The Fifth Elephant by Terry Pratchett

I think this is one of the better Discworld books, in principle, but I'm reluctant to give it more than three stars because, although quite funny initially, it becomes rather disagreeable towards the end. Seriously unpleasant characters, serious conflict, serious casualties: just what you might expect from some novels, but not quite what I expect from a Discworld novel.

It's a kind of City Watch book, in that all the City Watch characters are involved, but in this one Sam Vimes is sent to Uberwald as an ambassador; and Uberwald is populated mainly by werewolves, vampires, and dwarfs. Rather unexpectedly, Gaspode the talking mongrel also turns up again.

It's clear that Pratchett takes Uberwald seriously and doesn't want to make fun of it, except in minor peripheral ways.

Incidentally, Sybil reveals that she's pregnant, and the City Watch acquires an Igor.

In its favour, I think I enjoyed it somewhat better at second reading than I did the first time. By now I'm a bit more accustomed to Pratchett's serious side, which we see more of in the later part of his career.

maybe i'm biased because i always enjoy vampires and werewolves but this is my favourite discworld book to date. it has everything! vampires! werewolves! igors! politics! and most importantly! SYBIL!!!

i just loved how characters who hadn't gotten much of the spotlight so far got a lot of attention in this book, sybil especially. she's never relegated to being vimes' damsel in distress, she's always very much her own person with a lot of agency.

carrot also isn't as much the unfailing hero he is in the other city watch books, so we get to focus more on angua (who i am in love with on account of me loving fictional women with issues<3) and her origins/character. i love her relationship with carrot by the way... they're so sweet.

i also love cheery/cheri as a character, and for how long ago this was written (1999!) i think the dwarf gender stuff is done pretty well.

lastly... the action scenes are engrossing, the darker moments hit just as hard as they need to while still feeling consistent with the usual lightheartedness of discworld, and the setting, though it's not Ankh-Morpork, is fun and fresh... just an all around good book. Night watch is next!! i'm excited for this one!!!