Call number
Genres
Publication
New York: HarperPrism, [1996]
Pages
341
Description
A Young Dwarf's Dream Corporal Carrot has been promoted! He's now in charge of the new recruits guarding Ankh-Morpork, Discworld's greatest city, from Barbarian Tribes, Miscellaneous Marauders, unlicensed Thieves, and such. It's a big job, particularly for an adopted dwarf. But an even bigger job awaits. An ancient document has just revealed that Ankh-Morpork, ruled for decades by Disorganized crime, has a secret sovereign! And his name is Carrott... And so begins the most awesome epic encounter of all time, or at least all afternoon, in which the fate of a city-indeed of the universe itself!-depends on a young man's courage, an ancient sword's magic, and a three-legged poodle's bladder.
Media reviews
Though dotted with good and bad jokes Men at Arms isn't as purely funny as some of the series' earlier installments. Racial prejudice and gun control elicit some uncomfortably close-to-the-bone satire, while the search for the killer and his weapon is almost too gripping. By all means, give
Show More
Pratchett a try, though you might want to start with, say, The Color of Magic or Guards! Guards! These books can sometimes be hard to find, even in paperback, but they repay any effort expended. I keep my copies on the shelf next to P.G. Wodehouse and Donald Westlake. Show Less
Awards
Prix Imaginales (2002)
ALA Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults (Humor — 2001)
Language
Original publication date
1993-11-11
Physical description
341 p.; 9.5 inches
ISBN
0061092185 / 9780061092183
Similar in this library
User reviews
LibraryThing member bragan
I continue my intermittent re-reading of Terry Pratchett's Discworld series with the second of the City Watch books. And, man. One thing I'm noticing as I read through these as sub-series, rather than in publication order as I originally read them, is that I'll pick up the first one and find myself
That's certainly the case for this one. The writing is just so sharp. And I find myself constantly in awe of how Pratchett can do so many very different things at once. He's funny, in ways that range from groan-worth puns to subtle satiric wit. He also spins a good story, in this case a murder mystery that starts with a dead clown, throws in an interesting twist or two, and ends with a climax that gave me all kinds of feelings. And his social commentary and insights on human nature are always so well-observed and such a surprising but satisfying combination of cynical and genuinely good-hearted. The themes in this one, somewhat depressingly, feel perhaps more relevant than ever, as they include racial prejudice and racial tension made worse by the actions of the police, the corrupting influence of too much power, and the dark side of progress. How Pratchett managed to write so forthrightly about those kinds of things and still make it all feel fun, I don't know, but I'll love him for it forever.
Show More
saying things like, "Well, this is still pretty early on, but you can tell Pratchett has already hit his stride, because it's great." And then I'll read the next one and realize that, of course, that wasn't remotely Pratchett at full stride, no matter how great it was, because he just gets better. That's certainly the case for this one. The writing is just so sharp. And I find myself constantly in awe of how Pratchett can do so many very different things at once. He's funny, in ways that range from groan-worth puns to subtle satiric wit. He also spins a good story, in this case a murder mystery that starts with a dead clown, throws in an interesting twist or two, and ends with a climax that gave me all kinds of feelings. And his social commentary and insights on human nature are always so well-observed and such a surprising but satisfying combination of cynical and genuinely good-hearted. The themes in this one, somewhat depressingly, feel perhaps more relevant than ever, as they include racial prejudice and racial tension made worse by the actions of the police, the corrupting influence of too much power, and the dark side of progress. How Pratchett managed to write so forthrightly about those kinds of things and still make it all feel fun, I don't know, but I'll love him for it forever.
