Amazon.com.au:Customer reviews: The Last Wish

Top positive review

My Honest Book Review

Reviewed in Australia on 20 January 2020

The Last Wish is a collection of short stories about the Witcher – Geralt of Rivia. It is the first book of the Witcher series and is simultaneously based on during Geralt’s recuperation from injury and recounting the stories that provide foundations for integral story threads throughout the whole series. The stories themselves are well-written and translated and as such, the story flows effortlessly. My only draw-down on this collection is that having watched the series and played the video games, I did feel this was a re-read rather than a first read but that is a me-issue not a book-issue.

For more reviews like this one, check out @myhonestbookreview on Instagram

2 people found this helpful

Top critical review

All critical reviews›

Van

An OK read

Reviewed in Australia on 27 December 2019

Alright book of short stories as an introduction to the Witcher series. As an avid reader of this genre I was disappointed with the Amazon cost when purchasing this on Kindle. There are a lot of books out there, better quality than this and three times longer for a similar price. Would have given it another star if I didn't feel that Amazon were trying to make money off the game and Netflix series

11 people found this helpful

Sort by

Filter by

Filtered by

containing "playing through the games"Clear filter

38 global reviews

This filter only shows ratings with reviews.

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

From Australia

Amazon Customer

An excellent dark fantasy

Reviewed in Australia on 21 May 2017

Verified Purchase

Strong characters faced with difficult choices, great world building. I started itching to play the games reading through this. If you enjoy roaming adventure style fantasy with a dark twist would recommend

Helpful

Cara Smith

Good stuff

Reviewed in Australia on 19 March 2018

Verified Purchase

A highly enjoyable read after playing through the games. This filled in a lot of the gaps and gave me a better understanding of the characters

Helpful

From other countries

Jeffe

Great to read as a prequel to the games

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 8 October 2018

Verified Purchase

I played the second and third Witcher video games prior to reading this, and was happy that there was never any tedium in explaining the basics of the world or protagonist. I'm sure whether this would make it a bit unfathomable for readers who have never played the games, but my personal view is that you very quickly get a grip of who and what Geralt and the world are naturally through the various interactions.

This is a great read with a decent length that moves along at a decent pace. There's a good sense of the mystery and puzzling that goes on in the Witcher games, where often the figuring out of what's going on is more exciting than the bust-ups.

This is a collection of short stories, but there is no inconsistency of character and the whole reads very fluidly expect for one section where there are a number of very short chapters, which personally I wasn't a great fan of. However this is a very small complaint about a very small part of the book and I doubt most will notice.

Overall I really can't find much at all to be negative: this is a great read that kept me enthralled from beginning to end, it conveys the complexity of Geralt and the world neatly, and makes an exceptional companion to the games

11 people found this helpful

Sarah (Feeling Fictional)

The Witcher book 1

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 19 January 2020

Verified Purchase

I'm going to preface this review by saying I was really unwell when I read this book and that may have affected my opinion of it. It took me much longer to read than it should have done and there were parts I listened to multiple times because my brain was too fuzzy to properly pay attention so it's very possible that I missed major details and that's why I didn't fully connect to the story.

I didn't know much about the Witcher series before I went into this book, I knew my brother was obsessed with the games when he was younger (but I'd never played them myself) and I also knew that it was being made into a series by Netflix (which was the main reason I wanted to read it, I mean come on, did you see the pictures of Henry Cavill as Geralt?!). Apart from that, and the fact it was high fantasy, I didn't know what else to expect so I was somewhat surprised when I realised that The Last Wish is actually a collection of short stories rather than a full length novel. I usually find short stories work better as an addition to series I'm already familiar with rather than an introduction to a new world but it was actually pretty well done in this case and allowed us to find out a decent amount about Geralt's background and some of the main characters I assume we'll see throughout the series.

