• Author: Terry Pratchett
• Series: Discworld #3
• Genre: Fantasy
• No. of pages: 288
• Date read: 31.12.18 – 05.01.19
• Rating: 4.5 stars (Favourite)
• Challenge: 2019 Sequels and ONTD Reading Challenge: Jan (Read a book which was adapted into a movie or TV show)

You know that problem with book series where the 2nd book is never as good as the first. Not the case with this book!

A direct sequel to the first book in the Discworld series, The Colour of Magic. That book follows failed wizard Rincewind, as he agrees to show tourist, Twoflower, around the city of Ankh-Morpork. I can’t really give you the plot of this book because of spoilers.

I really liked the first book, it was a nice introduction to Terry Pratchett’s writing style and storytelling but this book is miles better than the first!

POSITIVES –
I loved Twoflower and Rincewind’s dynamic. They are such a comedic duo. I loved how it isn’t until the very end of the book do you truly know how they feel about each other as most of the time Rincewind has been putting up with Twoflower. Their friendship is very much unlike things I have read before.

The Luggage was a standout character to me. I love the fact that an object with no dialogue and no ability to speak, can be so emotive and hilarious! Pratchett did a great job with making you understand how the Luggage is feeling but without just saying outright. I loved its personality and how you never truly understand what it is, it’s just a mystery you never solve.

One of the things I liked about this book compared to The Colour of Magic is it feels like it had more of a cohesive plot with a clear direction of where it was going. The first book felt a bit all over the place with no clear structure, it was just following the characters on a journey with no clear end destination. It felt a bit messy in terms of plot structure but it’s overshadowed by how imaginative the world is. I liked seeing this improvement.

The description and the imagination that Terry Pratchett had is outstanding! Every page I turned I didn’t know what was going to happen next and who I was going to meet! Especially at the end at the very climax of the ending Pratchett’s description is off the charts. I could visualise the scene perfectly.

I loved how imaginative the world is and how each part of the Discworld is unlike the other. All the characters were incredibly different from one another one character is an ageing warrior while another is an angry and tired rock troll. I loved seeing a bit more exploration into the wizards from the Unseen University as well. Giving a bit more insight into the magic system at play in the Discworld.

Another point that made this book better than the first is that the ending was a lot better. The main negative I had about the first book was that I thought the ending was rushed and not that great it really spoilt the book as I had enjoyed it a lot before we got to the ending and I felt it didn’t work with the rest of the novel. The ending was amazing in this book you don’t know what’s going to happen next and even when I thought I knew what was going to happen, Pratchett surprised me with something weird and crazy! Very on-brand.

This book also helps me complete the first month in the ONTD reading challenge! Quick disclaimer – I did read the January challenge wrong. I thought it was read a book adapted into a TV show or movie, not specifically limited to 2019 but I was wrong. It’s too late now so I am just counting any book that was adapted into a movie or tv show since the dawn of time. This book, in particular, was made into a movie alongside The Colour of Magic.

The next book I plan to review is Fire and Heist by Sarah Beth Durst. A fantasy novel involving humans who can shape-shift into dragons, unsolved mysteries and heists! I am partaking in the Fairyloot Readalong so the review will be up same time next week.