Night Watch by Terry Pratchett
Reviewed by: Sarah Baker, Circulation Assistant
Genre: Fantasy, Cop Drama
Suggested Age: Teens, Adults
What is the book about?: Sir Samuel Vimes of the Anhk-Morpork City Watch is on the hunt for a killer. A serial killer who targets coppers. Carcer is a true psychopath, the kind of man who doesn’t see the wrong in what he’s doing. The Watch corners him in the Unseen University; Sam goes after Carcer himself, unwilling to risk his men. Lightning strikes the building, charged with magic, and Sam and Carcer are thrown back in time. And not just any time, but right during the Revolution (Truth! Justice! Reasonably Priced Love! And A Hard Boiled Egg!) that he’s already been through once, as a young copper. Assuming the name of his mentor (who incidentally was killed just as Sam and Carcer landed), Sam now has the unique opportunity to teach his younger self better ways. He has a chance to steer history. But will history be steered? Can he keep Carcer from derailing his future? And will Sam make it back to his own time?
My Review: This book is so good, and is my favorite of the Night Watch books. To be fair, it does get dark. There’s a secret police force known for kidnap and torture. There’s assassination and deceit. There’s violence and death. It’s not graphic, but it’s there and it creeps into things. But it’s an amazing mix of political commentary and intrigue, humor (both regular and black), and how there are somethings that you can’t change, no matter how much you try. It strips Sam to his essence, to the core of what makes him a good copper and a good man. You have profound moments like this one – “That was always the dream, wasn’t it? ‘I wish I’d known then what I know now’? But when you got older you found out that you NOW wasn’t YOU then. You then was a twerp. You then was what you had to be to start out on the rocky road of becoming you now, and one of the rocky patches on that road was being a twerp.” But you also have moments like Death telling someone they’ve reached the end of cake, or the dry sarcasm of Dr. Lawn.
This is book 29 of Discworld, and book 6 of the Night Watch. You could probably read this one on its own, but the impact might not be as profound. It will help if you’ve read a few of the Night Watch books first (I recommend Jingo and Feet of Clay), if only to really understand how Sam Vimes (and Anhk-Morpork) works. And you might find yourself wearing a sprig of lavender on May 25th.
Three Words That Describe This Book: Intense, Thought-provoking, Timely
Give This a Try if You Like… Life on Mars (television show, British or American), grizzled detectives, time travel
Rating: 5/5
About FDL Reads
Welcome to FDL Reads, weekly book reviews from Fondulac District Library. Librarians (and possibly some other guest reviewers) review all types of books, from children’s picture books, young adult favorites, to the latest adult thriller, and share their thoughts each week at fondulaclibrary.org. If the book is owned by Fondulac District Library (or another local library), you’ll see a direct link to the catalog entry and whether or not it is available. If it is checked out or at another local library, you will be able to place a hold as long as you have your library card and PIN numbers. As with any book review, these are our opinions…we disagree amongst ourselves about books frequently. We all have different likes and dislikes, which is what makes the world an interesting place. Please enjoy, and keep on reading!