My continuing foray into reading Discworld in order: _Wyrd Sisters_, the
sixth book in the series. This is one of my favorites, and I've read it
so often I know it almost off by heart. It's a wicked satire of
Shakespeare's _MacBeth_ (along with a few other of his plays here and
there), but if that were all, it would be fluffy, silly fare. It's far
from that.

Firstly, it's the introduction of the "real" character of the prim,
serious Granny Weatherwax (the version in _Equal Rites_ is more of a
scribble) and her foil, the boisterous matriarch Nanny Ogg. The two are
the Laurel and Hardy of witches, and Granny's character ends up being
one of the most detailed and explored in the series. Here they're joined
by Magrat Garlick, the embodiment of the nervous, innocent witch who
really tries, but just doesn't get it. To some extent, she's Wrong Genre
Savvy[1], relying on things like occult jewellery when it's really
Granny's "headology" she should be studying.

Pratchett expertly juggles about four or five different story threads -
Granny and Nanny's bickering travails together, sometimes joined by
Magrat; Magrat's own explorations of love, in which she isn't entirely
sure she knows what to do; the ghost of King Verence, out for revenge;
the gloriously mad usurper Duke Felmet and his towering wife the
Duchess; and the adventures of a troupe of actors whose destinies are
intertwined with that of the protagonist.

The country of Lancre itself is a far cry from the bustling metropolis
of Ankh-Morpork (though the latter certainly makes an appearance); a
much more rural, solid place, where most dangers are created by nature
rather than man and people don't really have time for kings and whatnot,
being more concerned with their harvests and livestock. Pratchett
infuses the locations with local colour, all while exploring the nature
of illusion, destiny, duty, and a host of other issues with a deft hand.

This is a great place to start the series if you haven't yet and _The
Colour of Magic_ scares you off by being much worse quality than the
rest of it.