Dodger

This is a rather charming fantasy about life in early-Victorian London, in which the young Dodger of the title comes from the humblest of beginnings and goes up in the world.

The scenario is all based on quite interesting factual research and there's no magic in it, but I call it a fantasy because Terry Pratchett is a softie, and various characters in this book, including the hero, are too full of human goodness to be credible. You have to suspend disbelief in that respect.

The book is vaguely similar to his past City Watch books, set in the fictional city of Ankh-Morpork; but this one has a new scenario and a new set of characters.

Cautiously recommended if you're attracted by the idea of a book with a grittily realistic scenario populated by characters that would seem more at home in a fairytale. And yes, of course there is a happy ending.