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Rating: 
Summary: the first Rincewind book i have actually liked
Review: "Sourcery" is the fifth Discworld novel. This is the third novel that features the inept wizard Rincewind as the main character. "Sourcery" also marks the first time that I was not bored a Rincewind novel. Rincewind would like to settle down into his life at the Unseen University, but circumstances will not allow him to. There is a new threat on the Disc, and this new threat directly threatens wizardry. This time the threat is a sourcerer. What, you may ask, is a sourcerer? If a wizard is the eighth son of an eighth son, a sourcerer is the eighth son of an eighth son of an eighth son. Or, the eighth son of a wizard. A wizard, squared. What makes a sourcerer different is that because he is a wizard squared, he has an immense amount of power that is not bound by the usual strictures of magic. The sourcerer in question here is a twelve year old boy named Coin. Coin's existence can alter the very fabric of the Discworld and he begins by making changes at the Unseen University and by naming himself Archmage. Rincewind is thrown into a quest to stop Coin and save the world (again) by, oddly enough, running in the other direction. "Sourcery" is filled with more humor and sly looks at the world than the previous Rincewind novels and after reading "Mort" it seems that Pratchett is hiding his stride now. "Sourcery", like all of the Discworld novels, is a comic fantasy, and it is rather good.
Rating: 
Summary: Yet another decent book ruined by Tony Robinson
Review: As a big Rincewind fan, I count Sourcery as one of my favorite Pratchett novels. This fifth novel of Discworld is the first to have a real epic quality to it. Seeing as how the plot is hinged around the "Apocralypse" (even though an inebriated Pestilence, War, and Famine cannot remember the proper term for it), it pretty much has to be an epic. Ipslore was a natural-born wizard, the eight son of an eighth son, who did the unthinkable (not to mention unwizardly) act of marrying and having an eighth son of his own--a sourcerer. By tricking Death, he enters his own wizard staff and later guides the ten-year-old boy Coin in assuming the Archchancellorship of Unseen University and trying to take over the world. A sourcerer has free rein over the use of magic, unlike modern-day wizards who talk about magic but rarely perform it. Sourcerers almost destroyed the Discworld in ancient times in the Mage Wars, and young Coin sets in motion a modern-day Mage War that can only end in disaster. Only one man can stop the sourcerer and save the world--most unfortunately, that one man is the inept wizard Rincewind. His only allies are the wise and good Librarian (who happens to be an orangutan), the beautiful yet deadly thief Conina (daughter of Cohen the Barbarian), and Nigel, the skinniest hero on the Discworld whose only heroic wisdom comes from a ghost-written book by Cohen the aforementioned Barbarian. The Luggage also plays a part, but he/she/it is not there at Rincewind's side.
I love how the character of Rincewind is strengthened and expanded in this novel; he's still the funny little man in a pointy hat that we met in earlier Discworld novels, but instead of running around all over the world trying to avoid dying, Rincewind is transformed in these pages into a hero--not a very good one, of course, but a hero nonetheless. His commitment to wizardry is steadfast and firm, while the vast majority of successful wizards go along with Coin, delight in the new magical powers they gain through sourcery, and eventually wage a magical war among themselves in the pursuit of raw power. Rincewind redeems himself admirably here by actually performing some acts of bravery, risking his life--albeit reluctantly--for the sake of the Discworld. The book starts out like gangbusters, and although it loses a little steam and wanders a little bit in the later stages, the conclusion brings everything together rather nicely. It does, however, leave a few questions unanswered for the time being. The character of Coin, the ten-year-old sourcerer, could have used more thrashing out, I felt, but Conina and Nigel are very interesting new characters in Pratchett's universe. Sourcery is overflowing with typical Pratchett humor, but it also features an exciting, narrowly-focused storyline that provides a wealth of new information about the wizards of Unseen University, the brave and wise banana-craving Librarian, and the crucial role and importance of magic in the Discworld. Whereas earlier novels sometimes seemed to have stories built around the jokes, this novel is built upon a solid foundation of an epic fantasy plot--the comedy is just icing on the cake. Of the first five Discworld novels, this is by far the most exciting and entertaining.
Rating: 
Summary: The best Rincewind book.
Review: In many respects, Sourcery is a very special book. It marks the beginning of Pratchett's evolution and transition in writing style: his later books would be more somber than the earlier ones, often having a slightly melancholy feel that I'm amazed so many people miss. Sourcery began it, and it would only get stronger as time would go on.
Sourcery is about the return of a type of Sorcerer to the Discworld, a magician who is a source for magic (hence the pun) and whose emergence marks the beginning of a massive magic war between said wizards, who normally get along as well as cats in a sack. All that stands in their path is the most inept wizard to ever exist and a motley collection of characters who don't exactly inspire much confidence.
