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And a cold-blooded killer.
His sole purpose: to destroy the monsters that plague the world.
But not everything monstrous-looking is evil and not everything fair is good. . . and in every fairy tale there is a grain of truth.
The international hit that inspired the video game: The Witcher.
Well, I picked this book up after hearing nothing but good things about the video game The Witcher, and, being a curious person, I decided to see where it all started. As a fantasy nerd I heavily enjoyed this book; it was original (which is a hard to find trait among fantasy novels), and it pulled me into the universe that Sapkowski created. Although, I was surprised that it was a collection of short stories (not that that's a bad thing).
Pros:
- Originality.
- Interesting.
- Developed Characters.
Cons:
- Poor copy Editing on the Nook.
- Confusing dialogs and descriptions at a few points.
- Some character names were very hard to pronounce.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.I'm so glad that Andrzef Sapkowski's Witcher books were translated into English. This story is "old school fantasy" - utilizing some ancient monsters and fairy tale characters in a new and exciting storyline. Universal theme of "good vs evil" leaves you wondering which team each character plays on. The reader experiences the story of the Witcher through a series of flashbacks which can be slightly confusing at times, but helps to tell the Witcher's story in a fun and unique way.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Apparently the stories contained within Last Wish have been made into a video game called "The Witcher". I haven't played it, but I have read the book and it is excellent. Fantasy and Sci-Fi are the two genres I've never been able to get interested in. I couldn't read Lord of the Rings and I never finished the Harry Potter series. Try as I might, I have trouble suspending my disbelief to the level that most of these books ask. The Last Wish was somehow different. Yes, there was magic and monsters and swords and all that jazz, but the heart of each of the stories contained in this novella are morality issues. Issues of mercy, bigotry and corruption are really what drive each of the stories. Don't think that this is a boring book though. Geralt keeps the reader entertained constantly.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Skinny-J
Posted March 26, 2013
I started playing the game not to long ago, and then found out they were based on the books. I figured that since i like the games so much I'll check it out. Man, i was floored by how much the game actually follows the books. Great read for a d&d gamer like myself, and I'm sure it'd be great for anyone who enjoys some good fantasy.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.travelerdawg
Posted March 1, 2013
This book wasn't something I was used to reading. I have become more accustomed to reading long epic volumes of series, case in point Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson. With the long series the author has the time to flesh out the characters and character development happens over time. With "The Last Wish" we only really get to know Geralt by the end of the book. Even then, there is a lot of his story we don't know. Of course, I am sure this is exactly what the author intended because I believe there may be more books associated with the Witcher. I intend on finding those books and reading them.
As a sci-fi/fantasy reader, I would most definitely put this on the read list!
JWil
Posted January 25, 2013
The Last Wish has a lot going for it. It's got great fantasy, excellent prose (and you can clearly tell Andrzej has been inspired by Stephen King), and an intriguing new twist on the Van Helsing style monster hunter. To top it off, many of the themes in this book are re-telling of classic fairy tales with a darker, more realistic twist. It should be noted that the language and sexual references in the book may not make this a book for young readers, but anyone teen and above should be able to appreciate the artist merits of such fiction.
There are a select few drawbacks though. For one thing, this is an English translation and there are a few instances where this really shows, but is in no way especially distracting. The story is told in a bit of an odd time dilation which was very confusing for half the book, until I figured out that it was short stories being told in between segments of natural time progression. Perhaps this was intentional and cannot be faulted to the author, but in my opinion confusion is never a good thing.
Rich characters, well written dialogue, and an interesting premise, make this an excellent read for any fantasy buff.
Anonymous
Posted January 19, 2013
I havent read a fantasy genre in quite some time, but after playing through both Witcher games I needed more of Sapkowski's universe. The Last Wish was excellent and engrossing from beginning to end. I highly recommend it!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted December 31, 2012
Very intriguing lore and a great main character with great depth. There were a couple of eye-roll worthy moments, but otherwise great fiction. Worth a recommendation.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted November 3, 2012
Having played both "The Witcher" and "Assassins of Kings" I was both surprised and excited to learn of this novella. A great read for fans of the video games and general dark fantasy alike!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted October 13, 2012
Suiting the "Introducing the Witcher" sub-title, there is a lot of setup and explanations for character relationships in this book. The overall story is told by going between important events (there are no uneventful travel log like sections), and jumping to different places in time to demonstrate instead of just explaining relationships. Violence is a consistent part of Geralt's (the main character) story because of this.
