Where should I start with Discworld?

Do not start with Book 1 (The Colour of Magic). The best starting points are: Guards! Guards! (City Watch sub-series, Book 8), Equal Rites (Witches sub-series, Book 3), or Mort (Death sub-series, Book 4). Most Discworld readers recommend Guards! Guards! as the ideal entry point.

Do you need to read Discworld in order?

No. Discworld novels are organised into sub-series. Within each sub-series (Witches, City Watch, Death, etc.) read in order. But you can start any sub-series independently of the others. The only sub-series that matters for order is City Watch — start with Guards! Guards! and read sequentially.

By Ruben Montané · Updated June 2026

How Many Discworld Books Are There?

Q: How many Discworld books are there?

There are 41 Discworld novels by Terry Pratchett, published between 1983 and 2015. The series is complete — Pratchett died in 2015. The books are organised into several sub-series (Rincewind, Death, Witches, City Watch, Moist von Lipwig, standalone) that can be read independently.

Updated June 2026 · Complete series

41 Discworld novels, published 1983–2015 by Terry Pratchett. The series is complete.

Do not start with Book 1. The best entry points are Guards! Guards! (Book 8, City Watch), Mort (Book 4, Death), or Equal Rites (Book 3, Witches). Each sub-series can be read independently.

Novels

1983

First book published

2015

Last book published

85M+

Copies sold

Sub-series

Where to Start — Best Entry Points

Skip Books 1 and 2. The Colour of Magic and The Light Fantastic are Pratchett's early work — less sharp, more parody-for-parody's-sake. The Discworld that fans love begins around Book 3–8. Start where your interest lies.

Most recommended

Guards! Guards!

Book 8 · City Watch sub-series · Sam Vimes, a burnt-out city watchman, confronts a dragon summoned by a secret society

Best standalone entry

Mort

Book 4 · Death sub-series · Death takes an apprentice. Pratchett's Death is the most beloved character in the series

For witches & women

Equal Rites

Book 3 · Witches sub-series · Or start with Wyrd Sisters (Book 6) — many prefer it as the Witches entry

For fantasy parody

The Colour of Magic

Book 1 · Rincewind · Only if you want chronological order — most fans say skip it initially

The Sub-Series — Read Within Each Arc

Sub-series	Key books (in order)	Start with
City Watch	Guards! Guards!, Men at Arms, Feet of Clay, Jingo, The Fifth Elephant, Night Watch, Thud!, Snuff	Guards! Guards! (#8)
Witches	Equal Rites, Wyrd Sisters, Witches Abroad, Lords and Ladies, Maskerade, Carpe Jugulum	Wyrd Sisters (#6)
Death	Mort, Reaper Man, Soul Music, Hogfather, Thief of Time	Mort (#4)
Rincewind	The Colour of Magic, The Light Fantastic, Sourcery, Eric, Interesting Times, The Last Continent, The Last Hero	Sourcery (#5) to skip weakest early entries
Moist von Lipwig	Going Postal, Making Money, Raising Steam	Going Postal (#33)
Tiffany Aching (YA)	The Wee Free Men, A Hat Full of Sky, Wintersmith, I Shall Wear Midnight, The Shepherd's Crown	The Wee Free Men (#30)

Standout Novels — Read These Whatever You Start

Book	Sub-series	Why it's essential
Small Gods (#13)	Standalone	Pratchett on religion, belief, and institutional power — his most serious and arguably best novel
Night Watch (#29)	City Watch	Time-travel watch story; Pratchett at his most emotionally devastating
Guards! Guards! (#8)	City Watch	Best entry point and introduction to Sam Vimes, the series' greatest character
Hogfather (#20)	Death	Death fills in for Father Christmas; the most re-read Discworld novel
Going Postal (#33)	Moist	Con man is forced to run the postal service; Pratchett on capitalism and institutions
The Wee Free Men (#30)	Tiffany Aching	Best YA entry; Tiffany Aching is one of Pratchett's finest protagonists

Full Publication Order — All 41 Books

#	Title	Year	Sub-series
1	The Colour of Magic	1983	Rincewind
2	The Light Fantastic	1986	Rincewind
3	Equal Rites	1987	Witches
4	Mort	1987	Death
5	Sourcery	1988	Rincewind
6	Wyrd Sisters	1988	Witches
7	Pyramids	1989	Standalone
8	Guards! Guards!	1989	City Watch
9	Eric	1990	Rincewind
10	Moving Pictures	1990	Standalone
11	Reaper Man	1991	Death
12	Witches Abroad	1991	Witches
13	Small Gods	1992	Standalone
14	Lords and Ladies	1992	Witches
15	Men at Arms	1993	City Watch
16	Soul Music	1994	Death
17	Interesting Times	1994	Rincewind
18	Maskerade	1995	Witches
19	Feet of Clay	1996	City Watch
20	Hogfather	1996	Death
21	Jingo	1997	City Watch
22	The Last Continent	1998	Rincewind
23	Carpe Jugulum	1998	Witches
24	The Fifth Elephant	1999	City Watch
25	The Truth	2000	Standalone
26	Thief of Time	2001	Death
27	The Last Hero	2001	Rincewind
28	The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents	2001	Standalone (YA)
29	Night Watch	2002	City Watch
30	The Wee Free Men	2003	Tiffany Aching
31	Monstrous Regiment	2003	Standalone
32	A Hat Full of Sky	2004	Tiffany Aching
33	Going Postal	2004	Moist von Lipwig
34	Thud!	2005	City Watch
35	Wintersmith	2006	Tiffany Aching
36	Making Money	2007	Moist von Lipwig
37	Unseen Academicals	2009	Standalone
38	I Shall Wear Midnight	2010	Tiffany Aching
39	Snuff	2011	City Watch
40	Raising Steam	2013	Moist von Lipwig
41	The Shepherd's Crown	2015	Tiffany Aching

FAQs

Are there any Discworld books after Terry Pratchett died?

No. Pratchett (who had early-onset Alzheimer's) instructed that his hard drives be destroyed after his death. No posthumous Discworld novels exist. The Shepherd's Crown (2015) is the final book in the series.

Is Discworld suitable for children?

The main adult series is suitable from around 12+. The Tiffany Aching sub-series is written explicitly for younger readers (age 10+) and is an excellent entry point for young Pratchett fans. The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents is standalone YA.

What order should I read the City Watch books?

Guards! Guards!, Men at Arms, Feet of Clay, Jingo, The Fifth Elephant, Night Watch, Thud!, Snuff. The City Watch arc has the strongest internal continuity — Sam Vimes's character development across 8 books is Pratchett's finest long-form achievement. Read in order.