Last Wish (Book)

[Pythro]

Last Wish (Book)

Now I have played the Witcher games before reading the books (started with Witcher 2 on Xbox). After I finished Witcher 3 I had to start reading the books. I started Last Wish about a week ago and just finished it today. What a great read it was, I love the backstory you get. I love how it goes from present time (in the book perspective) to past events.

Now my first time playing Witcher 3 I was looking forward to finally seeing Yen. However the more interaction I had with her in the game the more annoyed with her I got. First Ii felt she treated Geralt like a dog, and Geralt in the book even says this although he is cut off at the end by Nenneke. And I feel like she doesn't care about the consequences of her actions. I was hoping by reading the books (although I have only read Last Wish so far) that I would understand an like her. However the last wish story has kind of ruined that so far. She clearly knows she has power and uses it the wrong way to get what she wants and doesn't really care, that is a characteristic that bothers me with characters. Towards the end of The Last Wish I felt a little better but still have an annoyance with her. I am also not sure why Geralt wants to be with her after what she did to him and made him do. I am hoping by reading more of the books I can come to like Yen but from the games I always go with Triss because she just seems to treat Geralt better and seems somewhat the opposite of Yen. I’m just very curious why Geralt has such a strong feeling for Yen. Is the scent of Lilac and Gooseberries that powerful?

This isn't meant to be a Yen or Triss rant, I just wanted to express my views on the book which without a doubt is a very great read.

 

[Dan_Florian_Eremia]

Just wait till you will read Shard of Ice, you will dislike her even more But she will get (marginally) better in the later books, I'll admit that.
Regarding Geralts feelings for her, I couldn't tell you the reason in the first books( most of their relationship). . My money are on his mommy issues.

 

[Guest 3847602]

Without spoiling anything - keep reading them, she was introduced in the last short story from that book, she's a major character in rest of them, you'll get to see her character develop across the saga. By the end of The Lady of the Lake maybe you'll come to and understand her and like her, maybe you wont, but you'll certainly have better understanding of her relationship with Geralt. Just keep in mind that Sapkowski never intended her to be a walking, talking cliche of fantasy girlfriend (just like Geralt himself is not a stereotypical fantasy hero).

 

[Razrback16]

Ah my friend the similarities I see between us...

Before I read the books I didn't like Yennefer but I wanted to give her a chance and try to understand why anyone liked her, so I read the books, hoping they might change my mind about her a little bit (or maybe a lot, I was quite open to the possibility since Ciri sees Yennefer as a mother), but I ended up disliking her even more by the end than when I had started...she does something in Book 2 that I found to be completely unforgivable. Even by the end of the series, where she tries to make up for some of her earlier behavior, it still isn't anywhere close to enough in my book for me to forgive her from Geralt's point of view. And then you tack on the stuff you described - the way she treats Geralt, the way she talks to him, belittles him and the things he says, along with those of his friends, keeps her plans from him (clearly doesn't trust him), seems to rarely show much in the way of warm and loving emotion to him, etc.

The neat thing about this series particularly with the romances is IT'S UP TO YOU to interpret things your way - I love the freedom these games give you in the romance arena, I value them highly. After reading all the books and playing all 3 games about 6 times a piece, I have my own viewpoints on why Geralt pursues Yennefer in the books, and it has a lot to do with the wish he made to the djinn. To me, Yennefer just seems to be so emotionally broken from her childhood that she's incapable of having a healthy, loving, relationship with another person and we see that play out in front of us when watching / reading the relationship between Geralt & Yennefer. She's incapable of trust and struggles with intimacy. I actually think she does love Geralt (and loves the fact that he loves her, at least in the books), she is just incapable of bonding in a healthy way with another person and as a result we see the toxicity in the relationship play out with their constant fighting and breakups.

 

[Dan_Florian_Eremia]

I started reading the books for exactly the same reason, to like Yen, since I started a second play in the game. Honestly I still don't like her that much. She is incredibly arogant and selfish.To me her only redeeming quality is her love for Geralt and Ciri. And even then, while she does love Geralt, she is a terrible girlfriend until their last year together.

 

[Pythro]

Well this is upsetting. I thought maybe Yen you change. But from what some of you say I will never like her at this point. I will still read the books however. I get that Yen isn’t supposed to be the typical fantasy GF and I wouldn’t want her to m, but to just seem cold and arrogant and just... (sorry but) a bitch annoys be. Now I haven’t gotten to any of the Tris stuff yet since I have only read book 1 but from what I heard she seems to care about Geralt more than Yen does, or shows. Even in the games I feel that way and is why I always choose Triss.

Im not quite sure why the author wrote Yen the way he did. Did he know someone who is like Yen? Does he like women like that (I sure don’t)?

Even the Last Wish quest in the game where Yen wants to break the wish she seems like able but I just can’t look passed all the other stuff she did prior to that without even thinking of the consequences. She uses that mask, she raises that guy from the dead killing the garden, more I can’t recall. And then when the dialogue options let you call her out on it she just shoots you down hard treating you again like a simple lap dog.

