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lsetzler's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Terry Pratchett's use of imagery is stunning. His insight into human beings and what makes them tick drives the story as much as the characters. He wraps it in dark humour, but it shines through.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Physical abuse, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Racism and Torture
Minor: Addiction and Alcohol
Night Watch has one of the most perfect paragraphs ever written. "The night was welling up as the sun set. It unfolded from the shadows where it had hidden from the day, and flowed and joined together. He felt his senses flow with it, spreading out like the whiskers of a dark, giant cat. " Beautiful.wandering_seal's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I've read this book at least once a year for about twenty years and it never fails to hook me in. I feel just as emotional now as I did the first time I read this - actually I think I probably get the story now a lot better than I did as a teen. Certainly I understand the fickleness of memory and the demise of idealism shown here in a way I don't think a teen can.
I adore Vimes, and while I'm not sure this is the story I adore him the most in, it is I think my favourite of his books. His rough, undesired goodness just shines through.
I adore Vimes, and while I'm not sure this is the story I adore him the most in, it is I think my favourite of his books. His rough, undesired goodness just shines through.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Torture, Police brutality, Murder, Pregnancy, and War
Minor: Animal cruelty, Mental illness, and Alcohol
eddieboy's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: War
Moderate: Death, Violence, and Blood
Minor: Pregnancy
princessofharte's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This is the most dark, most tense Pratchett book I've ever read. It is full of anger, hopelessness, anxiety, and fear. And it is worth it.
When reading this, it's important to remember it was published in 2002. In less than 5 years, Terry Pratchett would be diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's.His thought process on this can be seen with how Vimes interacts with Sam and with Tilden. Terry Pratchett is fighting how his memory is turning.
They did the job they didn't have to do!
When reading this, it's important to remember it was published in 2002. In less than 5 years, Terry Pratchett would be diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Death, Torture, Violence, Blood, and Pregnancy
The book starts by following a serial killer. The entire story is framed around it and a rebellion.ernis's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
This has been my favorite Watch novel so far, although I found it much less funny than the others. I actually couldn't put it down, whereas some of his others i can easily start and stop. The focus is almost entirely on Sam Vimes, the other characters are more just in and out, but it was written so well that I didn't miss the others. Highly recommend for fans of Terry's other works!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence and War
Minor: Torture
ampharos906's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Torture
Minor: Confinement, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical content, and Pregnancy
ramreadsagain's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
"Maybe the best way to build a brand new world is to peel some spuds in this one."
I was worried I wouldn't like this one but it's become one of my favourite Discworld books. Time travel is usually not a trope that I think is done well, but my god was it done well here! I absolutely loved this glance at Ankh-Morpork history as well as what felt like a deeper look at Sam Vimes himself, as unlike most Pratchett books which tend to switch character perspective a lot, this one focuses almost entirely on Vimes.
As always with Pratchett I love the balance of humour, social commentary, and pure love for these characters.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Violence, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Torture, Xenophobia, and Pregnancy
ell_n's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Violence, Murder, and War
crufts's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Man. How did Terry Pratchett do it? In short, another fantastic Discworld novel, this one continuing the Guards arc that started in Guards! Guards! (see my review of that here).
Although Night Watch is Book 29 of the Discworld series, you only need to have read Guards! Guards! (Book 8) to understand what's going on. Actually, you could probably even read Night Watch as a standalone.
Captain Samuel Vimes has long led the Night Watch of the city of Ankh-Morpork. He's seen a lot in his 48 or so years, including the day thirty years ago when a violent revolution ended in the removal of the city's ruler - and the deaths of many of young Sam's colleagues in the Watch. It was an experience that could have turned a good man bad. But fortunately, young Sam and the other watchmen had the guidance of the honest and incorruptible Sergeant John Keel, and so Sam Vimes grew up to be an honest policeman himself.
Thirty years later, the grown Captain Vimes is chasing down the unrepentant murderer Carcer when they're both thrown back in time by a magical anomaly. Carcer immediately murders the past version of Sergeant Keel, and plans to do the same to young Sam Vimes. The older Vimes realizes he only has one chance to save history: he must step into Keel's shoes and lead the Night Watch through the chaotic revolution that is inexorably bearing down on the city.
Since the story steps away from the present day so quickly, I thought I'd miss beloved characters from Guards! Guards! such as Lady Sybil Ramkin, or even the watchmen like Corporal Carrot or Sergeant Colon. What we actually get is a concentrated dose of Sam Vimes by himself, and that was so interesting to read that I'd soon completely forgotten about these other characters. We even get sneak peeks at younger versions of some of the present-day characters such asCorporal Nobbs, Lord Vetinari, Cut-Me-Own-Throat Dibbler, and even (briefly) Lady Ramkin .
In contrast to previous Discworld books which are basically a barrel of laughs tied up with clever wordplay, Night Watch got shockingly dark and emotional at times, and I mean that as a huge compliment. I'm very glad Terry Pratchett dipped into a darker tone for this novel because it made for a terrific ending.
Excellent novel, would totally recommend if you're reading through the Guards arc of Discworld. You might also like the sequel, Feet of Clay.
Although Night Watch is Book 29 of the Discworld series, you only need to have read Guards! Guards! (Book 8) to understand what's going on. Actually, you could probably even read Night Watch as a standalone.
Captain Samuel Vimes has long led the Night Watch of the city of Ankh-Morpork. He's seen a lot in his 48 or so years, including the day thirty years ago when a violent revolution ended in the removal of the city's ruler - and the deaths of many of young Sam's colleagues in the Watch. It was an experience that could have turned a good man bad. But fortunately, young Sam and the other watchmen had the guidance of the honest and incorruptible Sergeant John Keel, and so Sam Vimes grew up to be an honest policeman himself.
Thirty years later, the grown Captain Vimes is chasing down the unrepentant murderer Carcer when they're both thrown back in time by a magical anomaly. Carcer immediately murders the past version of Sergeant Keel, and plans to do the same to young Sam Vimes. The older Vimes realizes he only has one chance to save history: he must step into Keel's shoes and lead the Night Watch through the chaotic revolution that is inexorably bearing down on the city.
Since the story steps away from the present day so quickly, I thought I'd miss beloved characters from Guards! Guards! such as Lady Sybil Ramkin, or even the watchmen like Corporal Carrot or Sergeant Colon. What we actually get is a concentrated dose of Sam Vimes by himself, and that was so interesting to read that I'd soon completely forgotten about these other characters. We even get sneak peeks at younger versions of some of the present-day characters such as
In contrast to previous Discworld books which are basically a barrel of laughs tied up with clever wordplay, Night Watch got shockingly dark and emotional at times, and I mean that as a huge compliment. I'm very glad Terry Pratchett dipped into a darker tone for this novel because it made for a terrific ending.
Excellent novel, would totally recommend if you're reading through the Guards arc of Discworld. You might also like the sequel, Feet of Clay.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Murder and Pregnancy
Murder and violence: Often described in brief, euphemistic or humorous terms.Pregnancy: Lady Sybil is towards the end of a pregnancy, at an age where pregnancy can be difficult (perhaps 40 or 42).
jessthanthree's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Torture, Violence, Blood, and Murder
Minor: Sexual content