The Wee Free Men

By: Terry Pratchett

Narrated by: Stephen Briggs

Length: 7 hrs and 9 mins

Publisher's summary

Armed only with a frying pan and her common sense, Tiffany Aching, a young witch-to-be, is all that stands between the monsters of Fairyland and the warm, green Chalk country that is her home. Forced into Fairyland to seek her kidnapped brother, Tiffany allies herself with the Chalk's local Nac Mac Feegle, aka the Wee Free Men, a clan of sheep-stealing, sword-wielding, six-inch-high blue men who are as fierce as they are funny. Together, they battle through an eerie and ever-shifting landscape, fighting brutal flying fairies, dream-spinning dromes, and grimhounds (black dogs with eyes of fire and teeth of razors) before ultimately confronting the Queen of the Elves, absolute ruler of a world in which reality intertwines with nightmare. And in the final showdown, Tiffany must face her cruel power alone.

In a riveting narrative equal parts suspense and humor, Carnegie Medalist Terry Pratchett returns to his internationally popular Discworld with a breath-taking tale certain to leave fans, new and old, enthralled.

©2003 Terry Pratchett (P)2003 HarperCollins Publishers, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Briggs reads the prose with rhythmic glee and suspenseful understanding....This tale is especially recommended for all girls who wonder why boy characters like Harry Potter seem to get all the magical action." (AudioFile)
"The book is full of witty dialogue and a wacky cast of characters....A funny and thought-provoking fantasy, with powerfully visual scenes and characters that remain with readers. A glorious read." (School Library Journal)

An exciting beginning to a great series

Stephen Briggs does a great job bringing to life the first and Terry Pratchett excellent Tiffany Aching and Wee Free Men series. I love his accent for the Nac Mac Feegle.

Fun and Humorous

there were of course moments in this story where I was flabbergasted by the strength each word held, but the overall humor of it all, on top of the impeccable imagery and story telling is what truly stood out to me. I could see each scene, and more then once had an audible chuckle about it. loved this book so so much, and the performance did it justice:)♥️ 10/10 would read again!

Third thoughts

This is Sir Terry at his best, make no mistake. The performance was good and true to the accents and language he wrote.

Awesome

The book is one of my favorites and the audio quality sounds old but it feels soothing to me at the same time.

One of Terry's Best

I have been listening to Terry Pratchett's books while commuting for a couple of years, and this is one of the best. Tiffany, the nine-year-old witch, and the Nac Mac Feegle are hilarious and serious at the same time, and the sense of place, the "Land under Wave" that plays a huge part in the book is wonderfully invoked. I laughed often and loved Terry's reworking of some very traditional fantasy themes as seen through his particular set of cracked lenses. I would recommend this both to adults and older children, particularly girls who need some heros of their own, and especially to the parents of those girls. Just a great read.

Laugh out loud

I have been an adult for a long time and find this young adult/children's series very enjoyable. The plots are light but entertaining that the humor is laugh out loud funny. Not sugary sweet but not bleak either. The NacMacFleegals and Wee Big Hag make easy listening.

Wonderful Wee Free Men

Rarely do I read books that have young female characters as delightfully thoughtful as Tiffany. No foolish young maid in it for love - no this is a book where a girl is a girl, the way many girls are before they discover boys. And the way many a girl is even after discovering silly boys. Stephen Briggs is a delight to listen to as he brings to life all of the characters. A wonderful complement Mr. Pratchett and Mr. Briggs - I will be looking for other books where they have teamed up.

For the young...but still entertaining :)

This one is DEFinitely written for a younger audience...but Terry Pratchet is TERRY PRATCHET and that's a fact :) The little dudes are Hilarious, and somewhere in the middle you just don't seem to mind so much that it's written for a younger audience. I am (actually) debating on exploring this bit further...as I REALLY enjoyed the Granny Weatherwax character (LOL) from an earlier Discworld book ...and it seems to be going that way too. Laugh. Love. And BE Merry :)

Another Pratchett Hit!

Okay, I'm a fan. But, this surpassed my expectations! The reading was clear and the story is fun and carries Pratchett's usual social commentary. The Wee Free Men are sometimes a bit difficult to understand (the Scottish accent is well done, no further explanation needed.)

All in all, this is a great book for middle school and older, and is a fun romp.

Highly recommended!

Actually this is book one

This has been a favorite for a few years. The reader is fantastic. The story well written.