The Last Wish question

Try the Elric saga by Michael Moorcock starting with Elric of Melniboné or the Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser books by Fritz Leiber starting with Ill Met in Lankhmar.

Thought of Leiber's stories, too, he uses a similarily ironic tone to approach classic Fantasy tropes.

Sapkowski has another saga about Reynevan von Bielau. Not so exciting, but not so long either. )

I love following a character through their adventures. It isn't traditional fantasy, but I enjoyed Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden novels and, since you mentioned Patrick O'Brian, my guess is you would really like Bernard Cornwell's Sharpe series.

Abercrombie
the grim company
Mark Lawrence
Blackwing

Characters of King's Dark Tower series - Roland and others.

Chronicles of Amber by Roger Zelezny and Oath of Swords by David Weber.

Ive read all fantasy and only 1st Law series by Joe Abercrombie is as good. Btw. Sapkowski in an interview also called this series by Abercrombie as the very best western fantasy.
But dont read last book - the short stories because sadly Abercrombie is terrible in short form.

I love how the characters mull over politics, philosophy, science, the history of their world, etc, then Geralt kills something/someone.

I also love the way Sapowski uses words.