You always feel the push of the inimitable Pratchett behind them funny, sharp, warm, wise and always so, so readable * Daily Mail * Terry Pratchetts short tales from the 70s and 80s reveal a young talent bursting with invention and wit theres 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 UKs 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 isnt a bad story in the bunch. * Publishers Weekly * These early stories show Pratchetts remarkable ability to poke fun at the absurdity of the real world through fantasy full of irreverent wordplay, silly authority figures, and subverted endings. . . . Pratchetts legion of fans will relish the view through this almost-overlooked window into the authors 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 Pratchetts 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 *
