10 Best Terry Pratchett Books
5. The Amazing Maurice And His Educated Rodents
The 28th instalment in the Discworld series, The Amazing Maurice was published in 2001 and is one of Pratchett's darkest books, especially considering it was his first to be aimed at young adults.
With a talking cat, Maurice, and a regiment of crafty educated rats at his side, a boy is a pied piper cross conman, travelling the world to swindle coin by solving 'rat problems'. Stealing is their business and business is good, until they reach the quaint little Discworld town of Bad Blintz. The boy, Keith, discovers that the town already suffers from a huge rat problem, but when the band of sentient rats enter the sewers, there are no rats (or 'keekers') in sight.
This book includes Spider, one of Pratchett's and most mysterious, shrouded and deadly villains, which is made even more lifelike by the vivid, dingy descriptions. The presence and origins of this haunting antagonist slowly unfold as the book progresses, revealing a much larger scheme at the heart of this so-called 'infestation'.
This book was awarded a Carnegie Medal in 2001 and it's easy to see why once you venture into the pages of this gripping, enthusiastic and wonderful novel.