I've read maybe five books by Terry Pratchett now. I started with A Thief of Time a couple months ago and was so impressed on a variety of levels that I've been working my way through the rest. He's a prolific writer, but seems to be consistently good. His books are sort of sci-fi / fantasy, but not in the usual way. His creation, Discworld, is its own planet. It has the usual sci-fi / fantasy character types: werewolves, vampires, dwarves, etc., but in a practical setting. Rather than going on epic quests to save this or defend that, his characters just want to live life and deal with things we all deal with, like unions and long lines at the grocery store and stinky cheese. It's a world with its own myths and religions and unique History, and a rather unusual but sensible telecommunication system.Monstrous Regiment is about a young woman who's grown up in a very patriarchal and religious society. Her family owns an inn, but as a woman she can't inherit it. Her brother, who isn't quite right in the head, will inherit, but he's joined the army and disappeared. Her future depends on finding him. So she disguises herself as a man, which is highly illegal in her society, and joins her brother's regiment herself.
As the story moves along she discovers she's not the only one who's done this. This unlikely regiment of women and trolls and reformed vampires, with no training and very little equipment, finds that the resolution of the war -as well as the future of their country's religion and the rights of women- rests on their shoulders.
Widget by Css Reflex | TutZone
My British husband loves Terry Pratchett. I've tried and tried and I just can't get into him!
ReplyDeleteI love Good Omens, which Terry Prachett wrote with Neil Gaiman. It's a bit long for what it is (but I'm finding this for most books nowadays), but very enjoyable. I've never read Prachett on his own, but I love these fantastic worlds with everyday things.
ReplyDelete