"Unadulterated fun. . . witty, frequently hilarious."--San Francisco Chronicle

Chaos and hilarity ensue when a young woman becomes the first female wizard, upending the Discworld in this bitingly funny tale from internationally bestselling author Sir Terry Pratchett.

A little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but it's not half so bad as a lot of ignorance.

Everyone knows there's no such thing as a female wizard. So when a dying wizard accidentally passes on his staff of power to an eighth daughter of an eighth son, the exclusively masculine world of wizarding is thrown into a tailspin.

Eskarina isn't afraid of male critics and she isn't going to relinquish this unexpected gift. With a little hocus pocus from Granny Weatherwax, the Discworld's most infamous witch (an old crone who has plenty of experience ignoring the status quo), Esk infiltrates the magical Unseen University and befriends another apprentice, a wizard named Simon.

But power is unpredictable, and these bright young students soon find themselves in a whole new dimension of trouble. . . .

The Discworld novels can be read in any order but Equal Rites is the first book in the Witches collection.

The Witches collection in order:

Equal Rites Wyrd Sisters Witches Abroad Lords and Ladies Maskerade Carpe Jugulum