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One to look out for

 
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Parmenion



Joined: 06 Oct 2006
Posts: 584

PostPosted: Thu Mar 08, 2007 9:04 am    Post subject: One to look out for Reply with quote

The Last Wish
Andrzej Sapkowski
A European superstar comes to the UK for the first time!

Sold over 2 million copies in europe



Geralt de Riv 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 na?vety.
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-clich? 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.'
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Drizzt



Joined: 07 Mar 2005
Posts: 1081
Location: Easington, UK

PostPosted: Fri Apr 13, 2007 10:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Robin, have you any publishing info? Amazon's having a laugh and I'm hearing a lot of good things about this guy's work. When's he hitting our shores?

**Never mind, typically I've found out not 10 seconds following the question! It's out on April 19th**
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Parmenion



Joined: 06 Oct 2006
Posts: 584

PostPosted: Sat Apr 14, 2007 7:04 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

its is a good read as well, im about 50% through it and its good stuff so far.
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Drizzt



Joined: 07 Mar 2005
Posts: 1081
Location: Easington, UK

PostPosted: Thu Apr 26, 2007 2:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Are you selling copies yet? So far as I can now tell, it's not out until June 7th.
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Parmenion



Joined: 06 Oct 2006
Posts: 584

PostPosted: Thu Apr 26, 2007 3:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Not selling copies of this title at all im linking out to Amazon from my web site http://parmenion-books.co.uk/view_doc.php?view_doc=32&PHPSESSID=099ba5ceb584c1ea3d0c49bfbff898c0

Mrs Parmenion has done a review for me i ran out of reading time. It looks like there has been a publishing delay as it was to have been released on the 19th April. amazon do have it at a bargain ?5.99 though
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Drizzt



Joined: 07 Mar 2005
Posts: 1081
Location: Easington, UK

PostPosted: Sun Jul 08, 2007 12:22 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm about 50% through it and this is an excellent read. The book is effectively a collection of short stories about Geralt, a 'Witcher'. In essence, he's a hunter of monsters and things which go bump in the night. However, there's a lot more to him than that. He's not a saint, doesn't suffer fools and doesn't pretend to be a hero. He just does his job, very strictly in accordance to his personal honour and the Witcher's code. You can't help but like him.

There are also loads of references to fairytales, only with an adult tone - this isn't a child's book.

It also seems Sapkowski is being backed rather massively. A PC game is coming out later this year which features Geralt. Gollancz are also publishing his 5-book saga, 'The Blood of the Elves', which has already been published in Europe for many years and is massively popular. So, watch out, seems this chap is being geared up to be a major player in England and possibly the US.

Oh, and special mention to the translator of 'The Last Wish'. An outstanding job has been done.
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masrock



Joined: 16 Sep 2004
Posts: 14
Location: United Kingdom

PostPosted: Tue Jun 17, 2008 11:59 am    Post subject: The witcher Reply with quote

Read the book - loved it.

Played the game - loved it

Read the book again - still loved it

Playing the game again........guess what, loving it!

'Nuff said.

Masrock
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Alia



Joined: 17 Sep 2007
Posts: 246

PostPosted: Tue Jun 17, 2008 2:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Let me tell you this - I'm Polish, I love Sapkowski's work, and I'm really glad to hear that you also like it and that the English translation is good.
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Drizzt



Joined: 07 Mar 2005
Posts: 1081
Location: Easington, UK

PostPosted: Fri Jun 20, 2008 1:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm itching, itching for 'Blood of Elves' to come out. I just wish Orion/Gollancz would stop push backing the release date!
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