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krste93's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-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? No
4.25
crloken's review against another edition
4.0
In the book of Judges (Judges 11:30-40), Jephthah promises God that if he receives victory then he will sacrifice the first thing that greets him upon his return home. When he does finally come home victorious he is greeted by his joyful dancing daughter. He does as he promised. I thought of this story as I read about the law of surprise, a custom wherein a person after saving a life can demand a reward in the form of something in the indebted person's home that they do not know about. This usually takes the form of an unborn baby, and is often how witchers get babies to mutate into new witchers. Geralt, the eponymous witcher, does invoke this law at one point in this collection of stories, stating his hope that it will lead to another witcher. This seems to be a problem not only in the obvious ways, but because of how much Geralt seems to hate this life that was forced on him.
The Last Wish is a collection of short stories, most of which are dark twists on myths and fairy tales, all about Geralt of Rivia, a witcher. Witchers are monster hunters, mutated shortly after birth to give them better eyesight, some magic, and a body able to be altered more easily with drugs. They wander around looking for work, essentially a fantasy pest control. In that way this reminded me most of the Felix Castor books; a working class pest control version of a monster hunter.
Geralt has a moral code he lives by, one which often gets him in trouble. The Last Wish shines when it is criticizing Geralt and his world view. His refusal to interfere and choose a lesser evil leads to him committing a massacre and gaining his title "the Butcher of Blavikan". In other stories he'll take multiple jobs to deal with a "monster" in various ways, like a video game character trying to decide how he'll deal with a problem later. Many of the stories mostly involve Geralt talking to a monster or a person for a while, and the fantasy action one would expect because of that dragon on the cover is actually pretty rare.
Overall, it's good and it feels like dark fantasy with an actual point to get across. I hope the series maintains this quality as it becomes more story focused.
The Last Wish is a collection of short stories, most of which are dark twists on myths and fairy tales, all about Geralt of Rivia, a witcher. Witchers are monster hunters, mutated shortly after birth to give them better eyesight, some magic, and a body able to be altered more easily with drugs. They wander around looking for work, essentially a fantasy pest control. In that way this reminded me most of the Felix Castor books; a working class pest control version of a monster hunter.
Geralt has a moral code he lives by, one which often gets him in trouble. The Last Wish shines when it is criticizing Geralt and his world view. His refusal to interfere and choose a lesser evil leads to him committing a massacre and gaining his title "the Butcher of Blavikan". In other stories he'll take multiple jobs to deal with a "monster" in various ways, like a video game character trying to decide how he'll deal with a problem later. Many of the stories mostly involve Geralt talking to a monster or a person for a while, and the fantasy action one would expect because of that dragon on the cover is actually pretty rare.
Overall, it's good and it feels like dark fantasy with an actual point to get across. I hope the series maintains this quality as it becomes more story focused.
pani_yevheniia's review against another edition
3.0
Це радше 3,5. Я не люблю формат оповідань, але тут рятує, що діючі герої - одні й ті самі, і, очевидно, один всесвіт. Оповідання так-сяк повʼязуються в ціле вставками про теперішнє - лікування Геральта в храмі і через його спогади.
Що особливо сподобалось - це післямова «Сапковський і біля нього», де коротко розкриваються обставини та середовище, у яких Відтмак писався. Також, приділяється увага перекладу, чому так а не інакше (до речі, у книзі псевдонім друга-трубадура переклали як Любисток, але я чула інший варіант, який видається мені більш вдалим, якщо дивитися на нього саме як на ім’я - Жовтець). І, звісно, короткі прояснення оповідань. Було цікаво прочитати, хоча зазвичай я перед- та післямови не читаю.
В цілому, цікаво. Якби це були не оповідання, а хронологічна розповідь (класично написана, себто), то було б 4,5.
Що особливо сподобалось - це післямова «Сапковський і біля нього», де коротко розкриваються обставини та середовище, у яких Відтмак писався. Також, приділяється увага перекладу, чому так а не інакше (до речі, у книзі псевдонім друга-трубадура переклали як Любисток, але я чула інший варіант, який видається мені більш вдалим, якщо дивитися на нього саме як на ім’я - Жовтець). І, звісно, короткі прояснення оповідань. Було цікаво прочитати, хоча зазвичай я перед- та післямови не читаю.
