The cowardly wizard Rincewind, and his walking luggage, return for a third appearance in Sourcery, the fourth book in the Discworld series. In yet another misadventure crammed with missteps and misunderstandings, Rincewind and his cohort of misfits must once again save the Disc from almost certain destruction. This time, the threat comes in the form of the titular sourcerer, a magician that acts as a source of magic (as opposed to a wizard that simply uses magic).
Plot-wise, the story is a little discordant. Less so than the first two Rincewind tales, but more so than other Discworld novels. If I’m truly honest, the fact that every Rincewind story is a non-stop cavalcade of chaotic near-misses that almost end the world is somewhat tiring. I enjoy the beginning of the stories the most, before everything has really gone downhill, but inevitably, the survival of the Disc hinges upon Rincewind gathering a smattering of courage before being saved by his invincible luggage. Once is great. Twice is fun. Three times is predictable.
That said, Sourcery is full of lovable, quirky characters, and hilarious twists, that only Terry Pratchett can deliver.
What I appreciated the most about this story is that the sourcerer must convince his fellow magicians to engage in a takeover of the world. Despite their ordinary infighting and incessant struggles for power, none of them actively wish to control everything. It’s that specific demand for dominion over everything, even of the gods, that ultimately brings about the apocralypse (a portmanteau of “apocryphal” and “apocalypse”).
As a separate matter, I feel the need to congratulate Pratchett for his explanation of why Wizards are celibate. In a setting packed with absurdities, he concocts a totally reasonable excuse. I don’t want to spoil it for you, though.
