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The Last Wish (Saga o Wiedźminie #1)

4.13 of 5 stars 4.13 · rating details · 8,321 ratings · 414 reviews

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.

The international hit that inspired the video game: The Witcher.

384 pages

Published (first published 1993)

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Mar 22, 2013 Dirk Grobbelaar rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own, fantasy

Like a squinty eyed gunslinger in a Sergio Leone western, Geralt of Rivia travels the wilderness in search of bounty. Leather gauntlets and level-headedness come standard. He is a Witcher; a hunter of monsters.

This is actually a collection of short stories loosely strung together to form some sort of whole. It is really just an introduction to the world of The Witcher; a teaser, if you will, of things to come. This sat fine with me, since the stories were fascinating. Many of them have some bas...more

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Aug 29, 2012 Mike (the Paladin) rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

A good read. It inspired a computer game(some will be impressed one way and some another by that...and others will say "so what". Probably the best reaction i suppose). I found the book enjoyable with a couple of weaknesses. This is a good idea, I think (and this is only my opinion) it could have been handled better. For on thing I'm just tired of stories about "the last" whatever. The last dragon, the last fairy, the last elf...on and on. Here we meet the Witcher. A sort of sorcerer/warrior who...more

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Oct 28, 2012 Deadwish rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasía

Pueden leer toda mi review aquí:
http://drdeadwish.blogspot.com.ar/201...

Esta novela no se siente como una sola historia. Parece en realidad un conjunto de cuentos que relatan las aventuras de Geralt a lo largo de los años, sin un orden cronológico. Entre historia e historia, existe un puente, una historia que entrelaza de manera algo tosca las otras.
Considero que esta obra es más una promesa que una realidad. Un breve preludio de lo que (espero) vendrá luego. Geralt es un personaje muy interesan...more

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Aug 12, 2010 Nena rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

This is the only time I've had a good experience with reading a book due to it being related to a video game. It probably helps a lot that the game was based on the book, and not vice versa. I really loved the way this book is paced, with interlinked short stories about the character cast that did not follow a linear chronological order. It was pretty ideal for reading in short stretches between working, which is the situation I'm normally in.

The characters in this are well written, and Geralt w...more

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Nov 01, 2008 April rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Anyone who likes vampires. Anyone who likes standard fantasy.

Recommended to April by: N/A

Shelves: did-not-finish

A book I’ve had on my wishlist for awhile, I was disappointed in Sapkowski’s Witcher story. As a work of fantasy, it’s fair. What I look for nowadays, though, goes beyond strong writing and into the realm of excellent characters and ideas that make you think. I thought this was going to be one of the latter.
Sapkowski’s Witcher seems vigilante, almost rogue. I don’t know if he’s the last of his kind, but his kind is at least rapidly dwindling. But as he does his job of ridding the world of monste...more

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Jul 13, 2008 uroš rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

The review is originally available at Realms of Speculative Fiction

Geralt was always going to stand out, with his white hair and piercing eyes, his cynicism and lack of respect for authority... but he is far more than a striking-looking man. He is a witcher; his sorcerous powers, enhanced by elixirs and long years of training, have made him a brilliant fighter and a merciless assassin. He is no ordinary murderer, though: his targets are the vile fiends that ravage his land, preying on the unwar...more The review is originally available at Realms of Speculative Fiction

Geralt was always going to stand out, with his white hair and piercing eyes, his cynicism and lack of respect for authority... but he is far more than a striking-looking man. He is a witcher; his sorcerous powers, enhanced by elixirs and long years of training, have made him a brilliant fighter and a merciless assassin. He is no ordinary murderer, though: his targets are the vile fiends that ravage his land, preying on the unwary. But as he roams the country he comes to realise that first appearances are often deceptive: not everything monstrous-looking is evil, and not everything fair is good... and in every fairy tale, there is a grain of truth.

