Thud!

by: Terry Pratchett

Published by: HarperCollins

Reviewed by Janelle Martin

It started with a painting and a codex...or did it? Whisper the words Koom Valley and see the average Watch Officer pale as they recollect the bloody battle between trolls and dwarfs. Once again it is up to Sam Vimes and the City Watch to save Ankh-Morpork, but this time the threat comes from below.

One of the luminaries of fantasy fiction, Terry Pratchett is best known for cutting British wit, combined with liberal helpings of intelligence and imagination that infuse his Discworld series.

To go back to the beginning, Discworld is what it sounds like: a disc-shaped world that is carried on the back of four giant elephants that stand on the back of a giant turtle as it swims through space. It's a place of magic, thriving cities, and all the usual races you'd expect to find in a fantasy novel--and many you wouldn't.

At the best of times it is difficult to describe a Pratchett novel. The Disc is a confusing place and characters from the various sub-series don't tend to remain in their places, popping up in other plot lines for a cameo before moving off until the next book calling for a walk-on. The easiest thing to say is that if you like The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, you'll like these books.

Thud! is the eighth book in the City Watch sub-series about the adventures of the police force of Ankh-Morpork, the largest (and most lawless?) city on the Disc. For the uninitiated, there is enough here that it can be enjoyed as a stand-alone work of comedic fantasy. To truly savor Thud!, grab a copy of Guards! Guards! and experience the City Watch in their first adventure before sinking your teeth into this one

Pratchett mocks everything so it is not surprising to see yesterday's headlines showing up in his latest work. Some of his best Discworld books come from his gentle mockery of organized religion (Small Gods), politics (Jingo) and death (Mort). Put them together into one book and it's bound to make all true Pratchett fans stand up and cheer.

Add shades of the Da Vinci Code, orthodox religious traditions ala the Taliban, mandatory readings of the preschooler bestseller Where's My Cow and you know Pratchett's turned in some of his best work.

Really, should any series still be this good with the 30th book? Armchair Interviews agrees Pratchett readers are the lucky ones.