"Pyramids" by Terry Pratchett

Plot summary: In which Prince Teppic (formerly Pteppic) of Djelibeybi (Discworld Egypt) has his father die, and is abruptly recalled to Djelibeybi from his education in the Ankh-Morpork Guild of Assassins. Meanwhile, there's another plot regarding his dead father's pyramid. And Discworld pyramids apparently have time-bending abilities.

 

Like Small Gods, this is one that doesn't appear to fit into any of the other overarching (underarching?) subseries I've identified. Come to think of it, The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents also doesn't.

 

There's a side character slash possible love interest slash |half sister| for Teppic in this. Her name is Ptraci, and she's kind of a ditz. Her character really clicked for me when I realized it was supposed to be pronounced phonetically with a silent P.

The person hired to build Teppic's dad's pyramid is named Ptaclusp. He has two sons, named Ptaclusp IIa and Ptaclusp IIb.

Were this a videogame, I'd rate it: T15+ for crude humor and swearing.

4 stars.

Favorite lines:

    All self-respecting river kingdoms have vast supernatural plagues, but the best the Old Kingdom had been able to achieve in the last hundred years was the Plague of Frog.*

    *It was quite a big frog, however, and got into the air ducts and kept everyone awake for weeks.

    Page 19.

    *One of the two legends about the founding of Ankh-Morpork relates that the two orphaned brothers who built the city where in fact found and suckled by a hippopotamus (lit. orijeple, although some historians hold that this is a mistranslation of orejaple, a type of glass-fronted drinks cabinet). Eight heraldic hippos line the bridge, facing out to sea. It is said that if danger ever threatens the city, they will run away.

    Page 60. Aside from the real reason this quote is in here (the hippo thing), I do find the implication that Ankh-Morpork was possibly founded because Discworld Romulus and Remus got drunk... somewhat funny, and also pretty par for the course for Ankh-Morpork.

    "What are you telling me now?" he demanded, in a camel whisper.*

    *Hoarse whispers are not suitable for a desert environment.

    Page 130.

Appearances of Death count: 16.

(Endnote: Teppic, as an assassin, considers the book's climax to be |assassinating an entire pyramid|.)