In his role as a guardian of the innocent, Geralt, the witcher from Rivia, meets incestuous kings with undead daughters, vengeful djinns, rancorous maidens, shrieking harpies, love-lorn vampires and despondent ghouls. Many are pernicious, some are wicked, and none are quite as they seem.

~~~

I usually avoid blurbs-slash-synopsis on the back of the book, since in most cases I see them as tedious, spoilerific, pompous and in most cases not at all in character that permeates the actual story. But in this case I've made an exception as the blurb hits the proverbial nail on the head.

Sapkowski is considered a bit of a superstar in Poland and in few other European countries that were lucky enough to get a translation of his works - ironically enough, the English speaking world had to wait for more than 15 years to get a translation of the first book featuring Geralt the Witcher. The second book in the series, entitled "Blood of the Elves" (US import, UK), is scheduled for release on September 18. So, was "The Last Wish" worth the wait? Without doubt. Sapkowski brings a set of fresh elements and twists alongside with the otherwise pretty straight-forward quest oriented epic fantasy.

First off the bat, despite 1the disjointed structure of the narrative - "TLW" is basically a set of short stories set apart by individual chapters and loosely interconnected by a story of Geralt's reprieve which is dissected and wedged in between the chapters that delve into the past exploits of Geralt - and 2simple adventurous-oriented plot I liked the book a lot. It read really well and besides, Geralt is a most sympathetic character (I'm a sucker for righteous outcasts with their own heightened sense of judgment and highly reflective approach to situations). We get to know little about his past and he doesn't show any signs of personal growth (since he is already a fully grown/developed adult), but he nevertheless displays incredible depth and complex personality which is revealed through well-timed and well-measured snippets of dialogue, through the way he looks at the world and through how he deals with situations. In some of the later adventures Geralt is joined by Dandelion - a sidekick in the form of a wandering scholar, famed bard and skirt-chaser. The novel's structure and the Geralt/Dandelion due resembles much the adventures of Gotrek and Felix. One of the downsides is that the rest of the crew is not as fleshed out as Geralt and usually cross the threshold of stereotypical by a fair margin, although if I'm honest this didn't bother me all too much as Sapkowski compensates elsewhere in abundance.

What makes "The Last Wish" stand out from the crowd is not the way it mixes fantasy tropes with their subverted and disfigured mirror images because this is not a groundbreaking practice anymore - it's become a bit of the latest trend really - but the inclusion of the (mainly) Slavic mythology within the faux-medieval setting; 1predomination of Slavic names for cities and people is a relief from the randomly generated multiple-vowelled names with apostrophes jutting here and there to make things more otherworldly and exotic, as is the 2inclusion of creatures such as strigas, spriggans, leshys, kikimoras, vyppers etc. where otherwhere we are being literally drowned with imps, orcs, goblins and other creatures from the Nordic folklore.

Worldbuilding is otherwise spare and the info-dumping dampened to boot - the book concentrates on Geralt and the tasks that lay at his feet. Magic is present, but subdued and complimented by vials, elixirs, Signs, intentional body mutations and other inventions. Like said, these elements are subdued and unobtrusive, but the mere hint of their presence really makes the otherwise unadorned storytelling work on a deeper level. If you are at least partly familiar with the structure of fairytales and myths you will probably be delighted by the way Sapkowski plays with conventions.

Sapkowski's dry wit permeates the whole book; from dialogue, characters' traits, to his use of language and so forth. There is little to no explicit content in the book so it is suited for the people of all ages (and convictions) without turning out childish or...well, anesthesised. The younger readers should be hooked on the awesomeness that is Geralt and those a bit older might appreciate his subtle cynicism and world-weariness that make him a truly memorable character.

"The Last Wish" is not all flowers, though. The world and the secondary characters could be done with more care so they wouldn't turn out so one-sided. The plot lacks real substance and coherence; all you get is a set of short stories that account for the Witchers exploits and not much else. The whole book works as an introduction into the word and the protagonist that Sapkowski created, but I think it is safe to expect that the later installments improve on this aspects of the storytelling, as the potential and talent are obviously present. All this niggles might be seen as shortcomings when you dissect the text, but on the accumulative level everything works as it should and that's what matters the most.

3.5/5(less)

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Jan 17, 2009 Daniel Gonzalez rated it 5 of 5 stars

The Witcher is an awesome series. Geralt of Rivia may have bought Poland a worthy legend. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this lady translates Andrzej's other novels.

The book really delves into the blurry lines of what is good and what is evil. It poses the question, is every monster truly a monster, and is every saint truly a saint? Really thought provoking stuff with a good dose of butt kicking and sarcasm. I loved every second of it.

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Mar 15, 2013 Smcleish added it · review of another edition

Originally published on my blog here in August 2010.

"Geralt is a a hunter", the front cover tells us. Not only is this hardly the most eye-catching tagline in the history of publishing, it really undersells the virtues of Sapkowski's novel. This is not a simple fantasy novel, though this (combined with the advertising for the associated computer game on the back pages) makes it look as though The Last Wish is just a violent fantasy, the story of a bounty hunter. This is particularly ironic, as G...more Originally published on my blog here in August 2010.

"Geralt is a a hunter", the front cover tells us. Not only is this hardly the most eye-catching tagline in the history of publishing, it really undersells the virtues of Sapkowski's novel. This is not a simple fantasy novel, though this (combined with the advertising for the associated computer game on the back pages) makes it look as though The Last Wish is just a violent fantasy, the story of a bounty hunter. This is particularly ironic, as Geralt himself is continually telling prospective employers that he is not a bounty hunter.

