This is the Discworld version of a time machine story. I think it's the best written of the entire Terry Pratchett library, but I only give it four stars.

The thing about any time machine story is that you already know how it comes out. And, for me at least, that takes a bit out of Pratchett's toolbox. Pratchett novels in the past have been a wild ride where you were never completely sure how it would all work out. "Night Watch" is a wild ride, but it's a roller coaster ride, and you know at the end of the ride you'll be, more or less, back at the starting point, breathless but okay.

There's also a bit of a character development issue. Maybe it's just the Monks of History having problems again, but how did eager young nightwatchman Sam Vimes - not John Keel, but Sam Vimes - turn into the lush we know and love in "Guards! Guards!"? We first met Sam Vimes, remember, lying drunk in a gutter in a rainstorm...

Still and all, this is an excellent addition to the Night Watch series. Not an introduction, mind you. I think you need to meet Fred Colon and Nobby Nobbs in "Guards! Guards!" or "Men at Arms" to appreciate those first, earlier encounters here. Especially to ah... savor the meeting with Nobby. Longstanding mysteries are solved, and half the fun is knowing they are mysteries in advance. Why Reg Shoe is a zombie. Whether Vetinari is indeed an assassin.

Pratchett's wordcraft is as good or even better than it has ever been. He is particularly deft in seamlessly intertwining the linked story threads and his message, which he slips in as craftily as any assassin. The party at which Mad Lord Winder is not assassinated is particularly well done.

I'm not rabid about Pratchett - I'm not a chronic hanger-on at L-Space, and there are some small sections of The APF I've not committed to memory. But any Prachett book is cause for keen anticipation and delighted, delightful reading. "Night Watch" is no exception. Oh, and stay off the Library dome in lightning storms...

I'm going to keep this short because so many other people have already highlighted the book. I agree with all the people who said this is not a good starting point for new readers. There is more character development here than in any of Pratchett's "watch" novels since Guards Guards!

This book was so good that I missed several meals because I didn't want to put it down, and when I did finish I just sat there and let it all sink in. Much like after really good sex.

Highly reccommended.

One of Terry Pratchett's knacks (he has several) is the ability to take an essentially serious theme and mine it for countless funny bits, but never losing sight of the larger themes that lurk behind his wry tales. Sam Vimes, once a patrolman in Ankh-Morpork's Night Watch, now Duke of Ankh and Commander of the City Watch, thought his world was becoming reliably predictable. And in law enforcement, this is considered a 'good thing. Especially when one's wife is expecting, immanently. So Vimes was ill prepared when a bolt of lightning catapulted him and the psychotic he was trying to arrest, straight through the roof of the Unseen University and into the past.

Vimes has a long history of coping. Now he took in stride the discovery that he had suddenly become the man responsible for showing himself how to be a good cop in the first place. He takes the place of Sergeant John Keel (conveniently killed by Carcer, the psychotic who started all this) and sets about trying to teach young Sam Vimes how to keep the peace. Distracted only by the fact than Ankh-Morpork was about to experience its own version of the French Revolution - The Glorious People's Republic of Treacle Mine Road. And if Sam (the elder) doesn't get it all to come out right, he has no hope of returning to his own present and his newborn son.

This is a complicated tale. Even the basic plot - making sure that history happens as it should - is an enormous task. Nor has Pratchett chosen a narrow stage on which to enact the plot. You will find almost every key Ankh-Morpork character (and just a few others) running about the scenery acting 30 years younger. Except Death, of course. He's there, but he is never gets any younger. You will meet Reg before he becomes a zombie and 'Cut my own throat' Dibbler before any of his great failures. And even Lord Vetinarii before he... Well, that would be giving away too much of the plot.

Pratchett makes this all weave together as if it really happened. Alternating between characters full of self-effacing humor and grim determination in equal parts. Revolutions, after all, are not funny business. 'Night Watch' is less of a lampoon than a social commentary with a twist. It comforts us little that all this is happening on a turtle far away. This world has no lack of characters even grimmer than the villains of this piece (security officers and greedy politicians). Pratchett provides a gentle reminder that the business of keeping the peace takes hardnosed determination.

