Andrzej Sapkowski

Soon to be a major Netflix original series! Geralt the Witcher -- revered and hated -- holds the line against the monsters plaguing humanity in this collection of adventures in the NYT bestselling series that inspired the blockbuster video games. Geralt is a Witcher, a man whose magic powers, enhanced by long training and a mysterious elixir, have made him a brilliant fighter and a merciless assassin. Yet he is no ordinary murderer: his targets are the multifarious monsters and vile fiends that ravage the land and attack the innocent. But not everything monstrous-looking is evil and not everything fair is good...and in every fairy tale there is a grain of truth. Andrzej Sapkowski, winner of the World Fantasy Lifetime Achievement award, started an international phenomenon with his Witcher series. The Last Wish short story collection is the perfect introduction to this one of a kind fantasy world. Witcher collectionsThe Last WishSword of Destiny Witcher novelsBlood of Elves The Time of Contempt Baptism of Fire The Tower of SwallowsLady of the LakeSeason of Storms The Malady and Other Stories: An Andrzej Sapkowski Sampler (e-only) Translated from original Polish by Danusia Stok

Introducing the Witcher

The Last Wish

She leant over him, touched him. He felt her hair, smelling of lilac and gooseberries, brush his face and he suddenly knew that he’d never forget that scent, that soft touch, knew that he’d never be able to compare it to any other scent or touch. Yennefer kissed him and he understood that he’d never desire any lips other than hers, so soft and moist, sweet with lipstick. He knew that, from that moment, only she would exist, her neck, shoulders and breasts freed from her black dress, her delicate, cool skin, which couldn’t be compared to any other he had ever touched. He gazed into her violet eyes, the most beautiful eyes in the world, eyes which he feared would become . . . Everything. He knew.

“But he suddenly knew the truth. He knew it. He knew what she used to be. What she remembered, what she couldn't forget, what she lived with. Who she really was before she had become a sorceress.”

“It ought to be clear to you too, that you're never going to be human, but you still keep trying to be one. Making human mistakes. Mistakes a witcher shouldn't be making.”

“Evil is evil, Stregobor,” said the witcher seriously as he got up. “Lesser, greater, middling, it's all the same. Proportions are negotiated, boundaries blurred. I’m not a pious hermit. I haven't done only good in my life. But if I’m to choose between one evil and another, then I prefer not to choose at all.”

“With the usual question, I take it,” interrupted Geralt. “’Who is the fairest of them all?”

“[...] or I throw you into prison, pre—How do you say it, Geralt?”

Geralt de Riv, a witcher, uses his vast sorcerous powers to hunt down the monsters that threaten the world, but he soon discovers that not every monstrous-looking creature is evil, and not everything beautiful is good.

Victoria Justice

Introducing Geralt the Witcher - revered and hated - who holds the line against the monsters plaguing humanity in the bestselling series that inspired the Witcher video games and a major Netflix show. Geralt of Rivia is a Witcher, a man whose magic powers and lifelong training have made him a brilliant fighter and a merciless assassin. Yet he is no ordinary killer: he hunts the vile fiends that ravage the land and attack the innocent. But not everything monstrous-looking is evil; not everything fair is good . . . and in every fairy tale there is a grain of truth. Andrzej Sapkowski, winner of the World Fantasy Lifetime Achievement award, started an international phenomenon with his Witcher series. The Last Wish is the perfect introduction to this one-of-a-kind fantasy world.

Introducing the Witcher - Now a major Netflix show

Vanja Lovre

Geralt the Witcher -- revered and hated -- holds the line against the monsters plaguing humanity in this collection of adventures in the New York Times bestselling series that inspired the Netflix show and the hit video games. Geralt is a Witcher, a man whose magic powers, enhanced by long training and a mysterious elixir, have made him a brilliant fighter and a merciless assassin. Yet he is no ordinary murderer: his targets are the multifarious monsters and vile fiends that ravage the land and attack the innocent. But not everything monstrous-looking is evil and not everything fair is good. . .and in every fairy tale there is a grain of truth. The Last Wish story collection is the perfect introduction to a one of a kind fantasy world. And look out for The Tower of Fools, book one of Andrzej Sapkowski's Hussite Trilogy, coming in October 2020!

🧸

"People"—Geralt turned his head—"like to invent monsters and monstrosities. Then they seem less monstrous themselves. When they get blind-drunk, cheat, steal, beat their wives, starve an old woman, when they kill a trapped fox with an axe or riddle the last existing unicorn with arrows, they like to think that the Bane entering cottages at daybreak is more monstrous than they are. They feel better then. They find it easier to live."

