Title: The Light Fantastic

Author: Terry Pratchett

Type: Fiction

Page Count/Review Word Count: 288

Rating: 7/10

Terry Pratchett – The Light Fantastic

The Light Fantastic is just the second book in the Discworld series, and so the main reason that you might want to read it is if you’re reading the series in order and you’ve just finished The Colour of Magic. It’s certainly true that The Light Fantastic is more like a direct sequel than pretty much anything else in the Discworld series. I also have to admit that Pratchett was still developing here, and whilst it is a decent enugh read, it’s a little bit different to the Discworld that you’ll be used to, if you got into the series through his later books.

I’d say that the main selling point here is the fact that Rincewind is the novel’s protagonist – he fell out of favour as a character in Pratchett’s later years, but he’s still a perennial favourite and this is your chance to get to know him in the early days. He’s still up to his usual tricks though, and unfortunately he’s the Disc’s only chance, and he was last seen falling off the edge of the world.

The only other thing that I’d mention here is that early Pratchett isn’t for everyone – while there are still plenty of laughs to be had in The Light Fantastic, it is also much more of a good old-fashioned fantasy book than much of Pratchett’s other work. For some, that makes it even better, but it doesn’t hold true for everyone – have a think about it before you buy it, and if you do decide to read it, you might as well read The Colour of Magic first.

Terry Pratchett

Click here to buy The Light Fantastic.