Tag: Discworld

Snuff – Review

On By Perpetually Past DueIn Book review, Writing2 Comments

Flashback Friday

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Snuff by Terry Pratchett

Published in 2011

Pages: 470

Genre: Fantasy, satire

“The goblin experience of the world is the cult or perhaps religion of Unggue.”

Commander Samuel Vimes is being pushed out of the very occupation he lives for by the one thing a career criminal catcher fears the most: vacation. In Snuff, this catalyst sends Vimes and his family off to their country estate so he can take a much needed holiday. Well, much needed in the opinion of everyone except Sam Vimes. However, it isn’t long into the trip that trouble rears its ugly head in the shape of a mysterious murder. True to his nature, Vimes jumps at the chance to bring justice to the ne’er-do-wells among the knolls.

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Thud! – Review

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Flashback Friday

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Thud! by Terry Pratchett

Published in 2005

Pages: 382

Genre: Fantasy, satire

 “It started out as a perfect day.”

A dwarf has been murdered by a troll; while this isn’t necessarily something new in the world of Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series, in Thud!, it is the small stone that begins an investigation that avalanches and brings Commander Vimes and his faithful City Watch into danger and mystery. Following the classic plotting of a police procedural, the murder that begins Thud! delves deeper into the history of animosity between dwarfs and trolls that leads back to a famous battle known as Koom Valley, where each side says they were ambushed by the other and every battle between the two races is considered a continuation of the original…battle. In addition to this, Koom Valley was immortalized by a painter gone insane and many believe that there is a secret hidden…

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Lords and Ladies – Review

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Lords and Ladies by Terry Pratchett

Published in 1992

Pages: 375

Genre: Fantasy, satire

“Now read on . . .”

Mystery abounds in Lords and Ladies, another entry in the Discworld series by Terry Pratchett. Much like the first line, little is given in the way of direct explanation as to the strange and esoteric beings that give their name to the book’s title. A culmination of the events from previous witches stories, Lords and Ladies sees the return of Granny Weatherwax, Nanny Ogg, and Magrat Garlick as they face a dastardly and ancient evil. Continue reading “Lords and Ladies – Review” →

Witches Abroad – Review

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Witches Abroad by Terry Pratchett

Published in 1991

Pages: 342

Genre: Fantasy, satire

“This is the Discworld, which travels through space on the back of four elephants which themselves stand on the shell of Great A’Tuin, the sky turtle.”

Stories have power in the fantasy realm of Terry Prachett’s Discworld series, and they take center stage in the novel Witches Abroad. Fairy godmothers, fairy tales, and happily-ever-afters come into his satirical scope in a novel that is as entertaining as it is endearing. Granny Weatherwax returns, alongside Nanny Ogg and the timid Magrat Garlick, for an adventure that dives not only into stories in general, but her own family history. Continue reading “Witches Abroad – Review” →

Mort – Review

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Mort by Terry Pratchett

Illustrations by Omar Rayyan

Published in 1987; 2016 Edition by The Folio Society

Pages: 222

Genre: Fantasy, satire

 

Disclaimer: This review will be different from the norm in that it is split into two parts: a standard, albeit shorter, book review and a specific review of this Folio Society edition. I am endorsing this product through my own volition and belief in its high quality.

 

Part I: The Story

“This is the bright candlelit room where the lifetimers are stored – shelf upon shelf of them, squat hourglasses, one for every living person, pouring their fine sand from the future into the past.”

The eponymous character of Mort, by Terry Pratchett, is an awkward, lanky, redheaded teen sent by his father to learn a trade because, well, that’s what parents do with children who can’t really contribute at home. When no one else picks him, Discworld’s anthropomorphic manifestation of Death appears and chooses Mort as his apprentice. Continue reading “Mort – Review” →

Wyrd Sisters – Review

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Wyrd Sisters by Terry Pratchett

Published in 1988

Pages: 360

Genre: Fantasy, satire, parody

“The wind howled.”

As befits a tale of witchcraft and regicide, Wyrd Sisters by Terry Pratchett begins on a dark and stormy night. A mysterious baby (well, the circumstances of its origin are mysterious…the baby itself is fairly normal…as far as babies go) is delivered to three witches: Magrat Garlic, Nanny Ogg, and Granny Weatherwax. Taking on Shakespeare and common misconceptions about witches, the novel is ripe with wit and satire to rival the other books in the Discworld series. Continue reading “Wyrd Sisters – Review” →

On the Subject of the Discworld Series and Terry Pratchett

On By Perpetually Past DueIn Editorial, Writing57 Comments

Those of you who have been reading my blog for some time have probably noticed a pattern of Discworld novels popping up every few reviews, and there is a reason for this. Terry Pratchett has become one of my favorite authors even though I hadn’t even heard of him until four years ago. Perhaps this puts my minimal knowledge of the greater realm of fantasy novels in perspective, but for the others who are ignorant of his existence, Terry Pratchett wrote the Discworld series which totals 41 books and takes place on the Discworld. Though I didn’t realize (or realise) the magic of his prose until relatively recently, his work has come to influence me heavily and I felt compelled to write a piece about how his impact.

Terry Pratchett.jpg
The man himself.

Continue reading “On the Subject of the Discworld Series and Terry Pratchett” →

Equal Rites – Review

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Equal Rites by Terry Pratchett

Published in 1987

Pages: 264

Genre: Fantasy, satire

“This is a story about magic and where it goes and perhaps more importantly where it comes from and why, although it doesn’t pretend to answer all or any of these questions.”

Focusing on a different protagonist than the previous two books in the series, Equal Rites by Terry Pratchett continues his exploration into the magical world that is shaped like a disc. The first in what are known as the “witches” novels within the series (care to guess why?), Equal Rites introduces fan favorite character Granny Weatherwax and does so with grand fanfare. Prepare for another splendid, if succinct, entry in Pratchett’s most famous body of work. Continue reading “Equal Rites – Review” →

The Last Continent – Review

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The Last Continent by Terry Pratchett

Published in 1998

Pages: 292

Genre: Fantasy, satire

“Against the stars a turtle passes, carrying four elephants on its shell.”

Terry Pratchett tends to zoom in on his stories by starting with a description of the Discworld; the beginning of The Last Continent is no exception. Finding Rincewind where we left him at the end of Interesting Times, the Librarian of Unseen University is sick and Rincewind is needed in order to treat the illness; the only problem: he is on the rain-less continent of XXXX which is surrounded by a magic hurricane and no one knows how to get there. Continue reading “The Last Continent – Review” →