‘Why do people need gods?’ Brutha persisted. ‘Oh, you’ve got to have gods,’ said Om, in a hearty, no-nonsense voice. ‘But it’s gods that need people,’ said Brutha. ‘To do the believing. You said.’ Om hesitated. ‘Well, okay,’ he said. ‘But people have got to believe in something.”

My thanks to Pan MacMillan Tor for a digital review copy via NetGalley of ‘Small Gods’ by Sir Terry Pratchett.

‘Small Gods’ was originally published in 1992 and is Book 13 of The Discworld series. Although I had originally read it on publication, I welcomed the opportunity to reread and complemented my reading with its newly released unabridged audiobook narrated by Andy Serkis with Bill Nighty, and Peter Serafinowicz.

This novel relates the origin story of the Great God Om, and his prophet Brutha. Unfortunately for Om his attempt to manifest in the world has left him in the form of a tortoise, stripped of his divine powers. This is a manifestation far below god-like status in anyone's book. The novice Brutha is the only one who can hear him and he is very protective of Om the tortoise. Still, many who encounter Om in his tortoise form remark: ‘There’s good eating on one of them, you know.’ Eep.

While there is plenty of the broad comic fantasy that defines the Discworld novels, ‘Small Gods’ is also quite a serious work that blends philosophical musings with biting satire on religion, religious institutions, religious practices, and the role of religion in politics. It’s potentially a controversial subject though Sir Terry is a master satirist and utilises fantasy tropes to great effect.

As always, a delight.

Despite it being obvious that Pratchett is an icon of fantasy writing, his Discworld work is too removed from real world for me and I found this frankly harder than Shakespeare to read, like the other books I idiotically requested in a spree after they came highly recommended by someone who knows my taste (not as fantasy as this), and whom I highly trusted. These were a real miss for me and has totally put me off reading any other Pratchett. I will recommend them to anyone who really loves high fantasy and just hope that these are their cup of tea instead.

This is hailed one of Pratchetts best discworld novels, and it’s clear to see why. While it’s about religion, it didn’t feel like a parody, like some of his other novels in this world have been.

The humour is the best part of this book, something that Pratchett is unparalleled with.

This book is one that is always recommended as a great starting point for those wanting to get into the Discworld, and I would absolutely agree with this.

Probably one of Pratchett's more serious novels, looking at the damage that can be done by organised religion. There is still plenty of humour though, particularly in the shape of a tortoise...

I love Pratchett's take on religion and religious philosophy. The small god, Om, currently in the shape of a turtle, has lost his power due to a lack of true believers. Om needs a disciple. Unfortunately the gentle Brutha is the only one available. This is a standalone in the Discworld series, with none of the usual cast of characters. It contains some profound ideas about religion and what humans do (or try to do) in its name. Mr P has some things to say about religion, but never loses the humour and absurdity that Discworld is known for.

I must admit that this book was a little uncomfortable initially to read for me personally because the author had chosen to make the central ‘small god’ to be called Om. It looked more like a dig towards the Buddhist side of things and given where it originally comes from, it still felt a little off. Once I got past that and ignored it, it was a fun and slightly profound book in its own way.
There is less subtlety in this than I have encountered in the previous few reprints that I have read in this series. Everything is much more upfront.
Omnians have been conquering the world through underhanded tricks, and the whole process is spearheaded by one man who is bending people’s thoughts. On the temple property is another man, the only one with true devotion, as he is soon to find out. The god ( now a lowly turtle, who everyone thinks would make a good meal in alternating chapters) has now lost all his power due to the lack of true believers, and he wants to rectify the situation. Our main protagonist is a simple person who wants to be left alone with his marvellous picture-perfect memory. It is, unfortunately, an opportunity that cannot be missed. The higher-ups set out on a conquering mission which leads the former to question all that has been beaten into him his whole life. There are a lot of speculations thrown around as well as descriptions which had me giggling. I have collected a few below, which come from the same section in the story since I got too lazy to highlight all the things I found hilarious after that.



“All over the world there were rulers with titles like Exalted, the Supreme….only in one small country was the ruler elected by the people who could remove him whenever they wanted- they called him the Tyrant.”

“The Ephebians believed that every man should have the vote. Provided that he wasn’t poor, foreign nor disqualified by the reason of being mad, frivolous or a woman.”

