Lords and Ladies (by Terry Pratchett)

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In my gradual re-reading of Terry Pratchett’s classic (and very lengthy) Discworld series, I reached the fourteenth book, ‘Lords and Ladies’.  It’s a very long time since I last read it. Indeed, it’s possible that I have only previously read it once, shortly after acquiring it in the mid 1990s.  I recalled, vaguely, that it was about elves and that morris dancing came into it somewhere…

I had forgotten that it’s - sort of - a sequel to ‘Wyrd Sisters’ and ‘Witches Abroad’, although the latter is more of a digression in the story of Magrat and Verence. ‘Lords and Ladies’ takes place when the three Lancre witches have returned from foreign parts, and Magrat is due to be married to the King. She feels a little overwhelmed by her potential change in circumstances, and is a bit confused that everything, including the dress, seems to be arranged without her having any say in it…

Of course Discworld books never have just one storyline. And the main one in this is a breakthrough from the world of elves into the Disc. Elves, according to Pratchett, are glamorous and enticing… and entirely narcissistic. They crave power and amusement, and make themselves appealing in a way that few people can resist. The only thing that can hold them at bay is iron, and their world is kept locked by a circle of stones containing a form of magnetic iron.

But some young and foolish women want to be witches in a way that doesn’t fit at all with the Discworld style of wise women and healers. And they are tempted by the queen of the elves...

We meet two of Nanny Ogg’s sons in this story, too. Shawn Ogg is a kind of jack-of-all-trades in the castle, working as butler, and guard, and cleaner, and many other roles, although he often gets bored. And Jason Ogg is the master blacksmith of the town, a job at which he is extremely skilled.

And there’s yet another subplot involving three of the wizards from Ankh Morpork and the librarian, who have been invited to the royal wedding and make their way there by coach. Along the way they pick up Casanunda, the dwarf who is the Disc’s second most famous lover… and he takes a shine to Nanny Ogg. There’s even an unexpected hint of romance for Granny Weatherwax although she turned her back on such things as a teenager.

Pratchett throws all this into the melting pot with some philosophical discussion about infinite universes and the trousers of time, some Morris dancers who are determined to produce a play for the wedding entertainment, and several references to Shakespeare’s ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’. The result is a very enjoyable novel which, once it got going, was hard to put down.

I very much like the way that Pratchett introduces characters in one book and then develops them into three-dimensional people (using the term ‘people’ in its broadest sense) in later novels in the series. Magrat shows considerable courage and strength in this book, albeit somewhat fighting against her natural tendency to blend into the background. I decided I liked her very much. There is evidence of Granny Weatherwax being vulnerable, too, and of Nanny Ogg being practical and determined.

There are some quite raunchy references although disguised sufficiently that a child reading this probably wouldn’t get most of them - not that the story is likely to be of much interest to children. There are the usual amusing satirical references, one-liner asides and footnotes, some of which made me chuckle aloud.  And naturally enough, there’s a positive ending, albeit a little more sudden than I was expecting.

All in all, I liked this much better than I had expected to. Definitely recommended, but please read ‘Wyrd Sisters’ first, and possibly ‘Witches Abroad’ too, although that one is less significant.

Review copyright 2020 Sue's Book Reviews