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wickedgrumpy's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.75
Trying to get into the Discworld and I loved this book! It was equal parts charming (funny and clever) and challenging (how the world works versus how it could/should work). The characters are vibrant and distinct, the world building fantastic, the magic system hilarious... I'm looking forward to making my way through the series.
Content Warnings
Minor: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Misogyny, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Medical content, Grief, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Classism
quitegood's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This is an incredibly curious book, that explores further into how magic works in Discworld. Pratchett as ever fills the page with mind bending visual that is does feel like the pages shift like magical grimoires of the Unseen University Library. I do wish some ideas had had chance to be explored more. The ending was a little anti-climatic, but that seems to be the case for all Pratchett novels I've read thus far.
But regardless of all of that, this book is an immensely enjoyable and funny read, and you can certainly see why Granny Weatherwax made a return in future novels.
But regardless of all of that, this book is an immensely enjoyable and funny read, and you can certainly see why Granny Weatherwax made a return in future novels.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia
demo's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny and Sexism
Minor: Body shaming, Fatphobia, and Violence
booksthatburn's review
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
EQUAL RITES is the origin story of Discworld’s first female wizard, and her journey to grudging acceptance in magical society.
The narrative style is wry and witty, the unnamed narrator assuming that the reader is from our world and not Discworld, which provides space for funny comparisons, metaphors, and other observations. The narrator knows more than the characters in an absolute sense, but consistently uses that knowledge to provide humor and context.
Most of the characters start out with some sexist assumptions about how things ought to work, and the point of the story is them realizing the shape of those assumptions and questioning their validity in the face of a child whose existence refutes them absolutely. The cadence of the physical journey and the mental transformation blends together into a well-paced story. I liked it and I’m looking forward to later developments in this slice of Discworld.
I must briefly review a few caveats, however. This stands out as a book with several canonically fat characters but it does not equally mention when characters are thin, leaving the impression that fatness is strange and noteworthy. There’s also a comment about weight loss that technically fit with the moment but was uncomfortable to read and really unnecessary. The other thing is there’s a character with an obvious stutter who is portrayed as being grateful for other people interrupting to guess his next word for him, and then the stutter is magically cured at the end of the book. There are several scenes of him being interrupted while speaking, making it a running gag that ends abruptly once he’s cured. When compared with the subtle portrayals of characters gradually confronting and untangling their sexist prejudices, the handling of the stuttering character stands out as likely being ableist rather than being a fictional portrayal of ableism.
The narrative style is wry and witty, the unnamed narrator assuming that the reader is from our world and not Discworld, which provides space for funny comparisons, metaphors, and other observations. The narrator knows more than the characters in an absolute sense, but consistently uses that knowledge to provide humor and context.
Most of the characters start out with some sexist assumptions about how things ought to work, and the point of the story is them realizing the shape of those assumptions and questioning their validity in the face of a child whose existence refutes them absolutely. The cadence of the physical journey and the mental transformation blends together into a well-paced story. I liked it and I’m looking forward to later developments in this slice of Discworld.
I must briefly review a few caveats, however. This stands out as a book with several canonically fat characters but it does not equally mention when characters are thin, leaving the impression that fatness is strange and noteworthy. There’s also a comment about weight loss that technically fit with the moment but was uncomfortable to read and really unnecessary. The other thing is there’s a character with an obvious stutter who is portrayed as being grateful for other people interrupting to guess his next word for him, and then the stutter is magically cured at the end of the book. There are several scenes of him being interrupted while speaking, making it a running gag that ends abruptly once he’s cured. When compared with the subtle portrayals of characters gradually confronting and untangling their sexist prejudices, the handling of the stuttering character stands out as likely being ableist rather than being a fictional portrayal of ableism.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism, Fatphobia, and Sexism
Minor: Cursing, Drug use, Racism, and Excrement