Geralt is in fact a "witcher"; he is a hunter of supernatural monsters, and The Last Witch describes a series of his adventures in this role. The structure of the novel suggests - and I haven't looked this up to check whether it is true or not - that most of it originally appeared as a series of shorter fiction. It is episodic, with a linking thread provided by interludes between the episodes, which are thus presented as flashbacks. This is a fairly common structure in novels stitched together from shorter fiction, and needs the episodes to be quite uniform in style and quality with the linking story having some interest of its own in order to work: Sapkowski does this at least as well as any other example I can think of.

Although The Last Wish appeared in English in 2007, the story was written in the 1980s. Then, the idea of a hunter of this type would probably have evoked Bram Stoker's Van Helsing in Dracula, rather than Buffy the Vampire Slayer or possibly Anita Blake. But The Last Wish is not really like any of the stories involving these characters; it reminded me most of Jack Vance, particularly the Dying Earth stories. Much of the setting, the tone, and the dry humour are similar, particularly in the way in which Geralt's world weariness is portrayed. Laurell K. Hamilton is less interested in humour and more in the relationships - particularly sexual ones - between the characters in her Anita Blake novels; the humour in the Buffy TV series is generally darker or derived from smart banter between the teenagers; and Van Helsing is deadly serious.

This is an excellent fantasy novel, and I will looking out for more by this writer.(less)

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Aug 23, 2011 Daniele rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy-books

In questi racconti vengono narrate le avventure di Geralt di Rivia, uno Strigo, un cacciatore di mostri. Non caccia per passione o vendetta, ma per denaro. Il suo è un lavoro che lo porta a viaggiare da un posto ad un altro in cerca di persone disposte a pagarlo per i suoi servizi.
Però non sono narrate solo delle battute di caccia, ma c'è tutta una riflessione dietro a pregiudizi, razzismo, intolleranza, odio, superbia,... tutti quei sentimenti umani che rendono l'essere umano stesso un "mostro"...more

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Feb 21, 2011 Anne Mathison added it

Film/graphic: Although I note from the advertisement at the back of the book that the adventures of Gerault the Witcher, is now a computer game, this is a book that cries out to be filmed. I've almost done the storyboard myself. Not only a film but one in the style, (but better and more adult) of Van Helsing.
It has all the right elements, excitement, mystery, challenge and you could say unusually for a first translation, pace in the writing. This has got to be one of the best translations of a...more

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May 21, 2013 Karlis rated it 4 of 5 stars

Darbība grāmatā norisinās Eiropas tumšajos laikos kad cilvēce beidzot ir kļuvusi pārāka par citām rasēm un briesmoņiem, kas mīt uz zemes un tās dzīlēs. Cilvēku skaits uz zemes ir pieaudzis, kas ir viens no šī pagrieziena punkta cēloņiem. Un pat mitoloģiskās radības, kas reiz valdīja pār pasauli, tagad tiek noniecinātas. Un briesmoņu ķērāji, kurus dēvē par Witchers tagat nezin ko, lai iesāk.
Grāmatas galvenais varonis ir Geralts. Viņš ir pārveidots cilvēks, kuram ir uzlabota redze, ātrāks ķermeņa...more

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May 16, 2013 Marco Barrettara rated it 4 of 5 stars

Overall an enjoyable bit of fantasy, especially for fans of the Witcher video games. It suffers only slightly in translation (Sapkowski's native language is Polish), and this manifests mostly in spoken dialogue. You often get the impression that characters are being a bit too stiff and formal given the situation they're currently in, but to me this was a forgivable quirk.

The book is structured as a collection of short stories, each connected by a short segue chapter which carries on the overall...more

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Apr 30, 2013 Yune rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, fantasy-collection, sword-and-sorcery

I confess: I picked this up because I started playing the computer game that's based on it, and was transfixed by the opening sequence: a Witcher, a mercenary who kills monsters, is hired to free a princess from a curse -- wait, hang in there. Said curse has rendered her into a slavering man-eating striga with a thick neck and disturbingly long jaws, yet also a mane of human hair. The Witcher very professionally first uses the man who cursed her as bait, then sets about whallopping the princess/...more I confess: I picked this up because I started playing the computer game that's based on it, and was transfixed by the opening sequence: a Witcher, a mercenary who kills monsters, is hired to free a princess from a curse -- wait, hang in there. Said curse has rendered her into a slavering man-eating striga with a thick neck and disturbingly long jaws, yet also a mane of human hair. The Witcher very professionally first uses the man who cursed her as bait, then sets about whallopping the princess/striga. It's glorious badassery, complete with good old-fashioned fist-work, swinging chains, acrobatic roof-climbing leaps, fancy swordplay, bursts of magic, and even potions that enhance the Witcher's abilities -- all utilized in an unruffled, calculating fashion. Once he sets her fleeing, he settles himself in the sarcophogus where she usually sleeps and seals it so she can't get back in (part of the cure). When he emerges to find a seemingly cured girl lying unconscious on the ground, he dispassionately checks her teeth to make sure they're human.

As it turns out, this cinematic snippet is actually a story in this collection, but it's a fantastic introduction to Geralt, famed even among Witchers. He's been trained since childhood to be a fast and tough fighter so he can fight all manner of beasts that lurk in the world -- some of which you may think you recognize from fairy tales, but which tend to have a darker grit to them here. Particularly fascinating to me was the obstinate Witcher neutrality when it came to non-monster-related missions. One exchange:

"My facing death doesn't impress you much, does it?"

