Terry Pratchett

Terry Pratchett's profoundly irreverent, bestselling novels have garnered him a revered position in the halls of parody next to the likes of Mark Twain, Kurt Vonnegut, Douglas Adams, and Carl Hiaasen. The Color of MagicM is Terry Pratchett's maiden voyage through the now-legendary land of Discworld. This is where it all begins -- with the tourist Twoflower and his wizard guide, Rincewind.

A Novel of Discworld

The Color of Magic

On a world supported on the back of a giant turtle (sex unknown), a gleeful, explosive, wickedly eccentric expedition sets out. There's an avaricious but inept wizard, a naive tourist whose luggage moves on hundreds of dear little legs, dragons who only exist if you believe in them, and of course THE EDGE of the planet...

The Colour of Magic

This is me everytime I try to think positive thoughts too.

No, that sort of thinking wouldn't do. He tried to think of something else - grass, trees, fresh air, dragons. Dragons ...

In a world supported on the back of a giant turtle (sex unknown), a gleeful, explosive, wickedly eccentric expedition sets out. There's an avaricious but inept wizard, a naive tourist whose luggage moves on hundreds of dear little legs, dragons who only exist if you believe in them, and of course THE EDGE of the planet...

Amrei 

Some might have taken him for a mere apprentice enchanter who had run away from his master out of defiance, boredom, fear and a lingering taste for heterosexuality.

Such a fun read, can't wait to be fully immersed in the Discworld universe! Pratchett is masterful. 

Paige Leitner

The beginning of the hilarious and irreverent series that has more than 80 million copies worldwide, The Color of Magic is where we meet tourist Twoflower and wizard guide Ricewind, and follow them on their always-bizarre journeys. A writer who has been compared to Mark Twain, Kurt Vonnegut, and Douglas Adams, Sir Terry Pratchett has created a complex, yet zany world filled with a host of unforgettable characters who navigate around a profound fantasy universe, complete with its own set of cultures and rules.

A hilarious and addictive introduction to the whacky world of Discworld. Longtime fans of fantasy staples like 

 will love the thorough lampooning found in 

Pratchett doesn’t just poke fun at every fantasy trope imaginable—he turns them on their head so completely that he ends up reinventing the genre. Amazing characters, inventive world-building, and razor-sharp satire of one of the most beloved fiction genres of the past century.

Charlie Queen

A hilarious and addictive introduction to the whacky world of Discworld. Longtime fans of fantasy staples like The Lord of the Rings, Conan the Barbarian, and Dungeons & Dragons will love the thorough lampooning found in Discworld.

Pratchett doesn’t just poke fun at every fantasy trope imaginable—he turns them on their head so completely that he ends up reinventing the genre. Amazing characters, inventive world-building, and razor-sharp satire of one of the most beloved fiction genres of the past century.

On a world supported on four elephants standing on the back of the great A'Tuin, a giant turtle swimming slowly through the interstellar gulf, an eccentric expedition sets out to the edge of the planet.

The book had so many lovable characters and such a unique imaginative style. The story itself wasn't exactly the most engaging or easy to follow, but I have high hopes for additional books to come in the series and I am rating it higher simply for the world-building that takes places, what magic. I really want to live on the disc. 

BC Hark

In the beginning there was...a turtle. Somewhere on the frontier between thought and reality exists the Discworld, a parallel time and place which might sound and smell very much like our own, but which looks completely different. Particularly as it's carried though space on the back of a giant turtle (sex unknown). It plays by different rules. But then, some things are the same everywhere. The Disc's very existence is about to be threatened by a strange new blight- the world's first tourist, upon whose survival rests the peace and prosperity of the land. Unfortunately, the person charged with maintaining that survival in the face of robbers, mercenaries and, well, Death, is a spectacularly inept wizard...

I've been trying to write a story for almost a decade now that's a semi-autobiographical exploration of mental health, trauma, grief, suicide, and ghosts. It's very hard and I'm taking a break to give myself a new, and less personal, challenge to try to write a fantasy story. It's a genre I have a complicated past with but am going to be doing some research and reading some fantasy books as inspiration. This one was fun, I'd read more of the series. 

Jacob Reader

I decided to return to this series I devoured as a student. Still a hoot to read. (Although the story itself is more a genre fiction parody.)

Frederik De Bosschere

Luke Harkness

Just an incredibly joyous read

I just loved the way this book was written. Terry Pratchett’s way of writing was truly unique and you can see his personality shine through. 

H built two characters who were very likeable and sent them on such an insane adventure in less than 300 words which is an incredible feat for sure. Books just aren’t written like this anymore I feel.

I read this book upon the recommendation that the world built by this author is the closest to evoke the feeling of a “One Piece”-like world. I can say that this is perhaps true, but I was simply not captivated enough by the world or plot to convince me to continue this book series.

