A Discworld Novel

The more things change, the more they stay the same. This book is a bit of departure for Terry Pratchett. While the majority of his books contain a cast of thousands and jump frequently between people, places and even time, this novel is fairly linear and stays focused upon two groups of people. In a very minor appearance, Commander Sam Vines and a couple members of the Watch are present, but this novel belongs to Polly Perks and her fellows in what will become the Monstrous Regiment, new recruits into the Discworld pantheon.

Borogravia is famous for only one export, war. Polly's brother, who is a bit slow, has gone off to fight for the Duchess (who has probably been dead for decades) and has disappeared. Since she loves her brother, and cannot inherit the family inn without him since female ownership is against the law according to the mad (and also probably dead) god Nuggan, she decides to cut her hair and join the army to find him. Joining her under Sergeant Jackrum are a mixed bunch of strange characters, including a troll, a vampire, an egor, a boy who claims to have direct contact with the Duchess and two young lads who are a bit closer than most armies like. Then there's the mysterious voice in the dark who gives Polly a pair of socks to "enhance" her masquerade.

Jackrum works to whip them into shape as they travel to their training site, only to find it deserted and receive new orders to head directly to the front. They also meet their commander, a newly promoted glory seeking former paper-pusher Lieutenant Blouse. Before they can depart, though, a troop of enemy soldiers from Zlobenia (whose Prince is technically the heir to Borogravia's Duchess through a complicated process) ride in. Polly, now known as Ozzer slips a serving girl's outfit over her soldier outfit and becomes a girl pretending to be a boy pretending to be a girl. Got that? The leader of the enemy troops gets a bit fresh with Polly and gets a kick in the, ah, um, "privates" for his trouble. His men are captured by Polly's company and left bound and naked as they head off for the front. What they don't know is that the kickee is really the Zlobenian Prince, who is now out for revenge above all else.

As they near the front, and the impregnable Keep that overlooks the Kneck valley where Borogravia's troops are bogged down, they are fiercely hunted by the Prince's men. But Polly and her companion are resourceful and manage to reach their objective. The Keep. Seems Blouse plans to liberate the castle from within, where many high ranking officers are being held prisoner. He devises a plan to dress up as a washerwoman and sneak in so he can free the prisoners. And off he goes. To be followed eventually by the rest of the company, except for the dubious Jackrum.

To save the surprise, I won't go into any more detail, but I will say that Polly and friends do indeed save the day and in the process change the very nature of Borogravia's army and religion.

This is a truly delightful book. From Nuggan's Abominations, which include the smell of beets, cats, the color blue, red hair, oysters, barking dogs, shirts with six buttons and a host of other things to a vampire who has sworn off blood but better have his coffee or there's gonna be trouble. From Lieutenant Blouse who dreams of someday being famous enough to warrent having an article of clothing or a food named after him to my new favorite character, Sergeant Jackrum, who is a soldier head and shoulders above all others. And from a pyromaniac recruit to a possessed one, this is both hilarious and engrossing. I didn't even mind that Vimes and Angua and Reg were only bit players. Polly and the rest of the Monstrous Regiment are unforgettable.

*If you read the book, you may not think me an imbecile for that sentence.

Review based upon copy of book borrowed from Booksfree.com

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