Saturday, February 25, 2017

A Book Review: The Last Hero by Terry Pratchett (Discworld #27)

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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