Perhaps because of the ambivalent mood of the book, it seems a bit more than many of its predecessors. This wasn't dashed off, and the characters are all filled in some detail. It asks questions, and doesn't always offer an answer. Pratchett is noted for bending people's minds, but less for making the reader think. I like the change. This is a book to be read slowly and relished.

Wyrd Sisters continues the story of Granny Weatherwax, who we first met in the Discworld novel Equal Rites. In this book, Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg have joined with another witch, Magrat, new to the Discworld novels, to form a coven. Magrat has some odd ideas of what witchcraft involves, such as rituals, candles, and herbs, but the other two humor her. We also get a visit from our old friend Death. We also get introduced to some new characters. The old ruler of the kingdom, Verence, was murdered and is stuck being a ghost, bound to the stones of the castle. Hwel is a playwright given the job of writing a play to make the current evil ruler and his wife look better in the eyes of the people. The witches get involved in the royal intrigue, despite wanting to not get involved in matters outside of the coven. The land is unhappy with the new ruler, and the witches know it. Wyrd Sisters abounds with references to Shakespeare, namely MacBeth. Filled with witty dialogue and amusing parodies, the Discworld novels keep getting better and better.

This is one of the funniest and most charming books I've read in a while. Terry Pratchett uses the environment of his famous Discworld to tell a story of a coven of three witches (although two will argue it's not a coven) who meddle in the business of royal politics (although all two will argue it's not meddling).

Those who enjoy a funny story will love this book, but those who enjoy a funny story and have read Shakespeare's Macbeth and Hamlet will enjoy it even more. Pratchett does a great job interweaving different aspects of classic plays and fairy tales with the overall plot and flavor of the story, while adding the comedic edge for which he is so well known. And those who have spent even a small amount of time studying modern witchcraft and Wicca will find a few scenes particularly funny.

The story involves the typical royal intrigue and how the smallest twist of fate can change an entire kingdom, and when you throw in Pratchett's three witches, fate is forced to flee in terror. Include travelling actors, a Fool who isn't a fool, a disgruntled ghost, a paranoid king, and a thunderstorm that hopes to one day grow up and be a really big storm, and you're starting to get the idea how wacky things get.

This book is definitely in the top three Discworld novels.

Wyrd Sisters, the sixth Discworld novel by Terry Pratchett, is a very funny take-off of MacBeth. The Shakespearean allusions were a bit above my head without reading the online annotations, but even without that I found I was laughing a great deal. Plus, it has an interesting story playing on the old "lost son of a king" cliché.

The three witches are my least favourite of the sub-series that Pratchett has in Discworld. Of course, that's because the other two (City Watch, Death) are so good, not because the witches are bad. They are still well worth the price of admission into their stories. Granny Weatherwax is a curmudgeon of sorts, often speaking of how the new people are "getting ideas" put in their head. "'Modern,' said Granny Weatherwax with a sniff. 'When I was a gel, we had a lump of wax and a couple of pins and had to be content. We had to make our own enchantment in them days.'" She doesn't understand a lot of new things, like theatre. In fact, one of the funniest scenes in the book is when Magrat and Nanny Ogg take her to the theatre and she tries to intervene in what's happening on stage.

Nanny Ogg and Magrat are wonderful creations as well. Nanny is old, but she's a lot more open-minded. She can understand a lot of the new ideas going around. She's also good at what she does. Another great scene is when Felmet and his wife try to torture her. Let's just say it doesn't quite work. Magrat is the young witch, who thinks that symbols are very important. When they try to summon a demon to help them, she's the one who thinks that they need the "proper" ingredients in order to do it, rather than the makeshift ones that the other two bring in. Together, the threesome is a very entertaining bunch.

The incidental characters are marvelous as well. There's the Fool, who only became a Fool because it was a family tradition. He really hates it. There's Hwel, the dwarf who never took to mining, so he became a playwright. Death makes a few appearances as well, also making his stage debut in a riotous manner. There isn't a wasted character in the bunch, and they are all well-rounded individuals who are interesting to read about.

The plot is excellent as well. The only thing that marred it for me was the extensive Shakespearean allusions, and that's only because I didn't understand half of them. There were times when I knew I was missing a joke, which became a bit frustrating. It's one thing to miss a joke and not even see it, but when you see it but don't understand it, it's a bit of a letdown. Still, if it encourages people to go back to the original plays and read them, then so much the better. The book doesn't suffer for all of this, though. It is still a very entertaining read without it.

