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Description edit
Once, in a gods-forsaken hellhole called Koom Valley, trolls and dwarfs met in bloody combat. Centuries later, each species still views the other with simmering animosity. Lately, the influential dwarf, Grag Hamcrusher, has been fomenting unrest among Ankh-Morpork's more diminutive citizens—a... read more
Ridiculously Simplified Synopsis edit
Summary edit
Koom Valley? That was where the trolls ambushed the dwarves, or the dwarves ambushed the trolls. It was far away. It was a long time ago.
But if he doesn't solve the murder of just one dwarf, Commander Sam Vimes of Ankh-Morpork City Watch is going to see the battle fought again, right... read more (warning: may contain spoilers)
Characters/People edit
- Commander Vimes: Vimes is a reformed alcoholic cynical detective who has managed to marry into Royalty. He is also supposedly the descendant of the Vimes who killed the last monarch of Ankh Morpork.
- Captain Carrot Ironfoundersson: Add a description of this character.
- Sergeant Angua von Überwald
- Corporal Cecil Wormsborough St. John "Nobby" Nobbs
- Sergeant Frederick "Fred" Colon
- Lance-Constable Salacia "Sally" von Humpeding: A Lance-Constable in the City Watch and the first vampire to join up. Originally from Überwald.
- Sergeant Detritus
- Lady Sybil Ramkin
- Young Sam: Son of Commander Vimes and Lady Sybil Ramkin
- Brick: A gutter troll of the lowest sort, addicted to anything beginning with "S" (such as most troll drugs, which all have names like Slab, Scrape, Slice, Slide etc.) and who becomes the protege of Sergeant Detritus.
- Summoning Dark: A Quasidemonic Entity
- Havelock Vetinari: The Patrician of Ankh-Morpork
- Methodia Rascal
- Mr. Shine
- Bashfulsson
- Mr A. E. Pessimal
- Grag Bashfullsson
- Willikins
- Helmclever
- Igor
- Tawneee
- Grag Hamcrusher
- Otto Chriek
- Chrysoprase
- Helmdever
- Rhys
- Rob
- Tak
- Mr Boggis
- Hancock
- Ridcully
- Mr Ardent
- Drumknott
Quotes edit
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“The important thing is not to shout at this point. Do not.. what do they call it... go postal? Treat this as a learning exercise. Find out why the world is not as you thought it was. Assemble the facts, digest the information, consider the implications. Then go postal. But with precision”
Commander Samuel Vimes -
“No excuses. No excuses at all. Once you had a good excuse, you opened the door to bad excuses.”
Commander Samuel Vimes -
“I don't gallivant! I've never gallivanted. I don't know how to vant! I don't even have a galli!”
Commander Samuel Vimes
Setting & Locations edit
First Sentence edit
Thud . . . that was the sound the heavy club made as it connected with the head.
Glossary edit
- Thud: The game, supposedly called in Dwarfish "Hnaflbaflwhiflsnifltafl", represents the famous Battle of Koom Valley between dwarfs and trolls.The game was first directly referenced in Going Postal, being played by Vetinari, and became a central concept in the immediate sequel Thud!. The release of Thud! led to a special Koom Valley edition of the game. The pieces of the Koom Valley version reflect the illustration on the cover of the novel Thud! drawn by Paul Kidby.Terry Pratchett has devised a fictional history of how Thud was invented, which bears some similarity to the Shahnama theory of the origins of chess. In short, the clever dwarf who invented the game was asked by his king to name his reward. The answer was that he wanted his board filled with gold: One small gold piece on the first square, two pieces on the second, four pieces on the third, etc. Needless to say, this is more than all the gold of the Disc combined. The king then got angry and threatened to kill the dwarf who was 'too drhg'hgin clever by half'. The inventor then hastily changed his reward to 'as much gold as he could carry', whereupon the king agreed and simply broke one of his arms.Thud is a board game devised by Trevor Truran and first published in 2002, inspired by the Discworld novels of Terry Pratchett. It bears a strong resemblance to the ancient Norse games of Hnefatafl and Tablut but has been radically redefined to be less one-sided. The two sides are dwarfs and trolls.
Series & Lists edit
This is book 34 of 53 in Discworld. (standard series)
Preceded by Going Postal, and followed by Wintersmith.
This is book 7 of 7 in Ankh-Morpork City Watch. (standard series)
Preceded by Night Watch.
Authors & Contributors edit
- Terry Pratchett (Author)
First Edition edit
Original Language: English
Publisher: Harper Collins
Country: USA
Publication Date: 2005
ISBN: 0060815221
Page Count: 373
Publisher: Harper Collins
Country: USA
Publication Date: 2005
ISBN: 0060815221
Page Count: 373
Awards edit
- Locus Fantasy Award (2006, Nominee)
Classification edit
- Library of Congress: Add the Library of Congress Classification.
- Dewey: 823.914
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