Book Review: The Fifth Elephant - by Terry Pratchett

I read Terry Pratchett's The Fifth Elephant over the weekend. It was an excellent book and is a part of his Discworld series.

The Fifth Elephant is a myth in Discworld, which is a flat world that is carried on the back of four elephants riding on a turtle, which is swimming through space. Legend has that there used to be five elephants, but one got knocked loose and entered the atmosphere of Discworld, crashing into an area that is now an excellent resource for fat. Scientists actually believe that something like a meteor hit the world, covering the animals in the area at the time, allowing their bodies to form into huge pockets of fat. Which theory is true is anybody's guess on Discworld.

This sounds like a strange premise for a book, but Terry Pratchett is forever fabulous when it comes to satyr. The situations surrounding the fat that is mined out of the ground is suspiciously similar to the European/American oil situation. Alliances have to be made with the ultra exclusive dwarfs for Ankh Morpark - a huge city in Discworld - to get the tallow and fat it needs for candles, butter, etc. The fat mines of Ankh Morpark are long dry, and the fat the dwarfs mine is far superior to any that the citizens of Ankh Morpark are likely to produce. There is a catch, most dwarf's don't like Ank Morpark, though quite a lot of their popullation lives there. To make matters worse, a new dwarf king is about to be "crowned", and his throne has been stolen! Also, the primary condom maker for Ankh Morpark has been found dead in his own rubber melting vat!
The main character in this book, Commander Vimes, has to solve the throne situation and murder, while on official duty as Duke of Ankh Morpark.

With vampires, werewolves, dwarfs, trolls and the undead, this story addresses prejudice, law & order and much more. I love how Terry Pratchett always manages to insert his own ideas and opinions along with situations that are happening in our current society by creating a story in his fantastic world and letting his characters work them out.

Very cleverly done. Good show old chap, good show.