Men at Arms by Terry Pratchett

Plot: set in the strange city of Ankh-Morpork, Discworld, this book focuses on a human that thinks he's a dwarf (well, he was adopted by them), Cpl. Carrot Ironfoundersson, and the captain of the Night Watch, Samuel Vimes, who is soon retiring, albeit reluctantly. When a newly invented, deadly weapon is stolen from the Assassin's Guild, the Night Watch face a challenge like never before; find the murderer and the weapon before anyone else is killed and prevent the so-called "gonne" from falling into the wrong hands ever again.

Comments: I love Terry Pratchett novels! They're so light-hearted and humorous. Pratchett excels at satirical humor, and there's something to laugh at on every page. The characters in this book were amazing. Cpl. Carrot is honest and simple - though not stupid - and he's adorably awkward around female Watch"man", Angua. After all, he is only seventeen years old, though his height and powerful build might throw you off (he's 6' 6" and yet still thought he was a dwarf until his 4' adopted parents finally told him). Carrot's very charismatic, and though he's almost always in a good mood, smiling and polite, if he gets ticked off, even trolls back away slowly.

Cpl. Nobby was a delightfully corrupt character, and Colon was rather transparent. There have been earlier books about Cpt. Vimes, so this book didn't explain his character very well. This caused me to lose interest in him, which is unfortunate, because half the time the story was about him. Angua was a good character, because though she was pretty and supposedly only became a Watchman to represent a "minority" group, she was strong, brave, and kick-butt, too. Cuddy the dwarf and Detritus the troll were paired up as Watchmen partners, and dwarves and trolls have had a feud for the longest time. They don't get along well, but after a while they start to grow on each other. Soon they could be considered good friends, and their friendship and partnership is heartwarming and sweet.

The plot was...strange, as most Discworld stories go. Though everything made sense, in a way, it's all rather complicated and twisted. However, it's definitely a fun read and I'm going to continue reading about Ankh-Morpork's City Watch in Feet of Clay. Oh, one more thing: I love how Death speaks and acts in these books. He doesn't have a huge role in this story, but he has a few hilarious conversations with the deceased.

Rating: I rate this book an eight out of ten. Great read!