Mortimor, known as "Mort," is the youngest son of a family of winemakers who make wine from reannual grapes (the kind of grapes that grow backwards in time, and the kind of wine that fortunetellers drink, which gives you a hangover the morning before you drink it). On the one day of the year that young men are chosen for apprentices, Mort's father takes him to the town square. Death hires him on as an apprentice. Mort meets Death's rather sullen daughter (adopted) Ysabell, and is assigned to "collect" the beautiful Princess Keli, which he doesn't want to do at all. Pratchett's usual Discworld jokes and hilarities are on display, and though Death is portrayed humorously (he'd kind of like to try a different line of work -- short order cook, maybe! -- and he is very fond of kittens), the unique idea for this book doesn't play out to full satisfaction.
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The review of this Book prepared by David Loftus
