My Goodreads Review: The Last Wish

[ankh_hpl]

The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I read this following my viewing of the whole Netflix series (Season 1) -- before that, I'd been completely unaware of The Witcher or Sapkowski. All in all, it delivered a bit more than I expected. This is good solid Weird Tales --style fantasy, with a slight Robert E. Howard flavor (at least to me).

Those who watched the series will recognize most of the plots of these stories, which are linked by a rather vague framing narrative. The mythology involved is distinctly Slavic. Even my Kindle's Wikipedia click-through couldn't help me with some of the critters the Witcher encounters, but I enjoyed the immersive experience.

Geralt himself is a bit more humorous, or at least perceptive, than most sword & sorcery heroes -- and less sexist than some. Although the portrayal of women in these stories still suffers from the usual fantasy-medieval viewpoint, there is also a recognition that abuse has consequences, and that powerful women will not forget what they endured on their way to power.

Recommended for sword & sorcery fantasy enthusiasts looking to broaden their horizons, or anyone who enjoyed the series.





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