Review - Equal Rites

There are two types of magic - Wizard magic and Witch magic. That's the sort of theory that everyone believes in Terry Pratchett's Equal Rites. Admittedly, everyone is a bit stupid in these books, though they refuse to admit it. They live on the Discworld and think in a very primitive way; women can't be wizards. Ever.

Your point is..?

Oh right, the review! Okay, so the book is actually quite funny. See, the whole story revolves around the eighth son of an eighth son - a wizard. The problem is, the eighth son is actually a daughter, and she's been given the staff of a wizard. Now, while this doesn't necessarily make her a wizard, it does give her access to wizard magic. Like the whole women-not-having-a-vote thing that happened in the past, Esk - the female wizard - lacks a few rights... like access to the Unseen University! She learns how to become a witch, instead, but the wizard magic is always there. It makes for a lot of fun havoc.

Good book, then?

Of course! I'm a huge fan of Pratchett. Okay, so I haven't read a lot of his works, but I'm still a fan. I couldn't put the book down... until I had to. Literally. But I read it all, anyway. Finished it, loved it, and didn't really want it to end because the characters are so loveable. This happens all the time with the Discworld books; I fall in love with the quirky characters and then when the story ends I have to try find someone to replace them. Thankfully I have four more of the books on my shelf unread!

Wait, what do you mean you had to put it down?

Eh, it's complicated. I had to do other reading... and I had to sleep. I think that's allowed, right?

No. No sleeping.

O...kay. Sorry.

Hold on, no. I'm not. Because I still read the book! And I really, really think other people should too. Because it's amazing. Because Pratchett is one of the finest writers. Ever. It will be a huge loss when he stops writing (because we've all been told he will have to stop writing.) So... so read his books! Really. You won't be disappointed. They're fantasy, yes, but they're also about the people. I mean, the magic part of these books is just a little added bonus. Trust me, they are wonderful books. Especially this one.

Review - The Colour of Magic and The Light Fantastic

I'm sure I'm not alone when I say I sat watching The Colour of Magic and The Hogfather around Christmas time, because Sky decided to show them both. I know for a fact that I'm not alone in having gone out to start reading Terry Pratchett after this, because a young boy bought both books of the movies. Of course, I laughed. If I recall, I'd bought and read The Colour of Magic before Christmas and was then comparring it to the movie (or rather, comparring the movie to it). I discovered then, as Episode 2 came on, that The Light Fantastic actually comprises the second half of the movie...

For that very important reason, I'm reviewing the books as one piece of literature, with my head caught somewhere between the two by the events of the movie. As masterfully written as they are, I'm rather more impressed that the script writers managed to combine the books so fluidly and use an awful lot of the actual words Pratchett himself used.

As for the books themselves... if you don't know, they follow a man named Rincewind, who's a very bad wizard, and another man named Twoflower, who's a very stupid tourist. He's actually the only tourist, ever, but he's stupid nonetheless (I suppose that's why he's so likeable). With Twoflower's inability to perceive danger, Rincewind is constantly put in increasingly levels of danger, and nearly always almost dies. But that's just some of the fun involved in the books.

Death plays a very prominent role in the books, adding a strange level of comic relief where it's not needed - Rincewind and Twoflower, and the other characters they're always running in to, provide enough humour to last after the final page has been turned (and lets not forget that the very ideas in the book are also hilarious, many of which I have laughed out loud at in my living room, with my brothers thinking I'm laughing at Top Gear a few seconds before anything funny has actually happened). Of course, Death is also there to remind us that not everyone in the Discworld is both as lucky and unlucky as Rincewind - many don't survive miraculously from near death experiences, particularly not when Rincewind's escape causes them some problems in living.

These books, this series, is a must read. Pratchett more or less sums himself up in his own book - "He's a legend in his own lifetime." If you haven't read the books, you really must. There's not an awful lot of magic, even in the first of the books, and the world is so funny that it's hardly a Fantasy book; I'd place this alone in its own genre - Fantastic Regardless of Personal Taste. Where else do you find universal truths, social commentary, humour, philosophy and brilliant writing? Probably nowhere, though maybe in another universe. Most likely everything else Pratchett has written too.

He's given me a few things, this man. I had two movies to lounge to, and two books to get absorbed in to, and now I have a story in the making inspired largely by how he tells a story, and a little by his actual stories themselves. And a small hole in my pocket where I find pouring out freely... but that's to be expected. I've got Equal Rites on order and Mort sitting in a bag recently purchased (I bought it earlier today, in fact). They've both cost me money. Good thing I know they'll be worth it when I get around to reading them!

Now, stop reading stuff on the Internet and get reading The Colour of Magic! You won't regret it.

The Magical Emporium of Magical Things

Getting off to a good start on my New Year's Resolution, I've decided to tell you about my current WIP - The Magical Emporium of Magical Things. It has quite a long and stupid title, but that's for instant comedic effect (also, I don't want readers to think that it's a very serious sort of book - it's designed to make you laugh, even if you don't want to).

In the book, which started as a short story, Rich Dave and his Sails Assistant Middle Class Rodney are preparing for the discount-period that annually follows the dying holiday of Christmas, celebrated only by a number of people who are all called Chris Tea Ans, apparently. During this time, The Sails, rags and cloths of all manners are suspended from shop windows and on poles to indicate to people that the prices are down ("when the Sails are up, the prices, subsequently, are down.")

And yes, those are their real names. Neither man, nor anybody else in the world, has a surname. Instead, they are all named after their social class, or the level of their wealth which in some cases is deceptive to their actual standing in the world.

In an attempt to avoid beheading, Middle Class Rodney doesn't work on Christmas Day to set up the Sails and discount the goods of The Magical Emporium of Magical Things. (This is all due to the fact that the Cultural Enforcers are under duty to protect the culture of the Chris's; the price for breaking the law in this regard is instant beheading, the cost of repair of which is rather high, and more than Middle Class Rodney can afford without his week's wages.) With just over three minutes to go, Dave freezes time using one of his two pocket watches, resulting in the events of the story to unfold in dramatic and often humourous ways.

For you see... The Book of Lost Things once sat on his shelves, until it found itself in the Time between seconds and leapt onto the floor, finally free from its prison. Quickly it goes about performing strange magic, calling people into existence with only a knowledge of shame, and only for three and a half seconds that aren't really passing, all before they implode on themselves. Only one man doesn't implode, largely due to the fact that he's having quite a hard time doing it. Dave and Rodney cover him a cloak, and when he attempts to leave... well, the anti-theft spells activate and all magic affecting him is nullified, including the spell which keeps him in one piece; the man splits in two, taking the form of a blue and a red imp - Twins. They are, in fact, the only Twins in existence, after a series of twin related crimes when no guilty party could be found, and the constant annoyance twins found from people being unable to tell them apart - all forms of multiple birth vanished into the Book.

The story continues from there, in a similar fashion of chaos and explosions and implosions (the difference in the sound they make being in their spelling).

And of course, there's Rebecca With A Pinch Of Poverty, named in honour of the lovely Rebecca Woodhead, the only person outside of my family who knows what's going to happen to the character.

Not one to miss, if it ever makes it to bookshelves!

And without further adieu, I bid you farewell (and a Happy New Year!)