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A review by vylotte
The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski
4.0
I rarely listen to audiobooks, but with a new, daunting commute cutting into my reading time, I decided to give them another try. And damn, listening to this book was a lot of fun.
I am a Geralt of Rivia groupie, tis true. The games, my only other exposure, are strange and rich and engaging, so I wanted to see where it all came from. True to form, the book did not disappoint. Set up as flashbacks following Geralt through his travels and adventures (more commonly known as "side quests"), the taciturn hero hotly grimaces his way through monsters and women, fairy tales and excitement.
I was pleased to finally see both the backstory with his meeting Yennifer and the foundation of the Ciri story. Considering they were originally a Polish fantasy series, I don't feel much got lost in translation. There are definitely Polish legends and fairy tales that were new to me (a good thing!), but there were also just as many familiar old tales of sleeping princesses, wicked stepmothers and evil woods. Sapowski never shies away from fierce and powerful women who, some say, the real power figures in Geralt's world. And the narrator pronouncing "Dandelion" as "Dan-dilly-un" (a British thing?) only added to the atmosphere, because that's totally something upon which Dandelion would insist.
I am a Geralt of Rivia groupie, tis true. The games, my only other exposure, are strange and rich and engaging, so I wanted to see where it all came from. True to form, the book did not disappoint. Set up as flashbacks following Geralt through his travels and adventures (more commonly known as "side quests"), the taciturn hero hotly grimaces his way through monsters and women, fairy tales and excitement.
I was pleased to finally see both the backstory with his meeting Yennifer and the foundation of the Ciri story. Considering they were originally a Polish fantasy series, I don't feel much got lost in translation. There are definitely Polish legends and fairy tales that were new to me (a good thing!), but there were also just as many familiar old tales of sleeping princesses, wicked stepmothers and evil woods. Sapowski never shies away from fierce and powerful women who, some say, the real power figures in Geralt's world. And the narrator pronouncing "Dandelion" as "Dan-dilly-un" (a British thing?) only added to the atmosphere, because that's totally something upon which Dandelion would insist.