As far as plots go, Sourcery is a winner. The story moves along at a good pace and mainly jumps back between Rincewind and the wizards, who are led by said Sourcerer, a small child named Coin. It's interesting to read about the wizards and their reactions to their newfound power in retrospect: in later books, Pratchett would make the wizards the focus of most of the humour in whichever books they'd be in. In this one, however, they're not as fun: indeed, sometimes the whole feel that pervades their power struggle is more sinister than humourous. There are still some very amusing moments in their side of the story, but most of it has a rather dark edge.
So, of course, it is left to Rincewind and his travelling companions to provide the humour, and as usual, they deliver. Of the characters that are introduced in this book (of whom we never hear of again), Nigel, the aspiring Barbarian is probably the best. Conina, Cohen's daughter, is also very amusing, although the others' reaction to her is probably more so. The Seriph, a typical Arab Sultan (well, not so typical really) is pretty funny, although not overly so. One of the best moments in the book is when these three end up with a genie and a lamp, one who's moved on with the times. Hilarious stuff.
The character of Coin is rather interesting. The boy who wreaks so much havoc upon the world is really driven by his father (whose spirit inhabits a staff -just don't even ask) and his innocence is well captured. The book also raises some disturbing questions about child abuse ('You know what happens to boys who are bad'), although the way it is handled is subtle, not heavyhanded.
However, all that aside, the real triumph of the book is Rincewind. As a character, he's always been surprisingly one-dimensional (although admittedly hilarious). This book sheds light on a lot of different aspects of his character, some of which are very unexpected. His attitude towards women was never a secret, but the crush he develops on Conina is pretty funny. However, there are more interesting traits: of particular note are his lapse into a brief, but deep depression in the middle of the book, his reaction to finding the Library burned to the ground, and his reluctant, but heroic sacrifice in the end of the book. All these are so uncharacteristic of him that it's a real revelation to read of them: and of course, that makes the book all the more precious.
Sadly, Pratchett would resort to Rincewind's traditional 'cowardlier-than-thou' outlook in his later books (Eric, Interesting Times, The Last Continent and The Last Hero.) The failed wizard is one of my favorite characters, and all his books are worth reading, but in Sourcery, just for once, he was something other than the utter coward he is usually portrayed as. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: good indeedy
Review: My brother introduced me to Pratchett with this book many years ago. Since then I've read almost every Discworld book. (I say almost because I couldn't make it through Moving Pictures.) Most twice. Sourcery might be my favorite of them all. If you're just getting into Pratchett and you don't care to go in order this makes an excellent starting point. Like me, you'll probably end up going straight to the begining from there to get more Rincewind.
Rating:
Summary: Sourcery - the return of Rincewind
Review: Sourcery is the fifth Discworld novel, in which we are treated to the return of Rincewind the Wizzard (and the Luggage, and also the Librarian). The book is a bit similar to Equal Rites, since we now have an eighth son of an eighth son of an eighth son (who in this case really is a son), named Coin, who becomes a Sourcerer as the inevitable result of his pedigree. Sourcerers have incredible power, and in Coin's case this power is further augmented by his staff, which contains the soul of his dead father, Ipslore the Red. Ipslore wants revenge against the wizards who drove him out from Unseen University because he fell in love and had children (something which is strictly forbidden, since the result could be Sourcerers).
Coin and his sourcery, under the guidance of his staff, is a grave threat to wizardry, and a full-scale mage war soon breaks out, with Coin and his wizards against another group of wizards commanded by the Archchancellor's hat (which contains the essences of all past Archchancellors). The results are devastating, with chaos and destruction, and finally even the Ice Giants are set free to spread their glaciers over the disc (the four horsemen of the Apocralypse [sic] get a little sidetracked, however, or at least three of them do...).
The hat managed to escape from Unseen by the help of Rincewind, ever the reluctant hero, and the invincible barbarian heroine Conina (her father is Cohen the Barbarian), who really wants to be a hairdresser, but who is unable to fight her destiny. The escapees end up in Al Khali, where they are eventually joined by Creosote, the ruler of Al Khali (with a fetish for stories), who really wants to be a poet, and by Nijel the Destroyer, who really wants (and tries very hard) to be a barbarian hero. Eventually it is up to Rincewind to save the world once again.
