" If you feel you absolutely must read Discworld books in sequence your first time through, this is the place to start. It's the first one to go further afield, enlarging the cast and filling in some new locations. The Discworld series is often compared to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy-- I think one of the biggest differences is that Discworld as a setting works on its own terms, whereas Hitchhiker's is more purely satire. This is a book where one can feel that taking shape, even if there are still a few rough edges. (Notably the ending is pretty abrupt.) "
— Ratiocination, 11/19/2013