Whizbang Dustyboots
100% that gnome
Yeah, the Colour of Magic and the Light Fantastic are his first two books and, compared to the rest, are very rough. (They're still vastly more competent than 90% of early novels.) Starting with Equal Rites, he's doing more than parodying fantasy tropes and is starting his world-building (although the actual events of the novel seem to be forgotten almost immediately, given that we don't see any changes to Unseen University in later books). Guards! Guards! is probably his first really good book.
Small Gods is arguably the best Discworld novel and is a standalone story, almost unconnected to all the other characters he's established, so it's a good place if you just want to dip a toe in. (It's also extremely inspirational for DMing clerics and religions.)
Small Gods is arguably the best Discworld novel and is a standalone story, almost unconnected to all the other characters he's established, so it's a good place if you just want to dip a toe in. (It's also extremely inspirational for DMing clerics and religions.)