Men at Arms (Discworld Novels (Audio))

Rating:
Summary: Not the Best of the Watch Sequence
Review: A disgruntled aristocrat steals a mysterious weapon (a rifle) from the assasin's guild and inflicts a reign of terror on Ankh-Morpork as he becomes a sniper. Features more of Carrot; Carrot and Angua get together. The minor characters (Nobby, Detritus, etc.) are also featured extensively. Has some funny and twisted material on the Clown's guild and the city's gargoyles. Not quite as tight as the others, and a bit too much of a morality play on firearms, so it gets demoted slightly, but essential if you're now hooked on the Night Watch stories.

Rating:
Summary: A High Point in the Pratchett Output
Review: I've read most of Pratchett's novels, in publication order, up to the most recent handful, and this is by far my favorite, along with INTERESTING TIMES. The City Guard of Ankh-Morpork is a happy concept, and all the books about the Guards are way above Pratchett's average.

Imagine a police procedural in which very few of the policemen are human. Comic book writer Alan Moore currently has a series which takes this to the n-th degree... none of the policemen are human, and no two are alike: TOP TEN. If you want to try a Pratchett novel, try GUARDS, GUARDS! or MEN AT ARMS or FEET OF CLAY. Excellent introductions to his "cosmos" and to his unique style of wit. "DON'T SALUTE!!!" (You'll learn why.)

Rating:
Summary: One of Pratchett's finest
Review: Unlike the Hitchhiker's Trilogy from the late Douglas Adams, Terry Pratchett's Discworld books have managed to stay fresh and original through not a mere five, but 27 installments. The reason for this, I think, is that Pratchett uses the format to its fullest potential, creating several groups of characters that he visits time and again, never having any single group act as the star of the entire series, and using it to tackle diverse subjects without ever repeating himself.

"Men at Arms" is the second Discworld book to focus on Captain Vimes and the men -- um... humans... er... beings -- of the Ankh-Morpork City Watch (the first being "Guards! Guards!") and it has firmly cemented these characters as my favorite recurring heroes in the Discworld universe.

Time is running out for Captain Sam Vimes -- because he's getting married. Furthermore, his beloved night watch is being tampered with by higher-ups calling for "greater diversity" in the hirings, forcing him to welcome trolls, dwarfs and women into the group. To make matters worse, someone has stolen a strange new weapon from the assassin's guild and is using it to kill people. Vimes, Carrot, Nobby and the gang have to find the murderer and save the day.

Funny, yes, but also particularly poignant in light of recent events in the Washington D.C. area. I read this book a few months ago, before the unpleasantness began... this may be just the thing to help you cope.