The Witcher Saga Book Review: The Last Wish
The first book in Geralt of Rivia’s adventures into the savage world of witchers and monsters takes you on a slow-burn journey through a rich and intricate universe that breaks away from many typical fantasy tropes you’ll find in literature, with a very unusual and grumpy hero protagonist.
Here’s my take on the opening chapter of The Witcher Saga.
(This article doesn’t contain spoilers)
Like most people, I was initially introduced to Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski’s work through other media
I had a pretty typical notion of the kind of story I was getting into, but nothing could be farther from my initial thoughts.
The book material deviates significantly from the adaptations in numerous ways. Yet, if you were to ask my opinion, I’d suggest that for a faithful representation of The Witcher world and its characters, your best bet is to play the video games and give the TV show a pass altogether.
The initial thing that caught my attention when dipping into the material
Definitely, I would say that it’s the structure and pacing. This book compiles a collection of short stories, that don’t precisely follow an order. Nevertheless, I should point out that there is an overarching story that ties them all together — namely, “The Voice of Reason” chapters 1–7.
The book dedicates a lot of time to developing each character through a bunch of pages of dialogue. And when I say this is how the book fleshes out its characters, I truly mean it. You could easily encounter as many as six pages of just two characters’ dialogue. Nonetheless, despite the slow-moving pace, it’s the language and philosophical themes narrated what truly shine in the entire work. This doesn’t imply that the book lacks action, quite the opposite.
Sapkowski’s way of describing certain situations while still leaving you some space to fill in the specific details is captivating. Furthermore, in various instances, the narrative adopts a rather poetic quality.
The Witcher Saga’s main character, a walking moral compass for Witchers
He’s more than just a monster killing machine. Actually, he is a walking encyclopedia of wisdom prepared to release some serious knowledge bombs on every contractor he meets. You might assume that everyone anticipates Geralt to be just slashing monsters or taking some naps and then getting in bed with sorceresses, but no. He’s not just a deep thinker and a noble soul at heart, he is also a killer orator when it comes to getting into lengthy, philosophical debates about where people are mistaken and he is right and then collecting payment.
Geralt is really an interesting character, distinct from the typical stereotype of a hero. After all, his way of life involves safeguarding innocent people from monsters, although in exchange for money. Yet, throughout the book, we’ll uncover the reasons behind Geralt’s cynicism.
A theme that gains momentum in “The Lesser Evil”, not surprisingly as the title says, revolves around the perception of evil. Does a lesser evil exist? “Does the end justify the means?” From Geralt’s standpoint, there isn’t a concept of a lesser evil, and he’d rather refrain from choosing either path. This story revolves all around that theme, and here’s a small spoiler: Geralt actually finds himself entangled in a trap in precisely this type of situation.
The work overall delves into profound philosophical themes, More often than not, you’ll find Geralt, the grumpy Witcher, venting about his life to those near him, while simultaneously grappling with morally complex contracts. Furthermore, Geralt’s escapades carry an air of groundedness and offer subtle hints about the vastness of the world without overwhelming the reader.
However, there are times when things get seriously wacky, and Geralt finds himself in the middle of bizarre or downright absurd situations. And guess what? This is where the book truly shines, dropping some top-tier humor. Take “The Edge of the World”, for instance. In this story, Geralt takes on a monster contract without using his trusty sword. Nope, he’s using only insults and fists, just proving that even a monster hunter can have a cheeky side. The consequent exchanges are as childish as they come, yet strangely plausible. Personally, my favorite story in the book.
In summary
This collection of stories will give you a solid dose of the backstory and the core themes of the franchise. All of this is well-balanced into a fair amount of action, humor, relatable characters, and engaging writing that’ll definitely keep you hooked from start to finish.
If you are a fan of The Witcher or this is your first time getting into the franchise, just give it a try! I can promise you that you won’t be disappointed.
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Occasionally, I’ll upload some of my own experimental work, so if you are keen on reading interesting original stories, you found the right place.
