Rating: 
Summary: Pratchett's Evolving Characters
Review: This is a review of the entire "Watch" series, not just GUARDS! GUARDS!, which is the first novel of the series and the first Pratchett book I ever read. In the first two, GUARDS! GUARDS! and MEN AT ARMS, Sam Vimes meets and marries the Dragon Lady, Sibyl Ramkin, and we get the most loving satire of a formidable upper-class old maid that I've ever read. Their romance is as unlikely and as touching as the one between Death and Miss Flitworth in REAPER MAN.I loved the affirmative action developments in the second book, though the dragon plot in the first one seems almost superfluous compared to the evolution of Vimes' character from the time we meet him drunk in the gutter to the changes Sybil helps bring about -- and we read the subsequent Watch novels in wonder as Sam goes on to become a reluctant knight, then a duke and an expectant dad. Equally fascinating are Angua the werewolf and Cheery Littlebottom the dwarf, two of the new "men" at arms whom we get to know better in each book. Even Carrot, who is usually too good to be interesting, starts to develop some fascinating flaws in THE FIFTH ELEPHANT. That's the joy of the Watch novels, as well as the Witch and Death ones, and a few one-shot protagonists like Teppic in PYRAMIDS. Here are people who change and evolve, in other words, people who come alive. (Even Death does -- wonderfully.) Although the password scene at the beginning of GUARDS! GUARDS! is one of Pratchett's funniest, there is none of the sneering and lampooning that make the Rincewind stories tedious. I am ever so glad that this was the first Pratchett book I read; had it been one of the Rincewind stories, chances are I'd never have gone back to the PRA's on the bookstore shelves.
Rating:
Summary: Pratchett at his best
Review: The reason, I think, that Pratchett has managed to keep Discworld viable after over two dozen novels while other series seem to fade after four or five is that Pratchett continually introduces new characters and new tracts in his Discworld books -- Rincewind, Granny Weatherwax or Death, for instance. "Guards! Guards!" is the first book to follow the adventures of Captain Vimes, and is easily as good as any other Pratchett has written. Our stalwart quartet of well-meaning bufoons provides an incredibly entertaining satire of medieval sword 'n sorcery epics -- you know, the kind where the boy finds a magic sword or slays a dragon and is therefore crowned king, regardless of any actual qualifications he may have. I am attempting to work through the Discworld novels chronologically, so I don't know if Vimes, Carrot, Nobby and Colon show up again in this series. But I certainly hope so. Pratchett has rapidly ascended my all-time favorite authors list.
Rating:
Summary: 1st time reader
Review: Terry Pratchet rocks! After reading (and collecting) every one of David and Leigh Eddings'books (that I am aware of) I was looking for an author that would come close to their uncanny mix of satire and fantasy. And boy did Terry Pratchet fit the bill!!!! If you like fantasy with a little bit of gut-splitting humor mixed in then definately go for this one!!!!
Rating:
Summary: More Pratchett hilarity
Review: I read the Colour of Magic a long time ago, and while it was funny, I didn't really appreciate it. I haven't really had the chance to go back and read more Pratchett until I picked up the City Watch trilogy at the local library. Guards Guards! is the first book to feature the Watch, and it is a great introduction to them. The book hits the ground running with wonderful take-off on the idea of pass-phrases to get into a building. I couldn't stop laughing, especially because my wife and I have a running joke similar to this from something she read on USENET. Pratchett takes it about 10 steps further, though, and he does it with flair. Pratchett then continues the hilarity, even when he's making some good points on the human condition (like the human ability to do horrible things to each other). Just when things start to seem a little slow, he'll let loose with another bit of either silliness or wit, such as a Clint Eastwood riff that's simply wonderful. As many people have said already, this is a book about those characters in most other novels who's job it is to die or be bonked on the head at the hands of the hero. This book celebrates them, gives them a personality and a reason for being other than to be cannon fodder. This time, instead of being just the downtrodden, they are also the heroes. Vimes is an interesting character, a man who starts out as a man who totally despises what he has become. He loses himself in drink because, as head of the City Watch, he's nothing. He gets no respect from anybody (not even his men), and he doesn't have anything to really live for. In comes Carrot, a "dwarf" (actually, a human who was raised by dwarfs, and still considers himself one, even though he's over 6' tall) who comes to the city actually volunteering to be a member of the watch. Carrot's a simple man who's devotion to the rule book starts to rub off on Vimes himself. Between that and the attentions of Sylvia Rimken, the richest woman in the city and somebody who looks past Vimes' outer shell, he starts to become the man of integrity that he's always wanted to be. That all sounds a bit heavy, but it's really not in this book. Pratchett is a master of making good points underneath all of the jokes, but if you don't want to think about things too much, the laughs are still worth the read. The other two characters, Colon and Nobs, are good for that. Colon is the sergeant who has been married for years mainly because of carefully arranges schedules that make it so he and his wife only see each other when they pass at the front door. Nobs is a very strange man who uses his position to steal things (though Carrot changes that pretty quickly). Carrot tries to arrest everything in sight, to often hilarious results. His introduction to the city at one of the local watering holes is simply hilarious. All in all, this is a book that is well worth reading. As it's the first in the City Watch books, you certainly don't have to have read the previous Discworld books to understand what's going on. It takes a couple of fantasy cliches and turns them on their head. You won't be able to look at dragons the same way again after reading it.
