Night Watch under the supervision of Commander Sam Vimes has stood for Ankh-Morpork whenever it was needed. The squad has handled murders, robberies and also lawlessness on the streets with extreme perfection. All this perfection had one reason behind it i.e Sam Vimes, the man who takes his profession more seriously than anyone else.
He performed wonders in Feet of Clay and The Fifth Elephant but now he is in a heartbroken condition. Something from within has taken all his energy and he is dead from the inside. Time is passing quickly and the city faces terrible crimes, the squad needs the old Vimes back in business but he is struggling to collect himself. Rebels are bringing havoc in the city and if the Night Watch doesn’t stand against it there would be nothing left to save in the city. For Sam Vimes it is tough to decide what is more precious for him in life.
If he keeps quite he would get a chance to spend a peaceful life with his family and if stands against all of it he would lose his wife and child. Terry Pratchett has portrayed Sam as a man of action since his introduction. Sam has never let down his department and friends but his confusion and sad state makes us think that his heart is perhaps divided here.
Like always it is Stephen Briggs who narrates Sam Vimes character, the narrator also had to adjust the style for the hero this time. Sam is not the same action figure that he used to be in the past and he talks in a dejected mode because of which Stephen brought the volume down in narration.