There are some problems with Sourcery. For example, Rincewind's epic heroics in the end are quite against his character, and although Pratchett does give a reason for Rincewind to act the way he does (other than the fact that the fate of the whole world is at stake) - the reason being that you should always know what you are, and since Rincewind is a wizard, he must protect wizardry against sourcery - the whole business still feels a bit off. Then there is the inevitable romance that immediately develops between Conina and Nijel. This feels totally out of place. Conina is described as the sexiest and most desirable woman imaginable, and on top of that, she even has a nice personality (even though she's a barbarian, or perhaps that's why), and she's unbeatable in a fight. Nijel, on the other hand, although nice and intelligent, is the quintessential bumbling loser, and about as unattractive as it is humanly possible to be. So where is the basis for the sweet music? Pratchett is usually far more insightful than this. It is also hinted that Rincewind (and the Luggage) has began to develop feelings for her (as all men in her presence apparently do), but then Pratchett doesn't do anything with this and it just sort of fades out of the story. Also, in the latter part of the book, the other heroes (Conina, Nijel, and Creosote) do not seem to have anything to do anymore, as the climax is concentrated wholly around Rincewind and his confrontation with Coin.
Another thing to note is that, at this stage, the Discworld is still not fully developed the way it will eventually be in the later books. The big difference here is the way the wizards at Unseen are portrayed. A big part of the plot centres around the extreme competitiveness between the wizards, and how they frequently assassinate each other as a way of promotion. This doesn't really square with how the wizards are also described as typical dusty old university professor types, absent-minded, vague, bumbling, and very fond of food, drink, and smoke. In later stories Pratchett has wisely gotten rid of the assassination element, with the introduction of the various recurring wizard characters.
All in all, Sourcery is by no means a bad book. This is still highly enjoyable Pratchett stuff, and there are several quite hilarious episodes to look forward to. Recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Magic Galore!
Review: Sourcery, the fifth Discworld novel by Terry Pratchett, has many of the problems that Pratchett's earlier books had but shows a few signs of his breaking out into the Pratchett that I'm familiar with. Considering that Mort was the fourth book and was very good, I can only say that Sourcery is a step back, however. For the most part, it's a very hard 270 pages to get through. While I give Sourcery two stars, it is a better book than Equal Rites, the only other Discworld book that I gave two stars to. It's much more like 2.75 stars, if that were possible. This is for three reasons: The Librarian, Nijel the hero in training, and Conina, the thief who finds Rincewind. The Librarian is an ape who used to be a human wizard, until a magical accident lost in history turned him into an ape. He found that he likes it better as an ape, and has refused any attempts to turn him back. When Coin comes to take over, the Librarian must safeguard all of the magical texts in the University before Coin can destroy them. It's amazing how much characterization that Pratchett can give him when the only thing he can say is "Oook." However, his actions give him a certain nobility. He safeguards the Patrician of the city when Coin turns him into a lizard. While he's barricaded himself in with his books, he's not above showing Rincewind what he needs to do in order to save everything. Conina and Nijel are the other two saving graces. Pratchett does great things with his characterization of these two. Conina is a thief and warrior who wants to hide her lineage and just be a hairdresser. However, the fantasy conventions of her profession are too powerful for her. When she's surrounded, she can't bring herself to surrender, no matter how much she wants to. Instead, she must kick some tail. She's very dismissive of Rincewind when she finds out how incompetent he is, but she still feels responsible for him and helps him out whenever she can. Nijel is young warrior still getting his feet wet in this hero business. He has read the manual, but he doesn't have much practical experience. When things start to get out of hand, he always retreats to what the book says. His naivete is very touching at times, and very funny at other times. The only bad thing about the two of them, and this brings to mind the first problem in the book, is the "romance" that starts between them. Conina finds herself drawn to Nijel, and Nijel to her. In Nijel's case, it's obviously a bit of the warrior convention: the hero gets the girl, who falls all over him. However, it doesn't fit Conina's characterization at all, and the scenes where they make eyes at each other just seem too unbelievable. Then Pratchett seems to dismiss the whole thing, having Conina make a couple of harsh comments to Nijel. Finally, at the end, it comes back again, out of the blue. It feels completely arbitrary. The characterization of the rest of the cast is almost as bad. None of the other characters are really developed. Coin and the wizards fulfill their roles, but that's about it. The wizards are scheming back-biters, but that's the extent of their characters for the most part. The Sariph of Al Khali is fairly one-note as well, playing the stereotypical Sultan of Arabia with harem who, while he compliments women extensively, is only interested in them telling him stories. He's not very interesting, and I didn't find him very funny. Every time there's a woman present, he finds himself making lavish compliments ("Has anyone told you that your neck is as a tower of ivory.") He drinks a lot. But that's about it. There is a genie who is amusing at times ("Let's do lunch!"), but he starts to wear thin as well after awhile. Rincewind is just Rincewind, a coward who ends up doing the job despite himself. I have never really cared for him that much (with the exception of The Last Continent) because I don't find him that funny. And the intelligent luggage is just annoying, and it doesn't do anything interesting in this book. It just takes up space. Other characters are in the book just for the jokes they can provide, a failing that happens a lot with early Pratchett. The Four Horsemen are the best example. While the most prominent member is hilarious as always (Death, of course), the other three are there just for a long-running joke about being in a bar and forgetting what they're supposed to do. While it's amusing for a time, it starts to grate when Pratchett keeps coming back to them and the same thing occurs. All in all, this book is one to skip unless you're a completist. It's too bad, too, because Rincewind as a concept is interesting. However, of the four Rincewind books I've read, only one has been any good. I'll be giving the other two a try, but I'm not holding my breath.
