Book Review: The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski

I'm back with another book review for you, but this time with a difference. If you are a regular reader of my reviews then you will have probably noticed that I usually review upcoming releases or relatively new books. However, today I will be mixing that up and reviewing a slightly older book.

Today I'm going to be reviewing The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski. A couple of weeks ago I was discussing books with a colleague when he recommended The Last Wish. He was then kind enough to lend me his copy which I read over the weekend.

First of all, here is the synopsis for the book:

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. He roams the country seeking assignments, but gradually comes to realise that while some of his quarry are unremittingly vile, vicious grotesques, others are the victims of sin, evil or simple naivety. 

This book is made up of several short stories which act as a great doorway into the world it is set in, and allows us to meet the main character, Geralt. These short stories each have a different focus that are loosely tied together, allowing us to experience how Geralt works and to introduce other characters. Each of the stories have a different focus which are all based around ideas from traditional tales or mythology, such as a man cursed with the appearance of a monster (Beauty and the Beast), a creature who comes to claim the child he was promised as a reward (Rumpelstiltskin) and a trapped genie who grants wishes (Aladdin). I found each individual story interesting and addictive, but my favourite would have to be the final chapter involving the genie as it brought together some brilliant characters and was the story that I felt built the most tension.

As I mentioned before, this book introduces a range of characters. I really like the character of Geralt, but my favourite characters are definitely Dandilion and Yennefer and I hope to read more about them in the next book. The characters are all described in a very detailed way, which allowed me to build a better image of their appearance. I also loved the dialogue between them all. I know some readers who really dislike any books that are written with heavy dialogue but I really liked this feature in this book. It just allowed me to connect with the characters personalities more and see how they interact with others on a deeper level.

If you didn't know, this book has been translated from Polish into English. I think this might be the first translated book that I've ever read but I'm so glad that books like this are being released in the English language, because it allows people to discover incredible stories that we otherwise would not be able to access.

I would rate this book:

This book is proof that you should trust the recommendations of those around you and that trying something new and different can definitely be a good thing. I have already started the second book, I am about a quarter of the way through it, and I'm enjoying it just as much as the first.

If you are interested in this book, you can buy it here.

With that mention of sharing book recommendations, are there any books that you would like to recommend? Leave your book suggestions below, or send them to me through Twitter or Instagram.