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A review by literalottie
The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Having both watched the Netflix series and played The Witcher 3, I was already familiar with many of the characters and some of the stories from this collection, but it was great nonetheless to read the original material.
At first, I was a bit skeptical about how effectively short stories can kick off a fantasy series, since the format doesn't leave much room for in-depth worldbuilding, plot or character development. And indeed, there are a few details that I felt could have done with more explanation - particularly there are names of monsters, signs and cities that get thrown around at times that would have confused me if I didn't already have a frame of reference from other media within the Witcher universe.
But by the end, I was fully immersed in the stories and thoroughly enjoying Geralt as a character and his adventures. They were all very loosely linked together, and there were some clear seeds being sown for plots to develop in later books, which I look forward to seeing the payoff for as I continue on with the series.
Individual story ratings:
The Witcher ★★★½ (a decent enough starting story, but not a standout for me)
A Grain of Truth ★★★ (fine, but the weakest story of the lot for me)
The Lesser Evil ★★★★★ (excellent, establishes a key conflict in Gerald's character really effectively; I can see why the show chose to present this one first)
A Question of Price ★★★★½ (I know this one is extremely relevant to the story in the books going forward, which is exciting)
The Edge of the World ★★★★ (Dandelion is such a delight)
The Last Wish ★★★★½ (*screams internally*)
The Voice of Reason ★★★½ (it was cool to have a continuing story throughout that tied everything together)
At first, I was a bit skeptical about how effectively short stories can kick off a fantasy series, since the format doesn't leave much room for in-depth worldbuilding, plot or character development. And indeed, there are a few details that I felt could have done with more explanation - particularly there are names of monsters, signs and cities that get thrown around at times that would have confused me if I didn't already have a frame of reference from other media within the Witcher universe.
But by the end, I was fully immersed in the stories and thoroughly enjoying Geralt as a character and his adventures. They were all very loosely linked together, and there were some clear seeds being sown for plots to develop in later books, which I look forward to seeing the payoff for as I continue on with the series.
Individual story ratings:
The Witcher ★★★½ (a decent enough starting story, but not a standout for me)
A Grain of Truth ★★★ (fine, but the weakest story of the lot for me)
The Lesser Evil ★★★★★ (excellent, establishes a key conflict in Gerald's character really effectively; I can see why the show chose to present this one first)
A Question of Price ★★★★½ (I know this one is extremely relevant to the story in the books going forward, which is exciting)
The Edge of the World ★★★★ (Dandelion is such a delight)
The Last Wish ★★★★½ (*screams internally*)
The Voice of Reason ★★★½ (it was cool to have a continuing story throughout that tied everything together)