The Fifth Elephant

Vimes is one of Pratchett's greatest characters, and putting him in a diplomatic role is a brilliant idea. He hates formality, distrusts politicians and cannot stop investigating, which makes for both comedy and tension. His wife Sybil, calm and capable, shows a new side as she navigates the politics of the dwarf court with more skill than her husband.

The book is darker than earlier Watch novels, especially in the storyline involving Angua's werewolf family, whose cruelty is genuinely menacing. A long sequence in the snowy wilderness is one of Pratchett's most thrilling. Alongside the action, there is plenty of thoughtful satire about tradition, identity and the stories nations tell about themselves.

The multiple storylines, including a subplot back in Ankh-Morpork, can feel scattered, and some of the dwarf politics take time to follow. Readers new to the Watch should start with Guards! Guards!. For those who know the characters, this is one of the strongest books in the sequence. Its closing chapters, in which Vimes confronts his pursuers on his own terms, are among the most memorable scenes Pratchett ever wrote for the character. About 389 pages in the HarperTorch paperback; some listings say 400.