Sir Terence David John Pratchett was an English author, humorist, and satirist, best known for the Discworld series of 41 comic fantasy novels published between 1983–2015, and for the apocalyptic comedy novel Good Omens (1990), which he co-wrote with Neil Gaiman. Pratchett's first novel, The Carpet People, was published in 1971. The first Discworld novel, The Colour of Magic, was published in 1983, after which Pratchett wrote an average of two books a year. The final Discworld novel, The Shepherd's Crown, was published in August 2015, five months after his death. With more than 100 million books sold worldwide in 43 languages, Pratchett was the UK's best-selling author of the 1990s. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1998 and was knighted for services to literature in the 2009 New Year Honours. In 2001 he won the annual Carnegie Medal for The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents, the first Discworld book marketed for children. He received the World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement in 2010. In December 2007 Pratchett announced that he had been diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's disease. He later made a substantial public donation to the Alzheimer's Research Trust (now Alzheimer's Research UK, ARUK), filmed three television programmes chronicling his experiences with the condition for the BBC, and became a patron of ARUK. Pratchett died on 12 March 2015, at the age of 66.
This 4-in-1 volume contains the following Rincewind books: The Colour of Magic, The Light Fantastic, Sourcery, and Eric. Since I'd already read and reviewed The Colour of Magic separately, my reviews below will include only reviews of the last 3 individually, as I reviewed them back then.
The Light Fantastic My Rating: 7 out of 10 stars I thought Pratchett would've done well to include The Light Fantastic as part of The Colour of Magic instead of as a separate book since it was pretty short and picked up right where The Colour of Magic left off. I read this as part of a 4-in-1 volume entitled Rincewind the Wizzard which I borrowed from the library, and which contains the first 4 books of the the Discworld's Rincewind series: The Colour of Magic, The Light Fantastic, Sourcery, and Eric. (I've still got to read the last two.)
Like I already stated, The Light Fantastic picks up right where The Colour of Magic left off, and completes the tale of Rincewind and Twoflower's travels through the Discworld. A lot of things begun in the first book, and a lot of loose ends, are resolved in this one, and the ending brings the story to a satisfactory close. Following in form to the first book, this one adapts the same Pratchett sense of dry British humour that I enjoyed so much in The Colour of Magic. Overall, an enjoyable read that leaves me looking forward to more of the Discworld.
Sourcery My Rating: 7 out of 10 stars I liked this one about as much as I liked the others in the Rincewind sub-series, that is to say, it was pretty good with a few laughs to boot. I like that we're beginning to learn a little more about Rincewind and see a little deeper into his character, and some of the new characters were interesting as well. I hope that Conina appears in later books.
Eric Another great story from Pratchett, albeit a bit shorter than the others. If anything, it’d qualify more as a short story as I can’t see them really making a book out of something that, at least in hardcover form, was only 93 pages.
Rincewind the Wizzard contains 4 books in the Rincewind track of the Discworld series. The Colour of Magic, the Light Fantastic, Sourcery and Eric.
The Colour of Magic and the Light Fantastic are part of the same story. The colour of Magic ends on a cliff hanger and continues in the Light Fantastic. The Colour of Magic is more of a collection of vignettes that tell a longer and larger story. It is all good fun to read. The stories are smart and you have to pay attention. It ends in a cliff hanger. The 2nd half of the story is the Light Fantastic. Frankly it was not nearly as fantastic as the Colour of Magic, the jokes are often little more than of re-runs of jokes from the first book. Several of the bits just feel the same with new names slapped on the same characters. I have to agree with other reviews that maybe don’t start reading Discworld with the first two books. Pratchett gets better, then come back to see the beginning.
Sourcery is good, though it also has issues. We go from a rather dramatic showdown with death. But then the story just jump to Rincewind who when we last saw him appeared to be in charge of the University. At this point in the story he is treated as if he had not just saved the world. We meet Conina the Hairdresser Barbarian and frankly not happy that her character was just married/boy friended off out of the series. Before that happens there are a bunch of adventures that do nothing but pad out the story until the conflict with the Sourcer happens. The child has been abused his entire life, no friends, no pets, just so his father could get revenge. Instead of getting help the kid is show to another universe. Ugh.
Eric was good. It might be the book with the best Rincewind moments and quotes. At least the moments and quotes I remember and left an impression. Since the story is short and quick it does not drag. It does end rather abruptly and jarringly. It also left me with the impression Pratchett actually did not like Rincewind even though Pratchett created the character and could have had the character develop beyond the one dimensional activity of running.