Sam Ock

a Discworld novel

The color of magic

I know many, many people say not to start Discworld with The Color of Magic or with The Light Fantastic, but having done exactly that, I'm giddy to see how much better this series gets. This is a great satire on the fantasy genre, and the different reveals along the way were so satisfying. I will say I was wondering where all the footnotes were, as Terry is known for his love of those. Guess that increased over time? How was this not immediately popular in the US, and only took the later books for this to be read? Terry Pratchett is a genius — period. 

(Bre)anne✨

TW to be added later

I know many, many people say not to start Discworld with The Color of Magic or with The Light Fantastic, but having done exactly that, I'm giddy to see how much better this series gets. This is a great satire on the fantasy genre, and the different reveals along the way were so satisfying. I will say I was wondering where all the footnotes were, as Terry is known for his love of those. Guess that increased over time? How was this not immediately popular in the US, and only took the later books for this to be read? Terry Pratchett is a genius — period. 

Michael Springer

Before I read this book, I thought the synopsis on the back smacked of Douglas Adams pretty hard. The comparison holds up after reading The Color of Magic, but not at all to Pratchett's detriment. I can't say exactly why, but I found the first Discworld novel much harder to put down than anything I've read by Douglas Adams so far.

I think the main reason for this is, in some bizarre way, Pratchett seems to have consistency. Although the slapstick action never lets up, it doesn't seem as entirely random and directionless as the Hitchiker's series. I got the sense that I was really exploring a fantasy world (schizophrenic as it may be) and not just bounding from sketch comedy scene to sketch comedy scene. 

Also, I loved the characters. Rincewind is a hopelessly unlucky and bitter sorcerer with no talent whatsoever. He's traveling around with Twoflower, an accountant from a distant land visiting Ankh-Morpork and being just as annoying as a tourist should be. Hilarity ensues.

Granted, it is a little early for me to judge whether any of the scenes in this book will stick with me as long as the best moments of the Hitchiker's Guide. But, I think it is a worthy goofball fantasy novel. And, yes, I realize I just spent this whole review comparing it to another novel. But, the comparison has to be made. And, judging by Goodreads, just about everyone has read the Hitchiker's Guide anyway.

Modith D.

When i first finished a hitchhikers guide to the galaxy i thought that i would never find a book that would be random and funny as it but when i found The Color Of Magic it seemed i had thankfully been proven wrong. A must read for lovers of humor and fantasy. Rincewind is a character of utmost lameness that he actually seems cool,while Twoflower is bound to leave you face-palming at least once and who can forget the ever annoying and faithful Luggage.Cant wait to get my hands on the second book.

Colleen

3 Stars

The Discworld Series has been recommended to me by several people over the years. I've put off reading it mostly because of how many books there are. But upon yet another recommendation, I decided to finally give it a try. 

The Color of Magic is the first book in the series set on the flat land of Discworld which sits on the back of a giant turtle swimming through space. Hapless tourist Twoflower quickly (and obliviously) gets himself into trouble. Wizard school dropout Rincewind gets coerced into playing tour guide for Twoflower. Of course, trouble follows them wherever they go. Unbeknownst to them, the pair are pawns in an epic game between the gods mainly. I enjoyed the match between Luck and Fate and the way that was woven into the story. I really liked Death's persistent and droll appearances. But Death and the gods were such small parts of the story. Frankly, I found Twoflower and Rincewind to be a bit boring as characters. And the rest of the secondary characters came and went quickly, so I was not attached to any of them. 

I was a fair way into the story before I realized that I have seen the movie version and had completely forgotten about it. Which is not the best of signs. It also isn't a good sign when the forward from the author warns readers not to expect fastidious world-building, maps, or anything like that. This is a story that definitely does not take itself seriously. I tried to go with the flow, but honestly I was confused for a lot of the book. I did not understand the world. I did not know what was going on or how it all was supposed to connect. It did not help that the book skips around a lot both in time and to characters that hadn't been introduced. And the transitions between these sections were pretty much nonexistent. 

For such a short novella it took me a while to finish it. The story itself was fun, but the format of the plot was underwhelming... dare I say sloppy? As if it was written in a hurry and not really revised. The book only has four chapters and two prologues. (Which is the first time I recall reading a book that had a second prologue in the middle of the book.) It felt segmented, kind of like old novels that used to be published as serialized stories with one chapter per installment.

Yes, the story had plenty of humorous moments. But they were small chuckles easily forgotten. I am just not a huge fan of absurdist humor. The purposeful mangling of the English language got old. I craved more from a story this well-known, and it did not live up to my expectations. 

The antics of Twoflower the Dingbat and Rincewind the Ninnypants were bland after a while. Things happened to them rather than them doing things. There was an over-abundance of synchronicity bordering on deus ex machina which all wrapped up with an abrupt, cliffhanger ending clearly setting up for the next installment. It was a funny story, and I probably will continue on with the series eventually (and sparingly). But I don’t see myself binge-reading these. And this is far, far from my favorite shelf. 


