The Fifth Elephant

By Terry Pratchett,

Book cover of The Fifth Elephant

Book description

They say that diplomacy is a gentle art. That its finest practitioners are subtle, sophisticated individuals for whom nuance and subtext are meat and drink. And that mastering it is a lifetime's work. But you do need a certain inclination in that direction. It's not something you can just pick…

Shepherd is reader supported. When you buy books, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Why read it?

2 authors picked The Fifth Elephant as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

When it comes to fantasy books, it’s hard to narrow things down to only one book in Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series.

He was a master of satire and the use of asides to parody the tropes of fantasy while also telling compelling stories and building a world you could imagine visiting. If we’re going to annoy the people trying to ban LGBTQ+ books, though, I’d have to recommend starting with The Fifth Elephant.

As the kingdom of dwarves is in disarray over the disappearance of the Scone necessary to crown their king, a group of Night Watch detectives from a…

Like all of Pratchett’s disc world books the story is well thought out, the characters people the reader can identify with and, in some cases, even recognise, but it is also more than just a story. Pratchett is an absolute master at folding social commentary into his stories, and this one is no exception. The cynical Commander of the Ankh-Morpork City Watch, Sir Samuel Vimes, reluctant Duke of Ankh, is sent into Überwald as Ambassador to attend the coronation of the Low King of the Dwarves and must deal with a Werewolf clan, plotting dwarf factions, and the Lady Margalotta…

From Patrick's list on combining fantasy and social commentary.

Alpha Max

By Mark A. Rayner,

Book cover of Alpha Max

Mark A. Rayner Author Of Alpha Max

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Human shaped Pirate hearted Storytelling addict Creatively inclined

Mark's 3 favorite reads in 2023

What is my book about?

Maximilian Tundra is about to have an existential crisis of cosmic proportions.

When a physical duplicate of him appears in his living room, wearing a tight-fitting silver lamé unitard and speaking with an English accent, Max knows something bad is about to happen. Bad doesn’t cover it. Max discovers he’s the only human being who can prevent the end of the world, and not just on his planet! In the multiverse, infinite Earths will be destroyed.

Alpha Max

By Mark A. Rayner,

What is this book about?

★★★★★ "Funny, yet deep, this is definitely worth venturing into the multiverse for."

Amazing Stories says: "Snarky as Pratchet, insightful as Stephenson, as full of scathing social commentary as Swift or Voltaire, and weirdly reminiscent of LeGuin, Alpha Max is the only multiverse novel you need this month, or maybe ever."

Maximilian Tundra is about to have an existential crisis of cosmic proportions.

When a physical duplicate of him appears in his living room, wearing a tight-fitting silver lamé unitard and speaking with an English accent, Max knows something bad is about to happen. Bad doesn’t cover it. Max discovers…


Want books like The Fifth Elephant?

Our community of 10,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like The Fifth Elephant.

Browse books like The Fifth Elephant

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in LGBTQ+ topics and characters, werewolves, and werewolf romance?

10,000+ authors have recommended their favorite books and what they love about them. Browse their picks for the best books about LGBTQ+ topics and characters, werewolves, and werewolf romance.

LGBTQ+ Topics And Characters Explore 1,022 books about LGBTQ+ topics and characters
Werewolves Explore 133 books about werewolves
Werewolf Romance Explore 40 books about werewolf romance