Rating: 
Summary: Read Equal Rites Instead
Review: The back cover makes it sound like this is a sequel to The Color of Magic ("when last seen... Rincewind had fallen off the edge of the world"), but it instead appears to follow The Light Fantastic. We've got the luggage again, the Librarian, a magic hat, and a storyline involving a "sourceror" (a sort of super-wizard of the sort long gone from the disc). There are some moderately funny barbarian characters Conina (daughter of Cohen the Barbarian), and Nijel (a young boy who has apparently mail ordered a book on how to become a barbarian hero), but they are somewhat under-used. There are some alternate-universe science fiction cliches; the funniest involves the potential infinite regress of carrying a Djinn's magic lamp into the magic lamp itself; if you like Escher, it won't be anything new to you. A lot of the action takes place in Klatch, and there are lots of silly references to the Rubaiyat, 1001 Arabian Nights, flying carpets, etc. I'd describe this as a perfectly adequate but completely lackluster Discworld book, with little in it to stick in the mind; in particular, there's very little character-building, world-building digression or significant detail. It reads as if it was written from an outline, and barely fleshed out. In a few months, I doubt if I'll be able to remember much about it. Pratchett fails to achieve any real dramatic tension, partly because there are no clear limits to the Sourceror's power; he's able to easily dispatch the Disc gods and bring on the apocralypse (yes, I spelled that right; in the Discworld, the apocalypse is probably apocryphal). In typical Rincewind fashion we mostly try to avoid danger until the Sourceror's storyline plays itself out. This book does end having left Rincewind in an interesting state, though: he's trapped in the Dungeon Dimensions, having (rather uncharacteristically) thrown himself into grave danger in order to save the young Sourceror. The luggage goes with him, thank God; now, if only it would stay there. It's a shame that when we finally see Rincewind do something interestingly out-of-character, or perhaps revealing a bit of depth to his character, the book is ending.
Rating:
Summary: A great book, very funny.
Review: This is about a sourcerer. They are the most powerful beings on the Discworld, even equal with the Gods. A sourcerer happens by a wizard having eight children. Then, the eighth one has eight children, and then his eighth child is a sorcerer.
This time what had happened was that a wizard had eight sons. Ok, so that's fine. But then, his eighth son fled the University, married, and had eight sons. And the eighth son became a sourcerer.
This sorcerer, Coin, was an infant when Death came for Ipslore, his father. Ipslore was 'supposed' to go with Death, at least. Death was pretty annoyed when the man died and put his spirit inside the staff. And Ipslore got away with it, for Death could only take him if he destroyed the staff, but then that would destroy Coin, for the staff became his. And if Death destroyed Coin, then that would damage the whole fabric of time. So, one day, the wizards at the Unseen University were going to elect a Archchancellor, and Coin appeared, reduced the 'one who was about to be elected' to ashes, and demanded to be chosen himself. The wizards only protested for a little, until they found out what they could do once he showed them. Sourcerers are sources of magic. And so, all the wizards were able to do anything they wanted. Produce anything out of thin air, fly, etc. Which was not good for the city of Ankh-Morpork.
Rincewind was a wizard. Or, he tried to be a wizard. He was not in the Unseen University at the time when Coin appeared. He was getting drunk (this was after he heard that a sourcerer was coming, from a gargoyle, all of whome were off the walls and were leaving, and after he saw all the rats, bedbugs, and ants fleeing also), and talking with the Librarian, an orangutan who used to be human.
And then, a thief comes in, and takes him away (after a few incidents), telling him that the Archchancellor's hat had spoken to her and made her steal it and find a wizard to put it on. But the hat is highly disappointed with Rincewind. And so, the usual happens. They go in search of a wizard so they can save the world (and universe) from the sorcerer.
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