Sir Terry Pratchett's Guards! Guards! is the starting point for all Watch fans. Written in 1989, this is the novel where he introduces one of the most well-loved characters of Discworld – Samuel Vimes and Carrot Ironfoundersson. It is also the book that lays the foundation for future Watch novels whereby he introduces a vigilant police force into his quirky little imaginary world. All hell breaks loose but in entirely an unpredictable and hilarious manner. 

Like the title suggests, Guards! Guards! Is Discworld's first glimpse at a cop drama. It is also the good folks' first attempt at decent police work. Sure, the Watch had always been around but given their status as a sad little group of wannabes, they didn't count as much. This particular novel is where it all changes, where the Watch rises up to be a respectable force under the guidance of Vimes. Or at least takes its first baby steps.

The story goes that Discworld is attacked by a dragon. It randomly blasts away at various buildings and public spots before settling in to threaten the Discworld leaders. It's up to Vimes and co. to solve the mystery of the disappearing (and reappearing) dragon. Let's not forget, it is their responsibility to find the culprits behind the summoning of the dragon as well.

Those of you who pish-posh the difficulty faced by the group and expect CSI style of sleuthing is in for a surprise. The Watch is a sorry group indeed. Vimes is very much a flawed character at the beginning where he turns to the bottle every time he needs to escape stress. The only other members in the Watch are Colon and Nobbs. For those not in the know, they are your stereotypical corrupt, bribe-loving cops. Well, they are what some folks turn into without proper supervision and guidance. And then there is Carrot.

You could argue that Carrot is the one who turned matters around. Carrot is more idealistic than the other three and spends a bit of time trying to change them. On the other hand, he follows orders rather literally and thus, is easily impressionable himself. As you can see, Carrot by himself would not have given Watch the makeover it needed. Rather, it was their reaction to the dragon attacks coupled with Vimes approaching a turning point in his life that sets the stage for the Watch being an integral part of Ankh-Morpork life.

This is definitely a must-read for those who are fans of Disworld's Watch-based series. It traces the early beginnings of Vimes, at least the bit where he was a broken shell of a man before picking up the pieces and moving on with his life. Given that Vimes is one of the most well-loved characters created by Pratchett, of course this novel will be of interest. Vimes is more mature and more stable in later novels and you can hardly imagine him having such a low point in his point. But he does. And he overcomes all these inner conflicts in this particular novel. That in itself is heart-warming to read and it never gets old.

Another aspect I loved was Vimes' love affair with Sybil Ramkin. She is a noble woman who is an animal rights activist in the novel. Since she looks after abandoned swamp dragons, you can see how she ends up playing a significant role in this novel. After all, who else would they turn to for information about dragons? The aforementioned romance is a sappiest, and yet, fluff- and nonsense-free romance I have ever come across in a fantasy novel.