Pyramids by Terry Pratchett

Teppic is the heir to the throne of Djelibeybi. For each generation going back as far as anyone can remember the new king, upon the death of his father, builds a pyramid that will serve both as his tomb and an eternal monument. This would be fine but for the fact that each succeeding generation is expected to build a monument that is greater than the last. This keep Djelibeybi locked in a perpetual financial crisis and has caused each succeeding ruler (Pharaoh) to lead a life that is overly regimented to the point of insanity, or at the very least officious inanity.

Teppic's father, Teppicymon XXVII, seems to want a bit more from his son then a life of idleness sitting on the throne and when the story opens we find Teppic going off to `college' in this instance the famed school run by the Guild of Assasins on Ankh-Morpork. No sooneer does Teppic pass his Assasin's exit examination (a typical Pratchett tour de `farce') then his father dies and Teppic is called back to assume the throne.

Teppic chafes at the constraints put upon him and his life by Dios, the nation's chief holy man and enforcement officer. Dios is the type of horrifically evil bureaucrat who, smitten with a bit of power, tends to be the person you must deal with at the Department of Motor Vehicles or at the bank or at the office who's biggest skill is the ability to say `NO!!!' in an infinite number of ways. The rest of the story follows Teppic's adventures as the power of the new pyramid built to honor his father causes havoc with the time-space continuum and which in turn threatens to engulf the region in a disastrous war.

This is my first Discworld novel, but won't be my last.

It's easily read, with lots of likeable characters and had me chuckling all the way through.