Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett

Guards! Guards!

By Terry Pratchett

There are Guards... and there are guards... sometimes the situation just needs to force one to become the other. The city watch in Ankh-Morpork was a bit of a joke. With the Thieves Guild monitoring leagal theory and illegal thevory themselves... and the Assassins Guild also watching there line of work... there leaves a lot less work for a normal hard working man to sort out. And when you do stick your nose into trouble threes not a lot you can do with only three other men to back you up. The general populous had stopped respecting the city watch and so had the city watch themselves... until Carrot arrived. 

A Dwarth who was lacking a bit of the hight requirement to be truly a Dwarth went to the city to be a Guard. He came proudly, with a very simple, old sward, a book of laws and a Protector. By the time he got to the city he knew the book of law's better than anyone... which proved complicated in arresting people since they didn't know there was a law against that which they were doing... 

This is a story about a group of men proving there value to a different society. They learn themselves why they are important to the city at the same time they are showing the city that they are important. The story diffidently feels <i>older</i> compared too many other disk world books. From what i can tell its the 8th book written and the first introductions of the City Watch characters, which would be why it feels this way having read other books about them first. 

I would have liked it if the main story was resolved by them axially arresting the bad guys (instead of the bad guys getting destroyed by there own actions) just because it is about the importance of the City Watch doing there job and all that but they did get to do some real policing, as well as become a much more prominent force in the city by the end of the story. 

Sorcery by Terry Pratchett

Sorcery 

By Terry Pratchett

     Some people end up on all the adventures... it's to bad for Rincewinds that once again he's pulled into adventure. On diskworld there is an eighth color, great wizards are the eighth son of an eighth son... eight is a special number when you are dealing with magic. Wizards and women also don't mix. The why is nether really covered it;s just not done. So when a wild and diferent Wizard becomes astranged from the Unseen University builds a family has seven (wizard) sons then has an eighth things get complicated. 

     When Sorcery is let louse on the world dangerous things happen. Rincewind takes it upon himself to run away.  Trying to get as far away as possible only to find he cares and is the only one left to do anything about it. The world may survive (since this is book 5 out of 38 thats a safe guess) even if Rincewind gets stuck in the Dungeon Dimension at of it all. 

     Theres not much to really say about this book... the only question I had is where are the witches will all these wizard towers and magic being brought up from nowhere... I KNOW its not a story about them... but Diskworld is generally very good about covering all the options about people who might be able to have an effect on the situation and this was the first time I really questioned things... 

Book Review, Wyrd Sisters by Terry Pratchett

Wyrd Sisters

by Terry Pratchett

     Witchcraft is not what you think it is. You don't need candles and flashy symbols drawn in blood, or dancing naked under a full moon (sometime though Margrat would like things it if the other witches would be a little more Occult like... though I don't think even she would want to see Granny Weatherwax dancing naked...).  Witches are mostly solitary people, but even solitary people like to be a little social once in a while... other wise how would the others know you don't need them. 

     Most of the magic that is done by Witches on the disk is every day things, things that just take a little bit more knowledge and a lot of headology. They may be a bit closer to the vale between life and death. Which helps when theres a ghost around who needs a little justice and they do happen to fly around on broomstick (which aside from being a little cold is just a practical way to travel when your the only one in the ramtops who really does travel). 

       The witches are enjoyable characters because they are as I said, very down to earth and honest old ladies. Very Real, Wizards are the ones who mess around with Magic on the disk. Nanny and Granny are two cute and intelligent old ladies who care for the country folk that live in there aria. Sometimes this requires a little magical help... sometimes things work out anyways.

Book Review, (Faust) Eric by Terry Pratchett

(Faust) Eric 

by  Terry Pratchett

     There is a world that is carried through space on the back of four great Elephants who stand on the back of a giant turtle who is swimming through space with an unknown destination. This world is shaped as a disk, a round circle peppered with mountains across its center (know as the hub), and great waterfalls that crash over the edge and shower the elephants below.
     Rincewind is a Wizard, he even has a hat that says so. He also has a way of getting stuck in the middle of things he'd much rather have nothing to do with. Through miss-adventure he ended up stuck in the Dungeon Dimensions (see my review of Sorcery).
     Eric is a demonologist, he may be only 13 and may be less demonoligist more lucky. After studying his grand father's books he opens a door to the Dungeon Dimensions and summons a Demon... well... Rincewind (though the Luggage is thought of by many as a Demon...).  Eric demands that his demon grant him three wishes and even though Rincewind tells him its not possible it seems to work. Well... as well as any wish granted by a demon would work that is....
     The disworld books are written in a different formant, there aren't any chapters, which other than not giving me a place to stop reading when I need to sleep doesn't really change much. I also like how even though this is one story that is part of a 38 book serous (and even though it directly takes place after another book) it doesn't matter one bit when you read it in relation to the other books. This can be said of every one of the disk world books. Each story you read developed the world more and more in my head, but none of them go in to extensive details about things that happened before (boring you if you have read it). It really doesn't matter to your understanding of the current story.
     Rincwind is very bothered by the laws of Nature that the world he lives on doesn't follow. He sometimes wishes that the world was a nice sphere shape with a center of liquid rock.... but the world just doesn't work like that.