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zachreadsfantasy 's review for:
Reaper Man
by Terry Pratchett, Terry Pratchett
⭐⭐⭐⭐║Another hilarious Discworld romp that delivers plenty of laughs but stumbles a bit in its storytelling. Reaper Man is classic Pratchett—funny, inventive, and packed with that trademark absurdity that makes this series so much fun. Death absolutely steals the show here. Watching him try to “live” is hilarious and weirdly heartwarming. Every scene with him hit the perfect mix of humor and charm. Honestly, give me a whole book of Death awkwardly figuring out humans, and I’d be thrilled.
But the story’s other half? The wizards? Not so much. Sure, there were laughs (because Pratchett can’t not be funny), but it felt messy and all over the place. The storyline started strong, but the longer it went on, the more I found myself waiting to get back to Death.
That’s kind of the story of this book: brilliant in parts, but a little uneven overall. The deeper stuff about life and death is there, and it’s great when it shines through, but sometimes it gets buried under the chaos. Still, it’s a short, fun read and exactly the kind of lighthearted break I like every once in a while.
If you’re here for the laughs and love Death as a character, you’ll have a good time with Reaper Man. Just don’t expect it to be the most polished or cohesive entry in the series. That said, you can still tell that Pratchett had found his groove at this point in the publication of the series. Reading these in publication order is fun because I can see his writing improve and how, even though Reaper Man is not one of his best, it's still much better than his first few books.
I'm excited to continue my Discworld journey with book 12 soon!
Discworld by Terry Pratchett
Book 1: The Color of Magic 2/5
Book 2: The Light Fantastic 3/5
Book 3: Equal Rites 3/5
Book 4: Mort 4/5
Book 5: Sourcery 4/5
Book 6: Wyrd Sisters 4/5
Book 7: Pyramids 4/5
Book 8: Guards! Guards! 5/5
Book 9: Eric 3.5/5
Book 10: Moving Pictures 5/5
Book 11: Reaper Man 4/5
But the story’s other half? The wizards? Not so much. Sure, there were laughs (because Pratchett can’t not be funny), but it felt messy and all over the place. The storyline started strong, but the longer it went on, the more I found myself waiting to get back to Death.
That’s kind of the story of this book: brilliant in parts, but a little uneven overall. The deeper stuff about life and death is there, and it’s great when it shines through, but sometimes it gets buried under the chaos. Still, it’s a short, fun read and exactly the kind of lighthearted break I like every once in a while.
If you’re here for the laughs and love Death as a character, you’ll have a good time with Reaper Man. Just don’t expect it to be the most polished or cohesive entry in the series. That said, you can still tell that Pratchett had found his groove at this point in the publication of the series. Reading these in publication order is fun because I can see his writing improve and how, even though Reaper Man is not one of his best, it's still much better than his first few books.
I'm excited to continue my Discworld journey with book 12 soon!
Discworld by Terry Pratchett
Book 1: The Color of Magic 2/5
Book 2: The Light Fantastic 3/5
Book 3: Equal Rites 3/5
Book 4: Mort 4/5
Book 5: Sourcery 4/5
Book 6: Wyrd Sisters 4/5
Book 7: Pyramids 4/5
Book 8: Guards! Guards! 5/5
Book 9: Eric 3.5/5
Book 10: Moving Pictures 5/5
Book 11: Reaper Man 4/5