Introducing The Witcher: The Last Wish, Sword of Destiny and Blood of Elves

The Witcher #0.5, 0.7, 1

by Andrzej Sapkowski

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 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.Start the epic journey now with this eBook boxset, containing the very first stories set in the witcher world, plus the opening novel to Andrzej Sapkowski's groundbreaking series.Translated by Danusia Stok.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.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Monsters

1118 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 14, 2020

About the author

Andrzej Sapkowski, born June 21, 1948 in Łódź, is a Polish fantasy and science fiction writer. Sapkowski studied economics, and before turning to writing, he had worked as a senior sales representative for a foreign trade company. His first short story, The Witcher (Wiedźmin), was published in Fantastyka, Poland's leading fantasy literary magazine, in 1986 and was enormously successful both with readers and critics. Sapkowski has created a cycle of tales based on the world of The Witcher, comprising three collections of short stories and five novels. This cycle and his many other works have made him one of the best-known fantasy authors in Poland in the 1990s.

The main character of The Witcher (alternative translation: The Hexer) is Geralt, a mutant assassin who has been trained since childhood to hunt down and destroy monsters. Geralt exists in an ambiguous moral universe, yet manages to maintain his own coherent code of ethics. At the same time cynical and noble, Geralt has been compared to Raymond Chandler's signature character Philip Marlowe. The world in which these adventures take place is heavily influenced by Slavic mythology.

Sapkowski has won five Zajdel Awards, including three for short stories "Mniejsze zło" (Lesser Evil) (1990), "Miecz przeznaczenia" (Sword of Destiny) (1992) and "W leju po bombie" (In a Bomb Crater) (1993), and two for the novels "Krew elfów" (Blood of Elves) (1994) and "Narrenturm" (2002). He also won the Spanish Ignotus Award, best anthology, for The Last Wish in 2003, and for "Muzykanci" (The Musicians), best foreign short story, same year.

In 1997, Sapkowski won the prestigious Polityka's Passport award, which is awarded annually to artists who have strong prospects for international success.

In 2001, a Television Series based on the Witcher cycle was released in Poland and internationally, entitled Wiedźmin (The Hexer). A film by the same title was compiled from excerpts of the television series but both have been critical and box office failures.

Sapkowski's books have been translated into Czech, Russian, Lithuanian, German, Spanish, French, Ukrainian, and Portuguese. An English translation of The Last Wish short story collection was published by Gollancz in 2007.

The Polish game publisher, CD Projekt, created a role-playing PC game based on this universe, called The Witcher, which was released in October 2007. There is also a mobile version of the game which has been created by Breakpoint Games and is being published by Hands-On Mobile in Western Europe,Latin America and Asia Pacific.

The English translation of Sapkowski's novel Blood of Elves won the David Gemmell Legends Award in 2009.

Reviews

[Tim · Rating 2 out of 5]

I watched and enjoyed the TV series much more than these writings. The series was able to be concise and provide interesting character and story lines instead of some muddled incomplete gibberish. 3 of 10 stars

[Max Martin-Udry · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is such a damn page turner… so much more immediate and human than most fantasy novels. Started reading it to get better context for the games, but now I’m much more invested in the books than the games. Like, the games stink compared to the books. Very vast gulf between the execution of this world across mediums. Im scared to watch the tv show…

[Kjersten Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Coming from someone who watched the show first, it was interesting to see that Netflix followed the book pretty good.

[Ida Maria · Rating 2 out of 5]

Was pretty MEH for me. Funny because I think this is the first time I actually enjoy the TV adaptation better than the books? Maybe there's something lost in the translation but I simply wasn't hooked by this at all. Like at all.

[Aliya Mironova · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will just reread all the books I have

[Chad Manske · Rating 4 out of 5]

Andrzej Sapkowski's "The Witcher" introductory book is a captivating paving the way for one of the most beloved fantasy series in recent times. In this volume, Sapkowski masterfully weaves together a collection of short stories that introduce readers to the enigmatic world of Geralt of Rivia, a monster hunter known as a Witcher. The book offers an entrancing blend of dark fantasy, intricate character development, and moral complexity. Sapkowski's writing effortlessly transports readers to a realm brimming with mythical creatures, political intrigue, and ethical dilemmas. Through Geralt's eyes, we explore the blurred lines between good and evil, and witness the multifaceted nature of humanity in a world where magic and destiny intersect. Sapkowski's storytelling is marked by its vivid imagery, deftly constructed plotlines, and thought-provoking dialogues. His characters are both larger-than-life and deeply relatable, each struggling with their own inner demons while navigating the treacherous landscapes of the Continent. Geralt's dry wit, Yennefer's complexity, and the moral ambiguity of characters like Jaskier and Ciri lend the narrative a richness that lingers long after the book is closed. For both newcomers and seasoned fans of the Witcher saga, popularized by the Netflix series of the same name, offers an immersive introduction to the series' foundations. It's a testament to Sapkowski's skill as a storyteller that these tales, originally published years ago, remain as engaging and relevant as ever.

