Geralt of Rivia is a witcher, sorcerer, swordsman and mutant. He destroys monsters for a living, and sticks to his moral code.
Rating of each short story:
The Witcher 5/5⭐
Great introduction to the world of the Witcher, his role, and the story's context. Action-packed and intriguing. A twist on the typical "save the princess" tale.
A Grain of Truth 2/5⭐
A twisted retelling of Beauty and the Beast. My least favorite story for the fact that Geralt helps the "Beast" (who is a human who is cured after he raped a priestess) when Geralt is clearly a "kill all the rapists" type of man. The "Beauty" in this retelling is a vampire who is slain by The Beast to break the aforementioned Beast's curse.
The Lesser Evil 4/5⭐
A dark retelling of Snow White; questioning personal choice and destiny, and evil. One star taken away because Renfri (like most other women in the series) throws herself at Geralt because the author clearly wanted them to have sex.
A Questions of Price 5/5⭐
A critical look at the fairy tales like Rumpelstiltskin. Another great story filled with twists and action, and places Geralt in the centre of political intrigue and the world's fate.
The Edge of the World 3/5⭐
Unfocused with a bit of deus ex in the eventual rescue of Geralt and Dandelion. It didn't fit in with the book's overall theme of destiny.
Things I liked:
✅ YES! Let's bring back the popularity of a good short story!
✅ All the short stories are tie together by the same themes and moral threads
✅ Slavic mythology set in a distinct eastern European setting gives the world a unique feel
✅ Interesting writing style (probably due to it being a translated book)
✅ Retellings of classic fairy tales with gritty and realistic twists
Things I didn't like:
✖ It mentions interesting world-building elements, but doesn't elaborate on them
✖ Unfortunately, women tend to come off second-best most of the time in this world
✖ Okay so Geralt is a mutant, scorned by everyone he meets, but also every woman he meets wants to sleep with him...?
Rating 4/5⭐ Genre: Fantasy Verdict: As good as a bathtub gets with Geralt in it