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3.94 AVERAGE
3.94 AVERAGE
Decent short stories. Lot of names though. Nothing too great.
adventurous
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The Last Wish
A perfect introduction to Geralt of Rivia and the world of The Witcher. This collection of short stories blends dark fantasy, sharp humor, and moral dilemmas, giving us a glimpse into Geralt’s life as a monster hunter. The twists on classic fairy tales, the rich world-building, and the introduction of key characters like Yennefer make it an unforgettable read.
Favorite Quotes:
“Evil is evil. Lesser, greater, middling, it’s all the same.”
“People like to invent monsters and monstrosities. Then they seem less monstrous themselves.”
“Do you believe in destiny?”
A must-read for fantasy fans, and the perfect starting point for the series.
A perfect introduction to Geralt of Rivia and the world of The Witcher. This collection of short stories blends dark fantasy, sharp humor, and moral dilemmas, giving us a glimpse into Geralt’s life as a monster hunter. The twists on classic fairy tales, the rich world-building, and the introduction of key characters like Yennefer make it an unforgettable read.
Favorite Quotes:
“Evil is evil. Lesser, greater, middling, it’s all the same.”
“People like to invent monsters and monstrosities. Then they seem less monstrous themselves.”
“Do you believe in destiny?”
A must-read for fantasy fans, and the perfect starting point for the series.
As this is a collection of shorystories, the enjoyment vary between them.
Some are good, some are ok, some are just tiresome.
All in all my least favourite book in the Witcher Saga, but still a must read
Some are good, some are ok, some are just tiresome.
All in all my least favourite book in the Witcher Saga, but still a must read
The Last Wish isn't a novel as much as it is a collection of short stories about Geralt of Rivia, a witcher of great power and fame. Witchers, for those of you unfamiliar with the term, are humans who have been trained in certain magical arts and fighting styles. They undergo this training, which turns them into something not-quite-human, so that they can fight the monsters of the world.
Given that, it's not surprising that this book is brimming with monsters and lore, all of which are native to Poland, the home country of the book's author. What is surprising is how many of the short stories are essentially bizarre retellings of classic fairy tales such as Beauty and the Beast. Retellings that, while not my favorites, are certainly worth the read, especially if you like retellings with a darker edge. There are also several stories that aren't twisted fairy-tales, though they have a similar feel to them, so I'd still classify them under the fairy-tale/folk-tale banner.
I'd recommend The Last Wish to anyone who wants to learn a bit more about Polish lore, anyone who likes dark fairy-tales, or anyone who just enjoys a good fantasy. If you want happy endings or something more comedic, you probably want to look elsewhere.
Given that, it's not surprising that this book is brimming with monsters and lore, all of which are native to Poland, the home country of the book's author. What is surprising is how many of the short stories are essentially bizarre retellings of classic fairy tales such as Beauty and the Beast. Retellings that, while not my favorites, are certainly worth the read, especially if you like retellings with a darker edge. There are also several stories that aren't twisted fairy-tales, though they have a similar feel to them, so I'd still classify them under the fairy-tale/folk-tale banner.
I'd recommend The Last Wish to anyone who wants to learn a bit more about Polish lore, anyone who likes dark fairy-tales, or anyone who just enjoys a good fantasy. If you want happy endings or something more comedic, you probably want to look elsewhere.
adventurous
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Story and Characters were good, but I have never read a fantasy book which was so obviously written by a man.
There was no chapter where the breasts of the women were not described and every guy was way to horny all the time. I was really sick of it by the end of the book. The way any (female) side character acted around the MMC was also clearly written to fit the male fantasy.
There was no chapter where the breasts of the women were not described and every guy was way to horny all the time. I was really sick of it by the end of the book. The way any (female) side character acted around the MMC was also clearly written to fit the male fantasy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Sexual content
Moderate: Cursing, Racism, Rape
Minor: Incest, Torture
medium-paced
adventurous
challenging
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I decided to give the Netflix series a try first and to no-one's surprise, I decided to give the book a try first before continuing with the series.
The book is short and easy to get through (it took me too long because I am also reading the Bible at the moment and that is a project that takes all the time bu is all cool. Anyway....)
Geralt of Rivia is a monster hunter who is not considered a human, yet he looks like one. He kills the monsters and then is paid. So when he hears that there is the monster that kills in the night of the full moon, he hears the whole story and then proceeds to make the best decisions.
Geralt is an interesting character who has gone through a lot. Because he has suffered through pain and as well as judgement, he is not so quick to judge and he listens before acting. He chooses the hard way if it means saving a life. He is more honourable than a lot of the humans in the book. People may hate him or maybe fear him... but at least he knows he can live with himself and his decisions. He chooses to live a lonely life because having friends means that their lives are at risk or they can easily turn against him because he chose things the way that they wanted to.
The stakes in each part is raised higher and as a reader, I knew I had to pay attention to a lot of the details because they acted as clues for the plot. Sometimes they flew right over my head and others, I understood. I enjoyed the writing style and the conclusion in this book. I t is a good introduction to the world here. I like that the writer does not spell it all out for me and instead I get to draw my own conclusions but I am very confused about the story with Yennefer.
The sexism. It was there but it wasn't bad IMO.
I have watched the Netflix show, the first 3 episodes and while I enjoyed it, I find that I enjoyed the book a lot more probably because of the detaisl
*********
I enjoyed it for the most part. Review to come later!
The book is short and easy to get through (it took me too long because I am also reading the Bible at the moment and that is a project that takes all the time bu is all cool. Anyway....)
Geralt of Rivia is a monster hunter who is not considered a human, yet he looks like one. He kills the monsters and then is paid. So when he hears that there is the monster that kills in the night of the full moon, he hears the whole story and then proceeds to make the best decisions.
Geralt is an interesting character who has gone through a lot. Because he has suffered through pain and as well as judgement, he is not so quick to judge and he listens before acting. He chooses the hard way if it means saving a life. He is more honourable than a lot of the humans in the book. People may hate him or maybe fear him... but at least he knows he can live with himself and his decisions. He chooses to live a lonely life because having friends means that their lives are at risk or they can easily turn against him because he chose things the way that they wanted to.
The stakes in each part is raised higher and as a reader, I knew I had to pay attention to a lot of the details because they acted as clues for the plot. Sometimes they flew right over my head and others, I understood. I enjoyed the writing style and the conclusion in this book. I t is a good introduction to the world here. I like that the writer does not spell it all out for me and instead I get to draw my own conclusions but I am very confused about the story with Yennefer.
The sexism. It was there but it wasn't bad IMO.
I have watched the Netflix show, the first 3 episodes and while I enjoyed it, I find that I enjoyed the book a lot more probably because of the detaisl
*********
I enjoyed it for the most part. Review to come later!
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No