The Color of Magic is ambitious and strives hard to be an epic satirical fantasy. You can tell that this is the first Discworld novel; the general outline of the world exists, characters are taking shape, and Pratchett is exploring the sense of humor he's going to ultimately land on. He takes chances on some deeply niche jokes, jokes within his new made up world, and within his scenes. Some of them pay off really well, others leave you a little confused, and tbh I'm not sure I even noticed all of the attempts. For me, this is part of the appeal. Pratchett was a deeply funny man and I appreciate how this is layered through out the Discworld novels. Many books are worth rereads, but Pratchett works hard to make his books reward those who will take the time to come back again. If you invest in his ridiculous 41 book series he'll reward you for the effort.

Back to this book, though, Pratchett feels pretty bound to traditional fantasy still, despite poking fun at it all the while. The breakneck speed of the plot, the sheer mileage covered, and the large cast all work together to make this a pretty weak installment - UNLESS you already hold some love for the world and the characters. We simply don't have enough time for the epic fantasy scope to pay off; we hit the ground running with little foundational work provided. Because I'm already invested I could hang, but I totally get those who did not enjoy this experience!

Many have pointed out this is not the place to start your Discworld journey and I totally agree with that. I loved this book largely because I love the mini-series, which I have watched numerous times since it came out forever ago. Having read a handful of other Discworld books also helped me hang in there, and specifically how much I love Death really helped pull me along.

If you're looking for recs on where to start your Discworld journey, I recommend looking up reading order charts (like this one) so you can visualize how many entry points actually exist. Very few people read all 41 books straight through publication order, and I certainly don't recommend that approach. My personal recs for starting are either Mort or Guards! Guards! as they are much more newbie friendly and focus in on a specific slice of the disc.

All in all though, so glad I finally read this. I'll eventually read additional Rincewind novels, but for now I'm excited to explore other story lines!