Men at Arms

Title: Men at Arms
Author: Terry Pratchett
Published: 1993
Genre: Humour Fantasy
Pages: 381


I'm slowly working my way through the Discworld books, mostly in order (if not publication order, then in storyline publication order: Death books, Witches, City Watch etc...), because why not? Men at Arms is already the 15th book(!) and the second City Watch -book. This might be the first time I've read it, since I don't own it myself, and didn't much care for the storyline when I was younger. The witches and Rincewind and Death were more fun!

Men at Arms follows Guards! Guards!, and stars the few men of the Ankh-Morpork Night Watch. They are not so few anymore: the city higher powers have decided that Diversity is a good thing!, so the Watch is joined by a troll, a dwarf, and -gasp!- a woman. Captain Vimes is just a few days away from retirement and marrying the rich swamp dragon enthusiast Sybil Rankin. The new recruits are trouble enough -trolls and dwarfs do NOT get along- and then people start dying in strange ways, with small metal pellets in them.

So, to wrap up, a humour fantasy book with murder mysteries, racial issues, policing and commentary on gun control and the power a weapon like that has on an individual. Not bad for a fantasy book. A really funny fantasy book, too. Oh, and Death is trying to be more of a ... people person.


   Bjorn didn't waste time asking questions. A lot of things become a shade urgent when you're dead. 
   'I believe in reincarnation,' he said.
   I KNOW.
   'I tried to live a good life. Does that help?'
   THAT IS NOT UP TO ME. Death coughed. OF COURSE... SINCE YOU BELIEVE IN REINCARNATION... YOU'LL BE BJORN AGAIN.
   He waited.
   'Yes. That's right,' said Bjorn. Dwarfs are known for their sense of humour, in a way. People point them out and say: 'Those little devils haven't got a sense of humour.'