Book Review: The Last Wish

The first book in the series that inspired the international bestselling video games The Witcher, Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski's The Last Wish is a collection of stories about the exploits of Geralt of Rivia.

Geralt is a "witcher": a wandering slayer of monsters. He is a mutant, his body transformed to superhuman effectiveness by a steady diet of special herbs and poisons, as part of the brutal training he underwent as a boy. He is a sorcerer, using potions and basic spells to assist in his line of work. And he is a cunning and merciless warrior, armed with two swords - one of iron, for human enemies, and one of silver, for monstrous and magical enemies.

Geralt's sole purpose is to slay the monsters that plague the world. Werewolves, manticores, griffons, leshys, rusalkas, and more.

But not all that is monstrous is evil. And not everything that is fair is good...

And in every fairy tale, there may be a grain of truth.

Geralt's purpose is simple. But carrying out his work almost never is.

The Last Wish is, as I said, a collection of stories, bound together by a framing narrative about Geralt recovering from injuries sustained in the first full story of the book, "The Witcher." (Just as a side note, from what I've learned, the collection I have dates back to 2007, and was rewritten slightly from the original tales published in 1993, in order to tie the stories together into a better continuity. To say nothing of the fact that the original stories were in Polish and had to be translated into English XD)

Each story draws from a particular fairy-tale or fantasy concept, and each story memorably deconstructs each of those concepts, playing them in a critical, often dark, manner. That's not to say that it's fully grimdark, though - but all the same, readers should definitely be aware that these stories do trade in some pretty gray and grey morality.

Fortunately, Sapkowski is really quite good at writing this stuff, so that helps a lot.

Here are the stories present in "The Last Wish," and my thoughts and input on each one.

"The Witcher":

The first proper story in the book after a short framing device, “The Witcher” is our first real introduction to Geralt, his work and what he does.

Arriving in the town of Wyzim, Geralt is accosted in a tavern by three thugs, whom he swiftly kills. This brings him to the attention of the local castellan, Velerad, whom Geralt questions over an offered reward.

You see, the local monarch, King Foltest, has posted a hefty reward for anyone who can cure his cursed daughter. Said daughter, the result of Foltest getting his sister pregnant (!!!), died in childbirth along with her mother, and was buried in a double coffin in the old palace. Then, seven years later, the deceased princess arose as a striga - a bloodthirsty monster - and slaughtered many in the palace. Now, every night of the full moon, the striga rises from her coffin and hunts for new victims.

The king has forbidden anyone from killing the monster, as he heard a wizard say that if someone were to prevent the striga from returning to her coffin by the third crowing of the rooster, she would be cured and turn back into a normal girl.

Velerad would rather Geralt kill the striga and have done with it. Plenty of others would too. Some political movers would also rather bribe Geralt to leave, and let the striga's continued attacks ruin Foltest and allow King Vizimir of Novigrad to take over.

However, Geralt accepts the contract, to spend a night in the old palace (the king having long since moved to a new home), in the hopes of ending the curse on the princess/striga. If, and only if, the situation proves too dangerous, will he use his sword and slay the striga.

What follows is one of the most iconic scenes in the entire Witcher series, as Geralt faces the striga in the ruins of the old palace. Having taken potions to enhance his senses, agility and strength, and using magic, his wits, and various other tools, he holds his own against the ravenous monster in a highly tense and effective fight.

The conclusion of the fight is incredibly effective, and as a whole the entire striga fight remains one of the best-written action sequences in a fantasy story that I've read. (This sequence with the striga was so iconic that it was adapted almost wholesale into the opening of the first Witcher game; it just does that good a job of establishing Geralt and his world.)

Outside of the striga fight, the rest of the story is a good read too. Geralt is an intriguingly hard-to-read character, with his personality being stoic and hard, but revealing himself to be a professional with a sense of ethical responsibility. It would be much easier to slay the striga, or take a bribe and run, but he takes the contract anyway - and even offers Foltest counsel on caring for the princess if he is successful in curing her.

As for Foltest himself... despite the horrible implications of him getting his sister pregnant, the king proves to be quite an intriguing character in the two scenes he gets. In particular the second one, where he meets with Geralt in private, and gives Geralt leave to kill the striga if she truly is a lost case. Especially poignant is when Foltest requests to come to the tomb and, and see his daughter just once, even if she's a monster to be put down.

