Read-Along: I Shall Wear Midnight by Terry Pratchett, Part 3

We've come to the end of Terry Pratchett's I Shall Wear Midnight, and also to the end of the entire Tiffany Aching series. This week's questions were contributed by Lisa of Over the Effing Rainbow, and they cover to the end of the novel.

It's been a lot of fun reading everyone's answers, and I hope that I will see you guys in more read-alongs some day! Many thanks to Susan of Dab of Darkness and Lisa of Over the Effing Rainbow for hosting this Read-Along. Also, thanks to Lynn (of Lynn's Books) and Sue (of Coffee, Cookies and Chili Peppers) for all their discussions! Now, on to the final discussion questions.

Also, I haven't been very diligent about spoiler warnings, but there are spoilers of the whole book (and series) ahead!

Well, now. It seems Letitia is much more than just a snivelly 'princess in the tower'... What do you think of the way she handles the ghosts at Keepsake Hall?

She still irritates me a bit, but I concede that she has skills. She seems to be a pretty good person, but I think she's kind of oblivious of how good she has life. She's jealous of Tiffany's life, but has no idea what it would be like to grow up on a farm, to not have money, or to go through half of the hardships Tiffany's been through in the past few books. I think that's pretty much why Tiffany feels so much older than her-- in terms of life experience, she is much older. I do agree with Tiffany, though, that Roland is in for a surprise if he genuinely thinks of Letitia as 'uncomplicated'.

"We do right, we don't do nice..." Miss Smith turns up again - in another unusual way - and she's got some eye-opening words for Tiffany here... Do you agree that Tiffany's got to grow up a little more still, or should she just ask for help with the Cunning Man?

I really appreciated Miss Smith's words to Tiffany. Tiffany was starting to get a bit too cocky, and I think Miss Smith was right to point that the Cunning Man is dangerous, and she can't just assume she'll figure things out eventually. You can't just assume something (like dramatic failure) won't happen just because it never has before, that's a sure way towards a fall.

However, I undrerstand why Tiffany really couldn't ask for help in this instance. It had more to do with the working of the witch community, yet again. As Tiffany explained, once she was older, she could probably ask for help and not have it be a big deal. At her age, she had to be able to help herself, or risk permanently losing all her prestige as a witch.

Preston earns even more trust from Tiffany, and she makes an interesting point about whether or not the Cunning Man will be dangerous to him... Do you think the two of them can take him on?

I think Tiffany may just be right that he's immune. Preston seems like a really, genuinely good guy. Lynn called this one, but I agree that he is the right guy for Tiff, in the end. Their last exchange, “What is the sound of love?” …. “Listen.” was an incredibly sweet ending for the series. And also, yes, I think they can beat anything!

Speaking of taking on the Cunning Man, he's getting closer - and in a very alarming way. This is certainly different, and it's keeping Mrs Proust involved. Do you think she might be the exception to the "kindly assistance" rule among witches?

I don't think Mrs. Proust would be 'nice about' anything, if that's what you mean! She seems to be a very kind person in actions, but not a very kind person in temperament. Also, I think that all she did was provide Tiffany with information, much like Miss Smith. Surely there's no rule against letting friends keep you well-informed.

O-ho, so the Duchess has a secret of her own... Are you surprised?

A bit, but in retrospect, it makes sense. I am a little disappointed how this played out, though, I guess it would be too much to ask from the Duchess, but it would be nice if the reminder of her past awoke her to the realization that she should treat people of all stations with respect. Instead, she just tried to appease Mrs. Proust, so that no one would know she had a past as a poor woman of possibly easy virtue (Tiffany's understanding of 'strumpet' still makes me laugh). At least, we find out that she does care for her servants. I think her loyalty to caring for sick and elderly servants rounded out her character a bit.

Tiffany defeats the Cunning Man! What did you make of this scene?

I am honestly surprised that Tiffany killed the guy. I mean, we'd been told he was a murderer, and that the spirit would not leave his body until his death. Even so, I am surprised by Tiffany's, “No mercy, no redemption.” It was a pretty clever way to end him, though. She had help, but the plan and execution were hers alone. Also, what a weird wedding ceremony! I don't blame Letitia and Roland for doing it again later, in a more ordinary way!