#pterry pratchett

Everyone thinks Raven Branwen's story inspiration is the Raven from Edgar Allan Poe's famous poem, The Raven. But we already have a Raven-reference in the Nevermore Grimm. After thinking about it, I wonder if Raven (Branwen) is actually based on Qouth, from the PTerry Pratchett's Soul Music and Hogfather.

(^Image taken from animated adaptation of Soul Music)

For those not in the know, in Soul Music, the Death of Rats recruits Qouth the raven (Who does NOT say the N-word) to help him explain to Death's granddaughter Susan Sto Helit about how she needs to take over Grim Reaping while Death is missing. Qouth is introduced as the familiar for a wizard, a duty he doffs for the Death of Rats. (To be fair, in the Discworld series, wizards are generally useless, spending most of their time eating big dinners and arguing. I don't disagree with Qouth wanting something more out of life)

See what I'm saying?

We've got a snarky blackbird...

Who used to work for a useless wizard...

And is now being connected to the next Grim(m) Reaper...

Of course, it's not a perfect comparison. Raven doesn't come before Ruby to peacefully explain, but now the narrrative is giving Ruby her own reason to seek out the feathered fiend, to get answers about the previous Death, EI, Summer Rose.

But it's something to think about.

>Not a lot of Discworld Books about Family, right? I guess Wee Free Men had slightly similar themes, but that climax at the end when Pteppic’s entire lineage pulls a World War Z to get him up the Pyramid, I get emotional.

>Dios is also a damn good sympathetic villain! Not on the same level as Tulip and Pin, but you really feel his “WHAT HAVE I WROUGHT” vibes at the end.

>I wouldn’t recommend the book to, like... People from Egypt or people who know about Egypt. I guess it’s supposed to be an antidote to the Egyptology-mysticism you see in British Fantasy, but it has whiffs of the punching-down humor you get in Interesting Times.

>And ON that note, it’s wild that the Djel Gods aren’t real but the proper, “consensus” gods are real and chillin out on Nob Hill? And it’s even wilder how the book points this out in an aside?

>But I do love how Pterry overcomes his ignorance of Egyptian speech patterns by ignoring the problem and giving them all British accents. In the words of King Teppicymon XXVII, “Jolly Good!”

>”Oooh these two characters seem to be getting romantically involved... but they find out they’re half-siblings! Sike!” Still undecided if this was pulled off well.

>Sad how the main character just rode off into the sunset at the end. Pteppic ought to have gotten Otto Von Chriek’s agent smh.

>Pterry out here rotating fourth-dimensional polygons in his mind. This is a major plot point.

>The Assassin’s driving test is a work of art, but the reason why I need this book within arm’s reach is in case I need to look up this speech from the Head Assassin:

Brisbane Is Home - Fantasy Author Terry Pratchett Speaks at Brisbane Grammar School, Spring Hill, Australia 070214, a set on Flickr.