Skip to main content
Thud!, by Terry Pratchett
Discworld Series, book 34
My rating: 8/10

Tensions between the trolls and the dwarves are rising as the day of the battle of Koom Valley rolls around again, and just what City Watch Commander Samuel Vimes doesn't need is the murder of an important and respected dwarf. Even with all his work, he manages to get home daily to read Where's my Cow? to his young son, but his hunt for the killer is leading him deeper and deeper into a dark mystery- and he soon learns there are things more dangerous than dwarves hidden inside the mines.

While I must admit that I have a special soft spot for the City Watch books in the Discworld series, that's not the only reason I rated it an eight. This is without a doubt the darkest book so far, out of the 33 I've read, and while it is somewhat unfamiliar territory for him, his skill did not abandon him. His books range on a scale from almost putting humour above plot and writing to a much darker side of things, and most of his books are strongly to the former's side. This book was unusually dark but well written and still humorous.

However, I did not like the ending, as I think it undermined Vimes and his work. There isn't much more I can say that won't be a spoiler, since this is a mystery. I also felt that Vimes' character was somewhat off, and Where's my Cow? was out of place compared to the rest.

Both a change from his normal lighter tone and centered on the City Watch, I would definitely recommend this book!
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

I love the Discworld, as you may have gathered from my four posts about it. I have read thirty six of the forty one so far, and I decided that right before the end was as good a place as any to stop and reflect on the Discworld and what makes (most of) the books such compelling reads. The first thing that I have to mention is, of course, the creativity. How could I not, with a picture of the Great A'tuin, the massive turtle that swims through space, carrying the four giant elephants that hold the Disc on their back, right here? From all of this to the Rimbow and the Circumfence to the cities and countries, the whole world is stunningly creative. All of the characters are also very well done, including Death, the Gods, the witches, and the wizards of the Unseen University. You have to give him kudos for  over forty  creative, funny, and original books on the Discworld. I also love the writing. His trademark humour is hilarious, but underneath it run deeper currents of actua...
Post a Comment
Read more
Making Money,  by Terry Pratchett Discworld Series, book 36 My rating: 7/10 Ever since Moist Von Lipwig fixed the Post Office, he's been bored, but is the job of fixing the derelict and mismanaged Royal Mint really what he wants? Plunged headfirst into the fortune and danger of the world of economics, he must keep the bank out of the wrong hands--or his own life will be on the line. First of all, I'm going to call the main character, Moist Von Lipwig, "John", because those words should never-- ever --be a name. With that out of the way, let's take this apart. The books about John are always fun, with excitement and mystery and races against all odds, and I loved the premise. I also loved the end, which has the perfect twist right before the last bit. If I were just judging by these things, this book was definitely a ten. Now, the name. Pratchett is normally very good with naming, keeping the names normal and the humour in its proper place- the writing!- bu...
Post a Comment
Read more
Flash Fiction Forward,  by James Thomas and Robert Shapard My rating: 6/10 This collection of vivid, minimalistic stories tells many creative ideas and theories. From a date with a neanderthal to a phone scamming operation to a mesmerist, these flash fiction pieces will have you hooked. While it's true that flash fiction can sometimes be hard to engage with, and it's certainly not for everyone, I did enjoy this book. If you're not looking to read the whole book straight through, some of the best stories are Sashimi Cashmere, Traditional Indian Style Garage, Fruit Series, Travelling Alone, Quill, and Three Soldiers. My all time favorite from  Flash Fiction Forward  is a tie between The Orange and The Death of the Short Story. They were both very creative and well written, as well as poignant and balanced. However, not all the stories were as good as those ones, and I have to say that most of them seemed to end the same way: with depression about life, or death. ...
Post a Comment
Read more