o yes, this was the book I gave to the young girl with the hankering for female-orientated fantasy, as detailed HERE.

In this Terry Pratchett Diskworld novel, the small, pious and stupid country of Borogravia has declared was on just about everyone. They block the roads and burn down the Clack towers. And this state of endless “police actions” have depopulated much of their country of fine young men and produced many widows.

Young Polly works in her father’s tavern yet she wonders about her brother who marched off to war just last year. There were one or two heavily censored letters and then nothing. Frustrated with the lack of information, our heroine decides to take matters (and scissors) into her own hands. She shears off her locks and having seen so many cocky young men in her tavern, she knows how to duplicate their strutting, belching, punching, farting natures. And the recruitment team who passes through the area is willing to take anyone in their regiment. And so Polly (or Oliver) finds herself playing the Mulan trope, a woman hiding amongst the men, in constant danger of discovery by her mates, and death by the enemy.

But the total surprise of where the novel goes is well worth a read.

Another fine novel from the pen of Terry Pratchett. Worth a squint and a chuckle. Enjoy the fun of diskworld!

>>>AND BUY ONE OF MY BOOKS TOO!<<<