Show Less
LibraryThing member hjjugovic
Terry Pratchett does it again with his excellent city watch series. In Men At Arms, the king of meaningful satire takes on royalty, guns, and racism and somehow emerges unscathed. The jokes are nonstop - you'll find a pun, an obscure cultural reference, a prat fall, and a complicated in-joke within
PLOT SPOILERS recap: Sam is getting married to Sybil and retiring from the watch, but a murder draws him into one last investigation. Something deadly has been stolen from the Assassin's Guild and now bodies are turning up everywhere. To complicate matters, the watch has become equal opportunity, and the dwarf (Cuddy) and troll (Detritus) who are now Watchmen find it hard to get aside their racial differences until their shared adventures in the watch bring them together. Gaspode reluctantly helps Angua return to Carrot after he discovers she's a werewolf. Vetinari keeps forbidding Sam to investigate the case (because he knows Sam's stubborn), but pushes him too far. Sam returns to his drinking, and in his absence, Carrot takes charge and uses his natural charisma to keep the city from tearing itself apart in race riots. Ironically, the murders are committed by those who know Carrot is really the king of the city and want to put him back on the throne. The mysterious weapon is a gun who's god-like powers drive the men who possess it mad. In the end, Carrot and Sam catch the murderer on the day of Sam's wedding, destroy the gun, and save the day. Vetinary grants a list of Carrot's demands (in the wake of him refusing to pursue the throne and saving the city) which create a much larger watch headed up by a newly-knighted Sir Samuel Vimes.
Show More
lines of each other. The emotion is real, and Carrot gets his day in the sun (and Angua her night in the moonlight). While I missed Sam (he's not center stage for much of the book), Carrot is fascinating to watch at work.PLOT SPOILERS recap: Sam is getting married to Sybil and retiring from the watch, but a murder draws him into one last investigation. Something deadly has been stolen from the Assassin's Guild and now bodies are turning up everywhere. To complicate matters, the watch has become equal opportunity, and the dwarf (Cuddy) and troll (Detritus) who are now Watchmen find it hard to get aside their racial differences until their shared adventures in the watch bring them together. Gaspode reluctantly helps Angua return to Carrot after he discovers she's a werewolf. Vetinari keeps forbidding Sam to investigate the case (because he knows Sam's stubborn), but pushes him too far. Sam returns to his drinking, and in his absence, Carrot takes charge and uses his natural charisma to keep the city from tearing itself apart in race riots. Ironically, the murders are committed by those who know Carrot is really the king of the city and want to put him back on the throne. The mysterious weapon is a gun who's god-like powers drive the men who possess it mad. In the end, Carrot and Sam catch the murderer on the day of Sam's wedding, destroy the gun, and save the day. Vetinary grants a list of Carrot's demands (in the wake of him refusing to pursue the throne and saving the city) which create a much larger watch headed up by a newly-knighted Sir Samuel Vimes.
Show Less
LibraryThing member page.fault
I consider this to be the start of the City Watch subseries of Pratchett's Discworld. I guess officially that would be Guards! Guards!, because that is the first time the characters are introduced, but to me, there are so many differences in characterization between the Guards!Guards! version and
So, let's consider Men at Arms to be the "start" of the series. It's a great introduction to the characters, world, and plot, but not particularly strong in terms of characterization. Like so many other series I've read (Butcher's Dresden Files comes to mind in particular), it suffers from "first book syndrome": weaker characterization, more predictable plot, and less elegant language. However, once you read it, you can get into the good stuff with an almost complete background of the characters. It can also be safely skipped in favour of Feet of Clay and Jingo, the next two books in the series.
The story takes place in the colorful, polluted, wild, cynical city-state of Anhk Morpork, cheerful center of crime of the civilized world. Ankh Morpork is ruled by the ascetic, incredibly crafty, and self-proclaimed tyrant, Lord Vetinari. Vetinari long ago decided that if the city was bound to have crime, it might as well be organized--so now the city is the proud home of the Assassins' and Thieves' Guilds, and people can buy yearly insurance against thievery (quite reasonable rates!). Since thieves do their own policing and punish non-guild members harshly (non-guild thievery is so bad for business), there's not much for Sam Vimes, head of the Night Watch, to do. Except, of course, get ready for his impending retirement and nuptuals to one of the richest women in the city. For a man whose entire life has revolved around his job, it's an increasingly terrifying prospect. And if that weren't enough, apparently his department has been chosen to herald political correctness by hiring a dwarf, a troll, and (oh, the horrors!), a woman.
