Reviews with content warning for Infertility - The Last Wish

This is my second reading of this book and I like it SO MUCH MORE, espeically now that I know more about Geralt/Yennifer and Geralt/Dandelion. I took a quarter of a star off because I think some of the sentences were a little awkward, but that might be a translation issue. Hard to know since I don't speak or read Polish!

I'm a huge fan of the format of this book: short stories with interludes rooted in Geralt's stay at the Temple of Melitele, where is he is recovering from an injury that would have been lethal to anyone but a witcher.

This is a fantastic introduction to the world of Geralt: why and how he carries his two swords, what the swords are for, the societal conditions and introduction to the politics of the world, the varying degrees of magic present, and so much more!

I'm sure I'll read it again!

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madmichele's review against another edition

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adventurous medium-paced

4.25

“yennefer…yen.”
“yen,” she repeated, giving in to him completely. “nobody’s ever called me that. say it again.”
“yen.”
“geralt.”

GOD.

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pikitat's review against another edition

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3.0

It was alright. I might read go on to read the next book because it was a pretty interesting read at some points. The book is broken into sections that have chapters within them, and I thought the first and second sections were really engaging. The rest of the book was alright, but I definitely enjoyed the style of the first two sections the most. I found the characterization of Geralt a little inconsistent, although I did like the dynamic between him and Dandilion.

Spoiler

I wasn't crazy about Yennefer so I hope she doesn't show up a lot in the next book lol

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idajoh's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

It's a good fantasy book and it kept me engaged the entire time. However, all the stories were adapted into the TV-show (which is a good thing), but I wish there were some fresh stories for me to enjoy honestly.

The story is mainly told through dialogue which makes it a pretty quick and easy read. The action sequences, although few, are also very good at creating suspense while being believable. I will admig that I was a bit confused throughout most of them, but I just chalked it up to me being tired while I read most of the book.

The major downfall of this book is the extreme misoginy. No women in this book, except maybe Nenneke, is seen as something other than a sex object by all the characters. That includes Geralt. It was extremely off-putting and I'm glad that aspect was toned down in the TV series. At least Yennefer in the TV series had other redeeming qualities except her want of a child.

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epsyphus's review

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adventurous funny lighthearted slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes

3.0

Fun introduction to the series. I really enjoyed the Netflix tv show so I’m excited to get more into this series.

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