The Last Wish - Andrzej Sapkowski

⭐ 9.5/10

(Originally written by Joseph)

I've consumed quite a bit of Witcher content despite not being crazy about much of it. Truly the only thing I've really liked was the Witcher 3 video game. Turns out I should have went directly to the source a long time ago! I read one with audiobook a while back but regret it because you miss so much and it's really not the same.

Guys, these books are great. In a lot of ways, these books are your typical high fantasy fare: a sword fighter lives in medieval Europe, but there is magic and monsters along with a story about fate and destiny. Yet somehow he takes all these tropes and makes them feel fresh. This book especially is quite unique in that it's a collection of short stories that the author wrote for a journal. As a result, each story is a smart, compact little take on old fairy tales that are all full of intrigue, cleverness, and often some good old fashion ethical dilemma with a moral takeaway.

It's been really nice to read a fantasy story that, along with cool world building and a fascinating history, is actually like, well written? I won't do what I want to do and compare this to certain other fantasy authors, but this just has a nice fantasy feel, likely in part due to the fact that is was written by an actual old European guy. I think he just nails things like dialogue and naming things.

Speaking of dialogue, these stories are all pretty slow-burn. This book is pretty light on action, and I really love that. Most stories are usually an extended conversation that set up the situation, develop the characters, followed by Geralt's decision and how he acts on them.

I also fell in love with Geralt. After watching the show, I kinda forgot why I loved this universe in the first place. It's Geralt! Bless Henry Cavill and his skintight armor, but he has been a horrible, humorless and grumpy Geralt. I love the original. He's dry and aloof, but in a way that often makes me chuckle in the way he's played off the naive townspeople. Indeed much of the books almost reads like a comedy, or at least has the charm that reminded me of reading Tolkien and the hobbits bickering.

So yeah, just an awesome introduction to the series that compelled me to buy the next 4 books already. It cooled off a bit towards the end, but I'm no less enthusiastic to read the next books and I look forward to when the saga begins in earnest. "The Lesser Evil" and "The Edge of the World" were masterpiece short stories in my opinion. So yeah! Everyone go read these books!