Title: The Last Wish
Author: Andrzej Sapkowski
Translator: Danusia Stok
Translator: Danusia Stok
Series: The Witcher #0.5
Publication details (mass market paperback): May 1st 2008 by Orbit (first published in 1993)
Genre: Fantasy, high fantasy
Geralt of Rivia is a witcher. A cunning sorcerer. A merciless assassin. 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.
A collection of short stories introducing Geralt of Rivia, to be followed by the first novel in the actual series, The Blood of Elves. Note that, while The Last Wish was published after The Sword of Destiny, the stories contained in The Last Wish take place first chronologically, and many of the individual stories were published before The Sword of Destiny. (Source: Goodreads)
A collection of short stories introducing Geralt of Rivia, to be followed by the first novel in the actual series, The Blood of Elves. Note that, while The Last Wish was published after The Sword of Destiny, the stories contained in The Last Wish take place first chronologically, and many of the individual stories were published before The Sword of Destiny. (Source: Goodreads)
Propelling and intriguing.
The Last Wish is the first of the two collections of short stories in the Witcher series. The stories herein follows Geralt of Rivia- his dealings and adventures prior to the events of the first book, Blood of Elves.
This is my first dip into the world of the Witcher series, hence I was not able to fully grasp the characters yet. However, I did not have a hard time following each short story. And it hooked me instantly. There are a lot of fantasy elements to dive into, and the world seems vast. I am pretty sure I will have an enjoyable reading experience once I get to the main books of the series.
The characters are three-dimensional. And the dynamics between some of them is also intriguing. I am very much looking forward to read more of them, and witness how their character arcs will develop.
One thing I especially liked about The Last Wish is the retelling of a few fairy tales. I am not sure if this is also the case in the main books, but I find it interesting to read how these fairy tales were incorporated and twisted to fit into the world of the Witcher.
I will definitely continue with the series. And I am excited to explore its world and characters. I will probably re-read these short stories after I read the first book (or perhaps up to the third) of the Witcher series.
I am not sure if the author has written other books or series. But if there are others, I will definitely read them too!
