Starting book: Equal Rites or Wyrd Sisters
What’s to love: sassy grandmothers; girlbosses; old friendships with a grumpy/sunshine dynamic; Shakespeare retellings done with generous doses of humour
Depending on where you start, the Witches series follows a slightly different cast of characters. Many recommend starting with Wyrd Sisters as it’s considered the first ‘proper’ Witches book, but others will remind you that Equal Rites is technically the first published Witches book. That being said, it’s generally agreed that Equal Rites was published before Pratchett was considered to have hit his writing ‘stride’. Either way, the central figure of these books is Granny Weatherwax, a forbidding witch who is incredibly intelligent and doesn’t have time for other people’s foolishness. She is aided and abetted by her close friend Nanny Ogg, who doesn’t let her old age get in the way of a good time. Their contrasting grumpy/sunshine dynamic makes for some very funny reads. Whilst the Witches series can just be read as a set of fun adventures battling supernatural creatures, it’s ultimately also a commentary on ageing, and what it means to be a woman within the context of fantasy literature.
