Book Review: The Last Wish

The Witcher series is a beast I’ve been debating tackle for years now, and having finished The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski, I have taken my first step. I’ve played a few hours of The Witcher 3 game when it came out, but my memory of the that is nearing non-existent at this point. I knew the basic gist of what the series and books were about: A physically and magically-enhanced human goes town to town, getting paid to eliminate any monsters that need a good ol’ thrashing.

Having now finished the first novel (technically a short story collection), I know that summary is exactly what I should have expected.

There is an overarching story mixed between each of the individual short tales, but the majority of the book focuses on the format akin to “creature of the week” media. We see Geralt go against strigas, humans, moral dilemmas, and many other threats that pose in his way. 

One thing I want to preface my review with is my confusion that was present through a lot of my reading. I was thrown into a world full of creatures, politics, and concepts I knew nothing about. Additionally, I finished the book knowing little more than I did when I started. Now, I expected this going into the series, as I know a lot of it is based off Slavic folklore, so a lot of creatures would be new to me. However, I was expecting a better introduction to the world, especially when it came to the concept of what a Witcher actually is. I know the bare minimum of what Geralt is, but I’m hoping more explanation is given as the series goes on (which I’m sure it will be). 

That aside, I really did like this introduction to the Witcher series. I’m excited to learn more about Geralt’s past, Yennefer, and the world in general. My favourite story of the bunch had to be the first short story, titled “The Witcher”, focusing on the striga princess and the titular character’s battle with her. I felt like it was very efficiently organized, provided clear description of the creature, and was exciting overall. 

The story I have to choose as my least favourite would probably be “A Question of Price”, focusing on Geralt’s attending at Queen Calanthe’s ball. This is the one where I felt most disoriented, as a lot of politics are mentioned, characters introduced by the dozen, and just did not have as much action as the other ones. However, this does not mean I hated the story by any means. It was enjoyable and helped show more of the personality of Geralt and those around him. Still, I wish that things were made a bit more clear at times. 

Now, let us take a look at characters, as that is where the stories shine! Geralt defies the typical trope of the travelling sell-sword, and does not do his work simply for money. It’s always nice to have a fantasy character with morals, because I do not know if I would be able to slog through the story if it was just bloodthirsty murder after murder. He has a set of morals, or a ‘code’ as he calls it, and draws the line when it comes to being hired just for murder. 

Another character I enjoyed was Dandelion and his smart-ass remarks. It’s common to see mercenary type characters travel alone and spend their days brooding , but thankfully Dandelion helps Geralt have another person to bounce banter off of in the latter stories. I was afraid he would become the classic overly-talkative bard who borders on utterly annoying, but luckily I found myself pleased with his presence.

I mentioned monsters and creatures briefly, but one of the largest things driving me to this series was the promise of monsters; more importantly, monsters beyond the common fantasy and North America/European varieties. The striga, bruxa, kikimore, and other interesting creatures added a sense of freshness to this fantasy world, as I know NOTHING about these creatures. I love this idea because I am going into this blind, and not knowing how much of a threat these things possess, along with any weaknesses they may have. 

One final thing I need to touch upon is the mood set by the various stories. Sapkowski (and the English translators) structured the stories in a way that made them feel so much like traditional myths and folklore tales. They all have a very whimsical, mysterious, and self-contained nature to them, and feel like they should be being told in hushed tones next to a late-night campfire or bedside. I cannot say I’ve gotten this vibe from many fantasy stories before, and I have to say I really enjoyed it!

                  The Last Wish Overall Score

Overall, I wish I had more to say about this introductory set of stories, but I feel like I’ve been plucked up and placed in the middle of a dark room. I’m used to this sensation, having read novels from the Malazan series and ASOIAF, but it just felt extra-overwhelming in this novel. I feel like I did this to myself as I went into the book expecting typical storytelling, which was not the case. I am super confident this will clear up in the next book or two, and then I will have a better grasp on things. 

The Last Wish is a wonderful set of stories that bring the reader to many different locales, with many different faces and fierce beings. I am quickly growing fond of Geralt, and am excited to learn more about him and the other members of the stories. I will mention that I have heard people say Geralt becomes less central in the novel series, only appearing as the central perspective sometimes; hopefully this change will not be too jarring and still result in some enjoyable reads!