I found I Shall Wear Midnight the most sophisticated and well-written novel and thus a fitting end to the four book series Terry said he would write. It takes a place among the best of Pratchett’s novels. Unlike Jeff, I found this novel much darker and more frightening than any of the previous books. Arguably Tiffany fights “fairy-tale” opponents in the first three books. In this one, however, she faces an all too real threat. This malignant force is of a different level of danger than anything she has previously encountered. The reality of her danger is made clear by the “city witches”. If she cannot destroy the Cunning Man, he will possess her skills and powers to wreak his dark havoc on the Discworld. That is why the other witches are there to kill both of them if she fails to kill him.
This personification of evil is not just a threat to her. He is a threat to society as a whole. He preys on that part of the human soul which wants to scapegoat someone else for whatever seems to be wrong. And this scapegoat is always someone who is different, someone they can easily justify killing. As with Thud, there is a strong “religious” element in this hatred of the others. But the Cunning Man is far more dangerous than the Summoning Dark. The Summoning Dark affects one person, but the Cunning Man infects a society. Thou shall not suffer a witch to live (or a Muslim, or a Jew or anyone who is obviously different). His unreasoning anger caused him to burn the original beautiful witch in spite of his attraction to her; and she clasped him to herself in a parody of a loving embrace so that he burned also. But he survived physically, and as a soulless force. Tiffany must, as others have done before her, destroy him by fire while saving herself. He will undoubtedly re-appear, but not for a long time.
There are two reasons why Tiffany and the Feegles must go briefly to Ankh-Morpork. Tiffany has to travel there to tell Roland personally of his father’s death. There is no indication there is a clacks tower on the downs, and this is a message she needs to deliver in person to someone who has been, and still is, important in her life. And secondly, Tiffany must go there to meet Esk. (Terry incidentally answers all those readers who want to know whatever happened to Esk.) Esk is apparently based in AM (as a wizard) and she is the only witch who has gone back in time to see the beginning of this malignancy. The Om of that time is much like the horrors of the Spanish Inquisition. The same sort of “holier-than-thou” attitude is already working in the Nurse, who falsely accuses Tiffany of murder and theft. But, when she is caught later in the book by the Baron’s soldiers it is clear that she will get her just deserts for being a thief and a troublemaker (unlike the previous nurses). But that nurse is not nearly powerful enough for the Cunning Man to inhabit in his search for Tiffany. The old Baron’s true “nurse” was Tiffany in her role as the Witch.
Tiffany is the first and only witch ever to have gotten directly involved with an elemental force: The Wintersmith. He was capable of destroying all life on the Discworld. No wonder every person who has magical talent felt Tiffany’s destruction of him in his self-created part human personification as he intended to make her his Queen. But the threat posed by Winter was not nearly as dangerous as that posed by the Cunning Man. Winter may freeze their bodies, but evil corrupts their souls.
And just as Tiffany has changed and grown through her determination to become a great witch, the Feegles have also changed dramatically but slowly through the four books. They have a new Kelda who has brought changes and who is now as close to Tiffany as the prior one was to Granny Aching. They have saved Roland at least twice, and he needs to recognize them. The Kelda has treated Amber and told Tiffany that she, like Letitia, needs training because she also has magical gifts. Thus it is appropriate that Wee Mad Arthur (who is clearly a Feegle, unlike Buggy Swires) returns to his people. But for all their humor, this clan of Nac Mac Feegles is a powerful natural force on the Downs and they, too, are capable of love and responsibility. The Feegles in Lancre already have a deed to their land.(CJ) And Rob is only kept from killing the Baron’s troops by Tiffany’s command as their former Kelda and their Hag o’ the Hills. These Feegles have little humor to add to this dark book.
In her final appearance before Roland, Tiffany gives him the respect that is due to the new Baron, but she also takes a major step toward changing the people of the Chalk—by educating them and making them stronger. Tiffany throughout the book is run off her feet because she has a steading far too big and with too many people for her to care for. She will now start having young witches come to her. They may or may not include Leticia and Amber. And certainly there is a suggestion that Preston will help her in her big responsibility. They clearly are a pair of like minds.