This is a wonderful beginning to the Three Witches sub-series. I look forward to reading more of them. It's an excellent place to start your entry into Discworld.

Even though this might not be one of Pratchett's best books- it is still great to read. It was already mentioned that this is another story "borrowed" from Shakespeare, but I must say that this wasn't the main reason why I enjoyed this book.
Of course, the midsummer night dream turned into a story about Nanny Ogg, Granny Weatherwax and "One happens to be queen soon" Magrat fighting evil elves who want to take over the ramtop- kingdom Lancre is somewhat funny. No doubt Terry could have made a lot more out of this material, but he makes up for it.
Nanny Ogg meets Casanunda again and the "romance" between the witch and the self- announced second best lover of the discworld will have you roar with laughter (unbelievable what Nanny can turn a candlelight dinner into..). Another highlight is surely Archchancellor Ridcully who has been invited to the royal wedding (remember Witches Abroad- Magrat and Verence finally made it to the point, and Verence is already ordering "special" books from Ankh Morpork : "Martial Arts? I'm sure I ordered.. uh, never mind.."). Returning to the ramtops Mustrum Ridcully finds his teenage-love (Granny Weatherwax!!) but he doesn't have a lot of time for romantic memories as the elves keep Granny busy.

After all, Lords and Ladies could have been more than it is, but it still will make you laugh.

I found this Discworld adventure a little disjointed.

Many of Pratchett's others -- in particular, WYRD SISTERS and MEN AT ARMS -- grew, sentence by sentence, chuckle by chuckle, into a delightful read. This one didn't quite match those, in hilarity or in coherency.

However, I would still recommend it. I'm reading these in order, and am having great fun in doing so. That is, after all, the whole point.

Lords & Ladies, the 14th novel in Terry Pratchett's Discworld series, is a wonderful return to Pratchett form for me. It is laugh-out-loud funny and a wonderful parody of Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream. The Shakespeare allusions aren't quite as bewildering as they were in Wyrd Sisters either, which makes it a bit more accessible for the non-Shakespeare fan.

This book was fantastic. It was a very interesting blend of comedy and grimness. In fact, it was probably the most mainstream plot that I've seen Pratchett produce. The conflict between the Elves and Magrat (and the Elf Queen and Granny) is very straightforward and almost chilling. The Elves are relentless in their pursuit of their victims. Magrat has to do some very harsh things to save herself from them. The Elves are almost unstoppable. Then, there is the Granny's confrontation with the Queen, which is very much like other confrontations between heroes and villains. Granny is captured and the Queen is just playing with her. They discuss what's going to happen to Lancre when the Elves take over. The Queen threatens her life. That sort of thing. These scenes are almost terrifying, and that's the first time I can ever say that Pratchett has done that to me.

However, that doesn't take away from the comedy. There are some truly funny scenes in this book that will make you laugh hard. The Archchancellor of the the Unseen University of wizards decides that he should come to the wedding along with a few colleagues (including the Librarian, an orangutan that used to be human before a magical accident). The scenes with the wizards, as usual, are just hilarious. This includes everything from attempting to hire transport (they don't have enough money, so they have to say that the Librarian is a pet) to the Archchancellor's attempts to woo Granny. As they say, hilarity ensues.

The characters are simply wonderful. It is such a difference between this book and Equal Rites. Not only are they very funny, but you start to care for them as well. Great strides are made in character development. Magrat finally learns what she can do when she's pushed, when she stands up to the Elves. Granny learns to respect Magrat just a little bit. Nanny learns about Casanunda, the world's second greatest lover ("I try harder"). All of the witches seem a bit less testy, but still well within the character established for them in earlier books. Even the wizards get some development, which doesn't happen very often. You learn a bit about the Archchancellor in this one as well. Usually, the wizards are just around for comedy relief.

Probably the best character, though, is Simon. He's one of Nanny Ogg's sons, and he's basically everything at the castle. He's the army, he's the servant, he's the herald, etc. His attempts to get his mother and the other witches to follow royal protocol (like letting him announce their presence to the King) are very funny. Even he gets some development, though, as he learns what it is to be a leader when he has to lead a rag-tag band against the Elves.

