The Shepherd's Crown UK cover
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Author | Terry Pratchett |
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Language | English |
Series |
Discworld 41st Novel - 5th Tiffany Aching story |
Subject |
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Genre | Fantasy |
Publisher | Doubleday Childrens |
Publication date
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27 August 2015 (UK) |
Pages | 304 |
ISBN | |
Preceded by | Raising Steam |
The Shepherd's Crown is a comic fantasy novel, the last book written by Terry Pratchett before his death in March 2015. It is the fifth novel in the Discworld series to be based on the character of Tiffany Aching, and was published in the UK on 27 August 2015 by Random House publishers, and in the United States on 1 September 2015.
In early June 2015 the custodian of the late author's works, his daughter Rhianna Pratchett, announced that it would be the last Discworld novel, and that no further works or books of unfinished work would be authorised for publication.
Tiffany Aching is busy running her steading and taking care of the people of the Chalk. Jeannie, the Kelda of the Nac Mac Feegle, is worried that she’s overworked. When Granny Weatherwax, Tiffany’s mentor, dies, she leaves everything to Tiffany, who becomes the first among equals of the witches.
Geoffrey, the third son of Lord Swivel, is well educated and a pacifist. He is dissatisfied with hunting practices he considers barbaric, and after a confrontation with his father, heads towards Lancre, intending to become a witch.
Meanwhile, in the domain of the Elves, Peaseblossom senses that the passing of Granny Weatherwax has weakened the barriers between the realms. When a goblin shows the faerie court what the humans are capable of with iron and the status that goblins have achieved, Peaseblossom usurps the Queen, intending to reenter the human world and reestablish the elves’ power.
Tiffany, spread thin tending to the Chalk and Granny Weatherwax’s old steading, employs Geoffrey as a backhouse boy and starts teaching him. He and his goat get on well with everybody, and Tiffany dubs him a calm-weaver. Intending to help old men have some autonomy, he introduces the idea of sheds.