The Last Wish – Andrzej Sapkowski
Hachette Livre Gollancz, 2007
280 pages
RRP: AU$32.95 (tpbk), AU$22.95 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-0-575-07782-9

Reviewed by Kate Smith

The Last Wish is a beautifully constructed story that is a joy to read. It is a thoroughly enjoyable read and leads the reader gently towards its message. While it is a difficult novel to put down, the manner in which the tale has been constructed allows for this and it is very easy to come back to after some time away.

The tale is written in such a way that it has attraction for diverse levels of readers. At its surface it is the tale of a hunter removing evil creatures that prey on the innocent from the world, and as such is a simple tale of the triumph of the good. More deeply, the reader sees that all is not as it seems in terms of good and evil, and that what appears to be one may easily be seen as the other. It is a reminder that such polarised concepts often do not have a simple, easy to define place in the world. Finally, it is the story of the man beyond the hunter, of a choice made which has fundamentally altered his perception of the world and the course of his life. The reader is then left to consider whether an understanding of love and experiencing love is worth the painful, bloody conclusion that awaits. Is self-exploration worth the cost? It is at this point that the title of the novel can be interpreted.

Geralt is not written as a particularly likable character who the reader can identify with easily, however as the story progresses and his character is revealed we can see more and more of interest in Geralt and we find ourselves more and more concerned with his fate even as we come to realise there can only be one end for this character. The story is so well written that as the tale concludes with an ending that leaves a cliff hanger in preparation for a tale to follow, the ending actually says all that is needed and leaves the reader with a sense of conclusion, both for the character and for themselves.

This is a novel which is absolutely worth the time and definitely worth keeping on the shelf.