Book Review: Sourcery by Terry Pratchett

Review: Sourcery
Series:Discworld #5, Rincewind #3
Author: Terry Pratchett
No of Pages: 260
Release Date: Feb 6, 2001

When last seen, the singularly inept wizard Rincewind had fallen off the edge of the world. Now, magically, he’s turned up again, and this time he’s brought the luggage. But once upon a time, there was an eighth son of an eighth son who was a wizard. Then said wizard had seven sons. And then he had an eighth son — a wizard squared who was a source of magic: a sorcerer. — Goodreads

What’s happening:

Ipslore, a wizard from Unseen University fell in love and married and by doing so he was thrown out of the wizarding order. But Ipslore created further problems when he had seven sons and then when the eighth son was being born he spoke to Death. Death was ready to take Ipslore finally but it was Ipslore’s last wizardly act, to bind himself to his son’s staff. Coin was not a wizard, being the eighth son of an eighth son, he was a sorcerer. Ipslore knew this and planned to guide Coin on how to use his power. He then planned on guiding his son Coin to avenge his wife and Coin’s mother by going to Unseen University and becoming the most powerful wizard that the Discworld had seen.

As Coin enters UU with staff, and his father, in hand the other wizards laugh at his childish acts thinking that the child must have a teacher nearby, or someone that was helping him do the amazing tricks. Until Coin started to challenge the highest of the wizards and the started being zapped into nothingness. It was easily decided that the child could be Arch chancellor of UU, afterall the Arch Chancellor’s hat was just a figure hat, wasn’t it?

Not knowing any of this was going on Rincewind was in The Broken Drum, oblivious to everyone and everything around him. It was when Conina sits beside him with the Arch Chancellor’s hat, THE ARCH CHANCELLOR’S HAT!! that Rincewind starts to freak out and desides, albeit reluctantly to help.

My thoughts:

Definitely hilarious! As usual for Terry Pratchett. I loved reading about Rincewind again. He is definitely one of my favorite characters and although he was still a bit of a coward, he was less of a coward than usual, ready to stand up to any wizards and even sorcerers to save the Discworld. The plot is hilarious, slows down in a few places though. Coin is completely understandable and you can see straight from the beginning of meeting him that he is going to have some issues! But those issues actually make him more loveable and approachable, that is when he’s not zapping people!

Rincewind’s relationship with Conina was downright hilarious. The poor guy still doesn’t know how to speak to women! But we really do see Rincewind grow in this story and that makes me very excited! He along with Conina the hairdresser and Nijel the destroyer really bring the house down! It’s amazing the Hat decides to trust them at all, but he didn’t really have a choice!

Insanely funny, although slow in parts. If you’re a Rincewind fan this is a must read!