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David McK (3361 KP) rated Feet of Clay (Discworld, #19; City Watch, #3) in Books
Jan 28, 2019 (Updated Feb 8, 2024)
This, I always felt, was one of the weaker City Watch Discworld books.
I'm not sure why, but this is one that never really springs to mind when asked about those books: IMO, it's not as 'fresh' as "Guards! Guards!|" as entertaining as "Men at Arms" or "Jingo", nor has as much to say as "Night Watch", "Thud!" or "Snuff".
Maybe because it is more or less in the middle of the City Watch series?
Having said that, even a below-par [author:Terry Pratchett|1654] is well above par for may others ...
I'm not sure why, but this is one that never really springs to mind when asked about those books: IMO, it's not as 'fresh' as "Guards! Guards!|" as entertaining as "Men at Arms" or "Jingo", nor has as much to say as "Night Watch", "Thud!" or "Snuff".
Maybe because it is more or less in the middle of the City Watch series?
Having said that, even a below-par [author:Terry Pratchett|1654] is well above par for may others ...
Sarah (7798 KP) rated Guards! Guards! Discworld Novel 8 in Books
Mar 19, 2018
A great introduction to the City Watch
You've got to hand it to Terry Pratchett, he knows how to write a good fantasy novel.
Guards! Guards! is yet another great Discworld novel, and the first to introduce Captain Vimes and the City Watch. Vimes himself is a loveable anti-hero who develops greatly over the course of the novel and the same too can be said for the other members of the Watch. Carrot the 'dwarf' provides a real introduction to the Watch and also a lot of the humour from his exploits, and I loved seeing a lot more of the Librarian.
The plot itself on the face of it is a fantasy fairy tale filled story of dragons, maidens and heroes. But with every Pratchett novel, beneath it lies dark wit and humour, and a slightly sad social commentary on human greed and corruption. There are a lot of references in this to other media, like The Hobbit, which really poke fun at the myths and lore used in the fantasy genre.
A great read with some very engaging characters. A little rambling at times, but fortunately the rest of the book makes up for it! Discworld books are the only books that can really make me laugh out loud.
Guards! Guards! is yet another great Discworld novel, and the first to introduce Captain Vimes and the City Watch. Vimes himself is a loveable anti-hero who develops greatly over the course of the novel and the same too can be said for the other members of the Watch. Carrot the 'dwarf' provides a real introduction to the Watch and also a lot of the humour from his exploits, and I loved seeing a lot more of the Librarian.
The plot itself on the face of it is a fantasy fairy tale filled story of dragons, maidens and heroes. But with every Pratchett novel, beneath it lies dark wit and humour, and a slightly sad social commentary on human greed and corruption. There are a lot of references in this to other media, like The Hobbit, which really poke fun at the myths and lore used in the fantasy genre.
A great read with some very engaging characters. A little rambling at times, but fortunately the rest of the book makes up for it! Discworld books are the only books that can really make me laugh out loud.
Sarah (7798 KP) rated Raising Steam: (Discworld Novel 40) in Books
Jul 31, 2017
Good but probably the weakest of the 3
Moist Von Lipwig is one of my favourite Discworld characters. I loved him in Going Postal, as he's a scoundrel and a bit of a rogue, but a charmingly funny and loveable one. My issue mainly with this is that despite stating numerous times throughout this book, Moist is no longer much of a scoundrel and is now pretty much domesticised, which is very disappointing.
However that said, it's still a fun, enjoyable read and take on the railway. I loved the addition of the goblins although i did still miss Gladys and Mr Pump.
However that said, it's still a fun, enjoyable read and take on the railway. I loved the addition of the goblins although i did still miss Gladys and Mr Pump.
Charley (64 KP) rated Wyrd Sisters (Discworld, #6; Witches #2) in Books
Jan 27, 2019
Well I have always had a soft spot for Terry Pratchett book and his stories about the discworld transport you to this amazing place.
He has a dark sense of humour that you can see throughout his books.
