Rating: 
Summary: Best SF/F Book of 2002
Review: While chasing a psychopathic mass killer, Night Watch commander Sam Vimes, and the killer, are plunged into the past of Sam's youth. Once there, they can't help change history. The killer murders the man who taught young Vimes what he knows about policing. Unless he can apprehend the killer and return to the present, Vimes risks the destruction of the city he loves. But even if he succeeds, he knows that his actions in the past will change everything--including his marriage and his prospective child. Author Terry Pratchett has carved out a reputation as a writer who both makes you laugh--and think. The Discworld fantasy series is uniformly excellent, but NIGHT WATCH rates near the top of even this fine series. Vimes is a fully realized character. It is interesting to watch him relate to his younger self, and to the men who will someday be his leader and most faithful followers. Philosophical questions about fate vs. choice, and the nature of evil are disguised in witty dialogue and introspection. Pratchett's Discworld world is silly and funny--with its unseen University, the seemingly omniscient Vetinari, the mostly incompetent police force that nevertheless manages to keep order in a disorderly city, and its treckle mines--but it grows on you and Pratchett moves beyond absurd to deliver some real insights. All right, this review was a bit of a rave--I'll admit it. I picked up NIGHT WATCH expecting a laugh and put it down with a deeper appreciation of Pratchett as an author and of the world I live in--no reader can ask for more.
Rating: 
Summary: To quote a previous Pratchett, "sort of like iron".
Review: If you are new to TP, the quoted remark refers to what some people slightly slower on the uptake might regard as a definition of "irony". I include it because that's where Terry went with Night Watch. NW is the most serious TP book yet, and yet it's still funny all the way through. It's just that the humour is more than ever firmly rooted in the City Watch style of humour (irony, cynical asides, sarcasm) and less in the wizardly style (bickering, puns, one-liners etc. - although there is a great exchange between Ridcully and Stibbons early in the book) It's like Terry decided to slow the jokes down and spread them out. It could almost be a kind of deliberate differentiation - most of the quick-fire humour is in the present-day, while the past is a more cynical time, which I suppose is appropriate for a city on the brink of a revolution. Of course, one constant throughout is Sam Vimes's eternal exasperation, which is always good for a laugh. Should you buy it? Yep. But if you've read the earlier Watch novels first, you'll have more laughs in this one as you spot all the series regular's younger versions...
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating character study of a good man
Review: Night Watch, the 27th (and brand new!) Discworld novel by Terry Pratchett, is a wonderful character study of Samuel Vimes, the head of the City Watch of Ankh-Morpork. In this one, Pratchett turns kind of serious, though there are some amusing bits. Unlike Small Gods, it appears to work in this one. Maybe I just wasn't ready for it before. Or maybe Vimes is such an interesting character that I was willing to forgive. Whichever way it is, Night Watch is yet another masterpiece from Pratchett. Carcer is one of Pratchett's best villains, I believe, because he's "normal." Yes, he's insane, but he could very well live in the world we live in, unlike some of Pratchett's other bad guys. Not to say that they weren't good as well, but Carcer adds that extra bit of chill. He's a survivor, able to adapt to many different situations. It takes some time for Vimes to adapt himself to what he has to do once he discovers what has happened. Even when the Monks of History (the main source of any humour in this book) tell him what he must do, he is still reluctant. Carcer, on the other hand, jumps in with both feet, ingratiating himself with the higher-ups, and starts establishing himself. Once he realizes what the situation is with Vimes (and the younger Vimes) it gets even chillier. He's very effective, and the reader is often left wondering just how Vimes can beat him. This book, however, is Sam Vimes' book. I've always found Vimes to be a fascinating character, throughout all of the City Watch books, and this book just builds on those. Every City Watch book is really about the development of Vimes, and Night Watch takes it to the next level, with an in depth character study, where you get under his skin and find out what makes him tick. When he's taken out of his element and dumped back in time, he has nothing to go on but his copper instincts. Times may change, politics may change, but coppers are coppers, and they just have to do what is right. Catch the bad guys, keep the peace. He sees himself as an extraordinarily simple man, and in a way, he is. But he's very dedicated to what he does, very strongly determined to do what's right, no matter what the consequences. When rebellion is flourishing all over the city, and