Guards! Guards! By Terry Pratchett

355 Pages – Paperback (Fantasy Fiction)

The only thing that can be good about me not discovering Terry Pratchett earlier in life is that I can now enjoy his books for the first time. Before this I had read two books by Pratchett, The Colour of Magic, his first book and Good Omens written with Neil Giaman. It has been suggested by other readers that it took a few books to reach his stride. I enjoyed The Colour of Magic I wasn’t super excited about Pratchett as a writer. This has now changed. Guards! Guards! is a fantastic book.

Vimes is the head of the Night Watch; it consists of himself and three other men. The whole of their job is to walk about crying “Tis one o’ clock and all is well”. If things aren’t well on that street then they should move to another where it is. Unfortunately, murders have been happening that seem to be caused by a dragon. Since dragons haven’t been around for a 1000 years it makes a difficult time for Vimes and his fellow guards. Add an orangutan Librarian, a group of misguided cultists, a conniving leader of the city and large woman who cares for small dragons and you have for an adventure that can only lead to hilarity.

In Guards! Guards! Terry Pratchett is at the top of his game. His writing is funny and well done. His ability to take mundane situations and turn them into hilarious conversations rivals some of the best writers. Not only is his work funny, but it very well written. His ability to use metaphor as a tool for description and humor is unique and entertaining.

I am now a Terry Pratchett fan. I am excited to read other books by him and look forward to find myself back on Discworld.

3 Emotional/Intellectual – Although I didn’t find any one character to fall in love with I was drawn into the story.

5 Style/Readability – Prachett’s ability to combine story, humor and good writing gives him standing that few authors have achieved.

4 Long Term Impact – Whether or not Prachett goes down in history as a great writer, he deserves to. This is considered among the best of his books.

12 out of 13. Please, do yourself a favor, go out and get this book. It is well worth your time and I think most anyone with a sense of humor would find this book to be well worth your time.
Keep Turning Pages.