There is only one thing wrong with this book. The ending, again, is a bit lack-luster. This time, it's also a bit anti-climactic. It doesn't exactly come out of nowhere, as there is a bit of a set-up. However, I think it still needed a bit more. I applaud Pratchett for trying to turn the clichéd ending to something like this on its head, but I think it needed a little more support.

As far as the characters and the plot go, though, this was a classic book. Not quite as good as Reaper Man (I don't know if he'll ever be able to top that), but still very high up on the list. And ignore what Pratchett says at the beginning of the book. While it does continue straight on from the previous book (which I haven't read), it is still very understandable without that. In his little blurb at the beginning, Pratchett gives you all of the information you will need to understand this one.

If you can't find Reaper Man, this one also makes an excellent entry into the Discworld universe.

Terry Pratchett is without a doubt one of the most gifted writers to grace the world of literature. His Discworld novel, 'Soul Music', is the most entertaining book I've read in many years. This is the story of Susan Sto Helit- boarding school student, granddaughter of Death, and acting CEO of the family business. When Death joins the Klatchian Foreign Legion to forget (in general), Susan has to take up the scythe and fill in for a time. Not particularly well suited for the job, Susan refuses to collect the life of Imp Y Celyn- a young man who along with a dwarf trumpet player and a troll percussionist, has introduced Music With Rocks In to the good people of Ankh-Morpork. Imp has been influenced by a magical guitar with a life of it's own, and given birth to 'Rock' music. Susan feels it's not right for Imp to 'live fast and die young', and this upsets the balance of nature on Discworld. Assisted by Albert- Death's manservant, and the Death of Rats- Susansets out to find her grandfather and try to set things right. Music With Rocks in has upset every aspect of society in Ankh-Morpork, much like rock'n'roll in 1950's America. The wizards of Unseen University are under a spell like nothing anyone has ever seen. Personally, I'm not a big fan of the whole fantasy/sci-fi genre, but Pratchett's Discworld novels are more akin to flights of fancy... enjoyable on many levels. His works leave the reader with a pleasant sense of fulfillment that few authors can approach. You never find yourself wishing things turned out differently than Pratchett's vision, like so many other novels today. This splendid work has to be read to fully grasp the beauty of it's complex fluidity, and the humorous footnotes are fantastic. I would recommend Terry Pratchett's 'Discworld' series to anyone- they are a pleasure to read and finished far too soon.

In this Discworld installment, PTerry definitely did a great job on the characters, of which there is no shortage. One of my favorites is Cut-Me-Own-Throat Dibbler, who is a business enterpreneur. Also, Corporal Nobbs and Sergeant Colon of the city watch shared some pretty funny exchanges. Another of my favorites is the Librarian, an orangutan (don't ever call him a monkey), who runs the University library. This book was also the first time I encountered Mustrum Ridcully. Every character, from the Band With Rocks In roadie Asphalt to Qouth the raven, is done in a way that individualizes them greatly. Next, I'd like to talk about the plot. There are several subplots: Death tries various ways to forget his past, Susan takes on Death's role, Ridcully and the University wizards get crazed for Music With Rocks In, and Imp Y Celyn, a Llamedese bard, gets his life takenover by a magic guitar. PTerry weaves these plots together to form a gigantic plot, which heralds a long, exciting, 300-page book

Here we are again. Death, the skeletal fellow who goes around wearing black robes, carrying a scythe, riding a pale white horse (named Binky), and TALKS LIKE THIS, has once again grown tired of the job and gone to try to forget things by joining the... um... (glancing at a piece of paper) the Klatchian Foreign Legion.

That's an in-joke about how NOBODY in the Klatchian Foreign Legion can remember anything.

...so, his granddaughter Susan inherits the job accidentally.

Meanwhile, the young bard Imp y Celyn starts to make it big when he finds a magical guitar and music takes over his soul. He changes his name to Buddy...

...and, in positively classic Pratchett style, the two plotlines come together in a rush of magic, energy, and Music With Rocks In!

I very highly recommend this book to anyone with... well, anyone with a willpower rating of above 10, which is what you need to move.
As Death would likely say, DON'T FORGET. I CAN'T ANYWAY, SO IT'S NOT A PROBLEM. BUT YOU HUMANS...

And you don't want to miss the Death of Rats who goes around saying SQUEAK.

