Yes another Pratchett title, let’s just say I’m revisiting the past and appreciating a solid consistent writer, who entertains with humour, satires on life and escapism.

Thief of Time is a tale about a glass clock that is able to trap time, and therefore bring about an apocalypse. Our faithful monk Lu Tze has been through the experience of repairing time the last time this happened, and was unfortunately too late to stop the incident from happening.

Thus the tale follows the second attempt to rebuild the glass clock, under the authority of some shady looking accountants and a lady who doesn’t look like a like a lady, nor like a human, nor like a zombie. It just is. And the assistance of Igor, who has grandfathers hands (literally). So the end of the world needs to be stopped, because if it isn’t, the world will stop being anything. It will be nothing.

There are two interesting characters: one who has been recruited and brought up by the Monks of History from the Guild of Thieves, (in this case Lobsang) who is a kleptomaniac with the ability to slice time; and another orphan who was brought up by the Guild of Clockmakers, ends up being the most dull and uninteresting person ever to have existed (albeit his fascination and ability create clocks that create perfect time). The glass clock will be his finest and most accurate clock ever designed. It will also end the world. Woops!

We’re introduced to Ronnie, the fifth horseman of the apocalypse. Now living a secret life on Earth

We’re introduced to Ronnie, the fifth horseman of the apocalypse. Now living a secret life on Earth, not being included in the history of the horsemen as he left before they became famous. Ronnie has more to him (or it) than meets the eye.

The insane journey of monks trying to stop the end of the world, the relentless army of the auditors (accountants), the angry fifth horseman, a yeti than can master the art of time and successfully reincarnate itself upon death and change it’s own history, the Death of Rats, as Death himself has no control over their death – it’s all Pratchett and it all flows wonderfully.

Pratchett often has the ability to tell a tale with the same characters, and yet bring a freshness; reinvigorating established roles for those that we have read about before.

There are so many political and philosophical undertones to what Pratchett writes – this can either be picked up and analysed, or you can let it become part of the story and spend a moment understanding what was just explained and carry on. Most of Pratchett’s writing in some sense reflects the society and world that he lives in, and there are often characters you can associate with and compare to those people you know in real life.

Thief of Time, like Pratchett’s other books, is another great story telling exercise. It provides laughs and intelligent adult humour, something which is still lacking and unique to Pratchett’s humour and writing method. The writing creates and stimulates the imagination with enough description to make you feel as if you are witnessing an event unfolding. You’re the third person floating around, trying to piece together the mysteries set before you. Definitely one of his better books.

Verdict: Pratchett magic. Same great characters, same great storytelling.