Guards! Guards!

Guards! Guards! is the first Pratchett book where I can see why he became as popular as he did. The first two Discworld books, in my opinion, were okay but nothing amazing. The Witches series with Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg was a step in the right direction. Guards! Guards! is the first Discworld Night Watch sub-division novel; Pratchett introduces some truly memorable characters. The Night Watch themselves are a rag-tag bunch of city guards who because of the sanctioned Thieves Guild don't do anything much at all.

The author turns his dry humour, slapstick and quotable dialogue up to eleven, for example:

“... the food was good solid stuff for a cold morning, all calories and fat and protein and maybe a vitamin crying softly because it was all alone.”

And

“There was a thoughtful pause in the conversation as the assembled Brethren mentally divided the universe into the deserving and the undeserving, and put themselves on the appropriate side.”

The plot maintains a sprightly forward momentum. It involves a political conspiracy gone wrong, kings, tyrants, maidens, dragons, magic and unlikely heroes. It also involves million-to-one chances too (this will make sense when you've read the book).

Recommended for people who enjoy fantasy, even if you don't generally enjoy fantasy.