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The Wee Free Men Review

Consider yourself to have been grabbed by the lapels, shaken like a rag doll, and to have had me scream up your nasal passages, "YOU HAVE TO READ THIS BOOK!!"

The book's heroine, Tiffany Aching, is flat out the smartest character I have ever run across in fiction. She is so smart, I didn't even realize this is supposed to be a children's book until I found the sequel in the children's section at the library. It is worth the price of this book just to see Tiffany's mind working, never mind about the story. Or, if you're interested in the story, it goes something like this:

The Discworld and the Land of Dreams are colliding. The Queen of the Faeries has crossed over and stolen Tiffany's baby brother, taking him back to the Land of Dreams. On the face of it, this doesn't sound so bad until you realize that it's not those kind of dreams; it's the other kind. (Oh.) So, Tiffany picks up a frying pan, grabs an enchanted toad and sets out to rescue him by enlisting the aid of the Nac Mac Feegle, a.k.a. Wee Free Men a.k.a. pixies...er, picties. But they won't go because rescues aren't exactly in the playbook of these hand-sized, blue, kilt-wearing rascals. They stick to the five things they do the best: (1) stealing, (2) drinking, (3) fighting, (4) drinking and fighting, and (5) stealing and drinking and fighting. So Tiffany asks them to help her steal back her baby brother. "Aye! Now yer talkin'!"

There's a magic portal she needs to find, and then monsters to overcome and the siren-lure of dreams and illusions to avoid. The Queen will commit any atrocity in order to stop her, from conjuring magical snow storms to slowing time to bringing in a team of lawyers. And the tale is told in Terry Prachett's celebrated whimsical fashion. Be prepare to laugh out loud, time and time again.

And if you're wondering about the best children's book, ever, that would be the sequel: Hat Full of Sky.

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Customer Reviews

Wee Free Men - or Scots Wa-har - Teresa Pietersen - Texas, USA
You know what to expect from a Pratchett discworld novel, probably even if you've never read one before. Fantasy world, with layers upon layers of satire and humor thrown in. But only Pratchett could make up a highland dialect that is totally incomprehensable and yet you still understand what the wee men are on about at a subconscious level. The Nac Mac Feegle are wonderful, if tiny, hells angels of this fantasy world and yet, it works on so many levels. Well written characters as usual, an escape from reality but with so many reminders of your own life and loved ones.

Not just for young adults ... old adults too - Reader - Poway, CA United States
It is difficult to find enough adjectives of praise to do justice to Terry Pratchett's Discworld books (or his other works, such as Nation). He is the most consistently witty author of his generation, and of a few other generations as well. Some of the Discworld volumes are better than others, but the Tiffany Aching books stand out because they were intended as youth or young adult literature, and while I am sure they work very well as such, they also work on an adult level. The Wee Free Men / Nac Mac Feagles / Pictsies are a fabulous foil for the young heroine, and through all three volumes the dynamic between them, Tiffany and the various witches never becomes tiring. One of a true master's finest ....

The Wee Free Men - Amanda OBrien - Northern Ireland
The Wee Free Men is the story of Tiffany Aching, a wannabe witch, who goes to rescue her annoying little brother from the clutches of The Queen of Fairyland. It may sound like your run of the mill childrens' story but when you consider this comes from the genius of Terry Pratchett, it is anything but. Helping Tiffany are a swarm of tiny blue pictsies who live for stealing, fighting and drinking. Much to Tiffany's dismay she learns that they were previously banished from fairyland for being drunk and disorderly. So of course mayhem ensues.
What can I say about this book other than it is totally brilliant. I received the three Tiffany books as a present last year and have read them so many times the poor books are practically falling apart. Every time I need a pick-me-up I reach for them and even though I could almost quote passages I still find myself laughing out loud at the antics of the Nac Mac Feegles.
The two following books in this series are equally exceptional. There are wonderful new characters but I'm glad to say the Nac Mac Feegles are still the stars. As a lover of snow I have to say The Wintersmith is my personal favourite but The Hat Full of Sky is not to be missed. I am looking forward to the next in the series, in fact so much so I have already ordered my copy.

*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Sep 16, 2010 05:00:07

Children's Books

Thursday, September 16, 2010