!!! I agree with Iain, her witch training was the best! Her practical approach together with her understanding of the psychology of people, is just wonderful! Esk is still a kid...

Headology :)

Granny is street smart... you don't realize she lacks booksmarts / writing skills, until the book tries to show how much she struggled to write a letter to the Invisible College of Wizards...

Headology!!! Haha! I love the witches views on psychology:)))
I also love the whole series outlook on what is real and how magic works. What Simon is doing makes me think of him as the Discworld Einstein - quantum magic!

I finished and loved it! Five stars for me. Yes, there was less humor, but the story was cohesive and there were still a ton of notions that TP explores in his very unique way, that just does it for me! I really hope we get more of the Witches! Also, smitten old Wizards are kind of adorable:)))

Iain, Granny is gangster! :)))

I finally finished. I didn't remember that ending at all, which was fun. (view spoiler)[Granny's sort of romance with the Archchancellor had me giggling.

And no lady wizards because lore! hah I did notice that Granny held the line on no male witches though ;)

It had a few interesting metaphysics and quantum physics moments that I'd forgotten. Wish he'd gone into a little more on these, especially with Simon stuck in the dungeon dimension. (hide spoiler)]

Witches series spoiler (view spoiler)[I don't remember Granny ever returning to UU to participate as Chair in the remainder of the series. Does anyone else who is also doing a reread remember? (hide spoiler)]

I'm looking forward to the next Witches book in a month. But first we get to be introduced to a different side of Death in Mort next :D

I have not read any other Witches books, but if they are anything like this one, I am all in!!! Loved Granny so much!

You are right - the "quantum magic" philosophy was great and I could have used more of it too... Just a great book:)))

Wiki says Granny Weatherwax is (one of, if not THE) the most prolific character(s) in Discworld... 5 main Witches books, 3-4 prominent side character books, and a few named and unnamed but vaguely described mentions in 3-4 other books as well...

That makes me very happy:) Do we get to see Luggage again?

Oh yes. In every Rincewind book.

Yea... Luggage follows Rincewind around now...

Altho there's debate on whether (view spoiler)[the spellbook is still inside the luggage case... I think different books make conflicting statements about whether or not Luggage had indigestion and spit the Octarine Spellbook back out, a few days after Light Fantastic ended... (hide spoiler)]

Yay! So we get more Luggage and more Rincewind!!! I was afraid they were only in the first two books, but now I am really excited!!! Yay!

OOoh, good to know!

I just finished this one…a month and a half late. I really enjoyed it and I thought it was funny right from the beginning. I also liked it more than the first two and I liked Granny quite a bit.

Felina, I think I could read about Granny forever:))) So glad you enjoyed it too!

My husband is a huge Pratchett head and he decided to give me the break down of Granny and some of the other witches while giving me a back rub. It was a good night.

LOL That's a really good incentive to get someone into your favorite books--let me tell you about it over a back rub!

Ha ha. My husband is a Warhammer nerd and gamer nerd really but Warhammer the most. And he’s a big talker and he likes to talk to me about his interests, many of which I do not share. So early in our marriage we instituted a rule that if he wanted to talk to me about things I’m not interested in or in detail about thing I am interested in but not at the same level of interest (discworld) that he has to rub my back while he does it. We both get what we want and it’s been good for our communication and bonding.m ever since. Highly recommend.

That is an awesome arrangement!!! Wow! Good for you guys!

The Back Rub Rule :D

Ha ha.

That's a great rule. I feel like we should spread word, and start a new era of matrimonial peace. Probably lower divorce rates all over the country.