“Every Five years, someone was elected to be the tyrant, provided he could prove that he was honest, intelligent, sensible and trustworthy. Immediately after he was elected, of course, it was obvious to everyone that he was a criminal madman and totally out of touch with the view of the ordinary philosopher in the street looking for a towel. And then five years later they elected another one just like him, and really it was amazing how intelligent people kept on making the same mistakes.”

“In front of the barrel, a short man in a toga that must have been white the same way that once all continents must have been joined together was kicking another one who was on the ground.”

It is not a story about nice people. They are all pretty brutal but felt quite entertaining all the same. I loved the conversation that occurs with Death towards the end since it felt more profound than everything I had previously encountered in the story. It is a complex plot, with belief and ideas at the centre of it all. It is not one that I read like the previous ones. There were more contemplations and guesses as to what the author was trying to do/say in any given scene. I am pretty sure that no two people will get exactly the same thing from this book. It felt longer because of it all. The multiple journeys, physical and metaphorical, that several people undertake can serve as a deterrent to swift progression through the narrative.
I would recommend this particular book to anyone who has not invested much in the series before and knows nothing of the background because this feels like a very separate book. Although it is in the Discworld world, none of the internal politics or prior adventures makes an impact on this plot. It is all about the Gods and the schemes that are connected to them.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

Brutha is working in the monastery gardens when a turtle lands nearby - as they do. This turtle was supposed to be a mighty eagle but you can't have everything.

Brutha is a novice in the monastery, dedicated to the god Om, and is not likely to progress because while he seems to lack many skills he also has unrecognised skills. One such skill is to hear the voice of this particular turtle who claims to be the god Om. Brutha is a gentle soul and would not hurt a harmless creature and so he becomes guardian of the turtle god.

Brutha is chosen to go with a delegation to try to persuade them to worship Om but he suspects treachery, murder and war may ensue. And harmless Brutha with his pet turtle are trapped in the middle.

The 13th book in the series this felt like a deviation from the "normal" Discworld books but still delights in the same humorous vein. None of the regular characters appear although you very quickly don't miss them.

Once again you can see parallels to real life and views on those events expressed - but not at the expense of humour and a most enjoyable story.

Highly recommended but if you're new to the Discworld and want to know what it's all about then consider not starting with this one.

This a book that is a sort of stand-alone even if it's part of Discworld. It doesn't feature any of the usual characters and it's not set in the usual spot.
It's full of food for thought, funny as only Pratchett's book can be, but also full of food for thought and cutting remarks.
It talks about religion and Mr Pratchett had something to say, something very clever and very important in our days of dogmatism and sectarianism
I wouldn't recommend it as the first in Discworld but it's an important book as there are references in Carpe Jugulum and other books in this series.
It's highly recommended as usual
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Another classic from the King of Fantasy, it may not be my first time reading, but it’s no less fantastic than the first time i read it, humour, great world building and amazing writing, you need to read these books

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

This is the 13th book by the Author set in his fantastic Discworld series and should be treated as a standalone as the usual 'characters' are absent here .

Religion fights for its place in this book , there are so many that just to find enough worshippers sharp elbows are needed .
The Great God Om has undertaken one of his regular transformations , only instead of becoming a great ox he has returned 3 years later as a lowly tortoise . With only one steadfast (dis) believer in Brutha a humble gardener - who rescues him from the clutches of an eagle - just how is he to reach the dizzy heights of his 'Godly' brethren ?

This is the Author at his very best - he manages to bring humour and absurdity to a book which also questions the idea of 'god'

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

First things first. If you are new to Pratchett’s writing and that ‘Book 13’ is a problem for you – please feel free to completely ignore it. While Small Gods is set on the Discworld, because the desert location is a long way from Ankh-Morpok, or Lancre where most of the main characters get caught up in adventures, this is essentially a standalone.

This is the book where Pratchett tackles religion and the nature of faith. I suspect that’s why he set it away from the more well-trodden parts of the Discworld and provides us with a completely new cast of characters. The protagonist is endearing Brutha, a novice who is cursed with an infallible memory and is in the lower echelons of a highly aggressive sect that worships the great god Om. Om had decided to make one of his regular transformations – but instead of becoming a huge, powerful ox with steel hooves designed to trample unbelievers into the earth, something went wrong. And three years later he surfaces to discover he’d turned into a tortoise, instead. And he has only one steadfast believer, who is Brutha, a humble novice who works in the garden. Harried by an eagle, he manages to make telepathic contact with Brutha, who protects him.