This has been my first reading of Terry Pratchett and my first of the Discworld series. Speaking very broadly, I would say that the Discworld series is to fantasy fiction what the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is to science fiction. While I appreciate some of the humor and silliness of each of both series, and I know both are highly regarded, I think they are just a bit lacking in plot/focus for my taste (although my understanding is that Pratchett improves upon this aspect later on in the series).
This omnibus contains the first four books of the Rincewind story arc, and I have to say that I liked each one progressively better. Perhaps this is because Pratchett begins to hit his stride with the series after a while (I believe that the third Rincewind book is the fifth in the overall Discworld series and the fourth book is the ninth in the overall series).
I am interested in reading a few more books from the series in the future, particularly to sample some of the other Discworld story arcs, but I will be needing a break for now, as I am just not into it quite enough to marathon these books.
Collecting the first four volumes in the Discworld sub-series focused on the wizard (or "wizzard", as his hat says) Rincewind. Having read the entire City Watch sub-series before going back to the early days of Pratchett's series, it was a bit of a let down to read the first half of the book. At that point, Discworld was barely started, and Pratchett seemed to be finding his voice and settling on the tone of the novels. In the latter two volumes, he seems to have hit his stride, and things begin to read much more like the other Discworld books I have previously read.
All the Rincewind books are wonderful. Rincewind is one of the best characters in Discworld, and I really wish that Terry Pratchett had used in more books. The whole Discworld series is great for anyone who just wants to have a really fun time while not thinking too deeply about what they're reading...although there are some richer thoughts hidden among the fluff, if you dig really, really deep.
All legends must, inevitably, have a point of origin. For the inimitable Discworld series, this diminutive volume—oft-overlooked depending on the edition (particularly when deprived of Kirby’s illustrations)—constitutes the zero point, the Big Bang, the fiat lux.
A flat world, disc-shaped (a veritable delight for the modern flat-earther, albeit one lacking the cranial geometry requisite for such a read), rests atop the backs of four colossal elephants (a fifth exists, though we shall not entangle ourselves with it just yet), themselves poised upon the mighty carapace of the cosmic turtle, Great A’Tuin, who swims through the sparse aether of the universe, seemingly without destination. Of course, water cascades endlessly into the void from the rim of the disc; naturally, there is no 'north' or 'south', but rather 'hubward' and 'rimward'; and indeed, there is magic, heroism, cowardice, wizards, books so potent they must be chained down (yet still manage to plant spells into the minds of hapless apprentices), and—perhaps most fantastically—a tourist. With a trunk...
Terry Pratchett (who, most tragically, succumbed to Alzheimer’s disease in 2015—a cruel irony for a mind so incisive) skewers every cliché of the fantasy genre—swords, sorcery, and dragons, as one might say in plainer speech—with unparalleled wit, never missing an opportunity to draw trenchant parallels with our own world. These parallels, as the series progresses, become increasingly sophisticated, increasingly ludicrous, and, correspondingly, increasingly delightful—culminating in an entire spin-off metatextual series: The Science of Discworld.
The narrative is not, one must note, self-contained in this first instalment. It finds its resolution in the second volume, The Light Fantastic—in essence, the two comprise a single diptych. Nonetheless, the foundation is laid, the seed planted; whether you shall be enchanted by the exceptional prose of one of the 20th century’s most sagacious authors is now, quite simply, a matter for your own discovery. If you are only now embarking upon this journey, I must confess—I envy you. For before you lies a corpus of over forty unwritten (for you, at least) tomes, filled with marvel and delight. Granted, the later volumes bear the melancholy mark of Pratchett’s illness, and, lamentably, his publishers continued to exploit the franchise... yet, from a certain point onward—when his style attains full maturity—the humour gracefully yields primacy to philosophical resonance, without compromising the pleasure of the text.
Tarry no longer. Awaiting your acquaintance are the most ineffectual wizard in all creation (though he at least bears a hat which clearly proclaims his station), the most ingenuous tourist the Disc has ever known, and a magical world, vast and strange, for you to explore in their improbable company.
2. Light Fantastic ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
If The Colour of Magic was the initial spark — the proverbial kick to the gears — then The Light Fantastic is the blowtorch (or the choke, or the flap, or indeed the compressor) that irrevocably sets the Discworld engine in motion. It is not a "sequel" in the conventional sense; rather, it constitutes the indispensable second half of a single, continuous narrative. A book that commences precisely at the final page of its predecessor — almost as if that page had never been turned.
