Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This Discworld novel is simply brilliant. Full of typical Pratchett puns, jokes, and satire, it’s about Ankh-Morpork’s Night Watch, led by Captain Vimes and his crew of Nobbs, Colon, and 6″6″ (adopted) dwarf, Carrot. A shadowy organization successfully attempts to magically call up a dragon to take over the kingdom and the Watch is forced to battle it. But how do you battle a monster dragon? Well, with the help of Sybil Ramkin, a large woman from an old, rich family who raises and breeds small swamp dragons, Vimes learns about what makes dragons go. Sybil is my favorite character in the book. She’s larger than life and captures Vimes’ heart beautifully by the end of the book. She even gives Vimes a swamp dragon of his own, Errol, who is instrumental in defeating the big, bad dragon. It’s also hilarious to see Carrot arresting everyone possible, unlike the rest of the Watch, including the dragon. I also enjoyed watching Patrician Vetinari, the sometimes tyrannical, sometimes benevolent ruler of Ankh-Morpork as he’s deposed by the dragon and rests in a dungeon, biding his time until he uses his key to release himself from his prison and regain his throne. The Librarian, an orangutang, was also a great addition to the book. I was disappointed, however, in not getting to experience the wizards from Unseen University and not much of my favorite Discworld character, Death. I just love Death, especially after reading Reaper Man. Pratchett’s really at his best in this book, brilliantly telling a fascinating tale while also giving us a history/civics lesson and a lesson on human nature. I strongly recommend this book!
hankrules2011 