Hogfather (Discworld #20)
- Author: Terry Pratchett
- Page count: 445
- Started on: 2026/04/09
- Finished on: 2026/05/06
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
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Hogfather is the 20th book in Pratchett’s Discworld series, which means that by now the main characters and races in the world, as well as its mythology, have been well established. Hogswatch is Discworld’s version of Christmas, and Hogfather is its equivalent of Santa Claus.
There’s just one problem this year: the Hogfather is missing, and Death is trying to fill the role to the best of his ability. It’s just that Death is often very literal in his interpretation of the rules and lore of Hogswatch, and - well-intentioned or not - a pillow and fake beard don’t turn the grim reaper into an instant substitute for the real deal. The subplot follows Death’s granddaughter Susan, who begins the novel as a demon-slaying nanny before joining the Death of Rats (squeak) and Quoth the raven to save the Hogfather.
As usual, I consumed this Pratchett novel in audiobook form. While I really (REALLY) miss Stephen Briggs’ character work, I love that Bill Nighy is so present as Death, along with the main narration and other characters by Sian Clifford this time around. The novel itself is fun as usual for Pratchett, and there are plenty of new, memorable characters here, but Nighy’s Hooo, hooo, hooooos are what made me laugh frequently.