Adding some much-needed humor to the dark setting of the story is Velerad the castellan. One of the funniest chapters in the story is him explaining the background of the striga, the curse, and the killings in and around the old palace. He is hilariously (and to be honest, understandably) exasperated with the death and goings-on, and this leads to a darkly hilarious rant at one point, where he explodes in frustration about referring to the striga as "princess" and sarcastically declares that they should start sending her picture to other courts to see about marriage opportunities. XD

Sapkowski's text establishes itself well in this story. He writes with a strong sense of detail, a kind of harsh realism, that also contains some surprising (and entertaining) dry humor - particularly in the dialogue between characters. One of the greatest strengths of the Witcher stories is in Sapkowski's ability to furnish a scene through conversation, be it humorous back-and-forth, one character talking... even political discussion, an infamously boring and feared topic for writers to handle, can become engaging and at times quite fun, thanks to his skill. (Particular praise should also go to the translators as well, for bringing the text into English and still making it work so well.)

"A Grain of Truth":

While riding through a forest, Geralt comes across two people who, at first glance, appear to have been killed by wolves. Examining the bodies closer, reveals that some other creature did the job. (Geralt also finds a blue rose on the dress of the female victim.) Following the trail the two victims must have come from, Geralt arrives at an abandoned-looking mansion. Outside he glimpses a strange woman, who flees from him.

Venturing into the courtyard, Geralt encounters the owner of the mansion - a beast named Nivellen, who, after some attempted threats, finally invites Geralt in as a guest.

This entire sequence, with Geralt having dinner with the cursed beast-man, is an absolute highlight of the book. The dialogue is some of Sapkowski's best in the entire series, with various humorous exchanges and punchlines coming one after the other, even as the reader gains insight into Nivellen's past (he was from a line of nobles who made their money through banditry) and how he was cursed... and how he's actually grown fairly okay with his life as a beast.

(After all, he now has tremendous strength and stamina, and doesn't get sick anymore. And the curse comes with control over the house; he can just conjure up food and wine, hot water for bathing, and lights too.)

The one thing that does bother Nivellen, though, is the lack of company. He gets lonely in the abandoned mansion (having driven the servants and others away when he transformed and initially went berserk), and while he tried to break the curse through entering relationships with various women - another hilarious part of the story, as Nivellen recounts some of them and how some of them were kinky XD - nothing seemed to take.

However, there is the matter of that strange woman that Geralt saw on his way into the mansion.

Who is she, and what is her connection to Nivellen?

The answer is quite the surprise, and one of the most interesting aspects of this gleeful twist on the classic Beauty and the Beast story.

This is perhaps one of my personal favorites of the Witcher stories, just for the entire encounter between Geralt and Nivellen. The cursed robber is one of the most hilarious and charismatic characters in the whole book, and owns about every bit of dialogue he gets. Geralt gets some great character moments in his interaction with Nivellen, displaying a fun dry wit in addition to his previous character traits.

The ending of the story is surprisingly sudden, but also effective in its bittersweet nature. Though, to be honest, many endings in the Witcher stories are bittersweet. In some ways, that's the best you can ask for.

"The Lesser Evil":

Easily the darkest story in the whole book, the idea of "lesser evil" is what drives this story instead of a fairy-tale twist. Oh, don't get me wrong, there IS a particular take on a classic fairy-tale in this Witcher story (more on that in a bit), but that's secondary to the major idea expressed here...

The idea of "lesser evil," of neutrality, and of making a choice.

Keep all of that in mind, as we delve into this story.

One day in the town of Blaviken, Geralt arrives with the corpse of a monster in order to try and claim a bounty on it. Unfortunately the alderman, Caldemayn, tells him that he's out of luck; however, there's a wizard who's set up shop in town, and may fancy a look at the dead beast.

Geralt arrives at the tower of the wizard, Master Irion, and recognizes him by another name - Stregobor, who he last saw as court wizard for a king. Stregobor has abandoned that cushy post and set up shop under an alias, claiming that "a monster" is after his head and he needed to lay low.