"Stregobor," said Geralt, "that's the way of the world. One sees all sorts of things when one travels. Two peasants kill each other over a field which, the following day, will be trampled by two counts and their retinues trying to kill each other off. Men hang from trees at the roadside; brigands slash merchants' throats. At every step in town you trip over corpses in the gutters. In palaces they stab each other with daggers, and somebody falls under the table at a banquet every minute, blue from poisoning. I'm used to it."

The beautiful part is that he's not quite as blasé as he'd like you to think.

Normal people treat him with ginger respect at times, other times with rabid fear. Often they entreat his aid. One of my favorite parts in the book is when Geralt and a sharp-minded queen negotiate at a banquet table; she seeks his services for a matter of intrigue and he stubbornly refuses while trying not to give offense. (The queen having an "aresenal of smiles" was a nice turn of phrase that helped reassure any questions I might have had about reading a translation.) And although Geralt may have a code, his own sense of honor, if you will, not everyone agrees with it; questions of morality are openly debated, without the stark monochrome you'll find in some examples of heroic fantasy. I loved the sense of having the "right" path be murky, even while being able to root for Geralt all the way.

But it's not all grim and humorless. I found myself chuckling aloud at several points. One man, when he's told that the snarling wolf's-head madallion Geralt wears is his guild's badge, surmises that Witchers must make muzzles, no doubt.

Unfortunately, I was less enamored of a major secondary character, Dandilion (yes, I know), a bard-friend of Geralt's who appears in the second half and gets him into all sorts of trouble with his brashness. The humor took a somewhat absurdist turn and the stories started feeling less meaty and more like gallivanting adventures. Still, I'd happily recommend this to anyone looking for a strong sword and sorcery tale, particularly the first half. I'm definitely seeking out the novels now.

(One note: While the book technically opens on a sex scene, move on. I did, and was rewarded.)(less)

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Apr 08, 2013 Vojtěch Ira rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Reading collection of short stories is often more entertaining and rewarding than reading a novel, as long as is the author able to provide you interesting backgrounds and satisfying endings. The latter one is not so true with Sapkowski, however, his stories will grab you thank to their settings.
Background of Zaklínač (or The Witcher) is somewhat outstanding. You have a medieval-like world what draws lot of themes from modern era, so you feel like home even when you have to deal with elves, dwar...more

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Apr 04, 2013 Robbie Lizhini rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

The Last Wish, is subtitled Introducing the Witcher. It is a collection of the first stories Sapkowski wrote about Geralt of Riveria originally published as short stories for polish magazines. And though it’s the first to be published here in the US, in Poland the Sword of Destiny predates it. But in terms of getting to know the title character, it really is the best place to start. Even if you have experience with the video games or the Television series (The hexer).

For those of you completely...more The Last Wish, is subtitled Introducing the Witcher. It is a collection of the first stories Sapkowski wrote about Geralt of Riveria originally published as short stories for polish magazines. And though it’s the first to be published here in the US, in Poland the Sword of Destiny predates it. But in terms of getting to know the title character, it really is the best place to start. Even if you have experience with the video games or the Television series (The hexer).

For those of you completely unaccustomed to the canon, the Witcher takes place sometimes during the dark ages in Europe. It is the turning point of mankind, who has began to dominate the other races and monsters of the land. The elves, dwarves and other such races have been subjugated to lesser beings by the massive numbers of humans. And even the mythological creatures that once terriorized the noble races of the world are now being seen less and less. And for the alchemetic monster hunters called Witchers—they are on the way out.

The Last Wish contains seven stories, including the wrap around story, where Geralt is recovering from his injuries and reminisces about some of his battles and times of his past. No matter if your know what your getting, or you come in not knowing much about Geralt’s history it really is a great way to be put into the world the Witcher exists in. There are characters mentioned and brought in, that will be familiar to anyone who has experienced this world before. Characters like Tryss the sorcercess, and the bard Dandalion feature in both the stories, and the wrap around story.

The first adventure, ‘The Witcher’ will be familiar for anyone who has played the first video game. As the prelude cut scene tells a brief version of this story. It’s a rather violent and and no frills pulp style story. It’s one of Geralt’s most famous adventures. It encompasses all that is awesome about the character, and interesting world of frightening monsters set in the back drop of northern Europe during the dark ages.

The stories tend to continue in a very similar fashion, in much the same way as conan or Vampire Hunter D or the like. The main character is lone warrior travelling from exotic locale to exotic locale, and meets up with interesting people that serve the catalyst of the story. But each story Geralt will undoubted y be confronted by a terrific beast either through circumstance of by his employ. But like many stories of this type there is little deviation from the character we know. In the first short story collection what you see in the first story remains true throughout. So if you read the first story and hate it, then its really not worth reading the entire book.

Of course the strength that the books provide in Geralt’s character is that he doesn’t seem unbeatable the way many ‘lone traveling warriors’ tend to in short stories. Geralt gets savaged quite often. And you are never quite sure what is going to happen to him. Sure he’s going to survive, but at what cost?

