The Fifth Elephant
(Discworld Novel 24)
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4.4 • 41 Ratings
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- $15.99
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- $15.99
Publisher Description
'WELL, HE THOUGHT, SO THIS IS DIPLOMACY. IT'S LYING, ONLY FOR A BETTER CLASS OF PEOPLE.'
Commander Sam Vimes of the Ankh-Morpork City Watch is a long way from home.
Sent as reluctant ambassador to Uberwald, a mysterious region inhabited by dwarfs, vampires and werewolves, Vimes must learn the art of diplomacy. Fast. But when he uncovers a mystery with ties back home, the policeman in him can't help but investigate. What could possibly go wrong?
Well, quite a lot actually. Vimes finds himself on the run through the frozen forests of Uberwald, armed with only his wits and the trousers of Uncle Vanya (don't ask). And if he doesn't make it, there's going to be a terrible war.
But there are monsters on his trail. They're smart. They're fast. They're werewolves.
And they're catching up . . .
'Precisely balanced . . . a cracking comic thriller' The Times
The Fifth Elephant is the fifth book in the City Watch series, but you can read the Discworld novels in any order.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Acclaimed British author Pratchett continues to distinguish himself from his colleagues with clever plot lines and genuinely likable characters in this first-rate addition to his long-running Discworld fantasy series (Carpe Jugulum, etc.). This time around, the inhabitants of Discworld's Ankh-Morpork have turned their attentions in the direction of Uberwald--a country rich in valuable minerals and high-quality fat deposits. (The fifth elephant, it seems, left all these when he or she crashed and burned in Uberwald at the beginning of time.) Ankh-Morpork's policeman Sam Vimes has been sent there to represent his people at a coronation--and to find the recently stolen, rock-hard and symbolically important (at least to the Dwarf population) Scone of Stone. As he tells Vimes's story (and surrounding ones), Pratchett cheerfully takes readers on an exuberant tale of mystery and invention, including the efforts of a clique of neo-Nazi werewolves to destabilize Uberwald. Along the way, he skewers everything from monarchy to fascism, as well as communism and capitalism, oil wealth and ethnic identities, Russian plays, immigration, condoms and evangelical Christianity--in short, most everything worth talking about. Not as perfect as Pratchett's Hogfather but in the same class, this novel is a heavyweight of lightness. 200,000 ad/promo; 7-city author tour. FYI: At the end of The Fifth Elephant is appended a "handy travel guide" to the "World of Terry Pratchett," including a character guide to the Discworld novels and a Discworld crossword puzzle.
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