After some prodding, Stregobor opens up and explains: said "monster" is really a young woman, who the wizard claims was born under a curse caused by "the Curse of the Black Sun".

You see, Stregobor and his fellow wizards claim that the children (i.e. girls of noble/royal birth) born under the eclipse were dangerous mutants, inclined to evil, and had to be cured, imprisoned, or stopped by any means. But one of the girls escaped (in a very dark twist on the Snow White story, she found shelter with a gang of gnomes and became robbers with them), and became a feared bandit leader nicknamed "Shrike." She has been out for Stregobor's head ever since - and has every capability of carrying out her vengeance.

Geralt sneers in disgust at Stregobor's story, and has no pity for him. The wizard begs him for help, saying that Shrike is evil and to kill her would be the "lesser evil," but the witcher will have no part of it.

That would be the end of it for Geralt, but of course it can never be that easy.

At the tavern that night, Shrike's gang make an appearance. Geralt nearly gets into a fight with them before their leader steps in. Renfri (as her name really is) asks Geralt to hear her out, and presents papers from the local king, that render her and her men untouchable. Caldemayn confirms this; he has no power to arrest or expel them from town.

Renfri makes Geralt an offer of her own: kill Stregobor, and no one else will be harmed. She says that the wizard is a greater monster, and that killing him would be the "lesser evil".

Again, Geralt refuses. "Lesser evil, Greater evil," it's all evil to him, and if there is a choice to be made between doing evil and doing nothing, he'd rather stay his hand.

But time is ticking down, and like it or not, the witcher will have to make a choice.

To say any more would take away from the impact of the story and its ending. All I will say in conclusion about this story, is this:

What would be the lesser evil to you?

"A Question of Price":

In terms of the later books by Sapkowski, this is one of the most important stories in the entire book.

On its own, fortunately, it's still a damn good and interesting story.

The story begins with Geralt being cleaned and shaven; part of preparations for a banquet he has been invited to attend. In the kingdom of Cintra, Princess Pavetta, daughter of Queen Calanthe, has turned fifteen and suitors for her hand have turned up by the dozens.

Geralt has been hired by Calanthe to attend the banquet, under a false name and title, for reasons that are not yet known to the witcher. Geralt suspects that the queen has hired him to do some dirty work for her, that she wants him to assassinate or murder someone.

Of course, it's not that simple. (It never is, right? XD)

Sapkowski's writing I must really applaud in this story, as a good chunk of the story involves just Geralt and Calanthe having a conversation (intercut with bits from the other dinner guests), and it all lands quite nicely. In fact, between Geralt's dry wit and Calanthe's own cool, powerful persona as a savvy monarch, there is a lot of humor in their exchange... especially in the contrast between the discussion between queen and witcher, against the antics of the dinner guests.

There are plenty of fun characters in this story. From the flamboyant old womanizing baron Coodcoodak (so nicknamed because of his skill at mimicking animal sounds), to visiting islanders Eist Tuirseach (a noble and wise old warrior) and Crach an Craite (a hotheaded warrior and a bit of a lout), along with the druid known as "Mousesack," you've got some of the most memorable one-shot characters in the Witcher stories.

The plot of the story truly kicks into gear, when a mysterious, armored stranger crashes the banquet. The stranger, calling himself Urcheon, he declares that he has come to collect a reward promised to him by Calanthe's husband for saving his life fifteen years before... That reward being the princess herself!

Yes, like the witch or fae in old stories, Urcheon asked the king for "what you don't expect to find back home." And, by what is called The Law of Surprise, Urcheon claims that Pavetta has belonged to him from the moment of her birth.

Of course, the queen has no intention of just handing over her daughter. And the knights and barons of the court have their own stake in this matter too. (As one of them argues, kingdoms are practically built on royal promises. If the monarch can throw away a promise, what keeps their rule legitimate?)

Geralt, then, must navigate an incredibly tense and dangerous magical situation; one that could bring down the entire castle if not handled carefully. One does not meddle with magic and the Law of Surprise lightly...

This idea, of fate, destiny and surprise, is at the very core of "A Question of Price."

And the conclusion of this story will have unimaginable consequences for the later books.

