Witches – DaneCobain.com

Philip Pullman – Northern Lights | Review

Title: Northern Lights

Author: Philip Pullman

Type: Fiction

Page Count/Review Word Count: 404

Rating: 10/10

Philip Pullman – Northern Lights

If I could give this book an 11/10, I would – this, for me, is the book that made me fall in love with reading, and all three of the books in the trilogy, the ‘His Dark Materials‘ trilogy, are guaranteed a 10/10 from the start. In this book, we’re introduced to Lyra Belacqua, the protagonist of the series, and the first fictional character I ever had a crush on. Seems a bit weird now, because she’s just a kid and I’m 26, but then I was just a kid when I first read this.

In fact, the book was a gift from my grandparents when I was off school sick and they were looking after me. I’m not sure whether they realised what they were giving me, at the time – that single act of kindness was a defining moment in my life, and I probably wouldn’t be a writer if that hadn’t happened.

Lyra’s world is a lot like our world, except with a few intriguing differences – in many ways, the technology of Pullman’s world has a steampunk feel, and their alternative history has led to some fascinating clashes between technology that we’re familiar with and creatures that are new to us. The creatures and the characterisation are one of the things that make this book so impressive – you can expect to see witches, soulless children, armoured bears called Panserbjørn, and even daemons.

Daemons deserve a paragraph of their own, because it’s a fantastic concept and one that’s always resonated with me. Effectively, daemons are the outward manifestation of people’s souls, and everyone has one. They appear as talking animals, which can change shape at will until a child reaches puberty, when they settle upon a final form. In my case, I’m pretty sure my daemon would be a wolf. The only problem with having a daemon, as far as I can tell, is that if you get separated or if your daemon dies, you’ll die as well. But then, if a part of your soul dies, then wouldn’t it be better for the body to die with it anyway?

This is one of the concepts that Pullman investigates in the book, and so I’m not going to say much more about it – I love this book, and I think everyone should read it. Why are you waiting?

Philip Pullman

Click here to buy Northern Lights.

Terry Pratchett – Witches Abroad | Review

Title: Witches Abroad

Author: Terry Pratchett

Type: Fiction

Page Count/Review Word Count: 288

Rating: 8/10

Terry Pratchett – Witches Abroad

What happens when the Disc’s witches go on holiday? Well, we’re about to find out! Witches Abroad tells the story of what happens when Granny Weatherwax, Nanny Ogg and Magrat Garlick travel to Genua to try to make sure that a servant girl doesn’t marry a prince, in a desperate break from tradition. But, as the book’s blurb says, “You can’t fight a Happy Ending.”

Witches Abroad is one of my favourites out of the novels that Pratchett wrote about the witches, although I must admit that I did always prefer them as supporting characters, rather than as the main attraction. Still, here they’re at their best, and their dialogue will have you howling with laughter. I was also a fan of the story line, here – in some ways, it’s a little bit meta, and it’s interesting to watch Pratchett having fun with his narrative, especially since this is one of the earlier books in the series.

If you’re a fan of the witches as characters then I’d definitely recommend this, but if you’re completely new to Pratchett then I’d suggest checking out something like Guards! Guards! instead. That’s not to say that Witches Abroad isn’t a fantastic novel, because it is – it’s just that it’s up against a lot of tough competition. That said, the good thing about Pratchett’s work is that even though you do pick up a few extra nuances if you read the books in order, they all tend to work pretty well as standalones, too. Because of that, if you want to start with Witches Abroad then by all means do so! Have fun.