Wyrd sisters is one of my favourites of his Books. This is the first in a series of his books about three witches. It's funny right from the start and the complexity of his characters always amaze me.
If you like a book with good characters, funny jokes and a touch of magic then this is the books for you.
He has a dark sense of humour that you can see throughout his books.
Wyrd sisters is one of my favourites of his Books. This is the first in a series of his books about three witches. It's funny right from the start and the complexity of his characters always amaze me.
If you like a book with good characters, funny jokes and a touch of magic then this is the books for you.
David McK (3361 KP) rated The Last Hero (Discworld, #27; Rincewind #7) in Books
Jan 28, 2019
<i>Fable (noun): a story about supernatural or extraordinary persons or incidents; legend: the fables of gods and heroes.
[from http://dictionary.reference.com]</i>;
This short story by Terry Pratchett ticks all those boxes with the blurb on my edition reading:
"He's been a legend in his own lifetime.
He can remember the great days of high adventure.
He can remember when a hero didn't have to worry about fences and lawyers and civilisation.
He can remember when people didn't tell you off for killing dragons.
But he can't alwyas remember, these days, where he put his teeth ...
He's not really happy about that bit.
.... He's going to climb the highest mountain in the Discworld and meet his gods. He doesn't like the way they let men grow old and die ... "
What ensues is, by the standards of Discworld novels, perhaps a return to the earlier novels that featured the gods (and Cohen the Barbarian) more prominently than the more recent. Also involved prominently in this story are the Wiz(z)ard Rincewind, Captain Carrot and Leonard of Quirm, with that latter character given more of a role than in the few previous he has been in (excepting, maybe, Jingo).
This is also unusual in that it is an illustrated story: whereas I've always found illustrations to be inferior to imagination when it comes to visualising events and characters, it does add an extra layer to this story - particularly where it concerns Leonard's creations.
[from http://dictionary.reference.com]</i>;
This short story by Terry Pratchett ticks all those boxes with the blurb on my edition reading:
"He's been a legend in his own lifetime.
He can remember the great days of high adventure.
He can remember when a hero didn't have to worry about fences and lawyers and civilisation.
He can remember when people didn't tell you off for killing dragons.
But he can't alwyas remember, these days, where he put his teeth ...
He's not really happy about that bit.
.... He's going to climb the highest mountain in the Discworld and meet his gods. He doesn't like the way they let men grow old and die ... "
What ensues is, by the standards of Discworld novels, perhaps a return to the earlier novels that featured the gods (and Cohen the Barbarian) more prominently than the more recent. Also involved prominently in this story are the Wiz(z)ard Rincewind, Captain Carrot and Leonard of Quirm, with that latter character given more of a role than in the few previous he has been in (excepting, maybe, Jingo).
This is also unusual in that it is an illustrated story: whereas I've always found illustrations to be inferior to imagination when it comes to visualising events and characters, it does add an extra layer to this story - particularly where it concerns Leonard's creations.
Book number 10 in Orlando Sanchez's 'Montage and Strong' series, and - much like Simon Strong - I'm beginning to feel lost with just what is going on.
According to Wikipedia:
"A golem is an animated anthropomorphic being in Jewish folklore that is created entirely from inanimate matter (usually clay or mud) ... The most famous golem narrative involves Judah Loew ben Bezalel, the late-16th-century rabbi of Prague"
Modern readers might be more familiar with them from their inclusion in the later entries in Terry Pratchett's superlative Discworld series.
In this one, a Golem has been created and is terrorizing select parts of New York, with Montague and Strong called in to deal - reluctantly - with the threat it represents.
According to Wikipedia:
"A golem is an animated anthropomorphic being in Jewish folklore that is created entirely from inanimate matter (usually clay or mud) ... The most famous golem narrative involves Judah Loew ben Bezalel, the late-16th-century rabbi of Prague"
Modern readers might be more familiar with them from their inclusion in the later entries in Terry Pratchett's superlative Discworld series.
In this one, a Golem has been created and is terrorizing select parts of New York, with Montague and Strong called in to deal - reluctantly - with the threat it represents.