Compared to a more traditional novel, the focus on important plot points does make you feel very much like an observer. But by doing this, the world is built to a grand and detailed scale without excessive descriptions or page counts.
This makes it relatively easy to recommend Last Wish, although it is structurally a departure from many sword and sorcery type novels (just not entirely by content). Some of the characters were a bit disappointing, as they come off as flat when they are only a concern in the story when they play a important role in Geralt's path. But that does seem like an issue that would could be remedied if the series develops.
Anonymous
Posted August 11, 2012
The Last Wish is a fantastic retelling of classic fairy tales with a dark touch mixed with Sapowski's own original characters and plots. A joy to read.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.AriannaEvergreen
Posted July 11, 2011
This is a wonderful book and would recommend it to anyone who loves a good dark fantasy... that said,
I bought this version for my nook... and for some reason every short story is called "The Voice of Reason" which is the title of the first story. For some reason, they are all mislabeled as that. You can easily look up chapter names online.
And that is my only complaint. a misprint only in the ebook versoin.
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.I read this book in one sitting! It's a perfect blend of action and mystery. The skills that The Witcher uses makes me want to become a Witcher. Anyone reading sci-fi and adventure should pick this book up.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.It was an interesting read. The characters were well crafted, and the story was different. It seemed like it was cut short, even though it reached a conclusion (sort of).
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Lord_Adair
Posted March 13, 2010
This is a great series of short stories about the mysterious witcher. This book promises great things for the witcher in the series that follows.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Jsh_the_Bard
Posted August 18, 2009
Having become interested in The Witcher due to the computer game based on this author's work, I wanted to check out the stories for myself. What I found was an interesting and fun to read collection of short stories that are not necessarily linear in time frame, but all related nonetheless. For fantasy or fiction readers out there, I would recommend it as a good read.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.JPP95255
Posted October 27, 2008
For anyone who likes fantasy books I would recommand this book to read as a side book, such as in between books in a series. It does have a nice storyline that you can get into and it does draw off of some fairy tales from our childhoods such as Snow White or Cinderella, but with a twist i'll let you find out. --- Joey Phillips
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Geralt de Rivia enters Vizima where after a barroom brawl in which he leaves three dead, he meets the king¿s castellan Velerad, whose monarch King Foltest needs his help. Seven years ago, recently crowned as the ruler, Foltest impregnated his sister. She and their opffspring died during childbirth. Now his daughter has awakened as a striga mass killing anyone in her way. Foltest say he will kill Geralt if he harms his daughter, who if she fails to return to her coffin within three rooster crows she will become human. However, if she remains a striga he is to kill her with his silver sword that slays magical beings. --- THE LAST WISH is actually a compilation of six ¿Voice of Reason¿ short novellas (¿The Witcher¿, ¿A Grain of Truth¿, ¿The Lesser Evil¿, ¿A Question of Price¿, ¿The Edge of the World¿, and ¿The Last Wish¿) that served as the base to the Witcher video game. The above paragraph is the opening gamut to the adventures of Geralt de Rivia the Witcher with each subsequent tale building from previous escapades. Geralt is consistent throughout as a cold blooded killing sorcerer whose adventures are fun to follow due to his strange code of ethics while hunting monsters many of whom hide as beatific humans afflicting his plane with their evil. --- Harriet Klausner
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted December 28, 2012
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Anonymous
Posted February 20, 2013
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Overview
And a cold-blooded killer.
His sole purpose: to destroy the monsters that plague the world.
But not everything monstrous-looking is evil and not everything fair is good. . . and in every fairy tale there is a grain of truth.
The international hit that inspired the video ...