*Review of the best according to the editors. About the selection criteria. This material is subjective, not an advertisement and is not intended as a guide to purchase. Consultation with a specialist is necessary before purchase.
Terence John Pratchett is known to readers around the world as Terry Pratchett. This is a famous Englishman who gained fame for his books, which have not lost their popularity to this day. The author’s works have a satirical style, which is a highlight of his work. Terry originally wanted to write novels as fantasy parodies, but over time it became a separate literary genre.
Our experts have selected the most popular works, presenting them in a ranking of Terry Pratchett’s top 9 books.
Rating of Terry Pratchett’s best books
| Nomination | place | Work | rating |
| Rating the best Terry Pratchett books | 1 | “To Guns! To arms!” | 4.9 |
| 2 | “Witches Abroad.” | 4.8 | |
| 3 | “The Guardian! Guardian!” | 4.8 | |
| 4 | “The Grim Reaper.” | 4.7 | |
| 5 | “Feet of Clay.” | 4.7 | |
| 6 | “The Night Watchman.” | 4.7 | |
| 7 | “Good Omens.” | 4.6 | |
| 8 | “Ladies and Gentlemen.” | 4.5 | |
| 9 | “Keep the Brand!” | 4.5 |
“To arms! To Arms!”
Rating: 4.9
Leads the second book in the Guardian sub-cycle, the Flat World series. Living in hard times, the characters are forced to turn to the help of disreputable ethnic minority groups such as trolls, dwarves, and women. But what to do when you have to defend Ank-Morpork?
At the beginning of the story, patrician Vitinari literally imposes his recruits on Commodore Wymes as he prepares to marry Sybilla. The last days of the service turn out to be turbulent – murders are committed in Ank-Morpork under mysterious circumstances. To make matters worse, the fact that the victims were massacred with the first firearms in the Flat World.
The work is about love, friendship, work. The author humorously raises important themes, such as the power of weapons to turn a man into a slave by mastering his thoughts. The characters are brilliantly crafted, with no farce or falsehood. This applies not only to the already familiar Vitinari, Wymes, Morcoe, but also to the new ones, Angwa, Dubbins, Detritus. Adult themes like violence and sex are very successfully woven into the “childish” narrative, and the confusing ideas of the plot are original.
“To arms! To Arms!” will appeal to a wide readership. Even for those who do not classify themselves as fans of fantasy and near-fantasy.
“Witches Abroad.”
Rating: 4.8
The next place in the ranking goes to the third book of the “Witches” sub-cycle, the “Flat World” series. The reader is treated to another encounter with characters he already loves: the fairy godmother Magrat Chesnogk, Nanny Jagg, Mother Vetrovosk. This trio, along with Gribo the cat, prepares to visit Orleans, where the main plot twists. There lives Magrat’s goddaughter, Cinderella, whom the prince has called to marry.
The flat world has its own fairy tale kingdom. Anyone who falls into it will become a hero of one, or maybe several, of the famous fairy tale plots. The kingdom’s police will make sure that the role they’ve arranged is played accurately. From the pages of the book, Pratchett says that fairy tales have lived here since ancient times, repeating themselves time and time again. And those become the stronger that gain more repetition than the others. The main characters will be tough encounter with an invincible evil magic. Will they cope?
It’s up to the reader to find out if someone is helping fairy tales come true. The novel intertwines legends of different nations, voodoo rituals, and the fairy tale plots of Pierrot’s works. It’s all captivating, mentally transporting to fantasy worlds. There is both humor and philosophy with reflections on important themes. The book is an easy read, so it will appeal not only to adults, but also to teens.
“Guardian! Guardian!”
Rating: 4.8
The third position is occupied by the first book of the sub-cycle “City Watchmen”, a series of “Flat World”. The leading “To arms” is its sequel! To Arms!”. The narrative of the novel “The Sentinel! The Guardian!” is similar to the works of “Harry Potter” and “The Hobbit”, but the difference is still the same original humor and subtle satire of Pratchett. He masterfully describes humans, dwarves, dragons, and other fantastical creatures, mocking the shortcomings of society.
Events unfold in Ank-Morpork, where a plot against the ruler is about to take place. The Night Guards take on the task of stopping the villains. It is in their hands to restore order to the city, returning tranquility and peace to the locals. I wish I could say, “Ah! The Valiant Guardian!”, but so far it’s just a group of incompetent misfits. When they see the crimes, they prefer to turn away, pretending not to notice anything. What happens next?? Will the main characters remain cowards, afraid of their own shadows?