I was confused the whole time reading this book idk how I managed to finish it but the final scene with yennefer was worth it tbh.

also I loooooved the destiny scene it was so beautiful <3

Danusia Stok

Last Wish

Beatriz Aguiar

3.5
i really like the plot and vibe of witcher 
howEVER this book is a short story collection andddd i'd like more from the characters.
still a lot of fun and way different from the show adaptation. the book is more campy and makes fun of itself. it's also a funny mashup of other tales and myths which is cool (featuring a brief appearance of a snow white like character for example) 
it's good fun <33

Jenn Doan 

taylor alyse pisanie

Ryan LaFerney

These are the stories of Geralt, the Witcher, professional monster hunter, sorcerer, swordsman and mutant. Read these stories if you dare, for if you do, you will fall for Sapkowski's enchanting world and quickly devour more.

Nicole Sonja

A brilliant book! I enjoyed it thoroughly. It was quite strange at times but it was a good book.

Aditi

dimmie

while i see where the points about some young girls being described "inappropriately" are coming from, i personally found the comments i read to be exaggerating. it was nowhere near as bad as they made it seem - just two or three sentences over 300 pages. i think DNFing because of that, in the case of this particular book, is a shame. i will admit however there were times where i thought it was dragging a bit and had to go read something else (i finished 2 other books while reading this), but that's probably because i've never consumed any other media related to the witcher and therefore had no existing interest in the characters. and i'm also not the target audience. that being said, i didn't find it confusing or felt dumb because i was missing out on key information - i think the book does a good job of introducing new fans to all the key elements of the world and characters. my only confusion comes from geralt instantly falling in love with yennefer. why?? where from? what did she do??? why is he whipped from the first scene? i assume its not a spell because she clearly didn't want him until the end, so why is he suddenly risking everything to save her??

basically. nice read. but i'm also am not rushing to buy the other 6 asap👍

Geralt was always going to stand out, with his white hair and piercing eyes, his cynicism and lack of respect for authority... but he is far more than his striking appearance. He is a witcher, with powers that make him a brilliant fighter and merciless assassin - and his targets are the vile fiends that ravage the land.

As guardian of the innocent, Geralt meets incestuous kings with undead daughters, vengeful djinns, shrieking harpies, lovelorn vampires and despondent ghouls. Many are pernicious, some are wicked, and none are quite as they appear.

I loved this book so much! It taught me that you don't have to describe so much in prose to create a strong connection with the reader - a lot can be done with creative dialogue. It also taught me a lot about possible magic systems and how to incorporate a fictional language without spending 20 years on building it from scratch. 

Other than that, I just thoroughly enjoyed this book cover to cover and will be one of the select few that I read more than once. Loved this story, world, people, all of it!!! 

Marshie

I loved this book so much! It taught me that you don't have to describe so much in prose to create a strong connection with the reader - a lot can be done with creative dialogue. It also taught me a lot about possible magic systems and how to incorporate a fictional language without spending 20 years on building it from scratch. 

Other than that, I just thoroughly enjoyed this book cover to cover and will be one of the select few that I read more than once. Loved this story, world, people, all of it!!! 

Amina Madadi (ⴰⵎⵉⵏⴰ)

Being a collection of short stories, this book wasn't really compelling for me.
The narrative is great, the characters are well developped but it lacks action!

Haley Murray

I only picked this book up to fulfill a challenge for PopSugar. This book is just not for me.

Cool setting and characters. I'm not sure if it's the translation or a stylistic thing, but the writing feels a bit clunky at times. Once you realize how the jumps in time are set up it works quite well; I think that and the witty banter between characters are where this book excells.

Simon Crocker

Aditi Verma

Paige Radice

Having never read an adult fantasy book, this was the perfect introduction to the genre. I watched the Netflix adaptation, and was fascinated by the main characters, who I felt were complex and perfectly imperfect. This book mastered world-building, and whilst I was initially daunted by the structure of this book (being short stories) - once I got past the first few 'chapters' it flowed effortlessly. The creatures themselves, are characters in their own right. And I loved the way that Sapkowski didn't constrain such creatures, nor other characters as either being bad or good. I would recommend this to anyone wanting to enter the fantasy realm of literature. (Will definitely continue reading the series!)

Chiara Vitale Zelaia

I’ve been a fan of the Witcher franchise for years now, but having discovered it before I got back into reading, it never occured to me to also read the books. Luckily, my undying adoration for the Netflix series was the perfect motivator to get this mood reader in the right frame of mind to start this epic series, and I’m so glad that I have!

