#Review: Guards Guards

Guards Guards by Terry Pratchett

Before I started this I was told by several people that it was brilliant. I hesitated and waited to be disappointed. But I wasn’t. I’ve always had a fondness for Vimes ever since I read Snuff so I was delighted that I got to read about his rise in the Ankh-Morpork constabulary.

The wonderful and terrifying thing about this novel is how aptly Pratchett captures the essence of society’s worst aspects. The main reason I read Fantasy is because it leaves me with the hope that right always triumphs over wrong. It’s an optimistic view which I find needs re-enforcing more and more as I grow older.

This book contained so many favourite characters that it’s difficult to pinpoint whose performance I loved best. I however found the raw recruit Carrot totally and utterly endearing. Having met him, The Patrician, The Librarian, Lady Sybil, Nobby and Colon in more mature format in other Pratchett novels, it was a great pleasure to see them in their ‘raw state’ as it were. But the final say has to go to Errol the swamp dragon, who used his digestive juices to superb effect. There are certainly times in life when we all could use the special talents of a swamp dragon like him.

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