But when a mysterious crime occurs right near the Assassin's Guild, Vimes' copper instincts are on fire. It's up to him and his loyal(ish) subordinates to ferret out the crime, all while the various guilds and the patrician himself seek to hold them back.
Men at Arms was my first introduction to Discworld, and, to tell the truth, I didn't warm to the characters when I experienced them in this book. The narrative felt fragmented, as it's told from the perspectives of quite a large subset of the cast, and somehow I didn't like the participants, in particular, Carrot Ironfoundersson, the Galahadesque white knight of the City Watch. (I'm not entirely sure we're supposed to like him; I tend to identify with Vimes, who is himself rather bemused by Carrot). In addition, it's not really a mystery, since we get into the head of the antagonist as well as the protagonist. It utilizes a significant amount of dramatic irony; we know what the antagonist was doing, but have to watch our protagonists stumble around detecting. Notably, this is the last time that Pratchett employs this story structure; from here on out, the mysteries are mysterious to the reader as well as the characters.
For all that, it kept me on the edge of my seat and up till 2AM to finish it. When I went on to read Feet of Clay, most of the characters really grew on me. This has become one of my absolute favorite series, and the pinnacle of it, Night Watch, is one of the best books I have ever read. Sam Vimes is, hands-down, my favorite noir/hardboiled/UF detective. Outwardly a Javert-like, rigid, rule-obsessed copper, he is also cynical, crafty, and incredibly soft-hearted.
Pratchett is, above all else, a satirist. He uses the nonthreatening and ridiculous world of Anhk Morpork to explore deeper philosophical issues. Although less true in this book, most of the others in the series have provided serious food for thought in his nonjudgmental exploration of multiple facets of important political and ethical questions. Overall, a weak first book to a great series; if you want to get a full background on the characters, worth reading, but can be safely skipped for Feet of Clay.
Show More
the rest of the series, and so many retcons over the Guards!Guards! material, that I just don't consider it part of the series.So, let's consider Men at Arms to be the "start" of the series. It's a great introduction to the characters, world, and plot, but not particularly strong in terms of characterization. Like so many other series I've read (Butcher's Dresden Files comes to mind in particular), it suffers from "first book syndrome": weaker characterization, more predictable plot, and less elegant language. However, once you read it, you can get into the good stuff with an almost complete background of the characters. It can also be safely skipped in favour of Feet of Clay and Jingo, the next two books in the series.
The story takes place in the colorful, polluted, wild, cynical city-state of Anhk Morpork, cheerful center of crime of the civilized world. Ankh Morpork is ruled by the ascetic, incredibly crafty, and self-proclaimed tyrant, Lord Vetinari. Vetinari long ago decided that if the city was bound to have crime, it might as well be organized--so now the city is the proud home of the Assassins' and Thieves' Guilds, and people can buy yearly insurance against thievery (quite reasonable rates!). Since thieves do their own policing and punish non-guild members harshly (non-guild thievery is so bad for business), there's not much for Sam Vimes, head of the Night Watch, to do. Except, of course, get ready for his impending retirement and nuptuals to one of the richest women in the city. For a man whose entire life has revolved around his job, it's an increasingly terrifying prospect. And if that weren't enough, apparently his department has been chosen to herald political correctness by hiring a dwarf, a troll, and (oh, the horrors!), a woman.
But when a mysterious crime occurs right near the Assassin's Guild, Vimes' copper instincts are on fire. It's up to him and his loyal(ish) subordinates to ferret out the crime, all while the various guilds and the patrician himself seek to hold them back.