The book starts with Geralt getting injured in a fight, he is taken to a temple to recover and while there he proceeds to recount stories of some of the other monsters he's come across over the years. These stories are interspersed with short updates on his recovery and what is happening in the current timeline. I really liked the huge variety of different monsters that are included, everything from vampires and werewolves through to djinn and gnomes. I loved that we get so many hints of familiar fairytales included in the stories, it makes the world feel familiar and I was always trying to guess what fairytale creature would pop up next.

As a Witcher Geralt has trained both physically and mentally to protect humans from monsters, even going so far as taking a potion that makes him not quite human himself and gives him extra speed, strength and healing abilities. Witchers provide an important service but it isn't always appreciated so he's always a little on the outside looking in no matter how far he travels. I'm really curious to find out more about Geralt but I don't feel like I know him that well yet and that made it a little harder to connect with the story. While there was a lot I enjoyed about the book I don't think I've been fully sucked into this world yet. My friends have assured me that I can start the TV series now though so I'm looking forward to that and I'm hoping I'll enjoy it so much that it'll make me want to continue reading the books.

One person found this helpful

SheReads

Looking for your Witcher fix? Read this!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 3 January 2020

Verified Purchase

This is perfect for fans of the TV series or the games who are looking for more Witcher!

I've played the games and was looking for my Witcher fix after I finished the TV series, so decided to try the book. This is a really good book in its own right, but it gives excellent background to the TV series if there's anything you were unsure about. There were also things that I hadn't known about and I was pleased to discover them.

The book is almost like a collection of short stories with a wider story looping through it. Because of that, it's easy to put down and pick back up again due to the awesome main character. It's rare to find a fantasy book that is so casual and it's not dauntingly massive either. This made for an excellent casual reading experience. If you're looking for your Witcher fix, pick this one up :)

3 people found this helpful

Ben

Fantastic

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 21 November 2018

Verified Purchase

I've started reading the Witcher books after playing, and loving, the games. Going in to these stories with so much of the world already established in my imagination, has been an absolute pleasure. Suddenly I know the meaning behind so many little references, names and places all start to make more sense. Best of all, and something I feared would not be the case, the two different works actually feel connected. I was worried that there'd be so many differences that it might detract from both book and game but, at least in these early stories, it all ties in perfectly.

As for the stories themselves, they're all fascinating and new, but familiar (in a good way.) They're satisfying to read, even if it does sometimes feel like they fly by too quickly. The only problem, I think, comes from the translation. On the whole, it's a very good translation, but sometimes there are moments where a word (or even whole sentences) were repeated so often and close to each other it was a little jarring. In the penultimate short alone, the phrase "no one will ever know what..." was repeated four times. It didn't ruin the fun, but it distracted from the story being told.

Overall I was very pleased by the book and I've already bought the next one. I'm looking forward to making my way through them all.

6 people found this helpful

Amazon Customer

A very good read, for fans of the game and fantasy readers alike, quick delivery, and book in perfect condition.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 20 October 2016

Verified Purchase

I am half way through the book and I am loving it so far. Combines the folklore of Europe through the eyes of The Witcher, Geralt of Rivia.

If you are a fan of the games, you should absolutely pick up this book, and if you enjoy it, definitely read/buy the rest.

Even if you are not a fan of games, and are looking to read something fantastical with a dark tone, Note these books do have some, shall we say adult language, so definitely not recommended to kids, if you've played the games, you probably already know this.

As for the delivery, as per Amazon standard, really quick (next day in fact). However the packaging left something to be desired. They packed it in their standard box with rip to open tab. I would have liked it to have been shrink wrapped as well to make it water tight, in case any rain were to seep in. Mine was fine, but it is a possibility.

The book was in perfect condition though so all is good.

Iwan Evans

Brilliant Storytelling

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 13 June 2016

Verified Purchase

After finishing A Song Of Ice and Fire and patiently waiting for the 6th instalment I found myself yearning for a new book that would fill the void left behind. This was initially achieved through the The kingkiller chronicles and now by this fantastic book. Having played the video game over the year's I already had a familiarity of the world. However the stories in the this book are so engaging and addictive they overshadow that of the game. Overall this is a must read flash of magic, violence, I intrigue and wonderful guy realised characters and I am defiantly picking up the next in the series.