And Geralt does not feel out of place, which is also a common thread among these types of stories. Though he is a rare sort of figure amongst the humans you can tell he lives in this world. The world is a part of him, and a product of it. He doesn’t exist in some pocket striving against the norm. Even with stark White hair, and a reputation of kicking ass, he feels like he belongs.

The world of the Witcher though is a bit of two pronged situation. One the one hand its so very interesting in theory. A brutal medieval Europe that despite the fantasy doesn’t stray to far from the history. Plus terrifying monsters that are straight out of folklore made all the more disgusting and fierce in the setting. But with all that being said, it feels like Sapkowski doesn’t know what he’s got as he tends to force more on the fantasy setting, and show us more of the types of things we’ve seen to often in fantasy books. I understand in later books he gets more into the stark horror of the world. But in The Last Wish I find myself less than thrilled in a world with such promise!

So should you read The Last Wish? I don’t necessarily think it will be something for everyone. Even fans of the video games may not be able to get past the same-ness of many of the stories. But if you can get past the trope styling, you will enjoy the wide variety of characters, and the folklore that encompasses this world. Its almost amazing the amount of promise the first book teases you. For me it was enough to continue the series. Of course if you are a fan of classic pulps like Doc Savage, and John Carter the trope won’t bother you even and you’ll probably love it for its tropes. (less)

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Mar 26, 2013 Nofuture rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: analogova-kniha, fantasy, zaklinac

Dlhé roky som čakal a dúfal, že nám vydavateľ dopraje nové vydanie Zaklínača. Tie staré boli čiastočne vypredané a aby som bol úprimný, príliš sa mi nepáčili. Čakanie sa oplatilo a vydavateľstvo Leonardo sa rozhodlo dotlačiť niektoré chýbajúce časti v pevnej väzbe a vydať nové paperbacky s obálkou od Miša Ivana. A tak som si počkal, kým vyjde všetkých sedem častí a s chuťou sa pustil do čítania.

Prvá kniha je zbierkou poviedok, ktoré majú za úlohu predstaviť Geralta z Rivie, objasniť jeho pôvod a...more

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Feb 26, 2013 AnnMarie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebook, fantasy, fiction, short-stories

An excellent collection of short stories that introduce you to the fantasy world of 'The Witcher'.

I love Andrzej Sapkowski's turn of phrase & story-telling style. His alchemical mix of humour, tragedy, political machinations and moral ambiguity, makes for a wonderful read which may leave you contemplating the parallels in our current world.

13th Century Europe is brought alive in our imaginations and embellished with creations of fantasy. This series of books are a must read and this is the b...more

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Sep 04, 2012 Sash Uusjärv rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Andrzej Sapkowski teose “Viimane soov” ilmumine eesti keeles oli väga oodatud mitmes mõttes. Kas või juba sellepärast, et head kirjandust ei satu meie lugemislauale just liiga sagedasti, aga eelkõige sellepärast, et tegemist on selle praegu ühe maailma kõige populaarsema ja enamtõlgituma Poola autori esimese lugudekollektsiooniga, mis annab elu nõidur Geraltile.
Nõidurid on kummaline ja haruldane olendite liik – ei inimesed, ei koletised –, kes valdavad teatud määral maagiat ning kelle ülesandeks...more Andrzej Sapkowski teose “Viimane soov” ilmumine eesti keeles oli väga oodatud mitmes mõttes. Kas või juba sellepärast, et head kirjandust ei satu meie lugemislauale just liiga sagedasti, aga eelkõige sellepärast, et tegemist on selle praegu ühe maailma kõige populaarsema ja enamtõlgituma Poola autori esimese lugudekollektsiooniga, mis annab elu nõidur Geraltile.
Nõidurid on kummaline ja haruldane olendite liik – ei inimesed, ei koletised –, kes valdavad teatud määral maagiat ning kelle ülesandeks on hävitada koletisi. Kõlab nagu iga teine labane fantaasialugu? Uskuge mind, seda pole “Viimane soov” kohe kindlasti. Sapkowski maailm ei ole must-valge, vaid segadusttekitavalt hall, piirid hea ja halva vahel on selles ärritavalt hägused ning väga mitmel puhul võib jääda loo lõpul segaseks, kes selles üldse koletis oli … Äärmiselt köitvad on ka tegelased: mitmekihilised, naljakad, vastikud ja usutavad. Seda muidugi eelkõige Geralt ise – üksildane antikangelane, filosoofiline maailma sanitar, keda inimesed vihkavad ja kardavad, kuid ometi vajavad. Ja seepärast ehk vihkavad ja kardavad veel enam.
Sarnaselt Tolkieni lugudele jääb Sapkowskit lugedes mulje, et maailm, milles sündmused toimuvad, on väga suur ja vana, pidevalt aimdub asju ja lugusid, mida vaid riivamisi mainitakse või millest kergelt aimu antakse, juskui eeldades, et lugeja juba teab niikuinii, millest jutt käib. Vahel võib seda oletada, vahel isegi seda mitte, aga see kohati ärritav nõks annab lugudele avarust ja sügavust.
Mitte asjata ei ole Sapkowski Nõiduri sari üks neist fantaasialugudest, mida loevad ka need, kes muidu fantaasiakirjandust kätte ei võta. “Viimases soovis” mängib autor rafineeritult raamatu vormi ja strukuuriga, segab tegevusliine ja -aegu ning “sissesaamine” ei olegi ehk nii lihtne. (Seda võib muidugi ka puuduseks pidada.) Sarnaselt näiteks Neil Gaimani ja China Mieville’ga kasutab kirjanik vanu (muinas)lugusid, kuid miksib need omavahel või uute elementidega kokku ja loob täiesti uue maailma. Samuti pakub raamat mõnusat huumorit, peent sarkasmi ja ohtralt äratundmisrõõmu, sest lugudesse põimitud vihked ja viited nii folkloori, ajaloo kui kirjanduse vallast pakuvad üllatavaid ahaa!-elamusi.
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May 17, 2012 Aaron rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasticliterature

Think about a fantasy book. Think about your favorite fantasy book. Chances are, it included elves or maybe dwarves. It probably had knights or something like them. It was, most likely, heavily influenced by Tolkien, or his successors, and it was probably based, at least in part, on a certain Anglo-saxon, or maybe French, sort of medieval culture. And if you read fantasy, there's probably 15 or so more like it on your bookshelf or your e-reader of choice.

So here's my recommendation: put down Lor...more

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May 07, 2012 Robin Carter rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

