Tiffany Aching

They think magic comes free when I snap my fingers. But if I can't do this for them, now, what good am I? I can't let them see I'm afraid. Witches aren't allowed to be afraid. And this is my fault. I: I started all this. I must finish it.

Wintersmith by Terry Pratchett

Description

Tiffany Aching, not quite 13 year old witch-in-training, attracts the unwanted romantic advances of the personification of Winter on top of her attempts to learn the ways and means of magic from Miss Treason. She hides from the Wintersmith with the help of Granny Weatherwax, Agnes Nitt, and Nanny Ogg, all members of her coven, as her servants, the Nac Mac Feegles, eat and drink and try to rescue the lady of Summer.

There are two books prior to Wintersmith—The Wee Free Men and A Hatful of Sky— but Pratchett eases the new reader in such that it's simple to understand who or what is going on. Wintersmith is a wonderful coming of age story, mixed with romance, mixed with the hilarity of the Feegles (drunken smurfs anyone?), mixed with the magic and life of any other Terry Pratchett novel.

 

Character classes

Kelda ("Big wee hag")

Tiffany was briefly queen of the Nac Mac Feegles, which is one of the reasons they try to "help" her.

Shepherd

Tiffany's life in the Chalk has taught her much about the care of animals.

Summer Lady

By dancing in the Morris dance and interfering with nature, she catches the eye of the Wintersmith and inadvertently takes on the role of the Summer Lady.

Witch-in-training

In Wintersmith, Tiffany undergoes a part of her formal apprenticeship in her Witch training.

 

Abilities

Boffo

From Miss Treason, Tiffany learns how to use a joke catalog to supplement her hold over villagers with common costumes and gag devices.

Fertile Feet

As the Summer Lady, wherever her feet step, plants grow, wood planks warp and bend.

Flight

She can fly through use of a broomstick.

Headology

All witches manipulate the laws of nature by using Pratchett's form of psychology.

Herbalism

Instead of using magic to do everything that they want, the witches of the mountains treat many problems with gathered herbs and medicines.

Languages

Due to the presence of the deceased wizard Sensibility Bustle who resides in her head, Tiffany can instantly translate (or rather, listen to Sensibility) words from any language.

Rituals

The people of the mountains need rituals to reinforce their faith in the power of witchcraft and Tiffany pays attention to all of them.

Transfer heat

Granny Weatherwax teaches her the ability to take heat from one source and apply it to another.

Equipment

Boffo Catalog

The Boffo catalog is filled with all sorts of costumes and gags that peasants believe in.

Broomstick

Witches use these to fly. At the beginning of the novel Tiffany is using training broomsticks to help her fly straight.

Chaffinch's Mythology

A book of mythology that she uses to understand the Wintersmith.

Horn of Plenty

The Cornucopia is endlessly vast inside and when commanded pours out large quantities of anything she can ask for (the Nac Mac Feegles discover it can deliver beer).

 

Allies

Granny Weatherwax

The no-nonsense leader of the mountain witches, Granny teaches Tiffany important spells and things that she needs to escape the attentions of the Wintersmith.

Horace

A Lancre Blue cheese whom Tiffany made who eats mice.

Miss Treason

Tiffany apprentices for Miss Treason, and learns the truth about every rumor surrounding Miss Treason's demon in the basement, the spiders she eats, and the skulls in her eye sockets.

Nac Mac Feegles

Essentially drunk fighting Scottish smurfs, the Nac Mac Feegles follow Tiffany and "help" her by fighting battles, getting drunk, and reading her diary. Just don't ask them to spell "marmalade."

Petulia Gristle

A member of her coven, Petulia shows Tiffany what it means to be a good working witch as she's particularly skilled with pigs.

Roland

A character she rescued from the faeries and who writes to Tiffany all the time, Roland has to learn to fight and travel to the Underworld to rescue the Summer Lady.

Sensibility Bustle

The dead wizard in her head (see: Ability: Languages)

Silver Horse Pendant

The Wintersmith uses the pendant to locate Tiffany as it's an object she cherises from Roland.

 

Enemies

Annagramma Hawkin

She's loud, she's bossy, she's too stuck up to do things like treat with animals or peasants, and she's the leader of Tiffany's coven.

Summer Lady

The Summer Lady speaks

Wintersmith

He's the elemental of winter and threatens to freeze the land in his efforts to fall in love with Tiffany.

Exploration

The Chalk

The hills have flint, which is where Tiffany gathers much of her strength.

The Underworld

There's a ferryman there, who wants nothing to do with the Nac Mac Feegles.

 

Quests

Organize Miss Treason's funeral

Witches know the moment of their death and so it's up to Tiffany to make sure that her funeral goes well without the loss of sausages from the meals.

Rescue Annagramma Hawkin

Annagramma seems to be an enemy, but she has to learn how to take care of the peasants after Miss Treason passes, and she doesn't have the proper skills. Tiffany should leave her to fail, but that would be bad for witches all over the mountains.

Rescue the Summer Lady

She resides in the Underworld while Tiffany is pursued by the Wintersmith.

Stop the Wintersmith

The Wintersmith threatens the lands of the Chalk, the lands of the Dreamships, and all the world with the cold of his love.

Credits

The picture of Tiffany Aching and the Nac Mac Feegles comes from the UK cover hardback edition of A Hatful of Sky.

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