The Light Fantastic - Terry Pratchett
Terry Pratchett is an English fantasy author, best known for his Discworld series. He has sold more than 40 million books around the
world. He is also one of the finest satirists currently writing in the English language, and he has been compared to Douglas Adams. His fantasy series
the Discworld is a humorous, and often satirical fantasy work that parodies everything under the sun. The Discworld is a fictional world placed on the
backs of four giant elephants supported by the giant turtle Great A'Tuin. Pratchett parodies everything in his books, culture, movies, other books,
politics and many historical events.
The main character is the very bad wizard Rincewind, he is assigned as a guide to the
naive tourist Twoflower. This a second book of a Discworld series. During the events of previous book, called The Colour of Magic, these two so-called
heroes went together through a lot of amazing adventures and they ended up falling over the edge of Discworld (the circular flat world placed on the
backs of four elephants …).
After the wizard Rincewind has fallen from the edge of the Discworld, his life is
mysteriously saved and he lands back on it. Meanwhile, the wizards of Ankh-Morpork discover that the Discworld will soon be destroyed unless the eight
spells of the Octavo are read: the most powerful spells in existence, one of which hides in Rincewind's head. Several other wizards try to find
Rincewind and kill him, they are led by Trymon, a former classmate of Rincewind's, who wishes to get the power of the spells for himself.
After
Rincewind, who has met again with Twoflower, escapes them, it becomes clear that Great A'Tuin, the giant turtle that carries the Discworld, is going
directly into a red star with eight moons. Rincewind and Twoflower are traveling together with Cohen the Barbarian, an aging hero, and Bethan, a
sacrificial virgin saved by Cohen, with assistance from Rincewind and Twoflower.
Rincewind becomes one of the very few
people who were able to enter Death's Domain and get out alive. He is nearly killed when he meets Death's adopted daughter Ysabell, but is saved by
the Luggage (magical chest running around on a hundreds of small human feet). Death looks like a big skeleton with scythe.
As the star
comes nearer and the magic on the Discworld is failing, Trymon tries to put the seven spells from the Octavo into his mind, in an attempt to save the
world and gain power. However, the spells are too strong for him and his mind becomes a door into the "Dungeon Dimensions", from where strange,
horrible creatures try to enter this reality. After winning a fight against them, Rincewind is able to read all eight spells aloud. After that the
eight moons of the red star crack and reveal eight tiny world-turtles that follow their parent A'Tuin on a course away from the star. The Octavo is
then eaten by Twoflower's Luggage.
The book ends with Twoflower and Rincewind parting company, as Twoflower decides to return home, leaving
The Luggage with Rincewind as a parting gift.
I received this book from my girlfriend on my 18th birthday. I’m not a big reader but I tried to
read it to make her happy. When I finished it few weeks later I was really happy that I tried. This book is hilarious.
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