Men at Arms was my first introduction to Discworld, and, to tell the truth, I didn't warm to the characters when I experienced them in this book. The narrative felt fragmented, as it's told from the perspectives of quite a large subset of the cast, and somehow I didn't like the participants, in particular, Carrot Ironfoundersson, the Galahadesque white knight of the City Watch. (I'm not entirely sure we're supposed to like him; I tend to identify with Vimes, who is himself rather bemused by Carrot). In addition, it's not really a mystery, since we get into the head of the antagonist as well as the protagonist. It utilizes a significant amount of dramatic irony; we know what the antagonist was doing, but have to watch our protagonists stumble around detecting. Notably, this is the last time that Pratchett employs this story structure; from here on out, the mysteries are mysterious to the reader as well as the characters.
For all that, it kept me on the edge of my seat and up till 2AM to finish it. When I went on to read Feet of Clay, most of the characters really grew on me. This has become one of my absolute favorite series, and the pinnacle of it, Night Watch, is one of the best books I have ever read. Sam Vimes is, hands-down, my favorite noir/hardboiled/UF detective. Outwardly a Javert-like, rigid, rule-obsessed copper, he is also cynical, crafty, and incredibly soft-hearted.
Pratchett is, above all else, a satirist. He uses the nonthreatening and ridiculous world of Anhk Morpork to explore deeper philosophical issues. Although less true in this book, most of the others in the series have provided serious food for thought in his nonjudgmental exploration of multiple facets of important political and ethical questions. Overall, a weak first book to a great series; if you want to get a full background on the characters, worth reading, but can be safely skipped for Feet of Clay.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Aldrea_Alien
I quite love a good mystery plot, so long as they’re not too thick. But I’ve a nasty habit of, when wanting to know something now, flicking further on into the book. This is true of anything I read. Sometimes I’ll find I’ve already read certain scenes two or three times before I’ve even
Yet there’s something about Men at Arms that invites me to keep reading straight through. I’m not sure if it’s Vimes or Carrot that draw me most, it’s sure as anything not Nobby (though, he’s got a strange sort of charm), but I’ve a sneaky suspicion that it might be a combo of the two. And there’s the added bonus that I, just through reading the beginning, already know who did some of the crimes pretty early on.
Then there’s Angua ...
I’m liking her, a lot. In particular, the way she’s portrayed with a paw, I mean foot, firmly planted on both sides of what she is and she uses it to the Watch’s advantage. I particularly like how the sense of smell is portrayed with colours. ^_^ And her relationship with Carrot was ... unexpected. Not the relationship itself, mind, the way it starts. Though how he found out she was a werewolf was quite amusing.
Show More
gotten near that section of the book.Yet there’s something about Men at Arms that invites me to keep reading straight through. I’m not sure if it’s Vimes or Carrot that draw me most, it’s sure as anything not Nobby (though, he’s got a strange sort of charm), but I’ve a sneaky suspicion that it might be a combo of the two. And there’s the added bonus that I, just through reading the beginning, already know who did some of the crimes pretty early on.
Then there’s Angua ...
I’m liking her, a lot. In particular, the way she’s portrayed with a paw, I mean foot, firmly planted on both sides of what she is and she uses it to the Watch’s advantage. I particularly like how the sense of smell is portrayed with colours. ^_^ And her relationship with Carrot was ... unexpected. Not the relationship itself, mind, the way it starts. Though how he found out she was a werewolf was quite amusing.
Show Less
LibraryThing member 391
I loved it! It was refreshing to see so much of Carrot's point of view, though I do adore Sam Vimes (and we get plenty of him as well). Men at Arms shows us the evolution of the Watch from the bumbling foursome in Guards! Guards! to the well-trained (and multi-specied) group we see in later books.
