Feet of Clay by Terry Pratchett

This is one of the Discworld books focused on the city Ankh-Morpork's Watch, AKA police-men/women/dwarves/trolls/undead/etc. Feet of Clay takes place after Men at Arms (see post), but I'm not sure exactly when it occurs. There might be a book or two between them.

Plot: Carrot Ironfoundersson is back and this time he's Captain of the Night Watch! Along with his sweetheart Sergeant Angua and rest of the Watch, Carrot is working on another confusing case. A couple of old men have died gruesome deaths from unusual weapons, seemingly unrelated. The only idea they have is that it's got something to do with the golems - huge, "unalive" beings made of clay, created for the sole purpose of labor. Golems apparently are not capable of thinking or feeling, and can only obey the "words in their head". So why are they disobeying, and why does Carrot feel a strange sense of emotion coming from those emotionless red eyes?

Comments: This is a great story, and though it's light-hearted and a fun and easy read, it resembles a social justice (or injustice) novel. The golems are treated like heartless, emotionless robots because that's what they were built to be. Supposedly, they cannot feel pain, both physical or mental, and they are not capable of disobeying their masters. But before abusing them, working them around the clock, and treating them as slaves, wouldn't it be a good idea to be sure they cannot feel? I mean, a golem is unstoppable. It would win a fight against a troll no problem, because it can't be hurt or knocked unconscious and it has incredible strength. And if suddenly you find out that the golem you've been mistreating this whole time resents you and is going to get revenge, you'd probably wished you'd never bought it.

Anyway, though I didn't consider it as hilariously funny as Men at Arms, this book was laugh-out-loud funny and I couldn't put it down. It's rather more of a thriller and mystery, and it'll keep you guessing. I liked the new characters, such as Dorfl the golem, and Constable Visit (his full name, translated, is Visit-the-Infidel-with-Explanatory-Pamphlets). They both added a lot to the story. I really felt for Dorfl especially.

Rating: I rate this book a seven and a half out of ten. Fun read!