the Unmentionables (the current government's secret police) is fomenting even more, Vimes is determined to make sure it doesn't reach the area of the Watch house. He uses some very unorthodox methods to make sure this happens, which doesn't put him on the good side of the Unmentionables (especially a new member, who has seemingly appeared out of nowhere). Vimes continues to show his intelligence, as well as his moralistic thinking. He's put through the ringer in this one, and a very interesting character throughout the previous books becomes a fascinating one instead. The relationship between him (as John Keel) and the young Sam is a joy to watch. The young Sam is very impressionable. He wants to do the right thing, but he doesn't really know what that is. He took part in the round-ups of curfew-breakers (and delivering them to the Unmentionables) only because he didn't know any different. When Vimes arrives and sees what Sam is in danger of becoming, memories flood over him, and he becomes determined to ensure that Sam becomes what Vimes is. He also tries desperately to keep him out of danger, because he has to keep history going along the path it did before. The relationship is wonderful, and really aids in fleshing out the character of Vimes that we all know and love. The plot is very interesting as well. Rebellion against the current Patrician of Ankh-Morpork is hitting the city all over the place. It is touching to watch the tragic inevitability of what happens, knowing that as much as Vimes tries, he really has to ensure that history repeats itself. The Lilac rebellion must occur in some fashion, and some good people, who he is getting to know again, are going to die. Carcer is going to do his best to make Vimes' life miserable, and if that involves changing history, too bad. Pratchett ties everything together nicely into a tight plot with no holes that I could see. The story contains some interesting time travel theories, wonderful writing by Pratchett, and interesting characters. Fans of the series will be glad to see that not only are the Watch back (though they are only there in the present-day sequences), but also the Wizards play a small role. The Monks of History are around, trying to make sure that History is not damaged too badly by what is going on. Also, we get some history on Nobby Nobs, Sergeant Colon, Reg Shoe, Cut-Me-Own-Throat Dibbler and we find out a very interesting aspect of the current Patrician, Vetinari. I've noticed that in recent books, Pratchett picks and chooses characters from his series to throw together into a book, and I think it really works. But make no mistake. This book is about Samuel Vimes. He carries the book on his shoulders, and he does it very well. I wasn't sure if Pratchett could do much more with Vimes other than just another "adventure of the City Watch," but Pratchett proved me wrong. In spades. This is a wonderful book. While it's certainly readable as a first Discworld book, it loses a lot of its impact that way, so I would not recommend starting here. Get some background, then come back to this one. It's a keeper.
Rating:
Summary: All hail Terry Pratchett the magnificent!
Review: I've read pretty much all of Mr.Pratchett's books (except some of his children's books) and have loved all of them.As brilliant as he is,I still prefer some of his books over the others,specifically his Lancre-books and his city-watch books.Well,Night Watch just moved to the top of my list.It has everything we have come to expect from his books and more.If you've never read any of his books before,this may not be a great place to start,as it includes characters well-known from other books,but to everybody else:read it!And to those of you who have never read Terry Pratchett before;get started,you have a lot of catching up to do.
Rating:
Summary: A Masterpiece of a Book
Review: This is Pratchett's 28th book in his Discworld series. It's a masterpiece. Unfortunately, if you haven't read all his earlier works (or at least those focusing on the Watch), the book will mean nothing to you. Also, it's not a funny book. It extends the trend toward seriousness present in his other books of the Watch. I think what Pratchett's done in this book is where he'll be going for future books: he'll fill in the far past of his characters. The humor will be there for other characters (like the Witches or the Wizards), but for the Watch, I think he'll maintain a more serious, darker, police-work feel with dabs of humor here and there. Really, an excellent book that requires the background of his previous works.
Rating:
Summary: A rebirth for Prachett
Review: First of all, I would like to point out this is a very good book (at least in my opinion). Second I would like to point out that I was relieved when I finished this book. Lately in many of Prachett's books (and also books by Neil Gaiman) that I have read, I felt a feeling of regret, partially because of the ending of such an admirable book, but partially because of a feeling that the imaginative world that was created was now closed. I did not get that feeling while reading this book.