The Last Wish is a collection of novellas that follow the protagonist of the series, the witcher Geralt of Rivia. This is the perfect way not only to be introduced to this wonderful character and all his complexities, but also to get a feel and taste of the magical world in which the series is set. This book had it all—action, folklore, friendship and even a dash of romance and spins on well-known fairytales. It was compelling, engaging and the story-telling mechanism was brilliant! Each story felt like a piece of a greater puzzle, and it left me starving to figure out the whole picture. My one complaint is that there were moments where the dialogues went on for too long, which I felt sometimes slowed down the pace—however, this was typical of the adult epic fantasy of a few decades ago, so I can’t really fault the author for it.

One more thing before I leave thee: a simple Google research (like the one I did before starting) will suggest to read The Last Wish before starting the first book, Blood of Elves. While I do agree, I think the author presumed the reader already had a basic understanding of the world (given that Blood of Elves was the first book in order of publication), so if you’re completely unfamiliar with the franchise, you may have some difficulty visualizing some of the monsters and magic mentioned in the book. With that in mind, I definitely recommend this series to all lovers of epic fantasy—especially anyone looking for an adult read! And if you haven’t already, get your hands on the Witcher 3 game and watch the Netflix show for the full Witcher experience!

Maria Elena Vitale Zelaia

I’ve been a fan of The Witcher franchise for years. The Witcher 3 could easily be the best game of the decade. However, when I was first introduced to it, I wasn’t reading much, and I never picked up the books. Flash forward a few years and I’m an active member of the Bookstagram community for nearly three years, and I’ve read nearly two hundred books in that time, so when the Netflix series finally drops and blows my mind completely, the first thing I did was pick up the books. 

Fans of the books have suggested starting with  The Last Wish  first and continuing with the next prequel novella, so that is what I did—also because these are the two books that were covered by the show. I really enjoyed reading about Geralt for a change, and not just watching him, and I think I could have easily loved the characters even if I hadn’t been familiar to the world. Some of the stories had a spin on well known tales, and I overall enjoyed the dry humor typical of The Witcher. However, I do believe these novellas were written for people who were already familiar with the world, because there isn’t much worldbuilding. It would make sense, because the novellas were published after the first book. 

My favorite parts were those called The Voice of Reason, that introduced the various novellas and served as the main storyline of the book. My favorite stories were The Edge of the World and The Last Wish. My only issue is the pacing, weighed down by the long dialogues. Some of the short stories suffered because of this, especially The Witcher, which ironically had one of my favorite storylines from the show. 

I definitely recommend this series to all lovers of fantasy, although I think you would enjoy this book better either by reading the first book first—even though this is a prequel—or by watching the show first, just so you’re familiar with the world. I cannot wait to continue onto the next books!

Livia

Finally. After 1 whole month of reading this. And I could happily say that it was worth the while.

I do admit that not every single one of the short stories captivated as much as the others would, but it was still so fascinating and fun to read about Geralt's adventure. My favorite is, to no one's surprise, the last story. I really can't wait to see more Yen and her witty banter with Geralt.

Ryan Angel

I really wanted to like this, but couldn’t get into it. The world is okay, seems a little wishywashy though. Mainly, I couldn’t get past the writing. If you like LOTR, you’d like this. It’s basically the same writing style. I find it too “campfire” or “bedtime” story to get really involved. As a world, it’s cool. As characters, they suck so bad. So so bad. 0 connection to anything they did or that happened to them. Main character can die and I don’t care.

Ley Stanton

After binge-watching the show, this was exactly what I wanted. 
The stories are a little confusing at first because they jump around in time. There is over-arching story that is called 'Voice of Reason.' All the other stories take place throughout time and show you Geralt's reputation and his personality. I loved seeing all his interactions with people. It truly shows how much people hate Witchers but need them to get rid of the monsters. Geralt is such a genuine person who has a strong moral compass, especially compared to the people he deals with. His moral compass is honestly what gets him trouble most of the time, he always finds himself on the wrong side of people in power. But that's part of what makes him so interesting.
It was also lovely seeing all the fairy tail adaptations that woven into the plot. Each of them were done in such a unique manner so each of the short stories were their own retelling. I was a little disappointed that some of the stories weren't included in the show because it would have been amazing to see them. But there is only so much they can put into the show and still have a cohesive but not excessive narrative. I will say this book would have been very drawn out if I wasn't already interested in the characters and the world. This book does meander through the stories in an unhurried manner which would frustrated some readers. I personally like a fantasy world that takes time to build up to the main story because the reader is solidified in the world by the time things get going, especially in a complicated world. 
Definitely looking forward to the rest of the series and the show, I am invested in the world and Geralt.

