Lamron Lit Corner: The Last Wish of a Witcher

“In order to become a witcher, you have to be born in the shadow of destiny, and very few are born like that.”

~Andrzej Sapkowski, The Last Wish

Breaking out in the genre of fantasy literature is a grueling task, and I don’t believe many people would attempt to argue that point. In a genre that, whether or not deservedly, has been bogged down by expectations of tropes, to fight one’s way to the top not only in the area itself but in literature as a whole is next to impossible. Think of how many authors make it there, writing adult fantasy and standing out? Tolkien? Martin? What about the ones who remain in the shadows?

While it may not be anything extraordinary today, being a fan of The Witcher series was once far more niche. Being originally written and published in Poland, there was little chance someone across the sea would recognize a name like that in everyday conversation. So, how did a series from a small country across the world turn into an international phenomenon, spawning not only its own Netflix series but a bestselling and award-winning trilogy of video games, as well? In my eyes, it all goes back to the first book.

For those of you who haven’t seen the show or played the games, a “witcher” is a monster hunter, mutated at an early age to be faster, stronger and fiercer than any normal human could ever be. Most importantly, witchers are granted incredibly long lives, all for the cause of slaying monsters on the Continent and bringing peace to the world (even if at a steep price). But what about the nuance? How could such a predictable idea for a character turn into a pop-culture icon?

The Last Wish is not a typical fantasy novel, though it may appear that way on the surface. In fact, it’s hard to say it’s a novel at all, as it is more akin to a short story collection in many ways rather than focusing itself on one narrative strand for the whole book. That’s not to say there are no threads, no growth or no reason to read it in order. Though Geralt, the witcher, may appear to be the stereotypical brutish bounty hunter so commonly seen in the genre at the beginning, each tale in the collection gives us clues as to why he’s actually one of the most complex characters the field has to offer. 

It’s all about the lines between the monster hunting and the action. It’s about the bigger picture. In the world of the witchers, good and evil are not black and white.

That’s not to say the series doesn’t have action; far from it in fact. In every story there will be at least one, if not more, scenes in which we are shown in vivid detail how Geralt has to best his foes, either human or monster. A story like that is easy. The good guy defeats the monster and goes away happy.

That’s not what The Last Wish is about.

Don’t expect our hero to ride off with the love of his life or hack-and-slash his way out of every situation. Geralt finds himself seemingly in a fantasy world that has been flipped on its head. His best friend is a singer and poet whose non-stop talking is perfectly opposite to Geralt’s infinite brooding. Very often, Geralt has no idea what he’s walking into before things turn on their heads, even requiring him to talk his way out rather than fight. In a world that hates the idea of mutants walking around free, the citizens he meets rarely give him a nod in the right direction, let alone help him, even sometimes actively working against him.

And, perhaps most importantly, the woman of his dreams is possibly also the only person he truly fears.

So, if you’re looking for a happy sunset-ride adventure and some romance at an easy price, The Last Wish isn’t for you. If you’re looking to break into a series that has long, complex mythologies and geographical backgrounds, maybe Geralt and his friends won’t interest you.

But if you want to see what happens when some of the most universally recognizable themes, stories and plots in the history of the fantasy genre get turned on their heads, or watch as a man so confident in his beliefs finds himself lost in the changing landscape, then the adventures of The Witcher is exactly what you need.