The book combines heroism, battles, human weaknesses, and the struggle against them. The author brings a smile, a laugh, a tear, and an experience to the reader. He deftly mocks clichés, exposing the realities of the modern world. And yet this novel, like a fairy tale, has a happy ending. Recommended not only for adults, but for children as well. Young readers will especially enjoy the detailed descriptions of the dragons. Such elaborate and charming beasts as in The Guardian! Guardian!”You won’t find it anywhere.
“The Grim Reaper.”
Rating: 4.7
Book four gets the second book of the Death sub-cycle, the Flat World series. What would the world be like if Death were dead?? Yes, yes, as tautological as it sounds. Imagine this: here he is, a man whose hour has struck, lying there, but the Reaper is gone and gone. What’s a soul to do when it leaves its body?? Of course, going back to the deceased. It’s a mess, you might say? Of course they are!
The collector of souls, aka Death, suddenly loses confidence. More powerful forces question his impartiality and ability to do the job the way it should be done. Death is deprived of eternity by giving it its own time of existence. Ankh-Morpork plunges into a maelstrom where Death faces a choice: accept or fight injustice. Decides to go to the human world to begin with, spending the allotted time. But that’s what he’ll do and what it will lead to? Werewolves, mediums, mortification fighters, vampires, wizards, priests, and many others are drawn into the events. They are all trying to make sense of what is going on.
Pratchett, as always, stuck to his authorial style, telling the story with sparkling humor, which is sometimes funny to tears, and philosophies. The book is about life with its all-encompassing and unbridled power. The work makes you ponder over the value of life itself. The ending is both happy and sad at the same time. Afterwards, you will be in a state as if you have touched immortality with your soul for a long time. Recommend this novel to all fans of Flat World and fans of deep stories written in easy, simple language.
“Feet of Clay.”
Rating: 4.7
Fifth place in the ranking is the third book in the Guardian sub-cycle, the Flat World series. Mythical characters, golems are creatures of inanimate matter. They work endlessly, but never complain, because they simply cannot. Only evil deeds allow him to express his emotions. Even people deprived of the gift of speech can only show their discontent or joy by their deeds. It’s up to the familiar Night Guards to investigate, find the poisoned and the corpses.
The plot develops at the whim of a noble lady who wanted to get a family coat of arms, the murder of two harmless old men and an attempt on the life of an intellectually trained patrician, who himself in a couple of moves calculated both the murderer and the method of poisoning. True, I didn’t tell Weims the information, so as not to discredit such a valuable employee. While the sentinels search for the culprits, their lives don’t stand still. Corporal Zadranets, a dwarf who has recently joined the ranks, makes a statement that he is, in fact, a SHE. It turns everything upside down, because until this time dwarfs have never worn shoes or dresses, and have never worn makeup or painted their nails, so they were indistinguishable from men outwardly. Schnobs discovers that he belongs to a noble family and is the only direct heir after the last king. The detective twists and turns when the incomprehensible suicides of clay robots, the very golems, begin to occur.
“The Night’s Watch.”
Rating: 4.7
Next in the ranking is book six of the Guardian sub-cycle, the “Flat World” series. This fantasy novel begins with a day of remembrance for the victims of the Glorious Revolution, which the citizens of Anco-Morpork commemorate every year, May 25. Commander Wymes is eager to be part of the apprehension of the homicidal maniac Karcer, who has been hunted by police officers for a long time. Not coincidentally, the place where the villain must be caught becomes the mystical library of the Invisible University, where a storm suddenly erupts that transports the sworn enemies back thirty years. Heroes will have to survive in a city preparing for revolution, catch a criminal and try not to disturb the historical course of events by their interference, and figure out how to get back home.
The book differs from the others in the series in having one storyline and one familiar character, but everyone’s favorite, based on the many reviews and reviews. The novel maintains the same sarcasm, subtle humor, and masterful wordplay. But even that doesn’t take away from the idea of how “The Night’s Watch” is a harsh and grown-up work of. Pratchett makes fun of the French Revolution here, but that is not the main goal. Honor, duty, romance, and naiveté are all at stake. The reader is able to see the main characters of the sub-cycle very young, to learn about their lives, to better understand the characters. That’s why the book can be safely recommended to fans.
“Good Omens.”