The thoroughly inept wizard Rincewind (rendered as “Ανεμοβρόχης” in the Greek translation) continues his valiant attempts not to die; the ever-optimistic tourist Twoflower (Δίανθος) persists in documenting, with charming naïveté, the most chaotic world in the cosmos; and the Luggage continues to scurry about on its hundred little legs, brimming with the zeal of a... homicidal puppy. Meanwhile, Magic begins to shake the very foundations of reality; the great turtle A’Tuin edges ever closer to a celestial consort; and the wizards of the Unseen (and highly magical) University — who never miss a chance for subterfuge — attempt to “resolve” the crisis in the most traditional of manners: with rather more magic, and only marginally less reason.
Pratchett retains the same frenetic, almost cartoonish energy that characterised the first volume, yet something here has shifted: one begins to perceive the cracks behind the smile. Not from fatigue, but from depth. Behind the humorous dust jacket and the linguistic acrobatics, the author has begun to assemble an entire world — one governed by its own peculiar laws (or rather, its own deliberate infractions of them). The first strains of seriousness emerge gradually, like a cello playing softly behind the orchestra of punchlines.
It is also worth noting that this is where we encounter the first genuine inklings of Discworld cosmology — something that shall evolve into a rich mythology, as resonant in meaning as it is abundant in trolls, elves, golems, bureaucrats, librarian-orangutans, and arcane metaphysical regulations.
If you finished the first book wondering, “Yes, but what happens next?”, then The Light Fantastic is not merely the next chapter — it is the inevitable continuation of a journey that was never about destination, but always about manic, unstoppable momentum. And now that the first foundations of this strange new world have been laid, its protagonists begin to resemble less caricatures and more... heroes. Or at the very least, people. Or something, at any rate, that carries emotions, terror, and perhaps a bit of sausage in a pouch inside the Luggage.
If you’re reading these books in order, congratulations: you’ve arrived at the end of the beginning. If not, do yourself a favour and turn back to page one — the worlds Pratchett has wrought deserve to be witnessed as they assemble, piece by absurd, affectionate, and razor-sharp piece.
Sourcery ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Sourcery by Terry Pratchett (aka Discworld #5 continues the misadventures of Rincewind, a cowardly yet dogged wizard, who is once again drawn into a chaotic and surreal journey. While the novel contains many of Pratchett’s signature virtues — witty humour, wordplay, mythological allusions, and postmodern irony — it does not always manage to sustain the narrative cohesion or momentum that one might expect.
The central premise, that of a sourcerer born as the eighth son of an eighth son of an eighth son, is rich with potential. So too is the characterisation of Coin, a child of unimaginable power, trapped in the shadow of his overreaching father. Coin embodies the tragic tension between innate kindness and imposed omnipotence — a child not merely taught how to wield power, but indoctrinated into believing that power is identity. His gradual transformation from innocent conduit of magic to authoritarian ruler is not only dramatically effective but serves as a pointed reflection on how readily power can corrupt even the noblest of intentions.
Pratchett, beyond indulging in fantasy, employs magic as a political and social instrument. The Unseen University becomes the site of an internal coup, where wizards cease to pursue knowledge and instead hunger for dominion. Sourcery is not merely a heightened form of magic, but a mechanism for the centralisation of power — one that destabilises the very fabric of the world. In this, Pratchett offers a satire of institutional arrogance and the illusion of control, subtly suggesting that the more absolute magic becomes, the less freedom remains for all others.
Yet, Sourcery frequently seems overwhelmed by its own chaos. The plot leaps from scene to scene with a pace that, while relentless, can become wearying. Secondary characters such as Nigel and Conina are amusing, yet are denied the narrative depth they arguably deserve. The adventure itself, despite its imaginative flourish, occasionally feels unsure of its direction.
The humour, as ever, is sharp and effective. Pratchett seizes every opportunity to lampoon institutions, heroes, and even the very fabric of fantasy itself. In one memorable sequence, the wizards attempt to conduct a summit in the midst of a wartime crisis, only to become embroiled in internal squabbles over whose hat is largest. Elsewhere, Rincewind tries to escape a burning palace using a magical item (no spoilers here) that despises heights — with predictably farcical results. These scenes showcase Pratchett’s deftness in turning even the most epic situations into delightful exercises in comic deflation.
The novel’s ending, with Rincewind making the ultimate sacrifice to save Coin and, by extension, the world, is unexpectedly moving, injecting a note of gravity into an otherwise light-hearted narrative. The final line — “A wizard... will always come back for his hat” — stands as one of the most resonant and nostalgic closings in the series.
Overall, Sourcery is a modest but worthy addition to the Discworld canon. It offers several memorable moments and characters, while also revealing the limitations of Pratchett’s still-“early” phase as a writer. It may not rank among his most polished works, but for fans of Rincewind and the anarchic magic of the Discworld, it remains a read laced with irreverent charm and cheerful absurdity.