Show More
In Men At Arms, the watch has to investigate a theft and a string of murders, all while navigating the tricky political waters that would much rather sweep everything under the carpet. A+ Show Less
LibraryThing member keristars
One thing I've found with the Discworld series is that the books start out fantastic, but when I start feeling like everything is coming together for the finale, they sort of fizzle and squirm and lose all momentum until the finale does arrive (finally). It's frustrating and usually has me leaving
Happily, I did not have that problem with Men at Arms. It was a great book all the way through, and I enjoyed every bit of it. I suspect that my enjoyment may have been tempered had I been at all familiar with police procedural dramas, or then again, maybe it would have been enhanced? But either way, I really know nothing of the genre, so I read the novel as a general humor thing than a specific parody (er, even though I knew it's a parody and all).
Among the things I like best in the novel are: Carrot's weird charisma and the way he tries to date Angua; the troll vs dwarf feud; and just about every scene with Vimes. I'm always fond of Ankh-Morpork, and there was a lot of it here - it's really practically a character itself, I suppose.
I can't say there's anything in the book that I didn't like, or really even much that I liked a lot less than my favorite bits. I suppose I thought the investigative scenes with the Assassins and Fool Guilds weren't much my thing, nor the scenes with the Gonne, but I didn't actively dislike them, either. But, then, those happened to be some of the most strikingly "police procedural" parts of the book.
This one is definitely getting grouped with the other Discworld books that I look forward to rereading in the future.
Show More
the books for a bit when I hit the 2/3 mark.Happily, I did not have that problem with Men at Arms. It was a great book all the way through, and I enjoyed every bit of it. I suspect that my enjoyment may have been tempered had I been at all familiar with police procedural dramas, or then again, maybe it would have been enhanced? But either way, I really know nothing of the genre, so I read the novel as a general humor thing than a specific parody (er, even though I knew it's a parody and all).
Among the things I like best in the novel are: Carrot's weird charisma and the way he tries to date Angua; the troll vs dwarf feud; and just about every scene with Vimes. I'm always fond of Ankh-Morpork, and there was a lot of it here - it's really practically a character itself, I suppose.
I can't say there's anything in the book that I didn't like, or really even much that I liked a lot less than my favorite bits. I suppose I thought the investigative scenes with the Assassins and Fool Guilds weren't much my thing, nor the scenes with the Gonne, but I didn't actively dislike them, either. But, then, those happened to be some of the most strikingly "police procedural" parts of the book.
This one is definitely getting grouped with the other Discworld books that I look forward to rereading in the future.
Show Less
LibraryThing member reading_fox
Another fine effort.
The sequel to Guards Guards, this onbviously also features Capatain Vimes and his motley band of Night Watch, keeping the barbarians away from the gates of Ankh Morpok. Or more precisely patrolling the streets ringing a bell and shouting "All's Well" but only if everything is
Ankh Morpok doens't suffer from racial tensions - when you have different species living in the same city black/white/male/female are all the same to non-humans. In an effort to promote diversity the Patrician orders the NightWatch to take on some Dwarves, Trolls and a w..... the last word never does get finished though Corporal Carrot eventually does manage to figure it out.
During a patrol the guards stumble across the body of the unfortunate dwarf Hammerlock with a lagre hole where his chest ought to be. Some new power has entered the city. And Vimes, even though he is getting married in a few days time, wants to make sure no-one else dies like this. Suspects though are thin on the ground and you'd have to be a complete fool to think of taking on the might of the Assassin's Guild, especially when you have recieved orders to the contrary.
Some really really bad puns in this one. Other than that it's the usual madcap plot, a scattering of bizzare ideas I was particularly impressed with the Pork Futures warehouse - where pork is stored until the future orders materialise... And other subtle commentary on the peculiar way we run our cities and think of them as normal. Doesn't always quite hang together, but generally funny and subversive at the same time. I wish the definition of politican had been expanded upon.