Yeah, well, another time-travel story - and a quite boring one as it is. But if you're a fan of Pratchett's, even this weakest of the Johnny-novels is fun to read. His ingenious way with words makes up for the overall lack of originality of this book.

If you read the Johnny Maxwell trilogy, you can actually see Pratchett's undeniable talent blooming. In the third book, Pratchett gives us a smart person's time travel fantasy, full of hilarious situations and interesting info on the trouser legs of time. (Don't ask)

Old bag lady Mrs. Tachyon is considered nuts but harmless, pushing around an enormous trolley full of bags and a mangy cat. One day she's found unconscious and beaten in a street; after Johnny and his pals have her taken to a hospital, they put her trolley in Johnny's garage for safekeeping. But Johnny soon finds that the trolley has more than garbage -- there's a new newspaper dated from decades ago.

Before you can say "what the disc!", Johnny and his friends (dignified Yo-less, wannabe-nerd Bigmac, abrasive Kristy, and not-so-dignified Wobbler) are whisked back in time to 1941. At first they're intrigued by the weirdness of the old place, but things take a nasty turn: Bigmac is arrested, while Wobbler is first harassed by a bratty kid and then accidently left behind. When Johnny and his pals reappear, they soon discover that their brief trip back in time has completely messed up the timeline...

This book is more complex than "Johnny and the Dead" and better-written than "Only You Can Save Mankind." Pratchett's quirky characters, occasional social commentary and funny speculation (the trouser-legs-of-time description is the best time description you can find). The appearance of the elderly Wobbler is a stroke of genius, as is the "... I'm a Muslim" joke that serves an important part of the plot.

Pratchett's writing is clearer and quirkier here than before. The storyline is far smoother and more detailed, and he puts in extra scenes that add to the characters (such as Yo-less dealing with a '40s woman's racism) without distracting us from the story. And the funnier scenes (like the police interrogaton, or the "spy!" harrassment) are absolutely hysterical.

As before, Johnny is the one really normal person as well as the smartest. Yo-less makes less of an impact unless dealing with stereotypes, and Bigmac makes very little unless being interrogated. The rather self-satisfied Kristy barges undiplomatically at Johnny's side (though she does deal with '40s sexism in a very amusing way), and Wobbler has the subtlest and perhaps most interesting role.

"Johnny and the Bomb" incorporates the strengths of the previous two books, finishing it off with a flourish (and lots of explosions). Funny, cute, a time travel story for the thinking reader.

In my opinion, Johnny and the Bomb is the best book in Terry Pratchett's Johnny Maxwell trilogy. While classified as juvenile fiction, this book bears the strongest resemblance of the three to Pratchett's Discworld ideas and characterizations, containing much more social commentary, satire, and sidesplitting comedy than Only You Can Save Mankind and Johnny and the Dead. For such a normal twelve-year-old kid, Johnny Maxwell has some amazing adventures. This time around, he becomes a time traveler. Old Mrs. Tachyon, whom we have met briefly earlier in the series, is now revealed to be something more than a crazy bag lady; she is a time-traveling crazy bag lady. When she turns up injured, Johnny and his friends summon an ambulance for her and take her trolley cart (complete with her ornery cat Guilty) to Johnny's garage for safe keeping. Johnny notices that some of her bags seem to move of their own accord at times, and this discovery quickly leads to an episode of quite unexpected time travel. Eventually, the gang (Johnny, Wobbler, Bigmac, Yo-less, and Kirsty) go back in time to 1941, the very day preceding an unexpected and accidental bombing of one section of town by German bombers. They try to be careful not to mess the future up, but Bigmac finds himself in trouble with the police, Wobbler is assailed by a brat who keeps calling him a spy, and somehow the future gets mucked up a little bit in the process. Finding their way back home to the future is a difficult task; arriving back home without Wobbler and having to figure out a way to go back and retrieve him is even harder, especially since it involves convincing the 1941 authorities that the town is going to be bombed at a specific time.