Now I would like to point out my views:
1. There have been a few views that this book is not as funny as some of Prachett's earlier works. This is not exactly true. There is as much humor in this book as the others, it is just mostly crammed into the first 50 pages or so. After that the book is mostly more serious until the last twenty pages, when it gets more humorous
2. I found the book rather inspiring on its views on how government and law actually work (at least here)
3. I just found it very cool that you can glimpse younger versions of certain characters, including Nobby as a young street urchin, Colon as an uncertain corporal, Vetinari as a young assasin with revolutionary ideas on camuflage, Rosie Palm as a middle rank "seamstress", Reg Shoe alive, and of course Vimes as a young, naive recruit.
4. However, if you don't know who the older versions of the above characters are, this is not the novel for you. Read the other Watch books and Theif Of Time to get the full experience of reading this book
5. The very last joke in the book, in the last two paragraphs or so of the entire book(the one about Vimes's cigar, which is saying a bit too much about it) is both extremely funny and casts new light on a scene which happens much earlier.
Rating:
Summary: Morality
Review: Night watch is just my thrid pratchett book after the Science of Discworld 1 and 2, and the Amazing Maurice. As reviewers pointed out the story may not be as hilarious as earlier pratchett books, and this book did not get me laughing many times. What I appreciate about this book the most is not the laughs (there are many other books if you want just brainless comedy), but the fact that this book is trying to present a morality issue about what is bad and right in times of crisis. This is very evident about the decisions Sam Vimes had to take during the revolt. The summing moment to me was when the madam asked Vimes on whose side he was on the revolutionaries or the current patriach. Vimes said neither. I don't know if these morality issues have been touched before in earlier books but I do find that it makes this book worth its salt.
Rating:
Summary: Perfect.
Review: The best Discworld novel I've read to date, and I own them all....and have read most of them three or four times. Consistently funny, as well as emotionally powerful and philosophically both deep and sound (although you can read it as a straight, non-philosophical story, too, if you're tired).
Buy this book. Now. You will not regret it.
Rating:
Summary: A return to the Watch...Hooray!
Review: Another solid effort from Terry Pratchett. The Discworld novels that revolve around the Watch are undoubtedly my favorites. If you're familiar with the series you'll recognize the cast of this novel immediately. Commander Vimes (the central character) is second only to Corporal Carrot in terms of my favorite Discworld protagonists. "Night Watch" takes us back (literally) to the beginnings of the Watch, how it was formed and the politics and intrigue behind the government of Ankh-Morpork as we know it in all the other Discworld novels. Hilarious, well-thought out and at times even downright poignant. If you've never read a Pratchett novel you may want to start earlier in the series, this one's got some inside jokes and some plot points that will be unfamiliar to "newbies", nevertheless highly recommended!
Rating:
Summary: Back to the Future for Sam Vimes
Review: The latest in Terry Pratchett's Night Watch series of Discworld novels continues the exploits of His Grace, Sir Samuel Vimes, Duke of Ankh-Morpork and Commander of the City Watch. And, like his increasingly lengthy title, the Watch under his command is getting too big. Vimes pines for the days when he was just a copper, walking the night beat, chasing down criminals. But an encounter with a murderer and a bolt of lightening on top of the Unseen University's High Energy Magic Building will give him just what he wishes for. And more.
As always in Pratchett's novels, the characters are what matters. Vimes is, as always, appealing as a Dirty Harry-esque copper, but without Harry's distorted morals and penchant for murder. We learn much more about Vimes' past, obviously, since he's there, and the fact that he is teaching himself how to be himself is the source of much humor. The main villian, Carcer, is little more than a MacGuffin to move the plot along, and is possibly the most thin of the myriad Discworld characters. He is evil for the sake of evil, much like Wolf from "The Fifth Elephant", but without Wolf's style or dangerousness. But he still gets the job done. The young Sam Vimes is also a lot of fun, as a very naive and clueless young man with faint glimpses of the man that he will someday become. It's also fun to see Lu-Tze from "Thief of Time" in a brief cameo.
The novel is a gift to fans of the Night Watch series, and as such may not be enjoyed by those that aren't. The real fun comes from seeing CMOT Dibbler, Nobby Nobbs, Vetinari and the rest before they become as we know them, and from the way that the future Vimes is involved in all of it. As for me, if it has Sam Vimes in it, I'm sold. Highly recommended.
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