Men at Arms (Discworld, #15; City Watch, #2)

Title: Men at Arms (Discworld, #15; City Watch, #2)

Author: Terry Pratchett

Published in: 1993

Date read: 1st January 2008

Score: 5/5

Genre: Fantasy, Crime

Plot: (Warning, may contain spoilers):
"Men at Arms" by Terry Pratchett is the 15th novel in his Discworld series, and the second full-length novel to focus entirely on the Ankh-Morpork City Watch. Published in 1993, it's a brilliant satire on policing, prejudice, weapon control, and the nature of social change, all wrapped up in a gripping murder mystery.

The story begins with a significant new development for the City Watch: under the directive of Lord Vetinari, the Patrician of Ankh-Morpork, the Watch is undergoing a dramatic "equal opportunities" initiative. For the first time, it is being forced to recruit officers who are non-human and female. This introduces a fascinating and often comedic dynamic to the traditionally male, human, and somewhat disreputable Watch. The new recruits are:

Corporal Cheery Littlebottom: The Discworld's first female dwarf in the Watch, who struggles with the expectations of her conservative dwarf culture (which expects dwarves to be indistinguishable by gender) and her own desire to embrace her femininity. She is also a gifted forensic pathologist.

Detritus: A large and somewhat slow-witted troll, whose strength is immense but whose intelligence is inversely proportional to temperature (he's smarter in cold weather).

Angua von Überwald: A beautiful and sharp-witted human woman... who is also a werewolf. She battles with her animal instincts and the prejudices she faces.

These new recruits join the established, core members of the Night Watch:

Captain Sam Vimes: The cynical, world-weary, but deeply moral and effective leader, who just wants to maintain order. He's preparing for his impending marriage to Lady Sybil Ramkin.

Sergeant Fred Colon: The epitome of a lazy, prejudiced, and rule-bound desk sergeant.

Corporal Nobby Nobbs: A notoriously unkempt and morally ambiguous human, barely distinguishable from a garden gnome.

Corporal Carrot Ironfoundersson: The impossibly honest, principled, and immensely popular human raised by dwarves, who genuinely believes in the Watch's mission and the inherent goodness of people.

The plot kicks off with a series of bizarre and brutal murders committed with a rare and deadly weapon: a gonne. The gonne is Discworld's equivalent of a firearm, a highly advanced, experimental invention that shoots metal projectiles with incredible force and accuracy. The Watch, accustomed to dealing with knives and clubs, is completely out of its depth against such a weapon.

The victims are all influential citizens of Ankh-Morpork, and the murders appear to be part of a larger conspiracy orchestrated by a shadowy group seeking to restore a long-lost royal lineage to the throne of Ankh-Morpork, effectively overthrowing Vetinari and the city's established (albeit chaotic) order.

As Vimes and his diverse team investigate, they discover that the gonne itself seems to have a strange, almost hypnotic influence on its wielder, driving them to violence and madness. The investigation leads them through the underbelly of Ankh-Morpork, into the guilds, noble houses, and ancient secrets of the city.

The novel brilliantly explores the themes of:

Prejudice and Inclusivity: The challenges faced by the new Watch members and the reactions of their human colleagues and the public.

Weapon Control: The gonne serves as a powerful metaphor for firearms, and the societal debate around their existence and use.

The Nature of Power: The insidious lure of violence and the corrupting influence of power, both political and technological.

Loyalty and Duty: Vimes's struggle to maintain his principles while doing his duty, even when that duty involves uncomfortable truths.

The climax involves a tense confrontation with the conspirators and the wielder of the gonne, as the Watch must not only stop the killings but also prevent a full-scale revolution. Vimes, with the surprising assistance of his newly diverse recruits, is forced to make difficult moral choices, leading to a dramatic resolution that reshapes the future of the Ankh-Morpork City Watch. "Men at Arms" is a deeply insightful and often hilarious novel that solidifies the City Watch as one of Pratchett's most beloved sub-series.

Comments:
Absolutely brilliant! Loved every page of this one.

Books that we've read by Terry Pratchett (39):
The Colour of Magic (Discworld, #1; Rincewind, #1) (1983), The Light Fantastic (Discworld, #2; Rincewind, #2) (1986), Equal Rites (Discworld, #3; Witches, #1) (1987), Mort (Discworld, #4; Death, #1) (1987), Sourcery (Discworld, #5; Rincewind, #3) (1988), Wyrd Sisters (Discworld, #6; Witches, #2) (1988), Guards! Guards! (Discworld, #8; City Watch, #1) (1989), Pyramids (Discworld, #7) (1989), Eric (Discworld, #9; Rincewind, #4) (1990), Moving Pictures (Discworld, #10; Industrial Revolution, #1) (1990), Witches Abroad (Discworld, #12; Witches, #3) (1991), Reaper Man (Discworld, #11; Death, #2) (1991), Small Gods (Discworld, #13) (1992), Lords and Ladies (Discworld, #14; Witches, #4) (1992), Men at Arms (Discworld, #15; City Watch, #2) (1993), Soul Music (Discworld, #16; Death, #3) (1994), Interesting Times (Discworld, #17; Rincewind, #5) (1994), Maskerade (Discworld, #18; Witches, #5) (1995), Feet of Clay (Discworld, #19; City Watch, #3) (1996), Hogfather (Discworld, #20; Death, #4) (1996), Jingo (Discworld, #21; City Watch, #4) (1997), Carpe Jugulum (Discworld, #23; Witches, #6) (1998), The Last Continent (Discworld, #22; Rincewind, #6) (1998), The Fifth Elephant (Discworld, #24; City Watch, #5) (1999), The Truth (Discworld, #25) (2000), The Last Hero (Discworld, #27; Rincewind, #7) (2001), Thief of Time (Discworld, #26; Death, #5) (2001), Night Watch (Discworld, #29; City Watch, #6) (2002), The Wee Free Men (Discworld, #30; Tiffany Aching, #1) (2003), Monstrous Regiment (Discworld, #31; Industrial Revolution, #3) (2003), A Hat Full of Sky (Discworld, #32; Tiffany Aching, #2) (2004), Going Postal (Discworld, #33; Moist von Lipwig, #1) (2004), Thud! (Discworld, #34; City Watch, #7) (2005), Wintersmith (Discworld, #35; Tiffany Aching, #3) (2006), Making Money (Discworld, #36; Moist Von Lipwig, #2) (2007), Unseen Academicals (Discworld, #37; Rincewind, #8) (2009), I Shall Wear Midnight (Discworld, #38; Tiffany Aching, #4) (2010), Snuff (Discworld, #39; City Watch, #8) (2011), Raising Steam (Discworld, #40; Moist von Lipwig, #3) (2013)