The sequel to Guards Guards, this onbviously also features Capatain Vimes and his motley band of Night Watch, keeping the barbarians away from the gates of Ankh Morpok. Or more precisely patrolling the streets ringing a bell and shouting "All's Well" but only if everything is
Show More
All Well. Ankh Morpok doens't suffer from racial tensions - when you have different species living in the same city black/white/male/female are all the same to non-humans. In an effort to promote diversity the Patrician orders the NightWatch to take on some Dwarves, Trolls and a w..... the last word never does get finished though Corporal Carrot eventually does manage to figure it out.
During a patrol the guards stumble across the body of the unfortunate dwarf Hammerlock with a lagre hole where his chest ought to be. Some new power has entered the city. And Vimes, even though he is getting married in a few days time, wants to make sure no-one else dies like this. Suspects though are thin on the ground and you'd have to be a complete fool to think of taking on the might of the Assassin's Guild, especially when you have recieved orders to the contrary.
Some really really bad puns in this one. Other than that it's the usual madcap plot, a scattering of bizzare ideas I was particularly impressed with the Pork Futures warehouse - where pork is stored until the future orders materialise... And other subtle commentary on the peculiar way we run our cities and think of them as normal. Doesn't always quite hang together, but generally funny and subversive at the same time. I wish the definition of politican had been expanded upon.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Magus_Manders
This is one of my more favorite Diskworld books so far. It is a perfect example of Pratchett's signature story construction, giving us an equal taste of humor, suspense, romance, a little bit of horror, and ultimately fulfillment. Although it has some of his standard characters, such as Captain
'Men at Arms' is Diskworld at its finest, and the story of the Guards is now my favorite in the series. I just got 'Guards Guards' and 'Night Watch', so hopefully soon I'll see how these character's got started, and what Pratchett put them through in the future. Peace out!
Show More
Vimes and Gaspode the talking dog, Pratchett weaves a host of new and unique faces into the mix, and really makes us care about the, especially when the tone shifts from wisecracking to downright dangerous. The story is engrossing enough that, even though I was forced to put the book down for nearly a month, I was able to jump right back in and achieve the same frantic pace I left at. Every Diskworld book has a few points that are simply profoundly funny, but here Pratchett uses perhaps one of the most side-splitting little jokes I have ever read (so funny in fact that I have told people of it without any context and still gotten a laugh). 'Men at Arms' is Diskworld at its finest, and the story of the Guards is now my favorite in the series. I just got 'Guards Guards' and 'Night Watch', so hopefully soon I'll see how these character's got started, and what Pratchett put them through in the future. Peace out!
Show Less
LibraryThing member jayne_charles
Of all the discworld 'themes' I like the City Watch the best. This one introduces some great new characters who stick around for several more books. Good story, good jokes
LibraryThing member bramboomen
Guards, Guards! Was one of the first Discworld books that I thoroughly enjoyed, so it was fun to get back to the Nights Watch. This one felt grander and more mature compared to its predecessor and had a great deal more character development. It is pretty amazing how few words Pratchett needed to
Show More
give us characters with actual character. Finally, as ever, narration by Nigel Planer was superb! Show Less
LibraryThing member IAmAndyPieters
In this book, you will not learn where Angua comes from or how she came to be a werewolf. Nor will you learn how Vimes fell in love with Sybil. You won't even learn where Corporal Nobbs comes from... What you will learn however is how the watch almost goes to pot, teeters on the edge for a while
Show More
and them makes a remarkable recovery, how some dogs are good and some are bad. How some nobody's are born leaders, and how some leaders are better of as nobody. Follow the adventures of the Watch in the face of a treat that could change live as they know it forever. Show Less
LibraryThing member gimmemoore
Another Pratchett gem. Only just started reading his novels, read the recent ones (Going Postal onwards) so am now going back to his older ones. Further adventures of the Ankh-Morpork night watch, brilliantly funny to see them evolve and I love Vetinari.
LibraryThing member ironicqueery
Another excellent book in the Discworld series. This one focuses on the Guard and the havoc caused by the finding of a gun. A philosophical look at the structure of politics and ruling bodies is also found within the book. A great read, as always, from Pratchett.
