The Last Wish | 
 enlarge | Author: Andrzej Sapkowski
Publisher: Orbit
Category: Book
List Price: $6.99
Buy New: $3.33
You Save: $3.66 (52%)
New (24) Used (16) from $3.00
Avg. Customer Rating:  26 reviews
Sales Rank: 16966
Media: Mass Market Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 384
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 6.7 x 4.2 x 1.3
ISBN: 0316029181
Dewey Decimal Number: 891.8538
EAN: 9780316029186
ASIN: 0316029181
Publication Date: May 1, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Brand New and Factory Sealed Item Fast Shipping
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Product Description
Geralt de Rivia is a witcher. A cunning sorcerer. A merciless assassin.
And a cold-blooded killer.
His sole purpose: to destroy the monsters that plague the world.
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 international hit that inspired the video game: The Witcher.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 21 more reviews...
 Excellent December 7, 2008
The Last Wish is one of the most interesting fantasies I've read. It's different and really well written. The translation is nice, and I want to play the game. I definitely recommend it.
I already pre-ordered the sequel... December 2, 2008
I enjoyed this book, I pre-ordered the sequel:
Blood of Elves (The Witcher)
I want to clarify one thing. The book inspired the videogame, not the other way around. So if you aren't a "gamer", don't be diswayed. This is a great book.
The Last Wish is never going to be mistaken for high literature. It's never going to be compared to a work by Shakespeare, Dickens, or Faulkner. There are no sentences that are a paragraph in length. There are no metaphors that require Cliff Notes to understand.
Ok, now that I've explained what the Last Wish isn't, let me explain what it is. It is a great casual read. A series of short stories following an individual, Geralt of Rivia, who hunts evil creatures of the world. The problem is, what is evil? Who is he to decide who is evil and who isn't? Geralt repeatedly finds himself in situations where he is asked to play judge, jury and executioner. Therein lies the moral conundrum. Everybody has a reason for doing things. In each's own eyes, they are innocent and doing the right thing. Who is Geralt, or anybody for that matter, to decide who is more just?
If I was to sell it to a publisher, I'd sell it as a Fantasy book with a twist of Aesop, and a sprinkle of Robert E. Howard(the creator of the original Conan short stories).
None of the stories are heavy handed. The diction and syntax are 9th grade-level. The individual stories are short enough that they can be read in little 15-30 minutes chunks, ideal for a subway commuter. But the plots are complex. The moral decisions facing Geralt are complex.
In our society, ideologues are becoming more and more pervasive. People who are so interested in being right, that they stop caring what is right. The world created by Andrzej Sapkowski, although taking place in a fantastical world, is not so disimilar from the world in which we live. People who declare themselves to be our white knights are often times our biggest scoundrels.
I give this book 5 stars for entertainment, readability, and thought-provoking plots. Definitely go out and get this book. Everybody should be able to find something they enjoy in this highly entertaining and fast-paced book.
First book I bought since Elementary. November 30, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Now ever since elementary 7 years ago I never bought a book or bother to actually read any but after playing the game I decided I like the way the story goes and decided to get more out of it.
What I like about this book is how it discuss issues that most people don't even bother to even look at. I'm not so sure if it's just me or most of the book I've read (mostly for school) are way too shallow for me and are pretty much the same thing over and over. The Last Wish gives a different point of view in a way as to let the reader understand the situation and make the choices in the novel itself. I really enjoy every part of the story. There wasn't a second that made lose interest. This book is definitely one that must be owned by fantasy readers.
The Last Wish November 23, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Loved the PC game The Witcher so wanted to read the books. The Last Wish is great. Laughed out loud in some spots. Sapkowski's humor is exceptional. Very realistic. Not your typical fantasy type book. Can't wait until the other books are translated into English.
Easy quick read, very enjoyable November 17, 2008
I first heard of this book when reading a review for a video game based on the book and decided to give it a try. I found the book to be very engrossing. It reminded me of reading those Conan novels when I was growing up!!! Give him a try, I know I can't wait for more of his books to come to the US.
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