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

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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.

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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

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Sean

I like this book.

Reviewed in Australia on 11 January 2018

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I played the game Witcher 3: wild hunt before knowing anything about this book. Thus, my opinion to this book is inevitably influenced by the fascinating gaming experience I had.

To me, this book is very interesting and gave me a lot of background information to let me understand more about the game, while showing me the world the Witcher lives in, where monsters are not always monsters whereas humans can be worse than monsters.

I’m not sure if this book would be attractive to someone who’s never heard of Witcher, but I would recommend it to anyone who likes the game of Witcher and still wants to know more about the story, and the famous white wolf.

2 people found this helpful

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Anthony Jones

Brilliant

Reviewed in Australia on 10 April 2019

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I’ve played all the games, and these books bring back so many memories and bring so much more light and context to the world and the history of Geralt before the games.

In this volume we find out the back story to the Djinn quest in The Witcher 3 “The Last Wish”.

I’m buying more, and then more and more.

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drrmau

Great intro to the Witcher world

Reviewed in Australia on 27 January 2020

Verified Purchase

Late adopter but I am a fan. This has such a wry sense of humour, as well as romance, action, sadness, and light entertainment ... all wrapped up in a fantasy world. Thank goodness there are more in the series to read :)

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Amazon Customer

Fantastic introduction to the world of The Witcher

Reviewed in Australia on 20 July 2015

Verified Purchase

Fantastic introduction to the world of The Witcher. Having only played the third video game these stories filled in gaps that the game (being the third in the series) left open

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Assaph Mehr

Highly enjoyable fantasy original (and only loosely related to the TV)

Reviewed in Australia on 5 September 2020

I've watched The Witcher TV series first, and since my wife wanted to watch it again ahead of season 2 it was high time to read the books.

*** What to Expect

Six short stories / novelettes introducing us to the world of the Witcher, glued together with interludes that make for a seventh. We get glimpses into Geralt's character, his companions, his world.

The TV series is based (loosely, like most adaptations) on both these short stories and the start of the saga (Blood of Elves, book 3). If you found it a bit confusing, the books will certainly help give you more depth and background into the stories, which will make the TV series more entertaining.

*** What I liked

I loved the premise, and how even from the start Sapkowski establishes both Geralt's dangerous-brooding-loner character, and yet his humanity - which is often deeper than that of the 'normal' people who reject him as a mutant. While his character is taciturn and not immediately relatable, he grows on you quite rapidly.

The world-building is excellent, with complex magic system (the witcher has access to some, but the mages seem to employ a more diverse; definitely something I'd like to see explored in more depth later), and interesting monsters based on Eastern European folklore (although others, from Celtic to Greek, as mentioned as well).

*** What to be aware of

This is a collection of shorts, so don't expect an epic. While the prose is good and plot moves at a good clip, the build-up to resolution is also quick. Don't expect to find the series - not only have they modified the stories significantly, but they also made it more dramatic than the books.

*** Felix's Review

Felix took these stories as a clear benefit for the advancement of civilisation. While his world contains plenty of monsters, the legions bring not only baths and taxes but also the pax - the peace that comes with Egretia's protection from both warring neighbours and rampaging critters. There are also significantly less monsters inside cities (the incident with the salamander in the sewers notwithstanding).

Other than that, Felix was quite supportive of Geralt and his chosen profession. He'd like to have a quiet word over wine, exchanging professional notes and keeping in contact because it always helps to have a solid comrade at your back when facing the supernatural.

*** Summary

Highly recommended original fantasy, especially if you're in the mood for shorter works.
--
Assaph Mehr, author of Murder In Absentia: Togas, Daggers, and Magic - for lovers of Ancient Rome, Murder Mysteries, and Urban Fantasy.

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JaniceO

Great story, well written

Reviewed in Australia on 7 January 2020

Bought this after watching Netflix The Witcher as I really enjoyed that show, the characters and the world the author has created. The book is excellent. Already onto the third book in this 8 book series.

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R. Clarke

Bite sized legends

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 1 June 2018

Verified Purchase

Although I read fantasy, I first encountered Geralt of Rivia in the video game, The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt and as I explored this gaming world, I was inspired to discover Andrzej Sapkowski's books – starting with this first collection.

The last story in the book deservedly took third place in a magazine competition and sowed the first seed that created a universe. I enjoyed these original stories, discovering Geralt’s origins in pre-game events. (And these stories are echoed in-game.}

The collection is assembled to reflect the chronology of Geralt’s life, although we have yet to learn many things – and I look forward to reading more books. Sapkowski creates a brilliant and exemplary framing structure for these stories that gives them more impact – and adds to the unfolding plotlines that I know develop. (This is a writing technique that I need to learn.)

Some amazing and complex characters are introduced, including the sorceress, Yennefer, whose life is woven into a complicated relationship with Geralt that opens great possibilities. And then there is Dandelion, the bard whose tales and exploits are something else amusingly different. These are origin stories perhaps before the Witcher-universe had fully-formed, but the characters are relatable.

The tales are rooted in heroic deeds – even if Dandelion has a habit of re-telling them differently. The author demonstrates that he has been inspired by folklore. However, while the echoed fairy stories have a germ of truth, this is a grimmer tradition than Grimm, in a cutthroat environment. There are the Slavic monsters that a reader might expect but other mythologies play their part, adding to a rich tapestry.

The world rings with the realism of bloody steel and fangs, the smells of soiled streets and tempting food. The era doesn’t feel not static, even across so few stories. The times are changing and so are the people. Evolving? Maybe not - but sowing many seeds. This is a medieval world of superstition and persecution – and riven by discrimination that resonates today. Witch-burnings are inevitable, and nothing is black-and-white. Not all monsters are obvious or what they seem.

Is my interpretation coloured by exploring the game-world? Perhaps, but these are the roots of the legend that is Geralt of Rivia. I look forward to discovering how the writing evolved, and how the world of The Witcher builds in later stories and novels. This was definitely the place to start on my quest to enjoy how Sapkowski grew from a very good writer into a master craftsman.

Story – five stars
Setting/World-building – five stars
Authenticity – five stars
Characters – five stars
Structure – five stars
Readability – five stars
Editing – five stars

80 people found this helpful

Justyna Tenel

Quite a decent translation of an excellent book

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 14 January 2017

Verified Purchase

I still prefer the book in Polish, and I saw one particular sentence (the anti-djinn exorcism) translated with more panache, but this is quite close to how reading the original felt like, so I can definitely recommend it.

'The Last Wish' is a good introduction into the world of the Witcher, whether you come at it as the fan of the games or general sci-fi aficionado.

And even if you are neither there is something uniquely true about the human nature, the ever changing world and life in general that can be gleaned from it.

I read it originally as a teenager and in Polish, but years have passed, translations have occurred and the book is still very good.

57 people found this helpful

Absurd Chaos

A good read for those that enjoyed the other books or the games

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 15 September 2018

Verified Purchase

I played the Witcher 3 video game and loved the world so have started the books. I have read the first in the series and now this, which is set before the main series.
The last wish is an episodic story telling the tale of geralt and dandelion and they're first meeting with yennifer.
I thoroughly enjoyed it, meeting new characters and monsters and seeing that geralt is more than just a cold blooded killer looking to get paid but thinks and plans for the best outcome for all; a great antihero. I loved his meeting with yennifer and dandelions sarcastic nature.
If you like the game or enjoyed geralt other adventures this is worth your time. If you like fantasy and adventure in an adults world then this is for you. The author has created a wonderfully visceral world with consequences and nuance. I applaud his efforts and can't wait to read book 2

14 people found this helpful

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

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