The characters of Johnny's remarkable friends are fleshed out in this novel to a much greater extent than they were in the previous two novels. Yo-less, a black kid, is less than pleased to find himself dubbed Sambo by the folks living in 1941, and the extremely forceful young Kirsten is almost as upset about being treated like a "little lady." Johnny, for his part, often finds himself putting his sanity at risk by contemplating the ways and whims of time travel. I found this book to be hilarious; the time travel part of the tale is a little wild and crazy, but hypotheses about the different legs of the Trousers of Time is vintage Pratchett material. Old Mrs. Tachyon is a wonderful character, seemingly rather insane based on her thought processes and tendency to spout gibberish all the time, she is perhaps more sane than anyone else around her; time traveling is enough to warp anyone's mind, Johnny reasons. I was rather delighted to hear Mrs. Tachyon mumble the words "Millennium hand and shrimp" at one point because these are the very same words often spoken by Foul Ole Ron on the Discworld. This adventure really is the type of thing you might expect to find on Pratchett's famous planetary creation, and I daresay any Discworld fan should enjoy this book immensely. I find myself wishing for more Johnny Maxwell stories; I feel as if I know these characters now, and they are a fascinating, increasingly funny bunch of guys to hang around with.

This version of legends is divided into three parts, if you search for Robert Silverberg you can find it in one volume for about the same price, so that you get all three parts together for about a third of the price
As to the book,I can only review the second part (I made the mistake of ordering legends 2 thinking that it was all 11 stories, but it was really just three.) The three stories that were in it were:Debt of Bones by Terry Goodkind
The Hedge Knight by George R.R. Martin
and Runner of Pern, by Anne McCaffrey
Of the three I read, The Hedge Knight was definitely the best, it has alot of action and the grimly real, but exciting story that only Martin can provide. It is set in the Seven Kingdoms of Martin's excellent series, A Song of Ice and Fire.
Debt of Bones was good, and it showed me what type of a writer Goodkind is,(I haven't read anything by him but that, but it got me interested and I bought the first book in his series, The Sword Of Truth.
Runner of Pern was probably the one I least liked, I knew nothing about Anne McCaffrey, and it was okay, but not nearly as good as The Hedge Knight.
Be sure to buy the edition with all 11 stories, I have just ordered the full edition, Most all of the writers in the 11 stories, I have read before and it is interesting to have a short work to read by them, about a different part of their world. This will also help you get aquainted with writers you havn't read before, see their writing style, and decide if you want to read more of them.

I read Legends in one piece, so please bear with me reviewing here. Legends (and Far Horizons) as well, were a brilliant move. Short stories about the worlds you know and love, in one book with yet unexplored worlds... it's awesome, both from the fan's and the publisher's point of view.

The quality of the stories was high. King's story was beautiful and enchanting, I am not a great fan of Pratchett, though, Feist and Goodkind's stories were entertaining enough, if not a little predictable.

I felt myself also highly attracted to Williams' story for some reason. And I havent even read the series. Still gotta find the first book somewhere. :)
Jordan's story, as a WOT fan, was nice enough. It was nice to be back in the WOT world again (this was during the wait for book 9). For me, it grabbed hold and didnt let go. Although I agree that it might be a little vague and incomprehensible for the people who are not familiar with the Wheel of Time.
The big thing about Legends though, has got to be the Hedge Knight. It got me to reading Martin's work, and it had got me to favoring Martin above Jordan as soon as I was done with the series.

Legends did what it was made for - introduce fans into worlds they havent explored yet, and show them a little bit more of the worlds they know and love. So yes, Legends was brilliant.

Wow.

My dad got me this as a gift a few years ago, and i have been consistently re-reading it since. All of the stories are masterpieces, even more so in that they are all less than a few hundred pages, yet still present a rich, textured world, unique to each story. This book has led me to 5 different series, 3of which i have completed again and again (I just can't seem to find the rest of the other 2). All of the stories are exquisite.

New Spring, by Robert Jordan, last story in the book, has affected me the most. It was one of the last stories I read, not just for being last, but I have read the 7000+ page series again and again in the last few years.

I have not read the Memory, Sorrow and Thorn series, but the story by Tad Williams is very complex; it took me a few readings to get the full plot. A great older read.

The Earthsea story isn't really connected to the other books, but they are good. And Ms. Le Guin has also written a few kids books.

The Hedge Knight, by George R.R. Martin, is most likely my favorite story. I haven't gotten around to reading the series yet, but it's on my list. Wonderful storytelling and action.

