Mort: Part-Time Reaper

Death was always my favorite Discworld character. And behold! A whole book with him as one of the main characters. I knew this series was my thing!

Farm-boy Mort is seeking a master to apprentice under. Problem is, only one figure is willing to take him: Death himself. Will Mort be able to keep up with such a unique master? More importantly: does he have any hope in the trade?

This is such a fun premise. A mortal man, being taken under Death as an apprentice? It’s a delight! Especially with this death!

And with this man! Mort is a wonderful protagonist. He’s just the right blend of clever and clumsy, sweet and stupid. More than that, he feels a lot more real than the other Discworld protagonists so far. The mistakes he make are very genuine, rather than comedic.

Not to say this book is without comedy. It makes a rather hilarious – and brutally blunt – about how people face things they don’t understand. Be it magic or the terrifying inevitability of death itself, people just ignore it. You’d think that premise might get old fast, but Terry Pratchett found a way to make it consistently funny!

Plus, it works well into the magic. Or… the not-magic? It’s weird.

I loved this one! It was the perfect blend of goofy and dramatic, and it was fun and engaging from start to end! Of the four Discworld books I’ve finished thus far, this one has quickly climbed the ranks to become one of my favorites!

Not that there isn’t time for that to change. We’ve still got plenty of books to sift through.

God, I love fantasy. You can chew on one series for years!