Whenever I watch a film or tv programme, I always have to read the synopsis first, to get a feel for what's going to happen. The same goes for the back cover description on a book. Several times (depending on the book) I might flick to the description - almost as if getting my bearings. So The Last Wish was something of a departure for me, as I knew very little about what to expect. Apparently he is a Polish "master of fantasy", this Eastern-European bestseller now finally translated into Englis...more

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Mar 25, 2012 Bluefly rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Questo di Sapkowski è un libro magico. Una volta che lo cominci, devi finirlo al più presto. Se sei un amante del fantasy un po’ stanco, ti fa riacquistare la voglia di leggere questo genere. Dopo qualche riga, ti ritrovi nel mondo di Geralt di Rivia, e sebbene sia un mondo duro, pericoloso e persino un po’ in decadenza (il sole non è più quello di una volta!), non vorresti più tornare in dietro. I dialoghi sono brillanti, ironici, naturali. Geralt è imbattibile ma non perché (o solo perché) ha...more

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Jan 26, 2012 I love books rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Geralt di Rivia è uno strigo: fin da piccolo è stato sottratto ai suoi genitori per essere addestrato a diventare un guerriero infallibile, uno sterminatore di mostri malvagi. Così trascorre le sue giornate, spostandosi di villaggio in villaggio offrendo le sue capacità dove ce ne sia bisogno, spesso in cambio di vitto e alloggio; tuttavia la sua vita è più complicata di quanto già non sembri, infatti il popolo non vede di buon occhio lo strigo a causa del suo aspetto e dei suoi poteri. Ma Geral...more Geralt di Rivia è uno strigo: fin da piccolo è stato sottratto ai suoi genitori per essere addestrato a diventare un guerriero infallibile, uno sterminatore di mostri malvagi. Così trascorre le sue giornate, spostandosi di villaggio in villaggio offrendo le sue capacità dove ce ne sia bisogno, spesso in cambio di vitto e alloggio; tuttavia la sua vita è più complicata di quanto già non sembri, infatti il popolo non vede di buon occhio lo strigo a causa del suo aspetto e dei suoi poteri. Ma Geralt è diverso, non è un assassino senza scrupoli: si limita ad eliminare le minacce vere e proprie, mentre non esita a risparmiare le creature più bizzarre, ma innocue. Accanto a lui viaggia Ranuncolo, un cantastorie nonchè donnaiolo incallito che fa strage di cuori in ogni villaggio in cui si esibisce, attirando su di sè l'ira di padri o mariti furibondi.
Il guardiano degli innocenti è composto da tante storie separate, ma legate tra loro da un sottile filo temporale, come dimostrano i vari flashback disseminati qua e là che gettano luce sul passato burrascoso di Geralt e su quello che potrebbe essere il suo futuro..

Questo libro è probabilmente uno dei fantasy più belli che io abbia mai letto, e non ne ho letti pochi; sapete che mi piacciono moltissimo la favole rivisitate (chi mi segue su facebook sa che amo ad esempio il telefilm Once upon a time), ebbene questo libro (e anche il seguito) è pieno di favole rivisitate. Sapete chi è l'Averna? Una ragazza particolare, che va in giro con 7 gnomi e che ha la mania di infilzare le prede, vive, su lunghi pali appuntiti.. Una Biancaneve decisamente particolare, senza ombra di dubbio :D E questo è sola una delle tante favole che potrete riconoscere leggendo il libro!
Geralt è un personaggio magnifico, racchiude in sè molte buone qualità e non esita a salvare il popolo mettendo a repentaglio la sua stessa vita, nonostante venga considerato senza anima e quindi disprezzato apertamente. E' davvero affascinante xD
Comunque il mio preferito è Ranuncolo, quando entra in scena lui potete stare tranquilli che una bella risata non ve la toglierà nessuno xD Molto spesso si troverà incastrato in situazioni scomode, come calarsi da una finestra non completamente vestito e simili :D
La particolarità di questo libro è il fatto di essere in realtà una raccolta di tanti racconti brevi, per cui la lettura si può eventualmente interrompere senza rischiare di perdere il filo della storia e dover ricominciare dall'inizio; credo sia una trovata davvero geniale per invogliare a leggere anche quei lettori che si fanno scoraggiare dalle dimensioni del libro (come il mio ragazzo ^^'').

Assolutamente consigliata anche ai non amanti del fantasy, sono sicura che questo autore vi conquisterà, e magari finirete anche a giocare al videogioco!(less)

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Oct 09, 2011 Abigail rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: second-half-2011, own

I played "The Witcher" and enjoyed it. I plan on playing the sequel once I get through some of these other games that I suddenly have (thanks, Steam!)
At one of the going-out-of-business book sales (forget which one, there's been too many) I picked up "The Blood of Elves" which is the sequel to this book, which the games are based upon, with the intention to pick up "The Last Wish" and read it first.

Which I finally did.

I was a little dubious about this novel at first, since it started right off...more I played "The Witcher" and enjoyed it. I plan on playing the sequel once I get through some of these other games that I suddenly have (thanks, Steam!)
At one of the going-out-of-business book sales (forget which one, there's been too many) I picked up "The Blood of Elves" which is the sequel to this book, which the games are based upon, with the intention to pick up "The Last Wish" and read it first.

Which I finally did.

I was a little dubious about this novel at first, since it started right off with a sex scene, but it turned out to be tastefully done. The structure of the book was a little unusual. That first part was titled "The Voice of Reason 1" and at the end of that (short) chapter it launched into a short story that I was already roughly familiar with since it's the opening cut-scene of "The Witcher". (Geralt vs. the striga... FIGHT) At the end of that we had "The Voice of Reason 2" which then led into another short story following the same characters and the same story, if in a somewhat mixed-up order, with a chapter of "The Voice of Reason" in between each to serve as the over-arching plot.

For a moment or two I was deeply concerned about the portrayal of women in this book, until I realized what some of the male characters said and what the female characters were like were two different things entirely. (Bedechel Test = Passed)

There's a lot of things the game changed from the book. If I remember the game right they basically took Yennifer's personality and stuck it in Triss Merigold's body (and name). The Princess from the start of the game? Turns out to be about 12 and simply (for certain values of "simple) cured of her curse, as opposed to 18-or-older and *ahem*.

