Review: Men at Arms by Terry Pratchett

Blurb:

The fate of Ankh-Morpork rests on the unlikely shoulders of newly promoted Corporal Carrot and his hapless charges in the City Watch in this wildly wacky Discworld novel from the legendary New York Times bestselling author Terry Pratchett.

Corporal Carrot is now in charge of the new recruits guarding Ankh-Morpork from barbarian rribes, miscellaneous marauders, unlicensed thieves, and other dangerous Discworld denizens. It’s a big job for an adopted dwarf keeping the likes of young coppers Lance-constable Cuddy (really a dwarf), Lance-constable Detritus (a troll), Lance-constable Angua (a woman. . . most of the time) and Corporal Nobbs (disqualified from the human race for shoving) in line.

Especially since someone in Ankh-Morpork has been getting dangerous ideas about crowns and legendary swords, and destiny—which points its crooked finger again when an ancient document reveals that Ankh-Morpork has a secret sovereign.

What's more, Captain Sam Vimes is getting married and retiring from the Watch. For good. Which is a shame, because no one knows the streets of Ankh-Morpork or its criminal underworld better than him.

It’s the beginning of the most awesome epic encounter of all time (or at least all afternoon), in which the fate of a city—indeed of the universe itself!—depends on a young man’s courage, an ancient sword’s magic, and a three-legged poodle’s bladder.

The Discworld novels can be read in any order but Men at Arms is the 2nd in the City Watch collection and the 15th Discworld book.

The City Watch series in order:

• Guards! Guards!

• Men at Arms

• Feet of Clay

• Jingo

• The Fifth Elephant

• Night Watch

• Thud!

• Snuff

Review:

I started reading Discworld a few years ago, and decided to slowly make my way through all 41 books. In 2024, I’m at book 15, and I can see how Pratchett’s writing has started moving from just comedy to satire. Men at Arms is both a great Discworld novel, and a great stand-alone satire. 

What I liked:

This was the first time in all the Discworld novels that I genuinely felt connected to all the characters. Maybe it’s because I’ve matured over the years. Or maybe it’s because Pratchett’s writing has evolved after fourteen awesome tales in this mad fantasy world. Either way, Men at Arms shines brightest with its characters. 

Carrot really comes to his own in this one. He’s the impossibly near-perfect chosen one with all the good and almost none of the bad. Carrot Ironfoundersson is such a great leader, he can put the vast majority of real-world politicians to shame. He relentlessly moves forward in the story, driven by a constant sense of duty and doing the right thing, making it impossible for us not to like him. 

Vimes, on the other hand, takes a back seat. He’s dealing with a very real problem of stepping down from a position that he absolutely adores. Of course, he’s going to jump on that one last case before retirement. And of course, his involvement is going to unleash chaos that not only threatens to foil a darker conspiracy but also results in a series of hilarious confrontations. 

Nobby and Colon were fine, but the new recruits were what balanced out Carrot’s resolve with an almost equal, albeit inexperienced motivation to do justice. Angua’s no-nonsense investigation was exactly what we needed to add a bit of seriousness to this otherwise silly tale. Detritus and Cuddy’s species-rivalry was a brilliant exploration of racist bias, and how one can overcome those biases if only we’re willing to look past our differences. The new recruits may have just come to us a few pages ago, but it takes very little time for Pratchett to make us fall in love with them. 

Men at Arms deals with themes of duty (Carrot and Vimes) and prejudice (Angua, Detritus, and Cuddy). The seasoned veterans look past their prejudices to do their duty, while the new recruits learn how not to let their biases affect their thinking. The highlight of this was when SPOILER: Angua sees a list of names in Vimes’ diary and assumes he’s been spending money on women. Carrot uses that moment to educate her about Vimes’ character by asking Nobby and Colon about each name, revealing how the women are all widows of former Watchmen that Vimes is supporting because ‘widows don’t get pension’. 

Terry Pratchett has always used his humor and fantasy world to explore very human themes. Men at Arms is no exception, and yet stands out in its treatment of those themes. As much as our heroes are ‘doing their duty’ and ‘learning to overcome prejudice’, our antagonists and supporting cast too are doing their duty; the difference lies in the prejudice, in that they cling to their biases to the point that it dictates their actions. This is epitomized in Edward’s arc, where he strongly believes that reinstating a king would solve all of Ankh Morpork’s problems. Was this philosophy always a feature of political discourse? Has it become a little too relevant to today’s world? Cough “Make [insert country name] Great Again” cough. Reading Men at Arms will remind you that the past might have had great things, but the future cannot be built on the back of dated prejudices and a rejection of modernity.

Even the gonne—I am embarrassed to admit I realized it meant “gun” a little later than I should have—is a brilliant symbol of that last theme. The idea came as an inspiration, but its destructive use is what kept it around. After all, in the hands of those with unwavering preconceptions, the gonne can serve as a weapon. But in the hands of those willing to change for the better, the gonne is but a defensive resource. Now, how you see today’s geopolitical affairs—writing this review on Oct 6, 2024—you might be inclined to debate this one. However, Pratchett’s use of the gonne in Men at Arms makes thematic sense as even from the technological standpoint, the Discworld is moving forward. But will peoples’ sensibilities move forward with this innovation, or will these innovations serve as a leash to hold back their socio-political evolution? 

What I didn’t like:

I liked everything about this novel. This will go down as my favorite Discworld Novel, second only to Small Gods.

Conclusion:

Men at Arms was a fantastic book. Undoubtedly one of the best reads of the year. 

This is a Discworld novel. Discworld is one of the best fantasy series out there. Terry Pratchett—mayherestinpeace—was a genius with character, themes, wit, and his understanding of what it means to be human. Reading his work is an entertainingly enlightening experience. 

TL;DR:

WHAT I LIKED: Everything.

WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE: Nothing. This book is gold.