"The Edge of the World":

This story is unique in the book, because it deals less in fairy-tale concepts, and more in one of the iconic tropes associated with fantasy: the idea of elves as superior and better than humans in terms of their morality, their connection to nature, and all that.

While not really meant to be the case in Tolkien's stories (there, the elves are amazing, but they are dying out, and ultimately the humans are the ones who will continue and adapt to the world while the elves cannot); the concept was kind of lost on subsequent authors, and as such the cliché in fantasy stories is that the elvish people are beautiful, haughty, believing themselves better than humans, you can't argue with them, etc.

Andrzej Sapkowski takes a freaking sledgehammer to that concept in this tale of Geralt the Witcher.

"The Edge of the World" opens with Geralt traveling in search of work. He has a friend with him on this journey, the famed troubadour Dandilion. (More on him shortly.) Though there are plenty of stories about monsters around, they are ultimately just that, stories. No real monsters for Geralt to hunt, and receive payment for.

However, on their way, the two are met by a farmer, from the village of Lower Posada, who says that he DOES have work for the witcher, and invites them to his home to discuss matters further. At the village, Geralt meets with the town elder, Dhun, who says that a "deovel" has been causing mischief for the town and must be dealt with (but under no circumstances killed). Dandilion scoffs at the idea of devils, but Geralt agrees to take a look.

That night, while investigating the fields, Geralt and Dandelion do in fact encounter a bizarre creature with goat's horns, hooves and upright stance. The bleating 'devil' becomes angered by Dandelion's smart remarks, and pelts the bard and the witcher with iron balls, forcing them to run away from the barrage.

Geralt confronts the village elders, and learns from them that they had tried to deal with "the deovel" on their own, by giving him iron balls to eat in hopes of breaking his teeth. Instead, they just pissed him off and gave him ammunition; something that a furious Dandilion points out hilariously. XD Geralt makes a new plan to face the deovel - which, after reading from an ancient book of local myths, the witcher realizes that said "devil" is actually a satyr-like creature called a sylvan.

The next confrontation between the witcher and the sylvan is one of the most enjoyably ridiculous in the book. I had a good laugh reading it, just for the sheer absurdity of a badass like Geralt brawling with a little goat-man.

However, the situation soon changes, as a rider suddenly converges on the scene, and knocks out Geralt.

This, now, is where the elves come into the story.

As it turns out, the sylvan (whose name is Torque) had been hired by the elves to steal food, and seeds, and farming knowledge, from the people of the village. For the elves are starving, and dying out. They have no farming ability of their own. They don't have domesticated game or poultry, either. All they have, is their longevity, and their bitterness towards the humans who they blame for crowding them out.

Sapkowski's elves are not noble or wise or tragic. They're cold, vicious racists who brutalize and steal from humans, justifying themselves with lofty speeches about the greed and arrogance of humans - as they tie up Geralt and Dandilion, and beat them up because they're a convenient target for their hatred. (Particularly despicable is one female elf, Toruviel, who viciously smashes Dandilion's lute out of spite and kicks and mocks him and Geralt as savages. Irony, yes?)

Geralt will have none of their bullshit, and brutally calls the elves out for their hatred and refusal to adapt, saying that their pride dooms them to a miserable, pathetic end by disease and starvation... It's a fantastically harsh speech, and one that is well worth reading. In particular because it raises an incredibly tough, but stirring point: staying apart solves nothing. As Geralt says, the sun may shine differently when something changes, but the sun will shine regardless. You *have* to adapt, and to accept the facts of it.

In many ways, "The Edge of the World" is a dark read, but it's effective reading. The text nicely balances its grit and realism with humor (a particular source of humor is the contrast in language between Geralt, Dandilion and the villagers; the people of the town speak a more archaic dialect, and this adds some fun character to the conversations, especially in a scene where an old book is read aloud, with an entry on the character of witchers XD).

Dandilion the bard is one of my favorite major characters across the Witcher stories. He's hilarious, witty, and often prone to causing problems or getting into trouble through his smart mouth or womanizing impulses. But he's also truly loyal and legitimately dedicated to Geralt as a friend: when faced with the threat of death by the elves, Dandilion - terrified for his life - still demands that they kill him too, or risk his revenge in the form of widespread slander (which, considering the social clout he has as a famous bard, is no idle threat). You may wonder at first why Geralt considers the bard a friend, but Dandilion well and truly proves himself as one of the only decent people in the witcher's life.