LibraryThing member jnicholson
The Watch must move with the times and incorporate some of races living (or otherwise) in the modern city of Ankh-Morpork. This does not relieve it of its day-saving responsibilities. Carrot is given a love-interest, Angua, but (being Carrot) can't be distracted from his duty. One of my favouries.
LibraryThing member 5hrdrive
Very enjoyable. This time we're solving a string of crimes in old Ankh-Morpork with Captain Vimes and Corporal Carrot of the Night Watch. I've found the stories centering around the Guards of the Night Watch to be my favorites in the Discworld series.
LibraryThing member FeegleFan2
To put it plainly, this book was just FUN.
LibraryThing member kristenn
My second Discworld book. Half a star better than Guards! Guards! Continue to particularly enjoy the characterization. Storyline is formula but in a good, cozy way. More complex plot than the last one. Fewer goofy pop culture refs for humor, thankfully. Still don't care for the Librarian. And
Show More
Carrot's intelligence feels very inconsistent. But will definitely continue with the series. Show Less
LibraryThing member TheCrow2
What do you expect from a Discworld novel? Funny characters, great dialogues, hilarious actions... It's all here. A great Watch book from the true god of Discworld.
LibraryThing member love2laf
This is the turning point for me in the Discworld series. The humour is still there, and funnier than ever, but there is a type of philosophy to it. Most especially, Vimes's theory of boots and how the rich stay rich. There are books in the series that when I re-read them, it's like popcorn, fun
Show More
and enjoyable, but not satisfying. Fantastic! Show Less
LibraryThing member comfypants
Sloppily written and only rarely funny.
LibraryThing member mattries37315
The Night Watch is an organization that see's all men as equals whether they be human, dwarf (both actual and adopted), troll, or werewolves of the female gender. In "Men at Arms" Terry Pratchett allows the male chauvinist speciesist Sam Vines to retire upon his marriage to Lady Sybil Ramkin
Captain Vimes' last week in charge of the Night Watch finds himself embroiled in a plot to restore the monarchy in Ankh-Morpork which is leaving a trail of bodies across the city with a new type of weapon, the gonne, and causing tensions to rise as well as anarchy (even more than usual). In addition, the Watch has new recruits from different ethnicities, which on the Disc means species sense racism doesn't exist. After the Patrician overdoes his criticism, as a form of reverse psychology, Vimes loses his motivation and prepares to join the aristocracy with his impending wedding. Stepping into the void comes Corporal Carrot Ironfoundersson who takes charge not only of the Watch but of the investigation into a string of crimes related to one another while also being the focal point of the plot to return the monarchy, which he doesn't know about.
Pratchett weaves together a magnificently written and humorous main story arc with several subplots that cross paths in hilarious ways before all coming together in the end to form a perfect ending, well except for one little thing which I'll get to later. The interactions between the new dwarf and troll Watch recruits Cuddy and Detritus, who come from species that really dislike one another, produces some of the best scenes in the book. Character growth of Carrot and Vimes personal crisis throughout the book are equally hilarious as well as mirroring one another, only adding to the overall quality of the book. The canine relationship of Watch recruit Angua, a werewolf, and Gaspode the talking dog is a good subplot that has a few elements that seem a bit off (Big Fido the Psycho Poodle and Gaspode scene at the very end of the book) and ruin a perfectly written ending.
The second entry of the Discworld's Night Watch series, following "Guards! Guards!" is simply hilarious and a joy to read for anyone who enjoys fantasy or humor or both. I can't recommend this book more.
