A disappointing follow up to an amazing first book…

Sword of Destiny was an aggravating read and the first book I have ever quit. The second book in The Witcher series will make you question if the characters are truly the same ones.

A surprisingly controversial read…

When I finished the The Last Wish, I could not wait to get my hands on the second book so I could continue following Geralt’s journey and learn more about Yennefer. Yet within the follow up’s first chapter, I found myself struggling not to skim through the pages. The more I read, the worse the writing directed at the women became.

For those familiar with the Netflix show, the first chapter begins with the quest for the dragon, but things are different than the Netflix episode. Yennefer, angry with Geralt for his wish and desperate to reverse her infertility betrays Geralt by using paralysis magic on him, but is then attacked by the band of dwarves. This was when the first shock came when the band of dwarves ties Yennefer up and tear her shirt open to expose her, threatening her with rape. The scene is followed by Dandelion described to stare at her bare chest. When Yennefer tells him to stop, the line is what follows:

“Not on your life,’ Dandelion said, without taking his eyes off the bedraggled sorceress. ‘I’m here because of her. They may slit our throats, but at least I’ll die happy.”

-Excerpt From: Andrzej Sapkowski. “Sword of Destiny (The Witcher).” Apple Books.

Although I managed to read the dragon quest story, it was the next chapter that truly irked me. Geralt and Yennefer in the next story are living together, but not happily as he seems to be annoyed with Yennefer in every page and Yennefer’s only role seems to be dressing herself with makeup and fragrances. But it was Geralt’s time at the inn which destroyed my will to finish the story; specifically this paragraph:

“He was annoyed by the cold, congealed scrambled egg he was served for breakfast by the innkeeper, who tore himself away for a moment from groping a girl in the kitchen. He was annoyed that the girl was no more than twelve years old. And had tears in her eyes.”

Excerpt From: Andrzej Sapkowski. “Sword of Destiny (The Witcher).” Apple Books.

The line itself felt unescessary and the content was appalling, but what truly bothered me was Geralt’s simple annoyance and lack of interference. Although the witcher claims to never interfere, the first book seemed to prove he did nothing but interfere. Yet the author felt it necessary to write this moment where Geralt witnesses a 12-year-old girl being groped and does nothing.

The First Story I’ve Ever Quit…

Perhaps there is a chance the story drastically improved in the remaining 75% of the book, but I could not get myself to pick up the book again after that and eventually gave up on trying. The magic which intrigued me in that first book seemed to be lacking and Yennefer who was a mystery for most of the first book felt vain and one-dimensional. I felt if I had finished the book only to be disappointed, it would taint my love for the first book and possible the remaining of the series.

Improvements Ahead…

When I first picked up The Witcher series, I began reading book three before realizing there were two written before. I read 20% of the story before realizing my mistake and beginning book one instead, and what I had read of book three, I deeply enjoyed. Although I hope to never feel this way about his remaining books, I am at least taking comfort knowing book three will restore the magic of the first book.

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A must read for lovers of mythology and fantasy…

The Last Wish is a fascinating adventure filled with monsters and magic. For lovers of mythology and classic fairy tales, The Last Wish will be both new and familiar.

Meet the “White Wolf”…

Join Geralt of Rivia, known to others as “The White Wolf”. As a fan of the Netflix series, I was eager to pick up the series and get to know Geralt the way we only can in books and was not disappointed. Just like he is portrayed in the series, Geralt is a man with only one goal; to rid the world of monsters in exchange for payment. Calm and composed at most times, as he is faced with monsters both of myth and of human form, Geralt’s morality and values are made clear in both his reactions as well as his words. As the story progressed, I fell in love with Geralt both for his bravery as well as his heart.

As we follow Geralt throughout his journey, Sapkowski slowly begins to unravel the mystery of what kind of person the witcher is both through his interactions with his friends and the stories of his past.

Mythology and Fairy Tales come together…

What set the Witcher apart from the fantasy novels I’ve read in the past was the familiar yet unique stories in the book. While the book contains new stories; lovers of mythology and fairy tales will notice the similarities to the familiar tales such as Snow White, and Beauty and the Beast.

Be warned, these stories are darker in nature. As a lover of mythology myself, I when the monsters and cursed people were from mythology as well. While the book contains species which may be familiar such as elves, a djinn, and a striga (strzyga Polish).

A Carefully Written Story…

Perhaps it was because of an advantage from watching the Netflix show prior to beginning the series, but I felt that the story was told in a way that was easy to follow.

Focusing entirely on Geralt’s journey; as the story introduced the supporting characters, each was brought in one at at time, allowing the reader to make a clear picture of who he was speaking too. Many stories I have read have introduced multiple characters, forcing me to reread the same paragraphs over and over in order to distinguish the characters in my head.

In The Last Wish, Sapkowski introduces his side characters as they become relevant to the story, while the more important characters are hinted at as they enter Geralt’s mind.

Even the timeline which is not always linear provides a clear timeline without the need for subheadings, transitioning beautifully from present to past.

What I loved most…

While most stories I have read have taken inspiration from mythological creatures, most retold their stories. What I enjoyed from The Last Wish was that Sapkowski took these existing stories such as Snow White and told them in a way that made me feel as if they were what the stories stemmed from without making Geralt’s presence seem out of place. I look forward to reading the rest of Geralt’s journey, and I already know this will be a series I revisit often!

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