Mort by Terry Pratchett - A Discworld Book Review
“Death comes to us all. When he came to Mort, he offered him a job.”
Our Journey So Far
I am so excited to write this review, I’m actually shaking like an overstimulated chihuahua! Okay, that might be the 4 coffees and large Red Bull I had earlier, but I’m pretty sure at least part of that warm fuzzy feeling in my chest - that is definitely by no means concerning - comes from my excitement to talk about this book!
If you’ve followed my last posts on here, you’ll know that we’ve been on a rather wild literary journey so far. To remind you, I challenged myself to read 30 books in 2025 and I’m currently going through number 45! Take that every teacher that said I’d never accomplish anything!
Anyway, we’ve gone through modern retellings of Greek mythology, to exploring one deeply dysfunctional relationship, and even to 1930s Moscow.
But one trend has been consistent so far - after almost every genre change, I needed a good palate cleanser. And nothing cleanses the proverbial palate better than catching up with the denizens of the Discworld!
Terry Pratchett: Mort - Book Review
Mort by Terry Pratchett is not amongst the longest books in the Discworld series - which only proves that a book doesn’t need to be 600+ pages to be spectacular.
The story begins with an introduction to Mort, a lanky, awkward farmhand that messes up pretty much anything he touches. But his father has high hopes for him yet! That is, he has the high hope to offload his burdensome son to some unsuspecting tradesman and make him his problem for the foreseeable future.
To that effect, Mort’s dad takes him to the most prestigious event a local farming community can come up with - the local apprentice fair, where youths from all surrounding villages get the opportunity to learn a trade by becoming apprentices to representatives of any trade found in the Discworld (I would’ve said “masters”, but that’d be stretching it quite a bit…)
Mort’s hopes of getting picked for a respectable position come to an abrupt end when even the assassin’s, thief’s, and beggar guilds pass on the chance to welcome him into their ranks. Surprisingly, it takes quite a bit of skill to be a beggar and it’s a way more prestigious placement that one would have anticipated.
As the clock edges towards midnight Mort’s hopes of becoming a productive member of society diminish by the second, until he does what he does best - he accidentally bumps into someone. They look at each and I’m not sure who’s more surprised - Death, that this weird-looking ginger can actually see him for what he is, or Mort that an 8 foot skeleton is walking around unbothered by anyone, and even sampling the local “delicacies” (so many questions there…)
Death makes Mort an offer he can’t refuse… become his apprentice and learn his trade. In exchange he would get “good food, a good horse, and the unusual perk of not being required to be dead” to do the job. I mean, honestly, I’ve had worst job offers when I was starting out, so if someone had offered me food, a car, housing, and not ending me for my first job I would have probably jumped at the opportunity.
I reckon Mort quickly made the same mental arithmetics, because after a quick bartering with Mort’s very confused dad, Mort hops onto Binky (which is, by the way, the most metal name for a skeletal horse, period!) and rides off to the realm of Death (capital D).
It takes some time for Mort to get acquainted with his new responsibilities, and even though he makes a mess of things a few times, he proves to be a surprisingly efficient and fast learner. Along the way he meets Death’s servant Albert (who has a VERY curious backstory), and his daughter Ysabell, who is…let’s say “rather different looking” that her Dad.
You can probably guess what happens when two teenagers are left to their own devices without much to do or people to meet? That’s right, they fall in love. But Mort quickly learns that very few things come before the job, and unfortunately love is not one of them.
As Mort begins to take on more and more responsibilities, he upsets the natural order of things on the Discworld. Meaning, that much like with the Highlander franchise… there can be only 1… Death!
I won’t spoil what happens next because you definitely need to see it for yourself, but let me assure you that the ending is superbly done in that traditionally bittersweet Pratchett signature style, making you laugh and cry at the same time. Wow, that sentence was a mouthful. TLDR: The ending is epic and you should drop whatever you’re doing to go read it, right now!
Is Mort by Terry Pratchett Worth Reading?
Yes. You were expecting more here? Fine… if I must…
The writing - superb. The characters - hilarious. The story - engaging. The hotel - from Trivago! You know the drill by know, let’s discus who’d love Mort by Terry Pratchett and who needs to seriously re-evaluate their preferences.
Who is Mort by Terry Pratchett Perfect For?
Fans of other Discworld novels
Those looking to start their journey into the Discworld (Mort is probably one of the best novels to start with)
Readers looking for a lighthearted fantasy with soft philosophical undertones
Who is Mort by Terry Pratchett Not Ideal For?
Those… easily offended by dark humour
Readers wishing to avoid morbid themes and environments
Readers that are looking for fast-paced, action-packed adventure
Final Thoughts on Mort by Terry Pratchett and More From the Lands of the Discworld
For me, Mort is one of those novels that I can enjoy time and time again. I’ve read it a couple of times over the years, in a couple of different languages (small flex here, moving on), and I always find some new detail or meaning I’ve missed before.
It’s one of the best starting points for new readers to get introduced to the Discworld and get a sense of the magic and adventure that awaits them in the rest of the series.
After exploring the realm of Death, let’s switch from fantasy to sci-fi: join me next for a review of Brandon Sanderson’s Sunreach novella!
If you enjoyed this review of Mort by Terry Pratchett, make sure to check out some of our other reviews from the Discworld:
Exploring the last chapter of Sam Vimes’ story in Snuff
The Discworld City Watch Adventures Begin - "Guards! Guards! Book Review
Mort by Terry Pratchett is not amongst the longest books in the Discworld series - which only proves that a book doesn’t need to be 600+ pages to be spectacular.