The Colour of Magic by Terry Pratchett

Title: The Colour of Magic

Author: Terry Pratchett

Publisher: Kindle

Originally published in 1983

Pages: 3215 Locs on an iPhone5S screen

Genres: Fantasy/Sci-Fi 

Format: e-book

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 …

Despicable as it sounds, until a couple of months ago i’d never read a Terry Pratchett book. The discworld seemed so large and unwieldy that I couldn’t see a way in. Then he died and as soon as I heard the news I bought the first in the discworld series. Because I was about to move I wasn’t up for adding to my enormous book collection, so I bought it on kindle. The experience wasn’t terrible, it was very convenient to carry on the train in the morning, but I didn’t get that book-holding, page-turning satisfaction that is part of my love for reading. I still think there’s a trade-off when it comes to convenience over quality of experience, and it definitely helped that the book was absolutely fantastic. 

It’s rare to find an author who can build an intricate world, make loud comments on society, weave a gripping tale, all while making you laugh out loud to such a degree that fellow commuters stare at you as if you’re deranged. The only other author i’ve read who has encapsulated the same wit, imagination, and sharp observation is Douglas Adams. The only criticism I would level at this book is that it lacked any compelling female characters. The fact that it’s another book that follows the adventures of two men through untold dangers felt a bit old-hat, but i’m optimistic about the rest of the series. In 41 books i’m sure there’s a few good heroines coming. 

All I can say at this point is that any book that contains an item of luggage that is also a compelling and entertaining character in its own right, is well worth a read. This book is great reading for anyone of any age, so dive in.