Feet of Clay
1996
- discworld (imaginary place)
- science fiction
- fantasy
- samuel vimes (fictitious character)
- fiction
- fiction, fantasy, general
- discworld (imaginary place), fiction
- carrot (fictitious character : pratchett), fiction
- fiction, humorous
- drama (dramatic works by one author)
The story
Nineteenth in the Discworld universe and third entry of the City Watch series, this novel follows Captain Carrot, Commander Vimes, and the rest of the Night Watch as they attempt to unravel the mystery of who poisoned Lord Vetinari the Patrician.
What it’s like
Wry, quick-footed prose with a sardonic narrator who digresses into footnotes and sidelong asides, so the reading rhythm keeps bouncing between belly laugh and quiet affection. The sensory world is a grimy, lamplit, smoke-and-rain city of crowded alleys, damp cobbles, cheap ale and the clatter of carts, rendered in brisk, economical sentences that make the streets feel lived-in rather than described. Its vibe is warm, dry and cheerfully shabby, a good companion for a rainy Sunday, a long train journey, or an evening when you want to be amused rather than unsettled. Pacing is brisk with plenty of short chapters and comic set pieces, and the emotional register is gentle and humane: a detective story where the investigators are a tired, decent watch captain and his colleagues, and the arcs centre on ordinary people quietly trying to do right. Intensity is low to moderate: a poisoning and some scuffles and fights, with violence mostly brief and played for wit rather than gore, and no sexual content. It suits readers who love witty, character-driven mysteries, fans of gentle satire, and anyone who wants a fantasy city that feels as real as their own street.
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