The first thing that struck me about the book is that although there is a strong, pacy storyline featuring Brutha and the machinations of Vorbis, the ideas around the nature of faith and religion are just as important. It’s no accident that Om spends a fair amount of time trying to get away from an eagle, as the tale of the eagle and the tortoise is one of those foundation fable/myth stories that pops up all over the world and has been around for hundreds of years. Interestingly, the outcome of the classic story varies. Sometimes the tortoise gets eaten by the evil eagle who tricks him, other versions have the tortoise as the discontented grumpy one who insists on being taken up to see the world. Holding onto a stick with his mouth as he soars through the air, he then lets go to moan about something and falls to his death. Pratchett doesn’t go into all these variations – but I love the fact that he chose such a multi-faceted myth as a main reference point.

The other aspect that stood out for me is the violence. I hadn’t remembered just how savage it is – though it makes sense when considering the bloody history of many of the main religions. What I’d loved the first time and also impressed me all over again, is how effectively Pratchett disguises his own views on a really tricky topic. While he clearly dislikes the heavy-handed violence of the Omnians, he also makes some hefty arguments about the need for humanity to have something bigger and better to aspire to. In typical Pratchett fashion, he turns the issue on its head and focuses on the responsibilities that gods have towards their believers. It’s a clever book with lots of apt, witty observations on the nature of faith, including philosophy and the love of knowledge.

Any niggles? I got a bit fed up with the desert version of Cut-Me-Own-Throat Dibber, who sells dodgy stuff on sticks at any large religious gathering. The gags were funny the first time, but didn’t really bear the repetitions. And my arc copy didn’t have any hyperlinks to the enjoyable and very funny footnotes, though I’m assuming the published ebook has these in place. Nonetheless, once more I was impressed at the quality of the satire throughout – and moved at the merciful act at the very end. If you have ever wondered about some of the big questions around our existence, reading Pratchett’s take will provide some thought-provoking insights as well as an entertaining story. Highly recommended. While I obtained an arc of Small Gods from the publisher via Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own.
10/10

One of the best Discworld novels that illustrate just how good the author is when he is at the top of his game. Many thanks to the publisher for allowing me the pleasure of reading this fantastic novel.

While being fun and absurd like all of Terry Pratchett's work, this book also has a lot of thought in it. In the sense of it's questioning of a god. It's existentialism at its finest, but leaves you full rather than empty.

trigger warning
<spoiler> torture, slavery </spoiler>

One day, novice monk Brutha is approached by a tortoise who claims to be his god.

Brutha doesn't believe the animal at first, because Om is great! Om is powerful! He'd appear as a bull, or maybe a swan! And why would he chose a novice to speak to when the citadel is full of believers?

Interesting questions are asked, about whom to believe, what to believe, what religion is there for and what this might mean for the people.

Again, this is a newly re-published installment of the Discworld, and a perfect entry novel. It's basically a standalone, the only character that appears in other Discworld books is DEATH, and he may appear everywhere. It's his job, you see.

This was my first read in the original version, and I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. Somehow I remembered this as being boring, but it's everything but that.

Full recommendations. And remembe: The turtle moves!
The arc was provided by the publisher.

One of my favourite Discworld books – it was so great to reread it. In Small Gods, Pratchett takes a tongue in cheek poke at religious intuitions. With his usual wit and wisdom, he gently poses questions about how ludicrous religion is while still allowing that faith is a matter of personal choice – and should be kept as a private issue. Obviously this is in line with my own opinions so perhaps that’s why this always lands so well, but if you want to read this just as a fantasy escapade heavy on the humour, there’s plenty of that too. A truly excellent book.

A standalone Discworld novel!

You don't need a lot, if any, background information to get into this book.
Pratchett takes on religion in a direct manner and everything that comes with it - in a humour filled AND respectful manner. There is no punching down with jokes on the subject of religion or creation. It manages to be profound and laugh-out-loud funny - quite often in the same paragraph (maybe even sentence!).

A brilliant book to read on a down day to brighten spirits.

In this Discworld novel, Pratchett takes on religion, and all the chaos and nonsense that can come with it. It is not part of any Discworld subseries, as far as I know, so you can just start reading it right now!

Omg i love this book!
Terry Pratchett at his best.
A classic discworld novel, hilarious yet deep thinking. Highly recommended.

Only Pratchett could take something like a creation myth and make it funny and still with enough respect to the subject of religion to not upset people.

Thank you to the publisher. Discworld is one of my favourite series ever made and it's been so exciting to revisit it.