Charley (64 KP) rated Good Omens in Books
Jan 26, 2019
A good mix of both Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaimam
This story is about a demon and an angel trying to find the anti-christ and stop the apocalypse. It has a very similar style to all of Terry Pratchett's books. It is nice to read something written by him that isn't set in the discworld (no matter how much I love them).
It is full of the two authors dark humour and being set in England means that there are loads of little bits that are recognisable.
Some of my favourite parts are when they discribe certain aspects of the country that have been designed by demons to torture humans (like the M25!)
Thoroughly enjoyed this read.
It is full of the two authors dark humour and being set in England means that there are loads of little bits that are recognisable.
Some of my favourite parts are when they discribe certain aspects of the country that have been designed by demons to torture humans (like the M25!)
Thoroughly enjoyed this read.
David McK (3361 KP) rated Guard Against Dishonour (Hawk & Fisher, #5) in Books
Jan 30, 2019
Pretty much the very definition of pulp fiction, this is the kind of story that you tend to forget as soon as you've read it! While also never confirmed within this (or, to the best of my knowledge, in any of the Hawk and Fisher books prior to 'Beyond the Blue Moon'), there are also some very broad hints dropped that these two characters are the same protaganists as in Simon Green's 'Blue Moon Rising' novel.
Essentially, these novels are crime novels with a magical twist - personally, I find done so much better by Terry Pratchett's Discworld series of books featuring the City Watch. That's not to say these should be avoided: just don't go in with too high an expectation and you won't be disappointed!
Essentially, these novels are crime novels with a magical twist - personally, I find done so much better by Terry Pratchett's Discworld series of books featuring the City Watch. That's not to say these should be avoided: just don't go in with too high an expectation and you won't be disappointed!
David McK (3361 KP) rated Men at Arms (Discworld, #15; City Watch #2) in Books
Jan 28, 2019 (Updated May 22, 2020)
Only the second book in Terry Pratchett's Discworld series to feature the City guard (in a total of eight such books, and at least one short story), this takes place a year or so after he events of "Guards! Guards!", and is probably best described as a police procedural/whodunnit crossover.
This, to the best of my knowledge, is also the first book to feature Leonard of Quirm (albeit in a small role), and expands upon the characters first introduced in "Guards! Guards!" as well as upon the themes of racial (or speciesist) intolerence and bigotry. Like "Guards! Guards!", and unlike some of the later City Watch novels, Corporal Carrot once again takes a central role in the narrative: a position later filled by Vimes, with Carrot himself becoming more of a background figure.
This, to the best of my knowledge, is also the first book to feature Leonard of Quirm (albeit in a small role), and expands upon the characters first introduced in "Guards! Guards!" as well as upon the themes of racial (or speciesist) intolerence and bigotry. Like "Guards! Guards!", and unlike some of the later City Watch novels, Corporal Carrot once again takes a central role in the narrative: a position later filled by Vimes, with Carrot himself becoming more of a background figure.
Cori June (3033 KP) rated Wyrd Sisters (Discworld, #6; Witches #2) in Books
Jul 18, 2021
If you're new to Discworld I probably wouldn't start with this book. It is good but there are better books to enter the insanity of the Disc on. If you have read some of the series but not the Witches story arcs, I would recommending you start with this one before Equal Rites.
This story is a bit quirky and has elements of Shakespeare within. We meet the three witches and see a different side to the Disc than just Ankh-Morpork. Within the book you will find: royal intrigue, Theater, ghosts, and a whole lot of misunderstandings and twists of fate, (or is it?).
The story does start out slow but once it starts to move it moves quickly. Highly recommend for those who have read more than a few of the books and most ages will like it.
This story is a bit quirky and has elements of Shakespeare within. We meet the three witches and see a different side to the Disc than just Ankh-Morpork. Within the book you will find: royal intrigue, Theater, ghosts, and a whole lot of misunderstandings and twists of fate, (or is it?).
The story does start out slow but once it starts to move it moves quickly. Highly recommend for those who have read more than a few of the books and most ages will like it.