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It is very easy for the stories within stories within stories thing to fall flat, to not come together.

This book is what happens when it is done well.

Audiobook note: there’s a bunch of narrators, and because audiobook sellers haven’t figured out how to handle that well, it’s possible you’ll like the sample but then not like one of the other narrators.

This book has quite a bit going on - not really any one main character to follow, but an ensemble cast.

And that’s really the strong point - the fact that each member of the crew is a fully fledged character with their own hopes and fears and good and bad that happens to them, while the crew is working towards a goal together.

And not everything turns out perfect for each character. They each experience some pain. Which is just life

Because of course the person Death would choose as an apprentice has a name that means... Death.

ANYWAY

I really don't know what to say beyond the usual "Pratchett is a brilliant satirist" and "this is both hilarious and super deep". Because it is those things.

Audiobook generally excellent, though the fact that Rincewind's speech patterns were markedly different than Color of Magic/Light Fantastic was a bit jarring (yes, different narrator, but the fact that the speech pattern wasn't even close was annoying). (I wonder if this is why there's consistently a separate narrator for Death through this whole series of audiobooks?)

Beautifully, gorgeously written, masterful interleaving of the multiple threads of story, wonderful narration.

I just found myself being perpetually frustrated that I had no idea what this "game" was that was being played. Granted, it was also never explained to the players, but WHYYYYYYYY

This is a very good story, and well-written, but I wanted to stab Rambo SO MUCH. It might have been less annoying had I not been listening to the audiobook, but the way that character has precisely zero chill made it a struggle.