We applaud: Original premise, humour, satire of authority We raise an eyebrow at: Uneven plotting, underdeveloped supporting characters Best suited for: Devotees of Pratchett seeking a hearty dose of Rincewind and unhinged magic.
Eric ⭐ ⭐ ⭐⭐
Eric, also known as Faust Eric, is the ninth novel in the Discworld series and a sharp parody of the well-known Faustian myth. It was first published in 1990 as a large-format illustrated edition featuring artwork by Josh Kirby, and was later reissued as a standard paperback without illustrations — although its dual identity (Eric/Faust) was preserved even in the running headers. For a time, it ranked among Pratchett’s most elusive hardbacks, and acquiring the semi-leatherbound “Unseen University Edition” (BCA) was all but a necessity (we have long since accepted that the book is something of a fetish object — and that, however much we focus on content, we never quite forget the form).
We are, however, digressing rather extravagantly for such a slender volume. Let us turn to the matter at hand: the protagonist is, once more, Rincewind — Discworld’s most luckless and cowardly wizard — who finds himself in yet another unexpected adventure when he is inadvertently summoned by a thirteen-year-old demonologist named Eric Thursley. Eric had set out to conjure a demon who would grant him his deepest wishes, and instead finds himself saddled with Rincewind, who — OBVIOUSLY, and much to his own dismay — hasn’t the faintest idea how to do any such thing.
The satire operates on multiple levels. Through three classic wishes — to become master of the world, to meet the most beautiful woman in history, and to live forever — Eric and Rincewind travel through absurdist versions of the past, mythology, and metaphysics: from the jungles of Klatch and the pious Tezumen (a parody of the Aztecs), to the Trojan War (with a deeply disappointing and rather plump “Helen” with numerous children, and Lavaeolus — quite possibly Rincewind’s ancestor), and finally beyond time itself, all the way to Creation.
All roads lead to Hell, where Pratchett offers perhaps his most hilariously inventive vision yet: no fire and brimstone, but a terrifying bureaucracy. The King of Demons, Astfgl, has built an infernal mechanism of torment via... forms, queues, and administrative delays. Here, Rincewind thrives — his student experience and instinctive panic proving to be his greatest allies. The political upheaval in Hell, orchestrated by the demon Vassenego, who stages a coup to “liberate” Astfgl by trapping him in the ultimate prison of power, is one of the novel’s wittiest and most ironically delightful sequences.
Despite its brevity compared to others in the series, Eric is rich in cultural and literary allusion, subtle satire, and scenes of unpredictable comedy. However, its relatively limited development of character and theme may leave wanting those readers who favour Pratchett’s more layered works. The (notoriously prickly) Gardner Dozois — editor of science fiction anthologies for 35 consecutive years — dismissed it as “atrocious” in a fit of pique; but many fans (and the review in Starburst, for what that’s worth) hold it in higher esteem, celebrating it as a “series of brilliantly absurd swipes at the clichés of damnation”. Its inclusion in the Gollancz 50 confirms its place in the canon of modern fantasy (and adds a third hardback edition to the pantheon — until Gollancz released its small, jacketless hardback series, finally relieving the OCD of those who needed every Pratchett volume in matching format).
All in all, Eric may not be the most profound of Discworld novels, but it is a delightful, satirical interlude filled with invention and trenchant commentary on human desire, institutions, myth, and Hell itself. For fans of Rincewind and Pratchett’s singularly peculiar universe, it is a brief but brilliantly clever escapade. A shot of pure, crystalline, undiluted Pratchett.
THE COLOR OF MAGIC: I admit I was hoping for a bit more out of this book. Pratchett's ideas are wonderfully clever, but in this, his first novel, he simply doesn't have the writing ability yet to do them full justice. The plot is very disjointed and random in way that's similar to Alice in Wonderland and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, but the humor just isn't biting enough to carry the plot the way that Lewis Carrol and Douglas Adams managed to do. Pratchett often devotes a lot of time and energy to jokes that fall flat on their faces. At it's best, the humor here is amusing rather than hilarious, worthy of a grin or two. But the idea of writing about the world's first tourist and his magic luggage is undeniably storytelling gold. Rather than recommending this book (though it's really not bad), I would suggest the movie version starring Samwise Gamgee. Though the movie gets pretty boring at times (it's a three-hour long TV miniseries, after all), it does a better job of telling a coherent story, as well as improving upon some of Pratchett's initial concepts. It also has an ending, the lack of which is yet another malady that this book suffers from. Anyway, I look forward to reading some of Pratchett's more recent novels and seeing to what extent he has improved on his craft--then I will perhaps better be able to understand why some professional reviewers mention his name in the same breath as literary greats like Charles Dickens and Mark Twain.
