Lyn's Reviews > Lords and Ladies

Elves on the Discworld.

In Guillermo del Toro’s 2008 film Hellboy 2, the Elvin character Prince Nuada makes a point about humans remembering why they fear the dark. These elves are dark creatures, thoroughly unfaeirie like and even un-Tolkien like.

Terry Pratchett’s 1992 Discworld novel (the 14th) Lords and Ladies describes a similarly negative vision of elves. I could not help wondering if del Toro gained some inspiration from Pratchett’s dark elves.

Granny Weatherwax, Nanny Og and Magrat are just getting back to Lancre from their travels in Pratchett’s 1991 Witches Abroad and Magrat is getting married to King Verence and some precocious and misguided local girls are tempting fate by messing around with some local Druidic circles of vast power. Turns out this is a portal to the elves dimension.

What was especially attractive about this concept to me was Pratchett’s use of the elves as an alternate to a more heroic model. These elves are malevolent, arrogant and cruel – and also largely forgotten in the annals of time; so much so that ancient legends of them have focused more on the glamorous and magical than the more accurate description as evil aristocrats.

This kind of ironic twist is a ubiquitous element in much of Pratchett’s work and his fans will be pleasantly amused with his droll wordplay and inventive storylines.

All this and a subtle retelling of A Midsummer Night's Dream makes this one of Pratchett’s best. Highly recommended.

*** 2021 reread -

My Pratchettapalooza 2021 reading festival continues with this tasty elvish treat. All good fun with our favorite three witches and we also spend more time with the Librarian - OOOOK! - Ridcully, Jason and Sean Og, and the Kingdom of Lancre.

More time with the witches is always fun and there is also some time with younger, prospective witches, one as precocious as a certain Esmerelda Weatherwax when she was a girl.

Also, there is a fun scene with Granny and a unicorn.