“The Color of Magic” is an introduction to the well-known series in the “Discworld” universe. The novel begins and has various descriptions of the world throughout, the image of a flat, round-shaped world on top of a giant turtle, the Great A’Tuin, on top of giant elephants supporting it.
The novel introduces us to the main protagonist of the Discworld, a miserably unsuccessful wizard called Rincewind. Rincewind relies on his wits and brains to survive more than on his magic skills, of which he has barely any. Rincewind’s fate gets intertwined with that of a naive tourist called Twoflower and their humorous and insanity-filled adventure begins.
Rincewind is concerned about keeping his head on his soldiers, avoiding Death who is constantly trailing behind him, while Twoflower is obsessed with seeing and experiencing things as a true tourist that he is. They are two opposite personalities: Rincewind is constantly expecting doom, while Twoflower is unconcerned and overly positive. Their adventure is overlooked and steered by gods of the Discworld, who enjoy gambling on the outcome.
The novel reads as an introduction to a series, and it is not a stand-alone read, meaning that the plot is unfinished, and it ends with a cliffhanger, with Rincewind about to fall of the edge of the world. It is a novel of fantastical nonsense, but it explores some important themes as the power of imagination, social class and role of wealth and money.