Rating: 4.6
Seventh place goes to the novel, written in collaboration with the no less famous Neil Gaiman. The final clash of Good and Evil awaits the reader. It’s about time. It’s the end. The child of the Prince of Darkness, the Antichrist, is sent to earth. For the sake of the End of the World, angels and demons, the faithful agents, confronted each other and fought for souls. At last they have brilliant prospects in front of them: angels – eternal paradise with the music of harps, and demons – eternal throwing coals to the cauldrons of sinners. And this after driving a fancy car with a cell phone? It doesn’t! But there’s nothing we can do about it, we’ll just have to put up with it… Or there’s another way out after all?
Neither of them want to give up the benefits of society. So Aziraphael and Crowley begin a battle for the boy’s soul, where neither force should be the victor. It’s not an easy task to push back the Apocalypse. The plot twists from the moment when a nun nurse, part Satanist, slips the birth of the Antichrist to the wrong woman. New characters appear before the reader, and unusual events succeed one another. And in the conclusion, everything comes together at one point, where it will be decided whether the end of the world will come or not.
The religious context, surprisingly, was to the liking of the most hardened agnostics and atheists. Fine satire and subtle humor will surely delight fans of both Pratchett and Neil Gaiman. The characters are vivid, unattractive, and that’s the payoff. It is good to know that an angel is not so immaculate and a demon is not the embodiment of concentrated evil. The book is very atmospheric, with lots of details. Suitable for a wide range of readers.
“Ladies and Gentlemen.”
Rating: 4.5
In eighth position, book four of the “Witches” sub-cycle, the “Flat World” series. The narrative will be about our conflicted minds, which remember only the good. Well, let’s take the dragons. Big brutes, full of dignity and beauty, aren’t they? But what about their voracious, flammable, toothy? Or, for example, the elves dancing in the moonlight, such sweet playful creatures. Oh, yeah, they love games! But unfortunately, they are always amused, not you.
The reader is greeted on the pages by the same heroines – Magrat, Jagg, Windsor. Now a battle awaits them against the elves, who are the very “ladies,” the “gentlemen” from the title of the piece. The author focuses not only on the current events in the lives of the characters, he also steps aside to introduce the reader to Nanny’s family. You learn about the eldest son, Jason Yagg, running the blacksmith shop, the youngest, Sean Yagg, moonlighting as a security guard, gardener, janitor, in general, a handyman. There are several parallel lines in the main plot, converging to a finale that shows an incredible battle, the victory of which is unpredictable.
The book is worth reading for everyone, even those who are quite far from fantasy and are not fans of the sub-cycle. The novel is positively energizing and puts you in a good mood, and makes some, albeit not seriously, reconsider their relationship to the seemingly lovable elves.
“HOLD THE MARK!”
Rating: 4.5
The first book in the “Moiste von Lipwige” sub-cycle, the “Flat World” series, closes the ranking. In the novel the story will go about the difficult decision, because in the life of every man sometime comes a moment of choice. The main character is a swindler, a true expert in the creation of fakes and forgeries, a master craftsman who misleads even connoisseurs. And here he is, a pro of his craft, must choose: to be hanged or to stand at the head of the Ank-Morpork Postal Service? The decision isn’t easy, but it’s done, and there’s no turning back. Now you have to make sure that the mail is delivered on time and to its destination, in spite of bad weather, off-road, dogs, competitors, murder.
The town greets the reader with interesting events. The old friends are here too, albeit fleetingly. Commander Wymes still works for the good of the locals. Morkow and her friend are meticulous about keeping things in order. And Mokritz, who became a postmaster when he agreed to make a deal after stealing money, thinks that a boring and tedious life awaits him. That’s how it would have turned out if it wasn’t about Ank-Morpork.
Closed down years ago, the post office was accumulating undelivered letters inside. Semaphores appear, a sort of click towers that deliver semaphores to Orlea in the shortest possible time. They’ve almost driven traditional mail out of the marketplace with their convenience. As Mokritz takes up the cause, he discovers that his recent predecessors have died under strange circumstances. The figure of Grab the Gilded, director of the semaphore company, appears on the horizon as the former crook’s work gets better. But the cunning swindler Mochritz is not afraid of danger. He continues to revive the work of the post office, while also investigating Khvat’s frauds.
The plot of the book is unpretentious, there is no abundance of unexpected turns, but this product does not repel, but, on the contrary, attracts. Reading a novel is relaxing, getting positive. Appropriate for anyone wanting to lift your spirits and relax.