One person found this helpful

A fantastic and immersive tale

Reviewed in Canada on 20 November 2018

Verified Purchase

I was excited to read this after playing the video games of the same name and in anticipation of the upcoming T.V. show. It is very well-written, immersive, and thrilling. Any fantasy lover will be pleased, and for those who are fans of the games, this will offer a much-desired glance further into the Witcher universe.

If you're new to the series, read this one in the order it was published i.e. after the main trilogy (you can find helpful lists online); this is because while Geralt is obviously prevalent in this story, if you have no prior knowledge of him or any other characters, you may find the descriptions somewhat lacking and have trouble imagining him. If you're a fan of the Witcher game, you can read this before starting the rest of the books (like I did), thus reading it in the chronological order of the world of the Witcher. As far as character development goes, I really found that this added to Yennifer, who I strongly disliked in the games (Team Triss!); I understood her motivations more than I did before, and I was able to even feel compassionately towards her, which surprised me.

The books itself is made up of several short stories--interesting, not what I expected! The nods to age-old fairytales--and the twists on them--is a bonus; it plays on readers' existing knowledge and lends to the nostalgia that arises from remembering the fairytales of our childhood. The episodes are generally "stand-alone" -- tidbits of Geralt's life as a Witcher and the people and beasts he encounters. There are nods to things going on in the world at large (politics, conflicts, etc.). However, there is one larger story that threads its way through the books, titled, "The Voice of Reason." This story appears episodically, interspersed with the other tales, which breaks up the "quest-style" narrative format by grounding the larger story in a chronological time.

12 people found this helpful

Clever Spud

I'm a little non-plussed.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 27 March 2008

Verified Purchase

I'm not feeling these five star reviews.

I bought The Last Wish and The Witcher PC game at about the same time. I played through the game and enjoyed it immensely but it was about three months before I got round to reading the book on which the game setting was based.

Having played the game I had visited the offical Witcher forums and there was a whole segment devoted to discussion of the stories. There were a lot of Polish folk there who expressed the opinion that it would be difficult to translate Sapkowski's use of idiomatic Polish in a satisfying manner. I fear they must have been correct.

To be honest I found the quality of the translation to be insipid and stilted and, at its best, workmanlike. Several times I found myself glazing over while reading the dialogue between characters. Frankly a couple of the stories left me confused over what intentions the author was trying to convey because in the space of a paragraph the tone of the dialogue changed, as if the translation had been picked up after being left aside for a couple of weeks.

About three quarters of the book, and particularly the story which threads through the book anchoring the rest of the tales, is clever and pacey with enough of the story surviving the translation to carry itself. The rest falls flat for me with too many bizarre disinterested speeches, each phrase seemingly plucked at random from a big sack of clichés.

The killer idea that Geralt lives in a world in which fairy tales aren't quite how you'd expect also fails to set me on fire because I've already read most of those stories by someone else. In fact if you want to get down to it there are a couple of stories in the collection which are pure Beauty and the Beast virtually twist-free. The Ellen Datlow/Terry Windling edited collections "Snow White, Blood Red" and "Black Thorn, White Rose" offer some really twisted re-tellings of fairytales.

I must admit, having loved the game with it's convoluted intrigues and amorality, I may have been expecting too much from a quite short collection of stories. There was enough here to not dissuade me from trying the series of novels when they finally see an English translation but they are going to have to do something to jazz up the writing.

7 people found this helpful

Need customer service? Click here

‹ See all details for The Last Wish

5 star		66%
4 star		21%
3 star		9%
2 star		2%
1 star		2%

The Last Wish

›

Customer reviews

Customer reviews

The Last Wish

Top positive review

Top critical review

Filtered by

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

From Australia

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

From other countries

The Last Wish › Customer reviews

Customer reviews

The Last Wish

Top positive review

Top critical review

Filtered by

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

From Australia

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

From other countries

The Last Wish

›

Customer reviews