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. One reviewer said: 'This book is a sheer delight. It is beautifully written, full of vitality and endlessly inventive: its format, with half a dozen episodes and intervening rest periods for both the hero and the reader, allows for a huge range of characters, scenarios and action. It's thought-provoking without being in the least dogmatic, witty without descending to farce and packed with swordfights without being derivative. The dialogue sparkles; characters morph almost imperceptibly from semi-cliche to completely original; nothing is as it first seems.Sapkowski succeeds in seamlessly welding familiar ideas, unique settings and delicious twists of originality: his Beauty wants to rip the throat out of a sensitive Beast; his Snow White seeks vengeance on all and sundry, his elves are embittered and vindictive.
It's easily one of the best things I've read in ages.'
This review was originally posted on The Bumbling Bookworm
Yes, I joined The Witcher craze in January! I decided to read these short stories before watching the series, and now I can't wait to jump into the Netflix series. I loved these short stories, they were so much fun to read - which is a bit odd I suppose when they're all about a cold-blooded killer! I particularly enjoyed the overarching short story told throughout the whole book, spliced with other short stories over Geralt's life.
As someone who hasn't played the game or watched the series, I didn't really know what to expect and I'm so glad I went in blind. Geralt's sarcastic tone spoke to me, I could feel his exasperation! I commend Sapkowski for maintaining a lighthearted feel across the collection, particularly given the violence throughout. My only criticism, and it's a slight one, is that the short stories just never felt like enough - I always wanted more. Loved this, and can't wait to experience more of this world!
Reading updates
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Started reading
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4 January, 2020:
Finished reading
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9 February, 2020:
Reviewed