Mostly Murders

It is said that the gods play games with the lives of men. But what games, and why, and the identities of the actual pawns, and what the game is, and what the rules are – who knows?

Book 8 in the Discworld universe, book 1 in the City Watch subseries.

This is the story of a secret society seeking the power of ancient dragons to create a king. This is also the story of a young man who was raised by dwarves after being orphaned as an infant.

It is also a story of Lord Veterinari, ruler of Ankh-Morpork, and a cunning agent in the game of politics that plays out every day in the city. And the story of the magic of libraries in general, and the magic of the Unseen University library in particular. And also a story of the breeding of lesser dragons by the formidable Lady Sibyl, and the magic and nature of dragons in general.

But most of all this is the story of the City Watch, of the hardboiled and longsuffering Sam Vimes, commander of the City Watch, the probably, or at least possibly human, corporal “Nobby” Nobbs, the rather average-Ankh-Morporkian sergeant Colon, and the idealistic and charismatic Carrot Ironfoundersson.

It is a story for all the outcasts, outsiders and nonconformists out there, if you feel like you don’t belong, it might just be because you haven’t found the right group of misfits to fit in with.

And it is a story of human nature. Of stupidity, cowardice, duplicity and greed, but also of comradery, second chances and one-in-a-million shots at happiness. It is a story that will make you despair over the general stupidity of humanity as a whole, and it is a story that will make you rejoice at the awesomeness of individual people who try to do the right thing when it matters the most.

In short, Guards! Guards! is a story about a lot of things. It is immersive, expansive, mindboggling, philosophical, satirical, profound and brilliant. It’s funny. It’s clever. It’s almost terrifyingly accurate and relevant, and it is oh so very, very entertaining.

Fantasy – Humour – Satire