King, as always, is absolutely stunning. Leaving no violence or sex out, this serves as a wonderful intro or stand-alone. The Little Sisters of Eluria is a #1 first story choice.

The Feist story was a bit wierd, and kind of unfufilled. The Seventh Shrine was the last story I read. I think i was a bit put off by its length. It was worth the time, and i still have yet to pick up a book of the series.

And I won't settle for subliminal messages: BUY AND READ THE BOOK! NOW!!

Oops, I seem to have left out the Card story. It is funny, and linked to a wonderful series whose depth so far is rarely equaled in my reprtoire. The Ender series, also by the same author, is much more famous, and about par, on a totally different subject. a very funny yarn, when the rest of the series is slightly more somber.

Maskerade is yet another Discworld novel by Terry Pratchett, although the only binding elements to the Discworld are place names, the Ramtops and Ankh/Morpork, and a few beloved characters. The witches, Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg (with Greebo the cat), being the main characters. Oh yes, Death puts in some cameo appearances. Apart from this, the story could be any fantasy setting. Pratchett is, once again, extremely witty, making me laugh out loud several times. The plot is not, perhaps, very original; being an obvious satire of the Phantom of the Opera, but it has enough of a Pratchett twist to keep you reading. A who-dunnit Phantom? One drawback of the book is that the author assumes a knowledge of the Discworld's magic, anyway how the witch's magig works, and to a much lesser extent the geography. While this will probably not lessen a first time readers enjoyment very much, it will perhaps make for some puzzling passages. While perhaps not as inventive as his other Discworld novels, such as Lords and Ladies, it is still very good and extremely funny. PS: I missed the footnote jokes present in Pratchett's other novels.

If you've never heard of Terry Pratchett, you're clearly living on the wrong planet. So join the rest of us in Pratchett's Discworld and enjoy the antics of Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg, the Disc's best-known witches. Visit Ankh-Morpork's Opera House with them (accompanied by their lunatic guests). You'll marvel at the amazing scenes of chaos that Pratchett can conjure up, seemingly without trying. And no matter what the topic, Pratchett is able to satirize it and make you question your former opinions - and you'll howl with laughter as you do so. I've read quite a lot of Discworld books and there are not many that have not held a chuckle a page and a full belly laugh a chapter. Maskerade lives up to its author's reputation in full, satirizing opera, theatre production, the lot - and all with a smile on his face. If, after reading Maskerade, you are in any doubt that Terry Prachett is not the most creative and funniest contemporary author around, you've obviously got a funny bone missing somewhere. Although it is not his best work, Maskerade is still hilarious and well worthy of five stars.

This is the 19th of Pratchett's Discworld series. In this book, Pratchett uses the "Phantom of the Opera" as the basis for his plot. The main character (outside of Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg) is Agnes (Perdita X.) Nitt, who had a cameo role in "Lords and Ladies." With a lot of adventure, murder, mystery, and comedy, Pratchett manages to set her up as a replacement for Magrat in the coven. An amusing sub-plot is how Nanny manipulates Granny (whom she's worried about) into the main plot. Though it works, this, not surprisingly, fairly quickly boomerangs on her. This book has oodles of those passages where you burst out laughing while reading and just have to tell your spousal unit while she's busy trying to do something else. An essential, excellent book. Read it.

This map is a good map for those people (like me) who are addicted to Pratchett. Like the others, it helps so much with the visualisation of the places of the book (hubwise, rimwise - it all gets blurred after awhile). However, the map's only negative aspect was that it was a very large map with only a bit of detail here and there - Everything looked a bit spaced out.

In the mists of time I was a committed Pratchett fan, from the glory days of the mid 80's when the only titles published were the 'Colour of Magic' and the 'Light Fantastic' (I bought my first Pratchett in 1986)- and when only real fans had actually heard of the man. After introducing many other readers, I fell by the wayside, (I haven't read a Pratchett since Reaper Man), so reading The Last Continent was a bit like going back in time (strangely time travel features greatly). I regret to say I was not impressed. Mr Prachett's cauldron must be running down to the last black sludgy bits. At the rate he's producing them, I'm not surprised. Oh, don't get me wrong - it's funny. The same little footnotes, the wry character observations, the humorous situations created by word associations etc (the 'Oz' jokes in particular were fun - converted into a 'fantasy' setting nicely). But the punch is rather flat, the jokes are more one-liners than subtle funnies which prey on the mind with the sly wit that Pratchett is famous for. Not classic Pratchett as I remember it from those early heady days ... sigh. Fun but not great.

