Big BOoTY List #6 Carpe Jugulum

#6 Carpe Jugulum Terry Pratchett


I found this rare Discworld find at a used book store a few weeks ago. Rare, as in I NEVER find any Pratchetts at Value Village, Sally Ann's or any other used book stores I go to. Pratchetts have always been rare in my neck in the woods.

After reading 'Going Postal' I needed a bit more of this man's hilarity in my life and while I might have this book in my soft-cover collection, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to buy a hard-cover edition at $8.

For those that know Pratchett and Discworld, this is a Granny Weatherwax story, a semi-recurring character in Discworld. She is a witch and perhaps one of the strongest personalities in all of Pratchett's tales.

The King of Lancre has married Magrat, the youngest of the three witches and a Granny protege. In a misguided attempt at diplomacy he has invited all the neighbouring countries dignitaries to the naming of their first child. Unfortunately, this includes the rather forward-thinking Magpyr family, who happen to be vampires.

And it embarrasses me to acknowledge that as i read that sentence, I realize Magpyr rhymes with vampire; so it is the Vampire Magpyrs. Pratchett is full of wonderful finds like this.

The Magpyrs are an aristocratic clan with their own family issues; Dad has taken great lengths to 'climatize' his kids to all those generic vampire cruxes. The vampire kids grew up with garlic pillows, they've been exposed to small amounts of daylight, their castle is decorated with all the holy symbols of the land. But not all is well in the Magpyr family; their daughter rebels by hanging out with other vampire teens and renaming themselves; Laciemosa is now Tracey; Grendell is Alan who plays at being an accountant, etc.

Anyways, the Magpyrs take over the castle and all of Lancre; they look at the people as 'walking food' and have put everyone under their spell, barring Granny Weatherwax and Agnes, a bi-split personality who is all fat on the outside but her inner voice is ruled by Perdita, a skinny bitch with an attitude.

Carpe Jugulum is full of strong female personalities; another great Pratchettism; he is wonderful with the lore of covens and witches, has a great knowledge of the tropes of vampirism and the practicalities of Igors and Phoenix.

There are just too many great side characters here as well; from Igor to Hodgesarrgh; the royal bird trainer. Awesome book.