Equal Rites (Discworld, #3; Witches, #1) by Terry Pratchett

In Discworld, there are unwritten rules that govern magic. One of these is- guys are wizards and girls are witches. Wizards have staffs. Witches have pointy hats and work with nature.

When the eighth son of an eighth son has a daughter who is mistaken for a boy at her birth, a wizard leaving his legacy to someone who is destined to be incredibly powerful becomes somewhat of a problem. Untrained wizards are dangerous. But who is going to take responsibility for Esk, a girl who wants to be a wizard?

“They say a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but it is not one half so bad as a lot of ignorance.” pg 37, ebook

Granny Weatherwax, that’s who, the local witch and an all-around no-nonsense kind of person.

What follows is a rollicking adventure through Discworld but also an examination of assumptions from our ordinary world.

“Esk, of course, had not been trained, and it is well known that a vital ingredient of success is not knowing that what you’re attempting can’t be done.” pg 61, ebook.

It is also a delightful skewering of gender roles and what society expects from each.

“Granny had counted the temples with a thoughtful look in her eyes; gods were always demanding that their followers acted other than according to their true natures, and the human fallout this caused made plenty of work for witches.” pg 76, ebook

Highly recommended for fantasy readers who enjoy heaping helpings of humor with their stories.

This was my second read-through for Equal Rites. I first enjoyed this book several years ago. And here is my review from the first go-round:
I was afraid that I wouldn’t like this, the third book in the Discworld series, as much as the previous books since it wasn’t starring Rincewind and Twoflower, but I shouldn’t have worried. Granny Weatherwax and Esk were excellent heroines and just as fun to read about as the boys.

Pratchett’s Discworld is such a fantastic and surprising place, so different from structured reality, that it was really interesting to explore native prejudices and expectations among the inhabitants. Girls are witches and boys are wizards until Esk is born and turns those expectations on their head. Her struggles to find her place in the magical world and Granny’s attempts to teach her are slightly reminiscent of The Once and Future King, but with a feminine twist.

This is a fun read that fans of fantasy will certainly enjoy.

Thanks for reading!

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