Equal Rites: A Discworld Novel (Witches, 1)

“Unadulterated fun. . . witty, frequently hilarious.”—San Francisco Chronicle

Chaos and hilarity ensue when a young woman becomes the first female wizard, upending the Discworld in this bitingly funny tale from internationally bestselling author Sir Terry Pratchett.

A little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but it’s not half so bad as a lot of ignorance.

Everyone knows there’s no such thing as a female wizard. So when a dying wizard accidentally passes on his staff of power to an eighth daughter of an eighth son, the exclusively masculine world of wizarding is thrown into a tailspin.

Eskarina isn’t afraid of male critics and she isn’t going to relinquish this unexpected gift. With a little hocus pocus from Granny Weatherwax, the Discworld’s most infamous witch (an old crone who has plenty of experience ignoring the status quo), Esk infiltrates the magical Unseen University and befriends another apprentice, a wizard named Simon.

But power is unpredictable, and these bright young students soon find themselves in a whole new dimension of trouble. . . .

The Discworld novels can be read in any order but Equal Rites is the first book in the Witches collection. The Witches collection, in order, includes:

• Equal Rites
• Wyrd Sisters
• Witches Abroad
• Lords and Ladies
• Maskerade
• Carpe Jugulum

Terry Pratchett (1948–2015) is the acclaimed creator of the globally revered Discworld series. In all, he authored more than fifty bestselling books, which have sold more than one hundred million copies worldwide. His novels have been widely adapted for stage and screen, and he was the winner of multiple prizes, including the Carnegie Medal. He was awarded a knighthood by Queen Elizabeth II for his services to literature in 2009, although he always wryly maintained that his greatest service to literature was to avoid writing any.