As I think most reviews have now acknowledged, this feels appropriate as a final Discworld novel, even if it wasn't intended as such. A spiritual sequel to Equal Rites, The Shepherd's Crown ties up dangling plot threads from as far back as Lords and Ladies, including touching cameos from many favourite characters, and a heartfelt torch-passing moment from one of the Disc's most longstanding characters to one of its newest. 
 The book itself starts incredibly strongly, but becomes a little by-the-numbers in its latter stages. An afterword from the Editor notes that the novel is to some extent unfinished, and that, had he lived, Pratchett would have continued to add to it and revise the text right up until publication. I can't help but imagine the novel that might have been. 
 This could have been a greater book, if time and reality had not so cruelly intervened, but it's still a lovely send-off for one of my favourite storytellers. And that opening - wow.