Equal Rites

by Terry Pratchett

HarperTorch, 2000 [1987], ISBN 0-06-102069-9

A book review by Elisabeth Carey

A dying wizard makes his way to a blacksmith's home, where the smith, an eighth son, is awaiting the birth of his eighth son. The wizard bequeaths his magic, and his wizard's staff, to the just-being-born eighth son.

Except that this eighth son is a daughter, and this fact is discovered just barely too late.

When Eskarina's unfortunate magic begins to manifest itself, Granny Weatherwax attempts to maintain the proprieties by training her as a witch. She has incomplete success with this project, and is eventually forced to risk exposing the rest of the world to Eskarina by taking her to Unseen University. Great fun.

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