There will be other stories involving Geralt and Dandilion. In fact, one of the most important of these is the source of the book's title.

"The Last Wish":

While fishing for breakfast, Dandilion pulls a sealed amphora (a jug, in other words) out of the water. Ecstatic over the discovery, believing that there's a genie inside, the bard works to open it and get his three wishes, in spite of Geralt's warning not to mess with such a thing.

In the two's struggle over the jug, it breaks open and the djinn/genie inside emerges in a great cloud of red mist.

...And as Dandilion starts to make his wish, the genie promptly ignores him and starts to strangle him.

Geralt tries to save his friend, but the genie is too powerful. Finally, trying something that he'd otherwise considered a joke, he attempts to cast an exorcism spell. Grabbing up the seal of the amphora, he shouts out the words that a priestess had taught him.... and the genie rapidly flees the scene.

Unfortunately, the problem is not entirely solved. Dandilion is in pretty bad shape thanks to the genie's attack, and needs the healing magic of a true wizard or sorceress, far beyond Geralt's basic knowledge of spells. The witcher is able to get his ailing friend to the gates of Rinde, but unfortunately it's dark and no one is allowed in after dark without proof of nobility or letter of safe conduct. Geralt is allowed to stay in the gatehouse, where he makes the acquaintance of three other travelers: Chireadan and Errdil, two elves who've integrated to life with humans; and Vratimir, a half-elf knight.

As he waits for dawn, Geralt learns from his fellow travelers that spellcasting is being heavily taxed, and thus wizards are boycotting Rinde and all others who enforce the penalties laid down. But there is one sorceress in town, staying under the protection of a merchant (and flagrantly flaunting her business as a middle finger to the mayor and priests)…

Her name is Yennefer of Vengerberg. And while Geralt is reluctant to get involved due to the current feud between her and the mayor, she is Dandilion's only hope of treatment right now.

Geralt sets out for the house of the merchant (Beau Berrant) and manages to get inside through the use of his money bag. XD After encountering an intoxicated Berrant, the witcher soon finds his way to Yennefer herself. Struck by her beauty at first, Geralt reminds himself though that often the good looks of sorceresses is an illusion, or created through the use of magic to fix deformities and other such looks. This leads to one of Sapkowski's most chilling passages, describing how the circumstances for girls becoming sorceresses (in short, because most women's futures are determined by marriage, the only women who go into magic are dirt poor, orphans, deformed, unwanted, etc.) leads to the creation of "pseudo-pretty women with the cold, hard eyes of ugly girls". Sorceresses in the world of The Witcher may be beautiful, but it's a very dangerous beauty: the kind made by the expectations of their profession, and one that is readily used as a tool and weapon in the machinations and schemes of the magic-users.

And, despite a warning from Chireadan about not trusting Yennefer, Geralt fails to be fully prepared for the enchantress' nature - and while she heals Dandilion, she also takes "payment" from the witcher... by hypnotizing him to go out and humiliate/brutalize every important man in town who had slandered or mocked her.

Brought before the town's mayor (Lord Neville) and head priest (Krepp), Geralt is reamed out thoroughly for the whole debacle. Assistance arrives in the form of Dandilion, who has been sent by Yennefer to exonerate Geralt - though all is not well in the town, as the genie from before makes its return; summoned to town by Yennefer, who intends to capture it for herself.

Unfortunately, the sorceress' plan is flawed. Thanks to some quick thinking over previous events, Geralt realizes that HE, not Dandilion, was the one who has the claim to the wishes. His first wish was the attempted exorcism (the real meaning of which is one of the book's funniest gags, a true laugh-out-loud moment that I dare not spoil here), and the second was a sarcastic wish made in the jail cell. The last wish has yet to be made...

And because of that, the genie is still bound to earth, and thus unable to captured by Yennefer. Add to that the genie's spectacular power as it fights her magic, and you have the entire town at risk of destruction.