RATING FACTORS:
Ease of Reading: 4 Stars
Writing Style: 3 Stars
Characters and Character Development: 3 Stars
Plot Structure and Development: 2 Stars
Level of Captivation: 3 Stars
Originality: 3 Stars

Can see why folks don’t recommend starting the Discworld saga here, a fun read but you can see the world building is still being established and the bits of the world I really enjoy are not yet in place

Dave Walker

Sabanar

It’s was okay, funny at times but also kinda boring. I like the world though that was the most interesting part.

Gillian Rose

3.75 stars

I had a hard time in the beginning with this one. I don't know why. It's not my first Pratchett or anything, but I couldn't really understand what was happening. Thankfully, it really kicked into gear and I enjoyed myself.

Ben Silverman 

7/10

It took me a little bit to get into Pratchett's style of writing, which was a bit more whimsical and less serious than I'm used to, but I really enjoyed it!

The story was light but by no means weak, and I think that just gave Pratchett the opportunity to explore the world on A'Tuin's back, including the gods that rule it and a little about the magic woven throughout it. 

I look forward to reading a few more of the fourty-one(!!!) books, getting to know more of the characters more deeply!

Stijn de Boer 

Charming little book. You have to feel for Rincewind and his misfortunes, and there is a lot of great worldbuilding done in such a short book. However, the plot is not very compelling in any of the short stories, which keeps it from getting 5 stars from me. Curious to see where the rest of the series goes, since I've heard that the first book is definitely not the strongest.

Omar AlHashmi

[Minor Spoilers]

"Some pirates achieved immortality by great deeds of cruelty or derring-do. Some achieved immortality by amassing great wealth. But the captain had long ago decided that he would, on the whole, prefer to achieve immortality by not dying."

This is only one of the few qoutes that made me laugh out loud in public. This is what the books offers plus a wider variety of humor that I can see many people enjoy. The Color Of Magic is filled with good jokes, bad jokes, ironical humor, satircal humor and many more. 

Let me start out by saying that I am not the biggest fan of fantasy books. Which is why i was hesitant to start reading the Discworld series. One of my friends kept on insisting yet I was still hesitant. After giving in, and buying the book, i started reading. After 50 pages i finally accepted that I liked the book. I feel like the reason is best summed up by one of the reviews i had read somewhere. To the best of my memory it said "Pratchett is a master at creating worlds so different from ours that the similarities stick out from unexpected angles". Thats what it all comes down to basically. It didnt feel like those fantasy books that i dont really enjoy. I appreciate the wide imagination of many fantasy writers and how they can create worlds but its not for me. Pratchett gave me something else. He gave a world which can contain so many differences yet still feel similar. I found myself laughing outloud when i felt confused after reading 20 pages on this magical force called "inn-sewer-ants" and how this force protects possessions from being destroyed and all that stuff. It wasn't after 20 pages i actually said "inn-sewer-ants" outloud that I realized it meant insurance. I felt so stupid! Yet that made me laugh more at how i couldn't notice it. I was so caught up that the book was a fantasy that it was plaguing my thoughts on it. The same thing happened when they introduced a character as having 4 eyes and how everyone was looking at him strangely. In my mind it was this weird creature thing with 4 eyes, but halfway through I realized they were just glasses. And again, that made me feel stupid. This obviously wont happen to everyone but im glad it did with me, it made me like the book even more. Its true that there were some boring parts in the book, but it is worth it for all the other crazy adventures that Rincewind goes through in this book. I am sure that there is more to come from the Discworld series, and I can't wait to go on and continue reading this series. Though this might not be everyone's opinion, since I feel like humor is one of the most subjective genre's ever. It has something for everyone though, and carries some style similar to Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy. Anyway, I would recommend this to many people. Great job Pratchett, really hooked me in.

✨Tyler ✨

fantasy is just not my cup of tea, but it was a quick enough read.

Hm.

I guess I just really didn't get much of this book. It was hard to keep up with, the characters seemed kind of distant with the exception of the wizard, and most of its humor passed me by.

I'm going to take all of these things as indicators in my failure as a reader, rather than a failure on the part of Terry Pratchett, who probably really is as brilliant as most of you make him out to be.

I was able to get through the whole thing, so there's that. It really did remind me of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, which was pleasant, but I just think that Douglas Adams did it a whole lot better.

Still debating on whether or not to follow through with the whole discworld series.

Sarah Escorsa

I'm probably one of the few readers on this planet and surrounding galaxies that don't enjoy Terry Pratchett's prose...

Ryan B Harvey

Alexia

3.5 stars. Interesting but not as funny as I expected.

Kendra Jones

This book was boring to say the least 
This followed Rincewind the wizard and Twoflower, the tourist, as they made their way through the disc world. Rincewind had been tasked with keeping Twoflower safe and his luggage goes wherever he goes.
I didn't like either character and the story was just small snippets for their adventures. I won't be continuing to the rest of the series.

Michael M.

Actually deserving of more than seven stars, but fewer than nine.

The Color of Magic A Novel of Discworld

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