Celeste Richardson

“Destiny has many faces. Mine is beautiful on the outside and hideous on the inside. She has stretched her bloody talons toward me—” 
You can probably guess why I finally picked this book up. I’m stupid excited for the Netflix series of The Witcher. And since I’m a good student, I wanted to at least have read the first book of the series before watching the show. I’m very glad I did. The Last Wish is a wonderful introduction to Geralt of Rivia, the eponymous Witcher of the series. Set up as short stories with a framework, we get to see some of Geralt’s greatest hits of his career, as well as gaining a bit of insight into his character.
“People," Geralt turned his head, "like to invent monsters and monstrosities. Then they seem less monstrous themselves. When they get blind-drunk, cheat, steal, beat their wives, starve an old woman, when they kill a trapped fox with an axe or riddle the last existing unicorn with arrows, they like to think that the Bane entering cottages at daybreak is more monstrous than they are. They feel better then. They find it easier to live.” 
While I’m not a gamer, my brother is, and the Witcher games are among his favorites. So I had heard a good deal about the series before I read the first page. What I didn’t realize was that the stories in this first book are essentially fractured fairy tales. We see new, darker spins on Beauty and the Beast and Snow White, as well as references to Cinderella, the Princess and the Pea, the Princess and the Frog, Sleeping Beauty, and even the Town Musicians of Bremen. There’s even a reference to the myth of Cupid and Psyche. And a genie. I might be overblowing these references or finding some where there are none, but it made me incredibly happy so I’m choosing to believe they’re there. Whatever the case may be, the stories were in no way derivative. Instead, they used the fairytales as a foundation upon which to build something completely original.
“There's a grain of truth in every fairy tale.” 
Geralt is an intriguing if enigmatic protagonist. He’s the epitome of a badass, but can be both calculating and grudgingly compassionate at the same time. Which I found to be an interesting balance. I feel like we managed to maintain most of his secrets in this first volume, and I’m hoping that more is revealed in the novels themselves than was brought to light in this particular collection of short stories. While they were very entertaining, they didn’t delve much past the surface of things. I know it can be difficult to plumb the depths of a personality over the span of a short story, so it’s perfectly understandable on the author’s part. I’m definitely intrigued enough to continue with the series. I want to see how differently Geralt is portrayed over the course of a novel.
“Evil is evil…Lesser, greater, middling, it's all the same. Proportions are negotiated, boundaries blurred. I'm not a pious hermit, I haven't done only good in my life. But if I'm to choose between one evil and another, then I prefer not to choose at all.” 
These stories were compelling and bloodthirsty and packed with a surprising amount of sexual tension. I highly recommend this collection to any fantasy fan, especially those who love unique retellings that manage to still be completely original in and of themselves. I’m excited to see what else this world has to offer, and to experience more of life through the eyes of a Witcher.

I initially picked this book up because I wanted to learn more about Geralt and his story after purchasing the game and watching the Netflix series. I’m not usually a fan of short stories, yet I enjoyed the storytelling in 

Geralt is likable in his own right, and I admire his friendship with Dandelion. The first installment provided an excellent but brief start or peek to 

’s lore. I’m really looking forward to finishing the series!

I initially picked this book up because I wanted to learn more about Geralt and his story after purchasing the game and watching the Netflix series. I’m not usually a fan of short stories, yet I enjoyed the storytelling in The Last Wish. Geralt is likable in his own right, and I admire his friendship with Dandelion. The first installment provided an excellent but brief start or peek to The Witcher’s lore. I’m really looking forward to finishing the series!

Cameron Frizzell

4 not 5 and here is why. 
It was slow at first, had I not watched the show first, this book is not the one I feel you should start yet. It s a bunch of stories and sometimes it’s hard to figure out what’s happening currently and what’s a memory of Geralt’s. None the less it was great though!

Amie ONeill

I enjoyed this book. I didn’t love every story but I enjoyed the majority of them. 
I love the subtle humour in this book. 
I also liked the characters and how even though we were only with some for a short time I felt the connection to them.
This is the kind of short story collection I enjoy.

Aidan Francis

Parts of this book are very slow to read and very… boring. Overall I really enjoyed it but the later books are much better.

The Last Wish Introducing the Witcher

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