. ▁However , ▁he ▁thought ▁that ▁it ▁might ▁work ▁better ▁as ▁a ▁film , ▁and ▁that ▁he ▁could ▁have ▁fun ▁with ▁characters ▁like ▁N ij el ▁the ▁Dest roy er . ▁ ▁Re ception ▁Crit ical ▁reception ▁for ▁the ▁novel ▁was ▁positive . ▁Toronto ▁Stars ▁Paul ▁St ue we ▁writes ▁that ▁Pr atch ett ▁" dem on str ates ▁a ▁fla ir ▁for ▁c ere br al ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁s lap st ick ▁comedy ." ▁A ▁rev iewer ▁from ▁Publish ers ▁Week ly ▁felt ▁that ▁S our c ery ▁was ▁skill fully ▁written , ▁stating ▁" Pr atch ett ▁does ▁not ▁merely ▁play ▁with ▁words , ▁he ▁jug g les ▁sh rew d ▁observations ▁with ▁a pl omb ." ▁The ▁rev iewer ▁added ▁that ▁" the ▁author ▁never ▁takes ▁himself ▁or ▁his ▁message ▁too ▁seriously , ▁and ▁maintain s ▁a ▁fe ather - light ▁touch ▁throughout ." ▁Tom ▁H utch inson , ▁writing ▁for ▁The ▁Times , ▁thought ▁that ▁S our c ery ▁presents ▁a ▁" mem or able ▁account ▁of ▁how ▁we ▁adapt ▁power ▁before ▁it ▁adapt s ▁us " ▁and ▁" may ▁well ▁be ▁considered ▁[ Pr atch ett ' s ] ▁master pie ce ." ▁Thomas ▁M . ▁Wagner ▁from ▁SF ▁Re views . net ▁gave ▁the ▁book ▁a ▁ 3 . 5 / 5 ▁rating , ▁comment ing ▁that ▁the ▁story ▁" has ▁Pr atch ett ' s ▁tra dem ark ▁light ning ▁p acing , ▁and ▁it ▁fires ▁g ags ▁and ▁one - lin ers ▁at ▁you