I don't really have the words to say exactly how much Terry Pratchett means to me. But I suppose I'm going to try, no matter how inadequate it may be. I was a fantasy-loving teenager when I plucked The Color of Magic from the library shelf. I'm not sure if I'd had the books recommended to me or if the rows of candy-colored paperbacks stood out amongst the overwrought fantasy covers. I giggled my way through Rincewind and Twoflower's misadventures. There was a Lord of the Rings joke that I found to be particularly funny and that hit was all it took to become a Discworld junkie. When I read and Death shows up holding a toothpick of ham and cheese, I laughed so hard that I can remember precisely where I was when I read that part. 
 Discworld kept me company through high school and college. I fell in love with the world and all its quirks, comparable as they might be to our own world. I found the magic system to be more airtight and better constructed than most "traditional" fantasy. I loved the intertwining stories and the constant presence of Death. (Seriously. Death in Discworld is, like, my favorite character in all literature. Maybe top three.) Everyone from the witches to the dwarves to the Watch** held a special place in my heart. Discworld shaped my sense of humor and the way I treat the people around me. Can I count it as a second religion? Because I just might. We all knew Terry was going to die eventually, but that doesn't mean I wept any less when he passed. 
 Tiffany Aching was a breath of fresh air into the canon, unlike that which you'd find in the streets of Ankh-Morpork. Maybe it was her youth or the bright and practical outlook that she had on things. I can't believe we got five whole Tiffany Aching books. Each one is a gift from Om. The Shepherd's Crown is the last and 41st book in the Discworld series.*** I'm only a little disappointed that he didn't make it to the magical 42. It seems fitting to end with Tiffany Aching. She represents a new start for the witches and with the new train traversing the Disc, there are new happenings in store all around. With the death of a beloved character providing the catalyst for the plot, Terry appears to be working through his own feelings about his demise and what the world will look like when he's not there. For someone who has a rather razor sharp edge to his criticism about human contradictions, Terry writes with an unusual gentleness in The Shepherd's Crown. It's not quite so prickly as some of the others and honestly, it suits him (and Tiffany). The humor is still intact and the end gets a bit violent, but the general spirit of the book is lighter. 
 In The Shepherd's Crown, Tiffany Aching figuratively steps into a new set of boots. The elves are clamoring at the thin borders between the lands and the witches can't agree on matters.(Well, the second part's not new.) There's a young kid named Geoffrey who's interested in being a witch and one of the Nac Mac Feegle daughters would very much like to be a warrior. Tiffany can hardly keep her head above water, but as long as she stays grounded in her home of the Chalk, she seems to get by. There's a lovely story here that feels frail**** in places, but all of the important bits are there and Nanny Ogg would agree that that's all you really need. There's also a slightly baffling subplot surrounding man caves and I think Terry just needed to get the mocking of them out of his system. 
 I laughed, I cried, I wished it wasn't the end. So a pretty standard Discworld, all in all. Much love. 
 *"I WAS AT A PARTY," he added, a shade reproachfully. 
 **OMG, Sam Vimes. I have a huge crush on that man. 
 ***Confession: I have not read all 41 books. I'm short a couple. I never much cared for Moist von Lipwig, but I'm sure I will get to them eventually. And I haven't read Snuff because it's the last Sam Vimes. 
 ****The end note suggests that Terry didn't have as much time to finish as he would have liked. Commence crying now.