Rating: 
Summary: A good read
Review: This book is one of the funny discworld series. Terry Prachett is a writing genius and his imagination knows no bounds. This book is very funny and is a great introduction to Discworld. The city of Ankh-Morpork is akin to New York but about 100 times worse. The badness is overlooked by the amount of comedy avalible in this city. The book is the first with the Honorable Carrot Ironfoundersson who is one of the best charaters ever. And In This Book Here Be Dragon not trying to Hassle you and Sell You Souvenirs
Rating:
Summary: I keep giving these books five stars...
Review: In a review posted a while ago for Pyramids, I said that was my favorite. Gotta back up, here.
This is most clever, not to mention well paced.
I am starting to look forward to the appearance of the Guard, unlike real life.
I've been able to steal numerous lines from this book, and work them into daily conversation, which makes those unaware of Pratchett think that I am the most humorous, curmudgeonly sort they've encountered in a long time.
I'm torn - do I tell these friends about Mr. Pratchett, or do I let them keep thinking I can come up with lines like, "...a treasure ship, running ahead of a mild breeze?"
One of the best, and highly recommended. I wish that someone would publish the next three or so in an affordable version - I hate paying (...)for a paperback.
Rating:
Summary: What do you do with a dragon, anyway?
Review: That's the question on the minds of the citizens of Ankh-Morpork, Discworld's most cosmopolitan city this time. Their people are calling for a king to be installed on the throne again (well, some people are, most don't care at all), and roylaty fever has swept the kingdom...that is, until the king to be is exterminated by the very thing he was supposed to kill - a dragon. And not just Morpork's usual harmless swamp dragon, either. We're talking full-on, building burning, princess-eating, elephant wrestling sized dragon here...and to make matters worse, because it's a Draco Noblis (Noble Dragon), the dragon itself is soon on the throne...and it's up to the city watch to do something about it. This is probably my favorite of the Discworld series so far. It's well paced, funny, and best of all makes you want to pick up more of the series just to see the characters come back. A fantastic read, and I recommend it to everyone!
Rating:
Summary: The series continues
Review: Just reread this book. It's not my favorite in Pratchett's Discworld series, but it's still darn good. One comment worth making. Up to this point, most of the books in the series can be read as stand alone stories. After this point, Pratchett depends more and more on the same cast of characters. You really need to know their history to make sense of the story (and more importantly to catch some of the jokes).
Rating:
Summary: Some of the best Pratchett out there
Review: Like many other people, I didn't get to read this one until after I read The Fifth Elephant, Men at Arms and The Truth, which were released in paperback before this one. I read half the book in one sitting, and found it to be quite good. Oh yeah, and don't miss the Dirty Harry callback. Probably the most hilarious part of the book, in my opinion.
Rating:
Summary: I know everyone's already said this..
Review: but Guards! Guards! is WONDERFUL. You don't even have to read it before the other Watch books; I'd got through all the Watch cycle from Men at Arms to The Fifth Elephant before getting hold of this one and I actually think I appreciated it more. Although, being used to the Vimes of the later books, it *was* a bit depressing to see his first appearance..
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