Geralt rushes off to find a way to stop the genie's rampage, and to save Yennefer as well. This leads to one of the best and funniest scenes in the whole book, as Geralt and Yennefer struggle both against the genie's powerful magic and against each other as well - one of the best parts of this sequence involves Yennefer's portal spells, which send the witcher and sorceress hurtling into a variety of surprising places. XD

Ultimately, Geralt makes his final wish...

And the story ends on a note that is both hilarious and quite bittersweet too.

But of course, I'm sure you've noticed by now, that many of these endings are bittersweet, at best. That's the nature of the world of "The Witcher." And in some ways, it's very true to life as well... and while the world may be full of monsters (both obvious and hidden), there is also humor and nobility too. Geralt may suffer in his line of work, but he endures. He endures because he has to.

And in some ways, that makes him quite the hero. (Though I'm sure that he would be appalled or disgusted to see me say that.)

The story of "The Last Wish" is a perfect example of that. Geralt goes to lengths for his friend Dandilion. He endures the indignity of being made Yennefer's pawn. And he takes a beating throughout the story - from the guards at the prison, from the genie's magic - but he keeps going all the same. You have to admire that in a man.

"The Voice of Reason":

Now that I've talked about the main stories of "The Last Wish," there is the matter of the framework that ties them all together in this collection.

Taking place after the events of "The Witcher," Geralt is recovering from his injuries sustained in the battle with the striga; recovering at the temple of Melitele (a mother earth-type goddess) in Ellander, he is cared for by the head priestess Nenneke, and by Iola, a younger priestess who also has some prophetic abilities.

These interludes serve as both setup for each story (for example, "A Grain of Truth" is preceded by Geralt and Nenneke debating on the matter of faith), and also as both character insight, along with telling a story of its own.

One of the absolute best bits of these, involves Geralt talking to Iola (who has taken a vow of silence) as he muses about his life, his choices and the concept of destiny. The entire segment is made up of Geralt talking, but it flows completely naturally and never loses the reader, and also provides some fascinating insight into the character of the witcher. The ending of the scene, where he finally breaks off talking and ends by telling Iola "I'm fine" is quite moving, and serves as a rather poignant moment too.

The "Voice of Reason" segment prior to "Edge of the World" also serves as an introduction to Dandilion, and nicely sets up the bard's dynamic with Geralt.

In terms of other plot developments, the "Voice of Reason" stories also see Geralt and Nenneke have to deal with a pair of belligerent knights; Lord Falwick and Sir Tailles, who want Geralt gone from the area due to bigotry against mutants like the witcher. Geralt nearly comes to blows with the pair when Tailles insults Nenneke, and ends up challenged to an honor duel for when he's recovered and left the temple. (How Geralt deals with that situation, in the closing segment of the book, is a masterful scene of skill and badassery, as well as being quite funny too. XD)

I've mentioned the priestess Nenneke a few times, and I have to say that I really liked her in these sections. She's perhaps the most moral, goodhearted and reasonable character in the whole book, and she gets some great lines, whether it be snarking at Geralt for his own stubbornness, or calmly and brilliantly telling off Falwick and Tailles for their pigheaded behavior. In a world where many in authority are either incompetent, malicious or self-serving, High Priestess Nenneke is a wonderful figure of wisdom and caring.

Conclusion:

All in all, I rather enjoyed "The Last Wish."

In an age when fantasy series tend to often be about entire kingdoms, prophecies about dark times, and the like, it really is quite refreshing to read these tales that are basically just about a monster-slayer trying to do his job.

Also, while the harshly realistic tone may be a turnoff for some people, it also serves as a nice distinction from other fantasy series. It also helps that some of the deconstructive moments can still be funny, in a dark or dry way. (One moment that comes to mind is Geralt reminiscing about the time he tried to play hero and kill a bunch of bandits. The girl he saved promptly threw up at the sight of the carnage, then fainted. Not exactly a fond memory for the witcher.)

Again, the stories of The Witcher will definitely not be for everybody. If you're not into a kind of grittier fantasy, then this book probably would have nothing to attract you to it.

But, if you're willing to take a chance on a fantasy series that deals in more down-to-earth matters than another epic prophecy or quest to save the world... you could do a lot worse than the stories of Geralt of Rivia.