Show More
instead of lead this new Watch, or at least that was the plan until someone decides to make Ankh-Morpork a monarchical city-state once again which upsets Vimes more than equal opportunity.Captain Vimes' last week in charge of the Night Watch finds himself embroiled in a plot to restore the monarchy in Ankh-Morpork which is leaving a trail of bodies across the city with a new type of weapon, the gonne, and causing tensions to rise as well as anarchy (even more than usual). In addition, the Watch has new recruits from different ethnicities, which on the Disc means species sense racism doesn't exist. After the Patrician overdoes his criticism, as a form of reverse psychology, Vimes loses his motivation and prepares to join the aristocracy with his impending wedding. Stepping into the void comes Corporal Carrot Ironfoundersson who takes charge not only of the Watch but of the investigation into a string of crimes related to one another while also being the focal point of the plot to return the monarchy, which he doesn't know about.
Pratchett weaves together a magnificently written and humorous main story arc with several subplots that cross paths in hilarious ways before all coming together in the end to form a perfect ending, well except for one little thing which I'll get to later. The interactions between the new dwarf and troll Watch recruits Cuddy and Detritus, who come from species that really dislike one another, produces some of the best scenes in the book. Character growth of Carrot and Vimes personal crisis throughout the book are equally hilarious as well as mirroring one another, only adding to the overall quality of the book. The canine relationship of Watch recruit Angua, a werewolf, and Gaspode the talking dog is a good subplot that has a few elements that seem a bit off (Big Fido the Psycho Poodle and Gaspode scene at the very end of the book) and ruin a perfectly written ending.
The second entry of the Discworld's Night Watch series, following "Guards! Guards!" is simply hilarious and a joy to read for anyone who enjoys fantasy or humor or both. I can't recommend this book more.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Helenliz
This follows on, in some respects, from Guards! Guards!
The guards have had ethnic equality forced on them, so that they now have some new recruits; a troll, a dwarf and Angua, who is a woman - well sort of.
Captain Sam Vimes is getting married, and will be retiring from the night watch, but when
The killer has a strange set of victims and it appears to be a very strange weapon, one that has a power all it's own. It was given to the assassins to destory, but it was too powerful for them and then someone stole it... But who? Vimes and Carrot are on the trail, as are the new recruits - all of them!"
The guards have had ethnic equality forced on them, so that they now have some new recruits; a troll, a dwarf and Angua, who is a woman - well sort of.
Captain Sam Vimes is getting married, and will be retiring from the night watch, but when
Show More
he's asked to hand in his badge, he can't bring himself to do so. There's a killer on the loose and he's been told, no, make that ordered, not to pursue this, but the policeman in his soul wont let him do that. The killer has a strange set of victims and it appears to be a very strange weapon, one that has a power all it's own. It was given to the assassins to destory, but it was too powerful for them and then someone stole it... But who? Vimes and Carrot are on the trail, as are the new recruits - all of them!"
Show Less
LibraryThing member stacey2112
Interesting plot, likable characters. Great British humour ranging from subtle, to pointedly clever, to groan inducing, to preposterous. And really, kind of sweet... bumped it up from a 3.5 for me, that, yes, it made me cry just a skootch. :) And yes, I'm a total softy/wuss sometimes.
LibraryThing member fiverivers
In this Discworld instalment we return to The Watch, Captain Vimes, Corporal Carrot, and a host of other familiar and new characters.
As always Pratchett demonstrates his ease as a story-teller, married closely to wit, madcap humour and endearing moments. While not as many outright guffaws in this
As always Pratchett demonstrates his ease as a story-teller, married closely to wit, madcap humour and endearing moments. While not as many outright guffaws in this
Show More
yarn about gun (or gonne) control, multiculturalism and destiny, certainly there is an abundance of escapism, heroism and whodunnits. Show Less
LibraryThing member polarbear123
Great to have all the characters of the Night Watch back again. It helps if you have read the first book with Carrot in it (I can't quite remember which one it is) but no matter this is a hugely comic tale, the actual plot is almost irrelevant as there is so much to enjoy on every page with all of
Show More
the in jokes and satire that you expect from a Pratchett book. Have to say that this book cheered me up from a bad mood immensely. Give me more Pratchett please!!!! Show Less