Read History

2026 | Score: 7.5

Took a long time since I read it with other people. Enjoyed it, but not as good as Guards Guards. Always fun to explore changing reality / fate, predetermination, etc. Also got to see Rincewind and the monkey.

Format: Book

Days: 38

Date: 4/27/2026 -> 6/4/2026

Summary (Spoilers)

Mort
Terry Pratchett
Discworld

Mort Summary

Mort and his father go to a hiring fair to try to get Mort apprenticed to someone. He is an awkward and gangly teenage boy and his Father needs someone to hire him. No one picks Mort until a strange individual shows up right at the end. Mort finds himself apprenticed to Death, and together they ride Death’s horse Binky back to his home.

Death’s place is weird, located outside time and reality of the Discworld. Mort meets the enigmatic Albert and Death’s sassy adopted daughter Ysabell. In the house there is a room with books being written about everyone alive, as well as another room containing a draining hourglass of sand for every person alive. Death soon takes Mort on his first job.

Mort gets to witness Death kind of kill / escort people to the afterlife. They go to the kingdom of Sto Lat and Mort gets a crush on the princess Kali. After a while Mort takes some time off and has become a bit ethereal, able to walk through walls in stuff. He goes to the wizard Cutwell to ask for advice, but Cutwell does not know that much.

Mort is sent on his first solo mission, and in the process decides to go against the rules and saves princess Keli. This causes strange ripples since everyone thinks she is dead but she is still alive. Keli appoints Cutwell as royal recognizer since as a wizard he sees her and remembers she is alive. Mort is very worried about being punished for this, but Death has gone off. Mort returns to the Discworld and finds that there is a wall of reality moving towards Kali, enforcing the world where she is dead. Mort goes to Cutwell for help and in the process learns that Albert is actually the founder of the wizarding school the Unseen University, Alberto Malich.

Death is off trying to explore what makes mortals happy. He tries fishing, dancing, gambling, and drinking but still feels off. He finally finds his joy working in a kitchen and feeding cats. Mort confronts Albert and asks for help with Keli, but Albert refuses, so Mort and Ysabell (They have begun bonding) head off to do his death duties and try to save her. Albert decides to return to Discworld and teleports back to the university, where he makes a young assistant Rincewind help him gather all the head mages and they perform the rite of AshkEnte. This summons death, which at first tries to bring Mort but Ysabell saves him, then it summons actual Death who is angry but is reminded who he is. He brings Albert back to his home and prepares to punish Mort.

Mort and Ysabell arrive at Keli’s coronation right before the wall of reality reaches them and will make her dead. Mort and Ysabell brings Cutwell and Keli back to Death’s house to escape the new reality and save her life. When they get there Death is very angry and him and Mort duel. Death is about to kill mort but Ysabell stans up for him and death turns Mort’s hourglass upside down.

Mort and Ysabell get married and Keli is now ruling peacefully. She makes Mort and Ysabell a duke and duchess, and Death comes to their wedding to wish them well. THE END.