Best Terry Pratchett Book To Start With

As a lover of books and literature, you must have come across the name Terry Pratchett and if you haven’t, here’s a chance to know about him. 

Terry Pratchett is considered the giant of British fantasy and many readers find him fascinating thanks to his Discworld series. 

In this series, you’ll find forty-one novels, four ‘mapps’, several short stories, and a wide range of non-fiction books consisting of cookbooks, picture books, trivia collections, and diaries. 

Indeed, Terry Pratchett has earned the title of a giant of British fantasy through years of hard work and dedication. 

Sir Terence David John Pratchett OBE (28 April 1948 – 12 March 2015) was an English humorist and author of fantasy novels: Pratchett fans love him best for his Discworld series of 41 novels. 

Having written many books in his lifetime, it’s difficult to conclude which of his books is the best to start with. Pratchett’s first novel, The Carpet People, and his other books have been the UK’s top sellers, countless times. 

This feat is achievable due to the simplicity and easy-to-read nature of his book and his ability to maintain humor and wordplay throughout his books. 

If you’re a new Pratchett fan, and you’re looking for the best Terry Pratchett book to start with, The Carpet People is a good choice. 

Not only is it his first book, but it’s also written with a unique style of storytelling that captivates and hooks the audience from beginning to end. 

This captivating fantasy story follows a tribe called the Munrungs known as the Carpet.

In what order should you read Terry Pratchett’s books?

Terry Pratchett’s books take readers on a trip to a magical land full of mystery, magic, and intrigue. The number of Discworld novels written by Terry Pratchett in his life makes a total of 41 novels. 

The books are so many that new readers of his work find it difficult to find the best order of reading Terry Pratchett’s books. 

In subsequent paragraphs, you’ll discover new ways to approach Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series and have a perfect understanding of it.

Reading the series in a chronological order

You can read Terry Pratchett’s books in the order they were written; this ensures you don’t have to guess what book to read next or miss out on any book. Below is a list of Discworld books according to how they were published:

• The Colour of Magic
• The Light Fantastic
• Equal Rites
• Mort

• Sourcery
• Wyrd Sisters
• Pyramids

• Guards! Guards!
• Faust Eric
• Moving Pictures
• Reaper Man
• Witches Abroad
• Small Gods

• Lords and Ladies
• Men at Arms

• Soul Music
• Interesting times
• Masquerade
• Feet of Clay
• Hogfather
• Jingo
• The Last Continent
• Carpe Jugulum

• The Fifth Elephant
• The Truth
• Thief of Time

• The Last Hero
• The Amazing Maurice And His Educated Rodents
• Night Watch

• The Wee Free Men
• Monstrous Regiment
• A Hat Full of Sky
• Going, Postal

• Thud!
• Wintersmith
• Making Money
• Unseen Academicals
• I Shall Wear Midnight
• Snuff
• Raising Steam
• The Shepherd’s Crown

Also, Terry Pratchett’s books are broken down into different collections, they include:

1. The City Watch collections 

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There are eight books available in the City Watch collection and you can read them in this fashion:

• Guards! Guards!
• Men At Arms
• Feet of Clay
• Jingo
• The Fifth Elephant
• Night Watch
• Thud!

2. The Rincewind collection 

The Rincewind Trilogy : A Discworld Omnibus

• Hardcover Book
• Terry Pratchett (Author)
• English (Publication Language)
• 576 Pages – 03/21/2025 (Publication Date) – Orion Publishing (Publisher)

$19.66

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There are seven books in this collection and they include:

• The Colour of Magic
• The Light Fantastic 
• Sourcery 
• Eric
• Interesting Times 
• The Last Continent
• The Last Hero

3. The Witches Collection

[Wyrd Sisters: Discworld: The Witches Collection] (By: Terry Pratchett) [published: April, 2014]

• Hardcover Book
• Terry Pratchett (Author)
• English (Publication Language)
• 04/01/2014 (Publication Date) – Gollancz (Publisher)

$40.16

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There are six books in this collection and you can read them in the following order:

• Equal Rites
• Wyrd Sisters
• Witches Abroad
• Lords and Ladies
• Masquerade

4. The Death Collection 

There are five books in this collection and they’re best read in this order:

• Mort
• Reaper Man
• Soul Music

• Hogfather
• Thief of Time

5. The Moist von Lipwig Collection

There are three books in this collection and they’re best read in this order:

• Going, Postal
• Making Money
• Raising Steam

6. The Tiffany Aching Collection 

There are five books in the Tiffany Aching collection and they include:

• The Wee Free Men
• A Hat Full of Sky
• Wintersmith
• I Shall Wear Midnight
• The Shepherd’s Crown

Are Terry Pratchett books suitable for kids?

Terry Pratchett’s books are entirely suitable for kids in the sense that there are no sex scenes and no violence however the child should be a bit older before introducing the books to them. 

Young readers can start reading the following Terry Pratchett Discworld books:

• The Wee Free Men
• A Hat Full of Sky
• Wintersmith
• I Shall Wear Midnight
• The Shepherd’s Crown
• The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents
• The World of Poo
• Where’s My Cow

At what age should you start reading Discworld?

To be able to read and understand Terry Pratchett’s book, you need to have attained a level of mental maturity. 

Most of Pratchett’s play on words and innuendos would easily fly over the head of a 9-year-old. 

Even if they’re having a good read, they’d not have an in-depth understanding of the book. 

However, a child that’s about 12 years of age can read, understand, and appreciate Terry Pratchett’s books.