Maskerade

Title: Maskerade
Author: Terry Pratchett

What it's about: Phantom of the Opera meets Discworld. Agnes Nitt wants to make something of herself, so she leaves her home in Lancre and goes to the city of Ankh-Morpork. She auditions at the opera house, and her voice, which is as big as the rest of her, wins her a spot in the chorus to sing over the perky blonde beauty Christine. Meanwhile, Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg, the two witches of Lancre, sense trouble for Agnes, so they head for the city as well, and you can be sure that no amount of trouble, not even a murderous opera ghost, can stand up to these two old biddies.

What I thought: Theatre fans and Discworld fans will definitely enjoy this. If you're not familiar with Discworld, you may not get as much out of the book, but you'll still like it. Agnes is a very sensible protagonist, and this leads to a lot of humor when her sensibilities come up against the theatrical nature of things in an opera house. Nanny Ogg's The Joye of Snacks makes for an ... interesting subplot as well. The ending is not, perhaps, very satisfying for those who love their happy endings in the traditional sense, but it works very well for the kind of story that this is. A good, solid Discworld story.

Overall: A fun read for theatre and Discworld fans.