The most interesting change I found had to do with the steel and silver swords. From a game-play perspective, having the silver-for-monsters and iron(steel)-for-humans be exactly true made sense. A big part of the game involved learning what monsters are vulnerable to what and finding what you needed to defeat them.
In the book there's a line or two that goes over this, but explains that some monsters are vulnerable to silver while others are vulnerable to iron and it just so happens that the human kind of monster is vulnerable to sharp lengths of metal.

This book surprised me, because I didn't expect much out of it and I found myself really enjoying it.(less)

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Sep 24, 2011 Zara rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010-gelesene-bücher, 01-bücherregal, 04-schatzis-bücher

Das Cover hatte mich sofort in den Bann gezogen. Wirklich toll gemacht! Was mich von Anfang an etwas abgeschreckt hatte, war, dass es lauter Kurzgeschichten sind. Das ist nicht mein Fall, damit konnte ich noch nie etwas anfangen.

Das Buch beginnt mit der Stimme der Vernunft und darauf folgte eine Kurzgeschichte, immer abwechselnd. Die Stimme der Vernunft verknüpft das ganze Buch etwas, ansonsten sind die einzelnen Geschichten voneinander unabhängig. Ich hatte das Gefühl, in irgendeinen Zeitpunkt...more

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Sep 16, 2011 ᛋᚳᚩᛏᛏ rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sword-and-sorcery

I had expected something closer to a traditional fable or faerie tale than a novel of classical fantasy, and I was not disappointed. The Last Wish shares tropes with similar genres, but the way Mr. Sapkowski mixed elements of the traditional (in one story, the protagonist was called upon by an old enemy and sorceror to defend him against a woman he had wronged. She was said to dwell in a cottage with 7 gnomes and had broken a 'magic mirror' which led to charges of witchcraft and mutation) in wit...more

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Aug 17, 2011 Matthew Le Sacksee rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Here's a book some of you might want to check out. It's extremely popular in Poland but only 2 books from the series has been published in English so far.

This is a very peculiar book. It doesn't feature a dashing hero who kills some warlord or gigantic dragon and lives happily ever after. The setting is based on medieval Poland (pre-gunpowder era) but unlike other fantasy worlds that makes everything look ideal and nice to live in (I'm looking at you Harry Potter) the universe here is a very tro...more Here's a book some of you might want to check out. It's extremely popular in Poland but only 2 books from the series has been published in English so far.

This is a very peculiar book. It doesn't feature a dashing hero who kills some warlord or gigantic dragon and lives happily ever after. The setting is based on medieval Poland (pre-gunpowder era) but unlike other fantasy worlds that makes everything look ideal and nice to live in (I'm looking at you Harry Potter) the universe here is a very troubled place which is actually based on our own reality! Racism here is rampant. Humans are the top dogs while elves, dwarves and hobbits are low class individuals. You have kings with ambiguous personalities (one king has an incest problem) and political back-stabbers. There are even druids and mages who complain about ecological problems all the time (like environmentalists today). Poland author Sapkowski is a very sarcastic author and he's very skillful at injecting the dark realities of our life in a fantasy setting. You will see many other references to our real world as you coast through the book.

The Last Wish is a pretty short book. To establish the universe to a new reader, it comes in the format of an anthology with the sequels being full fledged novels. The main character is Geralt of Rivia. the book takes place in a temple where Geralt is recovering from a near fatal injury and during the healing process, recounts past events of his life to his doctor. The past events are then written for our convenience in the form of short stories.

Geralt is a mercenary monster hunter called a "witcher". Monster infestations grew worse after the wars, so some hunters took it upon themselves to experiment with poisons and magic to alter humans into biological killing machines. The death rate among candidates is very high, but those who survive become faster, stronger and resistant to special blends of performance enhancing drugs. The witchers succeeded in reducing monster population but in peaceful times, the number of witchers are reducing due to low demand of their skills and also the fact that they are frowned upon by society. Geralt is arguably the most successful among witchers but the book depicts his struggles against the prejudice people have against his kind whilst trying to make a living, working for people who shun him and in a world that is slowly losing its need of witchers. Stuck in such a dark world, the reader can't help but pity the situation Geralt is in.

The most interesting concept in the book however, is gray morality. Geralt is extremely cynical and views the world in shades of gray rather than black and white. Geralt is not a hero and is sometimes pushed into making immoral decisions to survive, choosing the lesser evil when the moral and ethical choice is not present. In contrast, Andrzej is very talented at writing chuckle-inducing dialogue that pokes fun at the ironies the world operates on (which is sometimes relate-able to real life). From time to time, Andrzej lightens the mood with some comedy and it really helps because otherwise, this book can be extremely depressing. A short story involving Geralt brawling with a sand devil is extremely funny but doesn't seem at odds with the dark mood of the story at all. Sapkowski is very talented at balancing the dark aspects with levity.

I don't have much criticisms for this book but I might have to mention that due to its dark nature, the book is quite violent. Geralt is also quite a promiscuous guy so there are many references to his sexual activity with random women. Mature readers won't have a problem but this is not a book you should lend to your 10-year-old cousin.

This is a VERY good book and I highly recommend it. Since it started out as a Polish book, it's free from the evil influences of Hollywood in fiction today. Translation of the series is very slow but after you finish this book I have no doubt that you will want to grab the sequel "The Blood of Elves" right away.(less)

