Sourcery by Terry Pratchett

This above all- to thine own self be true,
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man.

     - Hamlet, Act 1, Scene 3

In Equal Rites it was established that to be a wizard on the Discworld one had to be the eighth son of an eighth son.  Why then were wizards forbidden to father children?  Because the eighth son of a wizard is a sourcerer, a source of magic in an already magical world.  History shows this spells trouble; and when Ipslore the Red decides to become a father for the eighth time, history is just about to repeat with disastrous consequences.

Sourcery marks the return of the cowardly and inept wizard Rincewind.  As usual, he seems to be human lightning rod, attracting all sorts of magical misfortune.  This time it appears to be the end of wizardry and Unseen University.  Despite his best efforts to stay true to his nature (and this involves a lot of running away), Rincewind is just about to have greatness thrust upon him.

Sourcery is a watershed installment in the Discworld series.  It marks the end of Pratchett's initial conception of Unseen University. Prior to this book, the wizards had been organised into eight different orders, each with eight levels of prowess and prestige.  The characters state repeatedly that the events of the novel are going to end all that.  And end it they do, but the reader is going to have to wait until the tenth discworld novel, Moving Pictures, before they find out what changes have been made at the University.  

Let's just say the dissolving of the orders ends the emphasis on parody in the Discworld novels and replaces it with satire.  To my mind, this is a most welcome change, and from this point onwards the Discworld becomes a wonderful mirror in which our own world is reflected, powerfully, poignantly and hilariously.

As for Sourcery itself, the book investigates the problems of being true to oneself.  Rincewind's companions are, variously and improbably, a barbarian who wants to be a hairdresser, a clerk who wants to be a barbarian, and a sybaritic oriental despot who just wants to drink and be told stories.  The wizards of Unseen University, when handed unlimited magical power, revert to their true wizardly nature and engage in catastrophic behaviour.  As for Rincewind, circumstances force him to transcend his own nature at a very high price.

Sourcery is not among the best of Terry Pratchett's books.  It is a solid, well-crafted tale that serves its purpose - it is a scene-setter for subsequent books.  Still, it contains Pratchett's wonderful humour and word-play, and these nicely balance the serious events in the story.  Perhaps not as satisfying as its two immediate predecessors, Equal Rites and Mort, but well worth the time.