It is impossible to convey in mere words the feelings that Mr Pratchett can invoke in the heart and mind of his readers. Suffice it to say, that if there was no terry pratchett, the world would be a very boring place to live in. What can I say to make other people buy his books, so that they can partake in the joy and pleasure that comes from reading his books? I can not recommend one of his books without urging you to read the other chapters in the discworld saga. To read one of his books is to for the first time in your life know what it to breathe really fresh air, and you can not go back to the stale air you used to breathe. The last continent, like all other discworld books, did not in any way disappoint me. It was a stark contrast to the watch, death or witches novels, but that is why I keep reading book after book. I have fallen in love with all the characters and the world they live in. I always want more. The last continent might not bring the sudden, loud, or the delayed laughter caused by reading the same passage over and over again ten times, that other books have brought, but when I read this book I experienced the kind of feeling that I can only find when spending time with a loved one, be it organic or inanimate. When I read the book I could really feel as if I were in Australia, and I have never even been there. I would like to give the book five stars, but there are better books. These books would also be pratchett's. The four stars does not mean that the book is lacking in anything, it just means that this book which is "merely" fantastic could not attain the divine position of the other stupendous, fabulous and utterly breath-taking books that he has written. This is a book which I would not have wanted to have left unread.

Well, I don't know why everyone's going on about this book not being so good--unless they simply prefer the more "serious" or not so pop-culture-reference-laden books of the Discworld series. Me, call me cheap, but, as nice as some philosophy can be, I like the ones that make me LAUGH. And the Last Continent did that. BIG-time!

In one plotline, we have Rincewind, who I liked from the moment I first read "The Colour of Magic" and have laughed myself silly at any book he's ever been in since. (Including the unpopular "Sourcery", which had me almost DYING with laughter, and even "Eric".) How can a character who's so _cowardly_ be so _likeable_? It defies logic on the surface of it, but, there you go! Terry Pratchett is the only author I've seen so far who can make the most pathetic losery _anti_-hero you can think of--and then genuinely make you cheer for him.

Anyway, Rincewind's plotline involves him not only wandering all over "FourEcks" and running into a parody version of just about _every single famous Australian thing known to man_, but also a whole ton of just plain side-splitting jokes and scenes. I LOVED the whole "Priscilla" thing! Assuming that Rincewind was another drag-queen, with his "dress" (wizard robe), oh, gods...! I was so in stitches. And the Luggage in high heels even!

The other plotline involves the wizards from Unseen University--but this time, they are OUT of the University! Big improvement! I guess I'm in the minority here, but when it comes to favourite "groups" of characters the wizards are TOPS for me, with the witches, Guards, "Death" family, etc. below them. I dunno. Maybe I just like eccentric whackazoid characters. (And HEX rules.) Anyway, this part of the book takes the wizards out of their usual cloistered surroundings for a welcome (for us; frightening to them) breath of real fresh air and sunshine--and weirdness! Highlights of this plotline include young Ponder Stibbons becoming a very strong character suddenly (he gets a sympathetic background and a hot temper among other things) and Mrs. Whitlow also being developed further. As for the God on the island offending heavily-religious people, listen: He's the GOD of EVOLUTION. Like, since evolution is something you can "believe" in, it must have a god behind it...well, on Discworld, anyway! He was making fun of atheists or secular humanists in a tongue-and-cheek way. Notice it was Ponder, the scientific wizard, who was _horrified_ to find out that such a god could exist (at first...then he thought it was cool...for a while.) Last but not least, I _liked_ the way the two plotlines tied together at the end. I just hope this isn't the end of Rincewind's "adventures", not just yet.

In short: BOTH plotlines are funny, have character development and HILARIOUSLY funny lines and scenarios. It _does_ make sense if you pay attention to it, and you don't have to be Australian to get the jokes--just alive and alert for the later part of the 20th century is all. If you want to laugh, get this book! If you didn't like it so much the first time...wait a while, then try it again. I wasn't so impressed the first time. This review is from my _second_ read.

And if you STILL don't like it, well, no worries!