One of my very favourite Discworld novels, and strangely enough, for a humorous series, it's not actually that funny. There are jokes, of course, but overall it's more of a grim, ground-in cynicism of war and change and conflict. And it's fantastic. Vimes is as great as ever, the only Discworld character who approaches the heights of Granny Weatherwax for me, but Carrot is a close second, and he really shines here. I've always thought behind that decency and sterling innocence was the mind of a man exceptionally well-versed in manipulation, and that's exactly the case - but it's a manipulation that's always and unerringly geared to the good, which makes him not quite a unique character (oh, how I would have loved a story where Carrot and Granny teamed up with their own particular brands of headology) but certainly an utterly optimistic one.