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NEWSFLASH: an authorised extract from The Shepherd's Crown!
On the USA's National Public Radio site, an extract from The Shepherd's Crown! Published with permission! Hurrah!
Under the cut is a small extract from the extract.. For those of you who wish to avoid spoilage, don't click on it :-)
For those of you who with to read the entire extract as republished, go to http://n.pr/1hH1CMw
NPR says:
The young witch Tiffany Aching returns in Pratchett's last Discworld novel, The Shepherd's Crown. Readers first met Tiffany in 2003's The Wee Free Men, when she faced down the wicked Queen of the Elves to rescue her baby brother. Now, the Queen (she's really not very nice at all) is back — dealing with a rebellion among oppressed goblins — great change is coming to the Disc, and it may fall to Tiffany to restore the balance.
In this scene, the Queen begins to realize that her power is fading. The Shepherd's Crown will be published on Sept. 1.
In your Editor's opinion, Sir Pterry's writing has lost none of its magic. This extract proves it.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The goblin prisoner was brought into the audience chamber under guard. The whole effect was visually stunning, the goblin thought sourly. Exactly as a fairy court would look in a human child's storybook. Until you looked at the faces and realized that there was something not quite right about the eyes and the expressions of the beautiful creatures in the scene.
The Queen considered the goblin for a while, resting her fine-boned chin on the fingers of one exquisitely thin hand. Her alabaster brow furrowed.
"You, goblin, you call yourself Of the Dew the Sunlight, I believe. You and your kind have long enjoyed the protection of this court. Yet I hear talk of rebellion. A refusal to do my bidding. Before I hand you over to my guards for their ... amusement, tell me why this is."
Her melodious voice was rich with charm as the words were spoken, but the goblin seemed unmoved. He should have fallen to his knees and begged for her forgiveness, hypnotized by the power of the Queen's glamour, but instead he stood his ground stockily and grinned at her. Grinned at the Queen!
"Well, Queenie, it's like this, you see. Goblins is now treated as upright citizens in human world. Humans say goblins useful. We likes being useful. We gets paid for being useful and finding out things and making things."
The Queen's beautiful visage slipped and she glared at the cheeky creature in front of her.
"That's impossible," she shouted. "You goblins are the dregs, everyone knows that!"
"Ah ha!" laughed the goblin. "Queenie not so clever as she thinks. Goblins riding on hog's back now. Goblins know how to drive the iron horses."
There was a shiver in the court as the goblin uttered the word "iron" and the magical glimmer dimmed. The Queen's dress changed color from silver gossamer to bloodred velvet and her blond ringlets turned into straight, raven-black locks. Her courtiers followed suit as the pastel silks and lace made way for leather breeches, scarlet sashes, and scraps of fur over woad-covered torsos. Elven stone knives were drawn and sharp teeth bared.
The little goblin did not flinch....
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Also, for those of you who will have read The Shepherd's Crown by the time you see this, here be a first review, in The Guardian, by literary giant and longtime Pratchett fan AS Byatt. WARNING: IF YOU HAVE NOT YET READ THE SHEPHERD'S CROWN AND WANT TO AVOID SERIOUSLY MAJOR SPOILAGE, DO NOT CLICK THE LINK BELOW!!!.
Really. Seriously. But I felt it was important to post it here for people who have read the book...
Here is The Guardian review.
— Annie Mac, Editor
Under the cut is a small extract from the extract.. For those of you who wish to avoid spoilage, don't click on it :-)
For those of you who with to read the entire extract as republished, go to http://n.pr/1hH1CMw
NPR says:
The young witch Tiffany Aching returns in Pratchett's last Discworld novel, The Shepherd's Crown. Readers first met Tiffany in 2003's The Wee Free Men, when she faced down the wicked Queen of the Elves to rescue her baby brother. Now, the Queen (she's really not very nice at all) is back — dealing with a rebellion among oppressed goblins — great change is coming to the Disc, and it may fall to Tiffany to restore the balance.
In this scene, the Queen begins to realize that her power is fading. The Shepherd's Crown will be published on Sept. 1.
In your Editor's opinion, Sir Pterry's writing has lost none of its magic. This extract proves it.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The goblin prisoner was brought into the audience chamber under guard. The whole effect was visually stunning, the goblin thought sourly. Exactly as a fairy court would look in a human child's storybook. Until you looked at the faces and realized that there was something not quite right about the eyes and the expressions of the beautiful creatures in the scene.
The Queen considered the goblin for a while, resting her fine-boned chin on the fingers of one exquisitely thin hand. Her alabaster brow furrowed.
"You, goblin, you call yourself Of the Dew the Sunlight, I believe. You and your kind have long enjoyed the protection of this court. Yet I hear talk of rebellion. A refusal to do my bidding. Before I hand you over to my guards for their ... amusement, tell me why this is."
Her melodious voice was rich with charm as the words were spoken, but the goblin seemed unmoved. He should have fallen to his knees and begged for her forgiveness, hypnotized by the power of the Queen's glamour, but instead he stood his ground stockily and grinned at her. Grinned at the Queen!
"Well, Queenie, it's like this, you see. Goblins is now treated as upright citizens in human world. Humans say goblins useful. We likes being useful. We gets paid for being useful and finding out things and making things."
The Queen's beautiful visage slipped and she glared at the cheeky creature in front of her.
"That's impossible," she shouted. "You goblins are the dregs, everyone knows that!"
"Ah ha!" laughed the goblin. "Queenie not so clever as she thinks. Goblins riding on hog's back now. Goblins know how to drive the iron horses."
There was a shiver in the court as the goblin uttered the word "iron" and the magical glimmer dimmed. The Queen's dress changed color from silver gossamer to bloodred velvet and her blond ringlets turned into straight, raven-black locks. Her courtiers followed suit as the pastel silks and lace made way for leather breeches, scarlet sashes, and scraps of fur over woad-covered torsos. Elven stone knives were drawn and sharp teeth bared.
The little goblin did not flinch....
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Also, for those of you who will have read The Shepherd's Crown by the time you see this, here be a first review, in The Guardian, by literary giant and longtime Pratchett fan AS Byatt. WARNING: IF YOU HAVE NOT YET READ THE SHEPHERD'S CROWN AND WANT TO AVOID SERIOUSLY MAJOR SPOILAGE, DO NOT CLICK THE LINK BELOW!!!.
Really. Seriously. But I felt it was important to post it here for people who have read the book...
Here is The Guardian review.
— Annie Mac, Editor