THE LIGHT FANTASTIC: Even though THE LIGHT FANTASTIC picks up right where THE COLOUR OF MAGIC left off, you still can't help but notice a marked improvement in Pratchett's writing. This time around, the humor consistently hits the mark, fully showcasing Pratchett's acerbic wit. Too bad about the plot, though (definitely not one of Pratchett's more engaging story lines).
SOURCERY: SOURCERY is unrelentingly clever, but, like Pratchett's other novels featuring Rincewind the Wizard, the story eventually collapses under the weight of its own silliness. Starts out great, but loses momentum about halfway through.
ERIC: Hapless wizard Rincewind is back, and this time he's in the clutches of a horny, acne-ridden fourteen-year-old demonologist with three wishes to burn. ERIC is the shortest of Pratchett's Rincewind novels, but it's also the best in every way possible (though you still need to read the other ones first in order to make sense of the plot). Every single paragraph of the book is clever and, more often than not, downright hilarious.
This is actually 4 stories in one book: The Colour of Magic; The Light Fantastic; Sourcery and Eric. I had a very difficult time getting into this book but I had been warned that these early stories were not as good as later stories. I found they did get marginally better towards the end but the decision to continue with the series is still under debate. There are to many other stories out there begging to be read. It is the story of a (very) sorry wizard called Rincewind who has managed to survive by running away. It details his "adventures" and some of the people (and objects!) he meets along the way. I liked the idea of "the Luggage" and Conina a female barbarian warrior. I have seen the series 'Good Omens" written with Neil Gaiman and enjoyed that enough that I would read the book. If I enjoy that I may continue with some of the other Discworld books in the future.
Die ersten beiden Romane der Scheibenwelt sind noch etwas unterentwickelt und schöpfen ihr Potenzial nicht aus. "Der Zauberhut" hingegen ist einer der besten Scheibenwelt-Romane, die ich bisher gelesen habe. "Eric" lässt wieder zu wünschen übrig - für Pratchetts Verhältnisse. Er hat nichts mit Faust zu tun und ist zwar amüsant, folgt aber keinen tieferen Motiven, wie das bei vielen anderen Romanen dieser Reihe der Fall ist. Und zuletzt: Die Übersetzung ist eher suboptinal. Tod schreit durch die Gegend.
A little disappointed because I expected something diferent and it was a compilation of the first five books of Rincewind series. Well... I already read the books and loved them. Go to my shelf as collection. I recommend 100%
While I actually prefer Mr. Pratchett's witch series, I found this book to be highly engaging and amusing, with some parts that I actually laughed out loud about. The omnibus was comprised of four of the earliest books of the Disc World series: The Colour of Magic, The Light Fantastic, Sourcery, and Eric. I think the thing that I love the most about Mr. Pratchett's books are when he goes off on tangents that might have absolutely nothing at all to do with the story. They are more or less sometimes anecdotes pertaining to the history of the Disc World and maybe nothing at all to do with what is going on at that precise time in the story. They are almost always amusing. Mr. Pratchett's droll wit and tongue in cheek commentary on real life seeps through here and there, and I enjoy the analysis. If you like that sort of thing, then you really should read this series.
J'ai adoré l'humour de Pratchett, qui est habilement incorporé autant dans les dialogues que dans son style. Et les personnages! On s'attache à Rincewind, au Luggage, on a toujours hâte que Death fasse ses apparitions et lance ses répliques cinglantes. La série complète du Discworld aura une place de choix dans ma bibliothèque, ça c'est sûr.
An Omnibus of 4 books. I liked Sorcery the best. The Colour of Magic then Light Fantastic and Eric tied at last. Not bad books. Just really silly. Funny Yes... and no. The cover I will say is poorly made the spine area was flaking off. So had to cover that with tape but this was made when Book Clubs were king. I got this in November 1999. I just finished it. Not bad eh. :)
I love this book so much that I recommended it to all my friends and somehow between my husband and myself we completely lost two copies! It is on the list to buy so we can read it again. When that happens I will post a more thorough review!
My library had this 4-in-1 collection of Discworld novels. I'm enjoying "Thief of Time" so far, I'll finish this compilation too... after that, only 20 more novels to go!
This is the first Terry Pratchett book I have read, it will not be the last! Absolutely ingenious writing. The humor is crafty and kept me reading. Wonderfully obscure!