SummaryWar has come to Discworld . . . again.
And, to no one's great surprise, the conflict centers on
the small, insufferably arrogant, strictly fundamentalist
duchy of Borogravia, which has long prided itself on it's
ability to beat up on its neighbors for even the tiniest
imagined slight. This time, however, it's Borogravia that's
getting its long overdue comeuppance, which has left the
country severely drained of young men. Ever since her brother Paul marched off to battle a year
ago, Polly Perks has been running The Duchess,her family's
inn -- even though the revered national deity Nuggan has
decreed that female ownership of a business is an
Abomination (with, among others, oysters, rocks, and the
color blue). To keep The Duchess in the family, Polly must
find her missing sibling. So she cuts off her hair, dons
masculine garb, and sets out to join him in this man's
army. Despite her rapid mastery of belching, scratching, and
other macho habits (and aided by a well-placed pair of
socks), Polly is afraid that someone will immediately see
through her disguise; a fear that proves groundless when
the recruiting officer, the legendary and seemingly ageless
Sergeant Jackrum, accepts her without question. Or perhaps
the sergeant is simply too desperate for fresh cannon
fodder to discriminate -- which would explain why a
vampire, a troll, a zombie, a religious fanatic, and two
uncommonly close "friends" are also eagerly welcomed into
the fighting fold. But marching off with little (read: no)
training, Polly (now called "Oliver") finds herself
wondering about the myriad peculiarities of her new
brothers-in-arms. It would appear that Polly "Ozzer" Perks
is not the only grunt with a secret. There is no time to
dwell on such matters, however.Duty calls. The battlefield
beckons. There's a tide to be turned. And sometimes -- in war as in everything else -- the best
man for the job is a woman.
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