Sorry to bump, but I just finished reading it (I got it about the same time as the rest of you, but I’ve been rationing reading it, because it’s a bit depressing to be finally caught up on the books and know that now I have to wait for the next one like everyone else).
I too missed seeing Death in this book. I would have at least expected to see him at the end, making the formal acquaintance of Mr. Stratford. Or possibly in a side scene concerning a Soul of Tears pot, or in one of those “not here on business, just stopping by in case I’m needed” scenes he sometimes has. I’m pretty sure this is only the second Discworld book without him, the other being The Wee Free Men.
I would have liked to see a bit more explication of Stinky, who seems to be a god of the goblins. Is he Unggue itself? Why, at least, does nobody ever ask him his goblin name? “Stinky” is obviously only a nickname given by humans, and not something you’d expect him to be called respectfully.
How exactly are the Ankh-Morpork laws concerning slavery written? Vetinari at the end makes it very clear to Vimes that slavery of goblins was not illegal, since they were not officially persons according to the law at that point. Does the law contain an explicit list of every species that’s considered people? It seems like that would be awkward, with as often as new species appear in Ankh-Morpork. Are orangutans, say, on the list? All of them, or just one particular orangutan? In Unseen Academicals, Vetinari suggests to Ridcully that the Archchancellor’s Hat cannot be owned by the Archchancellor, since it’s a thinking, talking thing, and that would make ownership of it slavery-- If the law is broad enough to cover sapient hats, then surely it’s also broad enough to cover goblins, even if that fact is sadly ignored.
Oh, and ftg, I for one thought that Monstrous Regiment was an excellent book, with its main fault being in the expectations of reviewers who thought it was somehow supposed to be humorous.