Thud!
An outrageously inventive and witty novel from one of fantasy’s best loved authors
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4.7 • 233 Ratings
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- £1.99
Publisher Description
'FOR THE ENEMY IS NOT TROLL, NOR IS IT DWARF, BUT IT IS THE BALEFUL, THE MALIGN, THE COWARDLY, THE VESSELS OF HATRED, THOSE WHO DO A BAD THING AND CALL IT GOOD ...'
In the city of Ankh-Morpork, tension is rising between dwarf and troll communities.
A dwarven fanatic has been stoking the flames of an old hatred born of the Battle of Koom Valley -an ancient war between the races that neither side has quite got over. When the dwarf is murdered, with a troll the only witness, Commander Sam Vimes of the City Watch must solve the case before history repeats itself.
With his beloved Watch crumbling around him and war drums sounding, Vimes must unravel every clue, outwit every assassin and brave any darkness to find the solution. But darkness is following him ...
And at six o'clock every day he must go home to read a bedtime story to his son. There are some things you have to do.
'Consistently funny, consistently clever and consistently surprising in its twists and turns' SFX
Thud! is the seventh book in the City Watch series, but you can read the Discworld novels in any order.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Ankh-Morpork's City Watch Commander, Sam Vimes, stars in the latest entry in Pratchett's popular Discworld series (Going Postal, etc.). "Thud" is the sound that commences the novel, as a dwarf is bludgeoned to death; it's also the name of a chesslike match that recreates the battle of Koom Valley, a long-ago fight between trolls and dwarfs. As the anniversary of the battle approaches, ancient politics and the present-day murder cause tensions between the trolls and dwarfs to boil. Though Koom Valley was a disaster for both sides, certain community leaders from each side have been spoiling for a rematch something Vimes is duty-bound to prevent. In the midst of this, a push toward affirmative action forces Vimes to hire a vampire named Sally to the Watch. She's sworn off human blood, but that's cold comfort to the assortment of humans, dwarfs, trolls, werewolves and golems that make up the police force. Vimes and his motley crew of coppers are called upon to not only find the murderer and keep the peace but also, in a jab at The Da Vinci Code, solve the riddle of a painting that reputedly holds the secret to what really happened at Koom Valley. Pratchett's fantastic imagination and satirical wit are on full display.
Customer Reviews
Thud
Great read and a great story
Peak Pratchett
Pratchett is one of the greatest fantasy authors of all time, and his Discworld one of the richest literary creations I know of. Thud! is him at his finest. It has the plot quality of a serious thriller but tempered with Pratchett's ludicrous yet profound commentary and comedy. The result is magnificent.
Vimes stops a war
The Vimes books are by far the best of the Pratchett books and this is one of the best. Night Watch is still my favourite though.