Night Watch - Terry Pratchett

Published by Corgi Books: London, UK, 2003.
Originally published 2002.

The twenty-seventh Discworld novel (all of which can be read as standalone entries), Night Watch follows Ankh-Morpork watchman Sam Vimes, who has (throughout the numerous Discworld novels he has appeared in) been repeatedly promoted until he has become Commander (a role he sometimes finds tedious). When the book opens, Vimes is helping his colleagues bring the psychopathic Carcer to justice. However, due to a lightning strike on the Library of the Unseen University (home to the wizards of Ankh-Morpork) both Vimes and Carcer are accidentally thrown back in time. Carcer quickly kills the man who taught young Vimes the ropes and who overhauled the Night Watch, leaving Vimes to fill the role himself and become his own role-model. This becomes more difficult as a rebellion against the ruler of the city is brewing, and Vimes knows it won't end well.

Discworld is an interesting mix of fantasy and satire, often basing individual entries around a riff on a pre-existing story; this entry riffs on a Les Miserables type scenario - a city under rule from a corrupt leader, a peoples revolt brewing, the likelihood that many of those who do revolt will die... and then it throws in the usual mix of juvenile and slightly-suggestive jokes that Pratchett also enjoys. In this entry, for example, we quickly learn that 'seamstress' is code for another less-reputable profession, leading to great confusion when an actual seamstress joins their ranks.

Although this novel, as per usual, fits the 'standalone' style of the other Discworld entries, this one also acts as an origin for particular characters, meaning that it might not be the best entry to begin with. For readers who have journeyed with Vimes and the City Watch for numerous books, however, this is a great character study with a satisfying resolution.

Completed 4 January 2024.

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