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 its not half so bad as a lot of ignorance.

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

Eskarina isnt afraid of male critics and she isnt going to relinquish this unexpected gift. With a little hocus pocus from Granny Weatherwax, the Discworlds 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 butEqual Ritesis the first book in the Witches collection. The Witches collection, in order, include:

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