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May 15, 2011 Violy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Nie byłam przekonana do tej książki. Z reguły nie czytam utworów polskich autorów. Tylko nieliczni są godni uwagi. Po przeczytaniu ''Ostatniego życzenia'' stwierdzam, że pan Sapkowski do nich należy!

Lektura opisuje losy Geralta z Rivii - wiedźmina. Zajmuje się on zabijaniem potworów bądź zdejmowaniem uroków z zaklętych księżniczek. Podróżuje po świecie ze swym przyjacielem - Jaskrem- w poszukiwaniu pracy. Czeka ich wiele niebezpieczeństw i pułapek.

Książka zajmująca od pierwszej strony. Czyta się...more

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Mar 18, 2011 Joseph rated it 3 of 5 stars

The Last Wish, AKA The Witcher which was written by a Polish author, is a very unique book, I have not read another story quite like it. The Last Wish is filled with short stories, some of which are linked together, some are not. Opposite of what most recent series have been doing, The Last Wish jumps to a new story at near the end of the climax of a previous one. This may seem confusing so for example (no spoilers): At the end of one of his quest battles, The Witcher is severely injured and los...more

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Jan 23, 2011 Mikko Karvonen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: all-time-favorites, fantasy-scifi

Popular fantasy often leaves me more or less cold, but Witcher offers a refreshing exception to this rule. It's worth every praise and more.

On surface, Sapkowski writes pretty prototypical fantasy about a super-human monster hunter with exceptional fighting skills and mystical powers. However, that's pretty much the only typical thing about the book.

The most obvious difference is the structure of the book. Instead of a long, epic tale of saving the world, Witcher consists of relatively independe...more

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Nov 28, 2010 Tanabrus rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, in-inglese

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Andrzej Sapkowski è un nome totalmente sconosciuto qui in Italia, e che solo recentemente ha cominciato a comparire nel mercato anglofono.
In Polonia però, casa sua, è ben famoso. Oserei dire che, per notorietà, genere e vendite, potrebbe veniree definito il Licia Troisi polacco.

Una serie di cinque libri per la saga The witcher, alcuni libri di racconti brevi legati a quella saga, una seconda trilogia e altri racconti sparsi, una serie televisiva e un film dedicati a questa sua saga, un videogioc...more

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About Andrzej Sapkowski

Andrzej Sapkowski, born June 21, 1948 in Łódź, is a Polish fantasy writer. Sapkowski studied economics, and before turning to writing, he had worked as a senior sales representative for a foreign trade company. His first short story, The Witcher (Wiedźmin), was published in Fantastyka, Poland's leading fantasy literary magazine, in 1986 and was enormously successful both with readers and critics....more Andrzej Sapkowski, born June 21, 1948 in Łódź, is a Polish fantasy writer. Sapkowski studied economics, and before turning to writing, he had worked as a senior sales representative for a foreign trade company. His first short story, The Witcher (Wiedźmin), was published in Fantastyka, Poland's leading fantasy literary magazine, in 1986 and was enormously successful both with readers and critics. Sapkowski has created a cycle of tales based on the world of The Witcher, comprising three collections of short stories and five novels. This cycle and his many other works have made him one of the best-known fantasy authors in Poland in the 1990s.

The main character of The Witcher (alternative translation: The Hexer) is Geralt, a mutant assassin who has been trained since childhood to hunt down and destroy monsters. Geralt exists in an ambiguous moral universe, yet manages to maintain his own coherent code of ethics. At the same time cynical and noble, Geralt has been compared to Raymond Chandler's signature character Philip Marlowe. The world in which these adventures take place is heavily influenced by Slavic mythology.

Sapkowski has won five Zajdel Awards, including three for short stories "Mniejsze zło" (Lesser Evil) (1990), "Miecz przeznaczenia" (Sword of Destiny) (1992) and "W leju po bombie" (In a Bomb Crater) (1993), and two for the novels "Krew elfów" (Blood of Elves) (1994) and "Narrenturm" (2002). He also won the Spanish Ignotus Award, best anthology, for The Last Wish in 2003, and for "Muzykanci" (The Musicians), best foreign short story, same year.

In 1997, Sapkowski won the prestigious Polityka's Passport award, which is awarded annually to artists who have strong prospects for international success.

In 2001, a Television Series based on the Witcher cycle was released in Poland and internationally, entitled Wiedźmin (The Hexer). A film by the same title was compiled from excerpts of the television series but both have been critical and box office failures.

Sapkowski's books have been translated into Czech, Russian, Lithuanian, German, Spanish, French, Ukrainian, and Portuguese. An English translation of The Last Wish short story collection was published by Gollancz in 2007.

The Polish game publisher, CD Projekt, created a role-playing PC game based on this universe, called The Witcher, which was released in October 2007. There is also a mobile version of the game which has been created by Breakpoint Games and is being published by Hands-On Mobile in Western Europe,Latin America and Asia Pacific.

The English translation of Sapkowski's novel Blood of Elves won the David Gemmell Legends Award in 2009.(less)

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Quotes from The Last Wish

“People," Geralt turned his head, "like to invent monsters and monstrosities. Then they seem less monstrous themselves. When they get blind-drunk, cheat, steal, beat their wives, starve an old woman, when they kill a trapped fox with an axe or riddle the last existing unicorn with arrows, they like to think that the Bane entering cottages at daybreak is more monstrous than they are. They feel better then. They find it easier to live.” — 74 people liked it

“Świat się zmienia, słońce zachodzi, a wódka się kończy.” — 26 people liked it

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The Last Wish (Saga o Wiedźminie #1)

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