Posted: August 2nd, 2025

Rating: 6/10

Genre: Fantasy

Summary: "Be a MAN in the City Watch! The City Watch needs MEN!"

But what it's got includes Corporal Carrot (technically a dwarf), Lance-constable Cuddy (really a dwarf), Lance constable Detritus (a troll), Lance constable Angua (a woman... most of the time), and Corporal Nobbs (disqualified from the human race for shoving).

And they need all the help they can get. Because they've only got twenty-four hours to clean up the town and this is Ankh-Morpork we're talking about...

Review:

I finished this book like two months ago at this point, and I had written half of a review but then it accidentally got deleted and then I went on a trip, then vacation and well, life just got away from me :P

I would like to emphasize that Men at Arms isn't a bad book per se, if this was by any other author, I would've been very happy with this book. But I've already read like three or four books of Pratchett's and he has written some amazing books in the Discworld series! Even Raising Steam, a book where it was clear to me as a reader that Pratchett's Alzheimer's was affecting his usual writing prowess, but it was still really enjoyable and unforgettable to read. This book however, I'm not sure if it's because it's the second book in the City Watch series or because I don't feel particularly attached to these characters, was pretty forgettable.

Like most of what I remembered from it was Carrot growing up, gentlemen assassins, The Gun, and that trolls get smarter the colder it is. Like interesting enough but not enough to cement itself into my memory, as in I had to look up what the title to write this review. It's an okay book, but it's just that: okay.