В цілому, цікаво. Якби це були не оповідання, а хронологічна розповідь (класично написана, себто), то було б 4,5.
vilimuu's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
colourful_kenyan's review against another edition
4.0
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!
yintheimmortal's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
qwelling4's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
l_bookss's review against another edition
3.5
I have to say this wasn’t what I was expecting, but in a good way! The Last Wish ended up being a fun little collection of quirky short stories/loose retellings of classic fairytales with a twist (beauty and the beast, Rumpelstiltskin, Snow White and the seven dwarfs, etc). Just like in the TV series following the timeline can be a little confusing as it kind of just jumps from story to story without any clear line of events. That being said I don’t think the timeline is all that important when it comes to understanding what’s going on in this book.. but I’m sure it will be important later so here’s to hoping later me can work it out! Overall I thought this was a fun introductory read to the series. I don’t feel like there’s really an overarching plot yet, but I’m looking forward to getting into it and seeing where it all goes from here. I also want to mention that the audiobook narrator for this was insane, and I mean that in all the best ways. All the different voices and sound effects were incredible and made for such an enjoyable and immersive listening experience!
whatevanreads's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.0
loorofororo's review against another edition
5.0
"El Último Deseo" de Andrzej Sapkowski sitúa su historia en un mundo lleno de criaturas, magia y guerra, donde Geralt de Rivia, un brujo-mutante sobrehumano, se gana la vida como cazador de monstruos. Armado con sus dos espadas, una para hombres y otra para bestias, Geralt enfrenta a todo tipo de criaturas, pero solo cuando amenazan la paz... Y también hay que decirlo, puede sacar provecho de ello. La genialidad de esta obra radica en su estructura narrativa, que utiliza pequeños cuentos para contar la historia de Geralt, entrelazándolos en una trama coherente y emocionante que brinda una visión más profunda del personaje y del mundo en el que vive.
En este punto, quiero destacar el valor humano de Geralt que, a medida que avanza la historia, se va haciendo más evidente; y cómo el autor ha sabido transmitir sus valores y su enfoque frente a su "destino". La ironía, el cinismo y el escepticismo del protagonista le otorgan una personalidad única y lo convierten en una suerte de antihéroe con el que es imposible no empatizar.
Por otro lado, la capacidad de Sapkowski para combinar mitología eslava, un ambiente europeo del este y la fantasía épica clásica es otro de los aspectos a resaltar en la obra. Esta mezcla resulta en una lectura refrescante y diferente a otros trabajos del género. El estilo de escritura, aunque un tanto arcaico, se ajusta perfectamente a la ambientación medieval del libro, evocando una inmersión más real en el mundo. Además, se destaca la diversión y el entretenimiento proporcionados por las historias, especialmente gracias al personaje de Jaskier, un bardo que acompaña a Geralt en sus aventuras y sirve de testigo para re-contar lo que va pasando.
En conclusión, "El Último Deseo" es una obra maestra que atrapa al lector manteniéndolo inmerso en el cautivador mundo de Geralt. Sin duda, este libro es un "must" para cualquier amante de la literatura épica adulta.
En este punto, quiero destacar el valor humano de Geralt que, a medida que avanza la historia, se va haciendo más evidente; y cómo el autor ha sabido transmitir sus valores y su enfoque frente a su "destino". La ironía, el cinismo y el escepticismo del protagonista le otorgan una personalidad única y lo convierten en una suerte de antihéroe con el que es imposible no empatizar.
Por otro lado, la capacidad de Sapkowski para combinar mitología eslava, un ambiente europeo del este y la fantasía épica clásica es otro de los aspectos a resaltar en la obra. Esta mezcla resulta en una lectura refrescante y diferente a otros trabajos del género. El estilo de escritura, aunque un tanto arcaico, se ajusta perfectamente a la ambientación medieval del libro, evocando una inmersión más real en el mundo. Además, se destaca la diversión y el entretenimiento proporcionados por las historias, especialmente gracias al personaje de Jaskier, un bardo que acompaña a Geralt en sus aventuras y sirve de testigo para re-contar lo que va pasando.
En conclusión, "El Último Deseo" es una obra maestra que atrapa al lector manteniéndolo inmerso en el cautivador mundo de Geralt. Sin duda, este libro es un "must" para cualquier amante de la literatura épica adulta.