[Aisha Hussain · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. This book was initially a great page turner and I was riveted by the character and the plotline. I loved reading it and was looking forward to watching the TV show after. The plot became repetitive and lost its thread a little in book 2 so I downgraded it from 4* to 3.5. I actually got bored towards the end of book 2 and decided to watch the series instead to find out what happens.

The TV show was slow paced and inappropriate to watch in front of children so after season 2, I have now gone back to the book to find out what happens! I am now in roughly the same place in the book and TV show. Trying to decide whether to read it to find out what happens next ir just watch it and be done!

The character of Geralt was really well portrayed, but I definately prefer book Yennefer to the screen. Nothing wrong with the actress, she did great! But the writers changed her from a powerful witch radiating danger to a more vulnerable version which I’m not sure I liked. I loved it when she betrayed Geralt and kidnapped Ciri to sacrifice her 😂 There’s the Yennefer I know! It gets a little boring when she’s being miss goody two shoes and playing Mum to Ciri

[Marsha Altman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I decided to try these books because I played Witcher 3 and know the world, and these books take place before it.

The first two sections, The Last Wish and Sword of Destiny, are the short story collections that the author got started with, and they're pretty good. Short, amusing stories that hold together well as Geralt solves crimes with his friend Dandelion. Sometimes it's killing monsters, sometimes he's really just solving crimes and some monsters are involved.

Blood of Elves, the first proper novel, is a mess. The author jumps around in time, doesn't introduce characters, and the majority of it is dialogue of characters telling other characters about the world and what's happening in it. All of the flaws of the writing that weren't problems in the short stories become problems here. It's hard to get a handle on who is talking and there's no overarching plot, just building to the last next book.

The author did win a lot of awards in Polish fantasy, but I don't know how competitive the Polish fantasy field is.

[Augustin Grigorov · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had pretty high expectations as this is one of the most famous fantasy franchisees. They were not met. Amongst other things it tries to be a new, more mature take on childhood stories. To pull this off I feel you need to connect all aspects of the plots, but what the book does instead is vaguely resemble them. What I also didn't like is the format - it's a collection of stories, so it feels disjointed. You read one thing then jump to something completely different. And finally the main character - you can see the author trying really hard to make him look cool, but the thing about looking cool is that it has to look effortless, and it assuredly does not here. Overall it's mildly entertaining. Some stuff happened, some of it was vaguely interesting, a lot of it was not - if you wanted a light read that's decent you could try this book.

[Shelly Reddinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing and well written book! You dive into the world of the Witcher an don't come back until the book is done. I've seen the video games and watched the first season of the Netflix show.

The books don't compare to the either. They are way better! The world is so detailed and everything is so creative. I love a book that pulls you in and doesn't let you go until it's finished.

You join Geralt on his travels and learn quite a bit about him and his history and how he met people during this book. It is not short on any action.

This is a must read book for any person who enjoys The Witcher video games or show, fantasy books, and good book that draws you in. It's immersive and just an amazing read. I will be started the next book right away.

[Bernard · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a huge fan of the Netflix series and tried three times to start to read this… always stopping thirty pages in. This time I ploughed through. The interwoven stories are interesting and the character of Geralt is phenomenal. A true hero. With great introspection. I feel like there is something about the narrative and writing style that doesn’t gel for me. There is quite a lot of assumed knowledge and limited context.. I found it hard work to keep up with. Maybe I am just not smart enough for this. But other fantasy writers enjoy like Martin, Feist, Eddings, Hobb, Jordan all set the scene and the geography and history with more interest.

[Kizzy Dixon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was excited to read this series and I’m happy to have started it. This book in the series was similar to the tv series, personally I found Geralt personality a little differently than what is portrayed in the tv show. Putting aside that, I was a little disappointed in the simplicity of the first book, to me it felt like there wasn’t much substance to it. I don’t know if that’s due to the translation or the writer but it was an easy simple read. I’m on the second book now and I find the writing has improved and has more depth, so hopefully it continued .

