Thief of Time by Terry Pratchett

 

Thief of Time by Terry Pratchett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Auditors return intent on dealing with humanity and life in general which just from their point of view makes existence far more complicated than it needs to be. After failing in other endeavours and limited to how they can directly influence events they arrange for the ultimate clock to be constructed, it is so accurate it can measure the time needed for now to become then. The result of being able to observe this moment is the fracture of time across reality, everything will exist in a perpetual now and the Auditors will be more than pleased, paperwork is so much easier when nothings changes.
Thus the Monks of Time become directly involved as Lu Tze (The Sweeper) brings a new acolyte (Lobsang Ludd) into the fold, a young man with some very special gifts and together they venture to Ankh-Morpork in which another very clever young man (Jeremy Clockson) is constructing the clock at the behest of Lady Myria LeJean who Igor points out has feet that don't always touch the ground when she walks. As the end of all things gets closer Susan Sto Helit has a major role to play as she can operate outside of time and naturally the Horsemen of the Apocalypse (all five of them) have to ride forth.
Thief of Time is very much a standalone novel and gives plenty of narrative to some of the secondary characters we have been introduced to over the years. I liked the small role Nanny Ogg played along with the circumstances and the Monks of Time are a very interesting bunch and their existence on the Discworld just makes so much sense. An enjoyable read with humour and no little amount of suspense and surprises.

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The Truth by Terry Pratchett

 

The Truth by Terry Pratchett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Printing comes to Discworld as some inventive Dwarfs set up a printing press in the city and "bump" thanks to an icey stretch of road into William de Worde and they make an impression. William the (kinda black sheep) son of a very wealthy family writes a monthly news sheet for those who can afford $5 but when the Dwarves print him a copy within seconds well why not sell the sheet at a fraction of the price, afterall more people can afford a few pennies that a few pounds. Much to Williams "horror" he is suddenly making money hand over fist, employing paper sellers and writers to fill this new daily news sheet and he and the Times become the focus of events as a conspiracy is underway to throw down the Patrician. More complications arise as the Engravers Guild attempt to run him out of business and a rival newspaper is launched which focusing on more "out there" stories such as silver discs kidnapping people and Lance women giving birth to snakes, strangely this newspaper proves more popular than one trying to present facts and truth.
While The Truth is not part of the Watch subset the crime fighters of the city play their part, the interaction between William and Vimes is excellent and very pleasing to see that criminal elements are learning to deal with a Werewolf copper who William is sure is actually Nobby. The "bad guys" in the form of the New Firm feel a little out of place but then Discworld society is growing and better crime fighting will create better criminals but ultimately they are the tool being wielded but forces in the dark, again very much reflecting our own world and from the get go that aspect of Terry's writing has always appealed.





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The Fifth Elephant by Terry Pratchett

 

The Fifth Elephant by Terry Pratchett
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Ankh-Morpork for all its wealth and infrastructure is still painfully reliant on imports of raw materials and some critical items the city nay society requires and the ordination of a new Low King of the Dwarves is shaking the foundations of what everyone with the exception of the Patrician takes for granted. Some strange crimes takes place in the city, the theft of a replica of the Scone of Stone and the death of Wallace Sonky the maker of certain latex/rubber preventives puzzle the watch but events are moving at a pace. In the Dwarf communities the old culture is clashing with the new but there are opportunities and thus Duke Vimes along with his wife and retinue (Angua, Cherry, Deterius and a Clerk) venture to Uberwald on a diplomatic mission to recognise the new Low King and pay respects to the Vampire and Werewolf families and naturally far away from the rule of law Vimes finds himself in the middle of a huge powerplay and ultimately fighting for his life.
The Fifth Elephant as part of the City Watch subset delivers both in terms of the Watch dealing with events in the city and when they are well out of their element, Colon left in charge was certainly interesting and Vimes dealing new situations was very satisfying. The Carrot/Angua subplot maintained the slow burn and threw in Gaspode as well and it was great to see Cherry and Deterius rising to the occasion. Overall an entertaining and "big" story mixing in action, suspense and a dose of political reality which taxed Vimes but underlined what the Patrician sees in him and as we learn Lady Sybil as well who excels at this level of society. The novel is a very strong addition to the series and introduces many aspects of the city and the disc that are built upon in later novels.

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Carpe Jugulum by Terry Pratchett

 

Carpe Jugulum by Terry Pratchett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Carpe Jugulum is part of the Witch subset series of novels and while builds upon characters already introduced and adds some significant new ones but it's far more standalone that you might expect. We have seen that Vampires have been a feature of the Discworld for a while and with the introduction of the League of Temperance gave us Otto as a significant supporting character but in Carpe Jugulum the Magpyr family from Uberwald receive an invitation to the christening of Verence and Magrats daughter and they are far more traditional Vampires in a non-traditional way. The big celebration begins to go wrong when Granny's invitation is stolen by a Magpie and Granny being Granny just can't bring herself to ask about the lack of an invite and unlike Nanny is unable to just turn up, Granny is prideful and stubborn and the nagging feeling that with Angus and Magrat in the mix then she may be the odd one out, it's always three witches not four. As it turns out under the influence of Count Magpyr and his family the christening goes quite well however Agnes with her inner persona Perdita are immune to the vampire influence and rally the opposition and search for the missing Granny. The annexation of Lancre goes smoothly in a civilised way with a few small yet significant hiccups thanks in part to their Igor, a visiting Omnian priest ( Mightily Oats ), the arrival of a clan of Nac Mac Feegle and a Phoenix which dies and is reborn under the wing of Hodgesaargh the royal falconer. Ultimately the battle between good and evil through the proxies of the Count and Granny (with ancillary schermishes when and where required) doesn't seem to go well for the good guys but well this is Granny we are talking about.
Overall I always enjoy Carpe Jugulum even though it doesn't really serve the narrative in the long run, yes plot points and characters/people are introduced but in later novels they have been enhanced or fleshed out to be something slightly different in a very good way. A solid four star Discworld novel especially if you have a cup of tea and biscuit while reading.

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