OK, so Pterry Pratchett can even make Egyptology and the mystery of the pyramids hilarious. Loved the bit where Teppic and Ptracy and the algebraic camel get caught in the crack between dimensions. Who knew camels could be so deep?

- C.A. Wulff, author of Born Without a Tail

Pratchett has a marvelous sense of humor. He is so quick that you might note that you missed things and then have to review what you recently read to put it all together in your mind.
His made up history of places and the reasons that his characters behave as they do are absolutely priceless. He comments on our present day world in an indirect manner using his make believe world. His comments are pointed and hysterically funny at the same time. The man is an accomplished writer. Would that I had more of his stuff to read - so, write on Pratchett and do it quickly!

So my friend tells me about this author, Terry Pratchett, who in my fifth decade I have never heard of. And my friend is pushing the likes of Going Postal, Thief of Time, Guards Guards, and others of Prachett's books. One wonders if my friend knew that there was a "proper" starting place into Pratchett's Discworld. :P

I also decided to go against the, er, grain and enter Discworld not from "the beginning" (The Colour of Magic) but with Pyramids. So that my kids - avid fans of ancient egpyt (pharaohs and priests, tyrants and the titular ptopic: pyramids) - might take an interest in a writing style they've not encountered before: satire. Throw in an Assassins' Guild (NINJAS!) and I think I've, or Pratchett, has clinched the deal.

(Yes, I realize that Prachett has written two or more trilogies for "younger readers," including The Bromeliad Trilogy and The Tiffany Aching trilogy -- both of which I also bought for the kids and look forward to reading myself.)

And although several reviewers have stated that Pyramids is not the best place to start the Discworld series, I say Phtooey. The book has a cast of memorable characters, both major and minor: Teppic, Dios (the high priest), Pteppicymon XXVII, Ptraci, Chidder, even Cheeseworth, Hoot Koomi (the double faced priest) Pthagarom, Mericet (the master assassin), Endos (the attentive listener), the tyrants of Ephebe and Tsort (read: ancient Greece and Troy), DEATH HIMSELF. And, of course, the greatest mathematician in the world.

I find the book a page turner of the first Tsort. From the characterizations of Dios and Pteppicymion, the early exploits of Teppic at Assassins' School to his summons to his father's kingdom and his innocent consorting with Ptraci...

...I was surprised most of the fantasy elements of the story could better be classified as science fiction (i.e., Pyramid Power run amuck), but I also realize I wasn't reading The Colour of Magic, The Light Fantastic or other of the Rinceworld novels.

The satire of Pyramids is brilliant. The writing style begs to be read aloud, and I found myself doing so at great lengths even though no one was around (probably a good thing) until my throat got sore (probably a bad thing). Read aloud it becomes sort of a Monty Python in print, except you're no longer dealing with print. Additionally, the book has great "re-play value," in that it can be read more than once for amusement. I am going to have to read it a second time to pick up some of the subtleties I missed.

The plot is light but fantastic. (The underlying satire probably more enjoyable). Nevertheless the story races to the climax, where all the major players: the gods, the priests, the undead ancestors of -what - Djelibeybi ("Jelly Baby," a popular British confectionary), the King's Embalmers (one whose name is Dil, who pickles the dead kings), the Pyramids' architects (Ptaclusp and his twin sons Ptaclusp IIa and IIb), and Teppic himself collide in a rousing attempt to rouse the Kingdom of Djelibeybi from the slumber of its having fallen through a fractal in the space-time warp. Ah: pyramid power: don't ever underestimate it!

And don't underestimate Pyramids. In fact, I am loath to leave the world of Pteppicymion and Djelibeybi for the wider world of Ankh-Morpork and "Discworld proper." (I kind of rince to think about it.) Where Ive heard there are such things as dragons and wizards. I guess it's great my kids are as entranced by those topics as well, having read Tolkien. Now let's see if they can understand and enjoy Pratchett as much.

I was introduced to the Pratchett books while on a tour of Wales in 2006 and told to begin with "Pyramids." I bought it, loved it, and subsequently bought the audio version -- again enchanting. My favorite character is the mathematical-genius camel.

Pyramids is almost a complete standalone discworld book, with just small references here and there to the occasional other person.

This is his take on the whole Egypt and pyramid worship and the whole thing about the shape and construction of pyramids doing weird things with preservation and time.