In boxing, there is a saying that every
great fighter has one last fight left in him. In Discworld, a
similar principle applies; every great hero has one last deed of
heroism left in him. The time has come, for the Disc's greatest
heroes, Cohen the Barbarian, and his band of ultra-experienced
warriors, to undertake one last quest, a quest so grand that it's likeness is yet to be
seen in the history – they are going to return the fire to the
gods!
When the news of Cohen's latest
endeavor reached Lord Vetinari's ear, it had the patrician holding
his throbbing head in both hands. Why? Should Cohen and the Silver
Horde succeed, it will unmake the magic of the Disc, effectively
bringing the world to an end. Being greatly concerned about the fate
of the Disc, the ruler of Ankh Morpork consulted the eccentric
wizards at the Unseen University. Together, they decided to send a
small task force and preventing Cohen's quest from coming to
fruition. This task force consists of three extra-ordinary
individuals; the cowardly wizzard Rincewind (spelt with double z),
the charismatic watchman Carrot, and the genius inventor Leonard of
Quirm. But anything involves Rincewind is sure to attract
misadventures like the gravity pulls apples to the center of the
earth. If you are a veteran of Discworld, then you know what
is coming your way, when Rincewind is involved.
The Last Hero is the
27th novel in Discworld series. In this book, Sir Terry parodied
every fantasy trope known to the humankind (in particular, tropes for
barbarian heroes), and this humorous story will make you bend over at
the stomach and laughing uncontrollably. Meanwhile, Sir Terry also
made sure his story will send an invitation to your hungry mind, to
be a guest at his table of philosophical dinner, where he treats you
with a banquet of food for thoughts.
If I may call The Last Hero a
Discworld fable, then this fable, 160 pages in length, is
witty, exciting, and though-provoking. Aside from telling us a
fantastic tale, The Last Hero also treats us with beautiful
illustrations, provided by artist Paul Kidby. Mr. Kidby has
illustrated a number of book covers for Discworld novels, but
The Last Hero is fully illustrated. When I say “fully
illustrated”, I mean it. Mr. Kidby lavished The Last Hero
with wondrous artworks on every page. These illustrations captured,
vividly, the mood, the looks, and the witty charms of Sir Terry's
timeless creations. While parody and philosophy are key ingredients to
any Discworld novel, but ultimately, these books are so good because they are very human. (minor spoiler ahead) The last few pages
in this book moved me deeply, I do not think there is a better way
for Cohen and his silver headed warriors to walk into the legend.
This book belongs to a sub-series in
Discworld, featuring the cowardly wizard Rincewind. While I
like every book about Rincewind, but I don't like them as much as
other Discworld novels featuring Death, City Watch, and the
Industrial Revolution. This is because Rincewind novels
usually narrate the stories incoherently, the stories are too random.
The Last Hero, though, is an exception. The narratives in this
book is easy to follow, the storytelling is cohesive, and it was a
joy ride. Despite being one of the shorter Discworld novels,
but I think The Last Hero is among the best of the Disc.
Having said the above, I do not
recommend reading The Last Hero until you have read the other Rincewind novels. The story in this book is an expansion from
the previous Rincewind novels, it helps to have some knowledge of
Rincewind's past adventures. Otherwise, I believe The Last Hero is a must read
for anyone who already has a loving taste for the Disc.
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