SOURCERY by TERRY PRATCHETT
Back Blurb: ‘… Once upon a time, there was an eighth son of an eighth son who was, of course, a wizard. As if that wasn’t complicated enough, said wizard then had seven sons. And then he had an eighth son — a wizard squared … a source of magic … a Sorcerer.’
This is the only Discworld novel that I haven’t been able to finish. The fifth book in the series, we see the return of Rincewind … and that may just be my problem. Perhaps our bumbling wizard is a little too bumbling for me? I do like the luggage that follows him around, and that may be what kept me reading to page 131 – but beyond that, it didn’t hold my interest.
Usually the Gods don’t allow wizards to get to the point where they can have an eighth son – preferring to let them mess about with their own diluted form of magic, to ward off any grabs for power or unnecessary explosions. So when the Unseen University receives a visit from Coin – the new kid on the block – they’re a little unprepared for the magical fallout.
After putting the book down half way through, I went and read a summary of the rest of the plot & that happily satisfied my curiosity until it’s time for the next Pratchett extravaganza.
If you’re reading along with the Pratchett Discworld Express, then you should give this one a go – I’ve heard some people like it even more than Mort (which probably remains my favourite). However if you’re willing to side step the actual novel, and dance over to Wikipedia – I’m not sure you’ll miss out on much 
5 out of 10.
–
Next time on the bookshelf : “The Lunatic Cafe” by Laurell K. Hamilton
