Men at Arms by Terry Pratchett

Around 330 pages (Paperback) Fiction

Terry Pratchett has quickly moved up my list of favorite authors.  He tells interesting tales, to be sure, but this isn’t what makes it so great. He takes a story that isn’t new such as a murder mystery and then puts it this quirky world that he has created. Most of the books I have read focus on the city in the center of the world Anhk-Morpork. Discworld, as this world is known, is disk flying through space. It is inhabited by a strange collection of characters that combine fantasy, history, and science fiction all into one humorous place.

Men at Arms is the second book in the city watch series although they are not labeled in such a way. The books are independent of each other and though it might have some spoilers over all they could be read in any order. Captian Vimes is getting married. He is going to give up the life of a Nights Watch guardsmen and live the life of the rich with his new extremely wealthy wife. He only has to get through this week. Murder has occurred. This isn’t the normal murder you see. This isn’t a troll killing a dwarf because; you know…he’s a dwarf. But important people are getting killed, and no one is sure how it is being done.

Corporal Carrot knows that Vimes is busy getting prepared for marriage. With the new laws demanding appropriate ethnic representation on the Watch, Carrot is involved in making sure the new recruits are being trained. Soon more trolls, a werewolf, more dwarves and most unlikely, a woman, become members of the watch, but when you take a troll and a dwarf and make them partners bad things are bound to happen.

We are led through a light hearted murder mystery diving deep in the mysterious guilds of Anhk-Morpork and following a tale as funny as it is enjoyable.

3 Emotional/Intellectual – Even Pratchett’s bad guys are easy to fall in love with and the good guys are people you want to be friends with, except Nobby Nobbs.

5 Style/Readability – Both easy to read and filled with hilarious and entertaining reading Practchett is a fantastic writer.

3 Long Term Impact – Somehow I went for a long time without getting to read Prachett I really don’t understand why he isn’t more famous than he is.

11 out of 13. Anyone taking the time to read this post owes it to themselves to go out and read some of Pratchett’s books.  The city watch books are great I would start with Guards! Guards! and then continue with Men at Arms.

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