THE FIFTH ELEPHANT by Terry Pratchett

Doubleday, 1999

Sam Vines is a cop--a good cop. He isn't happy when he's ordered to act as ambasidor to the Uberwald for the crowning of the new Low King. Fortunately for Vines, a good cop is exactly what the Uberwald needs. The Dwarves are on the verge of civil war, Vampires are always nasty, and the werewolves are plotting to throw the entire kingdom of Uberwald into chaos.

Terry Pratchett (see more BooksForABuck.com reviews of novels by this author) keeps up a fast pace of adventure and memorable characters. Vines is the classic cop. His deputy, Captain Carrot, is too noble and intelligent for his own good. Lady Margolotta, the vampire who hasn't had a drop for years and attends 'bloodsuckers anomymous' meetings is both scary and amusing.

THE FIFTH ELEPHANT is an excellent light adventure. It builds on Pratchett's Discworld cycle without the too-common annoyance of characters reminding one another of their histories. Instead, the reader is simply thrown into an adventurous rollic.

Four Stars

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