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The Shepherd's Crown
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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 41st novel in the Discworld
series, and the fifth based on the character Tiffany Aching. It was published in
the United Kingdom on 27 August 2015 by Penguin Random House publishers, and in the
United States on 1 September 2015.[1][2]
The Shepherd's Crown
Front cover of the book The Shepherd's Crown by Terry Pratchett, drawn by Paul
Kidby.jpeg
First UK edition
Author
Terry Pratchett
Cover artist
Paul Kidby
Language
English
Series

Discworld
41st Novel; 5th Tiffany Aching story

Subject

Characters:
Tiffany Aching, the Nac Mac Feegle
Locations:
The Chalk

Genre
Fantasy
Publisher
Doubleday Childrens (PRH)
Publication date
27 August 2015
Pages
304
ISBN
978-0-85753-481-1
Preceded by
Raising Steam

In early June 2015, Pratchett's daughter Rhianna Pratchett announced that The
Shepherd's Crown would be the last Discworld novel, and that no further work,
including unfinished work, would be published.[3]
PlotEdit

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, vegetarian 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 from their wives, he introduces the idea of sheds.

Nightshade, the former Queen of the Elves, is found by the Feegle stationed on the
Chalk at the gateway to fairyland. Her wings had been ripped off before she had
been forcibly ejected from her world. The Feegles restrain her until Tiffany
arrives and takes her in on her family farm. While there, she decides to carry as a
talisman the shepherd's crown, or fossilised Echinoid, that had been in the Aching
family for many generations. Tiffany attempts to teach Nightshade what it is to be
human and the motivations of kindness.

Tiffany gathers the witches to prepare for an invasion by the Elves. Geoffrey
marshals the old men, and assembles a fighting force. Tiffany attempts to enlist
the help of the Elf King. When that fails, she assigns the Feegles to build the
King a shed in the hope that it will earn his allegiance.

The elves break through at two stone circles: up in Lancre and down in the Chalk.
In Lancre, they are met by the assembled witches with help from Geoffrey and the
men and they are defeated. In the Chalk, they are met by Miss Tick, Letitia,
Tiffany, and the Nac Mac Feegle. Nightshade, with her glamour restored, fights for
Tiffany, whom she now considers a friend, until she is killed by Peaseblossom. The
elves seem to have the upper hand until Tiffany, wearing the shepherd's crown,
calls the power of the Chalk to bring a storm and commands the ghosts of her
grandmother's sheepdogs, Thunder and Lightning. She summons the King of the Elves,
who kills Peaseblossom, and she banishes the elves from the Land.

Tiffany decides to devote herself to the Chalk. She recommends that Geoffrey be
given Granny Weatherwax's steading, and hand-builds herself her own shepherd's hut,
reusing the old iron wheels from her late Granny Aching's shepherd's hut.
CharactersEdit

Tiffany Aching
Nightshade
Peaseblossom
Geoffrey Swivel
Esme Weatherwax

Reception
Writing
References
External links
Last edited 5 months ago by GrahamHardy
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