A Stroke of the Pen

You always feel the push of the inimitable Pratchett behind them — funny, sharp, warm, wise and always so, so readable * Daily Mail *
Terry Pratchett’s short tales from the 70s and 80s reveal a young talent bursting with invention and wit… there’s much here to delight the open-minded, the fantasy aficionado and the Pratchett completist * Observer *
Funny, fantastical and slyly smart * Mail on Sunday *
A new Pratchett! Clear the bestseller decks: this book is heading for the top. * Guardian *
Shows the beginnings of one of the UK’s best fantasy writers… A treat for seasoned fans and newcomers * The Sun, Pick of the Week ***** *
A Stroke of the Pen shows [Pratchett] at a stage when he was stopping at the first or second tree. Soon he would plunge into the forest * The Sunday Times *
The wit, wisdom and intelligence are interspersed with a lively dose of naivety, with entertaining results * Herald *
This delightful collection is inventive, entertaining and a little quirky, often with a twisty end… a fun read * Independent *
A treasure trove glittering with lost gems * Financial Times *
Expect comic fantastical fragments riffing on everything from cave people to Father Christmas. * Guardian, Best Books for Autumn *
Biggest books for autumn * The Times *
One for the completists * SFX *
This delightful collection is inventive, entertaining and a little quirky, often with a twisty end * Press Association *
Enjoyable literary bonbons * i Paper *
Delicious, bite-sized stories * My Weekly *
A collection of 20 excellent, often laugh-out-loud early works. . . . Pratchett devotees will be moved and gratified by this unexpected gift and even casual readers will be utterly charmed. There isn’t a bad story in the bunch. * Publishers Weekly *
These early stories show Pratchett’s remarkable ability to poke fun at the absurdity of the real world through fantasy full of irreverent wordplay, silly authority figures, and subverted endings. . . . Pratchett’s legion of fans will relish the view through this almost-overlooked window into the author’s evolution, finding much to love in these clever, funny, and tightly written tales. * Booklist *
A short and slightly bittersweet portrait of Pratchett as a young writer, as seen through this collection of long-lost and forgotten short stories. . . . They reflect an author in search of his craft, but there are hints of the Discworld to come. . . particularly in the standout story in the collection, ‘The Quest for the Keys’ . . . . The earliest seeds of what later became Discworld are there for readers who still miss his inimitable style. * Library Journal *
A collection of lost stories from early in Pratchett’s career. . . . Several stories set in the fictional town of Blackbury have a genial, tall-tale feel, and the “proto-Discworld” in 'The Quest for the Keys' is a true treat * Kirkus Reviews *