Mini Review – Guards! Guards!

From Goodreads:

This is where the dragons went. They lie … not dead, not asleep, but … dormant. And although the space they occupy isn’t like normal space, nevertheless they are packed in tightly. They could put you in mind of a can of sardines, if you thought sardines were huge and scaly. And presumably, somewhere, there’s a key…

GUARDS! GUARDS! is the eighth Discworld novel – and after this, dragons will never be the same again!

Sometimes you just need some of Prachett’s humor, there always seems to be an appropriate book for the occasion. Guards! Guards! was a great introduction to the ineptitude of the Night Watch of Ankh-Morpork, as well as dragons and magic, various secret societies. We really get a full sense of the bustling metropolis that is Ankh-Morpork and its people.

We also get a healthy does of Prachett’s politics. I read this at the beginning of June and it was the perfect way to vent frustrations over police behavior, lack of training and hiring process and the government distribution of funds. All of which are central themes of this book. Pratchett’s form of satire just frames these perfectly. The plot also manages to poke a lot of fun at your typical Fantasy tropes particularly those around the chosen-one, which again the mix of sharp wit and subtle shade littered throughout the text is just a joy to read.

I really think this would be a great start for anyone wanting to read start reading Prachett. It gives an excellent intro into many aspects of the Discworld, as will has having a fast paced high stakes adventure plot line. I loved Vimes, Carrot and Lady Ramkin all equally and cant wait to read more about them!

While his humor may not be for everyone, there always seems to be a quote in every book that I find really resonates and for Guards! Guards! it has to be this one:

The relevant Equation is: Knowledge = Power = Energy = Matter = Mass. A good Bookshop is just a genteel black hole that knows how to read