ninetalevixen's reviews
2011 reviews

Okay, the City Watch members have really grown on me — by which I mostly mean Vimes and Carrot and Angua, but the others are cool too. (Vetinari just might be my problematic fave, though.) Despite the more explicitly political plots of this Discworld arc, there's never really a dull moment, and there are plenty of funny scenes that don't shortchange the themes or intelligent commentary running throughout the narrative.

 

Well, of course Toby's wedding couldn't go smoothly, especially since she's gathered all the family, friends, and allies that she could. But it was really nice to revisit some characters we haven't seen in forever (Stacy, Kerry, and Julie in particular) and to check in on others we've only seen briefly (Sylvester). Speaking of which, it's been throwing me off that (view spoiler); I can see where it's coming from, it just seems like an abrupt change.

Aside from Toby and Tybalt's wedding, and also the attempted coup against the High Throne, I think Quentin almost stole the show in this one. Not to get into spoilers, but he's growing into such a good person and he's by far my favorite of Toby's teenagers.

Now that I've caught up with the series, I kind of don't know what to do with myself. 

Yes, fine, I have a weakness for the Simon Torquill types, and so it is no surprise that the books prominently featuring Simon are some of my favorites in the series. But it's not just Simon himself, though he's a fascinating character with a heartbreaking backstory: it's the tangle of secrets and betrayals and family and the question of home that arise when his character arc intersects (or intertwines; I haven't decided which metaphor I like better here) with Toby's.

This follows very nicely from the previous book in which Simon features prominently, with recurring themes and motifs that emphasize how cycles are perpetuated before they're broken. I did predict the two major developments — (view spoiler) — but only right before they happen, more due to well-constructed foreshadowing than tired predictability. And, of course, it fits neatly into the greater trajectory of the series, tying off some loose threads and picking up others. 

When it's done well, family is complicated but important is one of my favorite themes — and this narrative is extremely well written. I really enjoyed watching Toby & Co. as their relationships continue to grow and change, as well as exploring another aspect of Faerie that we hadn't yet learned much about. That said, I do have to concede that the plot wasn't totally intuitive because there was so much new lore, plus a lot of loopholes being exploited, so at times it was a bit hard to follow.

As an aside, this may very well be the most fitting book title in the series. Just wanted to point that out.

This is pretty much what I expected from the author and the title — in a good way. His love for his son and wife shine through in every piece, from the shortest exchanges to the longest essays. (And in the details you can trace inspiration for some of Backman's characters and their relationships, if you're so inclined.) It's a prime example of universal relatability through specificity, by turns funny, vulnerable, pragmatic, sensitive, and teasing.