The Last Hero

First published in October 2001 by Victor Gollancz. It is the twenty-seventh Discworld novel and the seventh (final) Rincewind book — presented as a lavishly illustrated short novel with artwork by Paul Kidby.

Paul Kidby, who became Pratchett's preferred Discworld illustrator after Josh Kirby's death in 2001. The Last Hero was published as a large-format illustrated novel, featuring full-colour artwork throughout.

Cohen and the Silver Horde intend to trek to the Hub — the centre of the Disc — and return the fire that Prometheus originally stole from the gods. In Discworld cosmology, returning fire to the gods with a large enough explosive would destroy the Disc. Cohen considers this a heroic ending.

The Silver Horde is Cohen's gang of very old (but extremely dangerous) surviving barbarian heroes — men who should have died gloriously decades ago but were too competent. They are collectively the most lethal group of senior citizens on the Disc.

Leonard of Quirm is the Disc's analogue to Leonardo da Vinci — a polymath genius who fills notebooks with inventions that terrify Vetinari and who is kept under comfortable house arrest for the safety of everyone. He is a recurring minor character across the series.