[The Jolly Wizard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Destiny? Never heard of her. The Last Wish introduces the many adventures of Geralt of Rivia. A stone cold, unfeeling Witcher who only works for coin. Or so we think. Despite his best efforts, Geralt constantly finds himself caught in between the battle of right and wrong. Trying to remain a neutral force while saving humans from unnatural forces is never easy. The book starts off a bit slow and the timeline at moments is difficult to follow, but you can definitely see the beginnings of the deeper story forming. Overall I give this prequel ⅗ stars. Now onto the Sword of Destiny!

[Myrthe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so good. I love how there are differant stories but they still match. I also this the relation between Dandelion and Geralt is so great and the stories are sometimes really funny.

I do not think you can say the series are better than the books since it is so differant from each other.

I love the detail and to follow the story of Geralt. You can see his character grow alot as wel so I think this is really wel done

[Ithurieli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally started this series! After reading the short stories and the first book im hooked. Hell i was immediately hooked at the start of The Last Wish, i can see myself reading all of the witcher books during quarantine!

So glad i got this bundle (the last wish, sword of destiny and blood of elves) such a great start!

[Angela · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love a good fantasy book and this book defiantly ticks all the boxes, and there are parts in it where you can't wait to see what happens next sat on the edge of the seat, but reader beware it jumps about so much that you are never sure if you are reading past or present, so much so that this has actually put me off reading the rest in the series ;0(

[Katyak79 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love the show and after reading this, I am impressed by how well the show captured the humor of this book. the book is really very good but fantasy isn't really my favorite genre so hence the three star rating for me. People that love fantasy are going to rate this higher. I'm not in a rush to read the follow up book to this, but will absolutely do so when I want something light.

[Philip]

Highly recommend

It's been a while since I've read a book so quickly but it's a real page turner. I've thoroughly enjoyed the shorter stories of the first two books and then the longer one of the third. They all tie into each other beautifully and set up the characters and the world. There is the odd wonky translation issue but nothing that affects the richness of the writing.

[Zach Elmore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Based on the other media, I expected this to be a gritty fantasy novel, but while it had its moments of grit, was much more lighthearted than I expected. The framework of the story was very interesting, and really worked with the character of Geralt as a mysterious lonesome type. Looking forward to reading the rest!

[Mitchell · Rating 3 out of 5]

After playing the games and checking out five minutes of the tv show. Here i finally am reading the novel. I enjoyed the writing and fantasy settings. I like the touch of a range of stories and adventures as opposed to a specific story line. Good mix up of variety and characters. Well worth checking out if you are intrigued by the character and fantasy setting.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Usually I am pensive of more serious high fantasy novels but given the popularity of the Netflix series and my enjoyment of the Witcher 3 game figured id give it a go.

I enjoyed some of the short stories in this book a great deal but was rather surprised that a collection of short stories was the style given the continuous narrative format of the other mediums.

[Grazyna Nawrocka · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am not a big fan of fiction, especially fantasy, but I have read this book with big pleasure. It was never boring and plot ran smoothly like a river. The way the author assimilated characters from old fairy tales and twisted them was very funny and refreshing.

[Anne McGuinness · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun read…

He cleverly integrates fairytales into this world, making them much more sinister but realistic… unfortunately the pros are not written particularly well, though this may just be translation issues. However if you enjoy fantasy stories its worth reading.

[Brennan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm becoming less of a fan of short story collections, but in this one all stories are connected in a way and all the stories are fantastic.

Makes sense on how this book would spawn a billion dollar IP

[Morgan Andre · Rating 2 out of 5]

I guess this makes me a failure, but I far prefer the show and the fanart I found on Pinterest. I couldn't get into (maybe because I'm so excited about KoWaT that I can't think about anything else)
Love Geralt, but idk, just wasn't my thing

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Started after watching the Netflix show and I really like it. Once you start you can’t stop Till you finished.

[Lennie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great introduction to the series, it really got me invested in the story! can’t wait to read the rest of the series

[Viktor Sidiropoulos · Rating 4 out of 5]

From someone who played the games, then read the book and then watch the Netflix series. The book is just epic if you are a fan of the Witcher Universe.

[Lorenz Riedesser · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good book, interesting written and a really good adventurous story

[Christine E · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed the tales and the base story introducing each short story. Left me wanting to read more. So, I've started The Witcher - Sword of Destiny.