A sad book, and a powerful book; a fitting end to the series, and a book made all the poignant by the Afterword explaining that Terry Pratchett never got to finish off this tale of endings as fully as he'd have liked. The lack of polishing off shows in places, but in the context it somehow doesn't matter.

In plot terms, this is a story about Tiffany Aching and the return of the elves, but it's really a story about the gaps that are left when people are gone, about grief and carrying on, and about finding your way in the world that is even when you're wishing the world was still as it used to be.

This book is very much a conclusion. It's definitely one to read for those who've followed the Discworld series, though I fear a non-Discworld reader might be a little underwhelmed.