Im upset that I feel this way, but it’s because of the way she was written. And in the Last Wish story how Geralt was saying how he couldn’t never know another kiss or smell or touch and all that unless it was Yen, I’m thinking why Geralt? Why? What is so special about her? Is it because was was a hunch back and is now beautiful? Is there some sort of spell she has on you with the lilac and gooseberries? Help me understand Geralt!

Im actually playing through Witcher 3 again for the third time (need to play Blood and Wine). I will probably still go Triss but I shall see how I feel. Even Shani is nice but she has her own stuff and if I were Geralt I wouldn’t want to stop her from that as well. Hell even Kera uses Geralt Geralt (some of the women Geralt involves himself with really use him a lot and I feel bad).

 

[Dan_Florian_Eremia]

Yen loves more Geralt in the ( last) books and she is the only one for him at the end but Triss is just a better all around person imo, even if she has her own flaws.
The same thing can be said about a lot of other love interests like Shani, Fringilla or Little Eye.

Also a word of advice, going by your complains regarding how Yen treats other people besides Geralt, be prepared to be severly dissapointed by Ciri. Yen at her worst is a saint compared to Ciri in the books. Pretty much all of the game charaters are more likable and just better persons in the game (Geralt, Zoltan, Triss ) but Ciri is at best an anti-hero and at worst a villain in the books, she is nothing like in the game.

 

[Guest 3847602]

Now I haven’t gotten to any of the Tris stuff yet since I have only read book 1 but from what I heard she seems to care about Geralt more than Yen does, or shows.

Again, have patience, keep reading and in the end you'll see who's willing to sacrifice everything for Geralt and Ciri and who has some other priorities.
As for why Sapko wrote her that way:

The story The Last Wish also is a long metaphor of the teaching “be careful what you wish for”. The road to reach the fulfillment of all of Geralt’s desires seems paved with dangerous djinns – mercilessness.

And in this story we also meet for the first time the witch that will change his life forever: Yennefer of Vengerberg, who knows exactly how dangerous she can be. They fall in love with each other, but don’t you think that it’s too dangerous for Geralt wanting a woman that we know he can’t really trust?

Ha, ha, and that’s what makes the story interesting, don’t you think? Being an avid fantasy reader I was sometimes really bored and disgusted with the stories in which the hero could easily have sex with any woman he wished because every woman was willing and eager to have sex with him.

In such stories the woman was the prize of the hero, a spoil of a warrior – and as such had nothing to say, could only moan and faint in the hero’s powerful embrace. I am aware of the fact that only in contact with the opposite sex – be it attraction, affectuation, confrontation or opposition – can a literary hero be fully grown.

Creating the character of Yennefer I wanted Geralt to be fully grown – but I decided to complicate things a little. I created a woman character who simply refuses to be a fantasy cliché. And all that to please the reader.

source: http://sugarpulp.it/en/26893/

 

[Deemonef]

Im upset that I feel this way, but it’s because of the way she was written. And in the Last Wish story how Geralt was saying how he couldn’t never know another kiss or smell or touch and all that unless it was Yen, I’m thinking why Geralt? Why? What is so special about her? Is it because was was a hunch back and is now beautiful? Is there some sort of spell she has on you with the lilac and gooseberries? Help me understand Geralt!

Most people think of relationships that are "easy". Very lovely, maybe hard to get but in the end everything is perfect... maybe also from the beginning. Hollywood and many other media told us this. But there are so many different kinds of realtionships.
Geralt and Yennefer is one of those. A kind a very few know or can understand.
I always saw my grandmother and grandfather in anger, heavily discussing and shouting. But they never broke up, never got sperate bedrooms, they were together at every party and left together. And when my grandmothers body and mind went down and down, my grandfather visited her every day in the daycare till her end.
As a kid I didn't understand this. Why do they live together? Is this thing really called love? the answer is "yes". A special kind of love.

For Geralt and Yennefer counts the same. Geralt saw how she was before and what she became. He saw in his live many young women in a world which is not good to women (and men) beautiful girls are used, ugly girls are bullied and worse. No material for a marriage, thrown away etc. But Yennefer got over this became a sorceress. She helped Jaskier, sure to capture the D'Jinni, but she healed him. She could have held him in her bedroom without helping him. She could used the last wish for so many things, but she wanted to discharge Geralt from the things he did under her spell. She wanted to take him out of the danger zone when the D'Jinni attacked. And next to all of this Yennefer was "simply" a different kind of woman, Geralt met before. A kind he learned to love very fast.
Geralt is not the typical hero of a story and Yennefer (have to be) not the typical "girl" for the hero. A real women who doesn't wait or live for her hero. A own character.

And with every story you will understand the relationship with Geralt and Yennefer more. Till the novels it will be rough but while the second novel you will see that both find her way to each other. Overcame what they were and finally able to be together.

So, it was no magic or spell from Yennefer that Geralt will love her (this is Triss' way of playing this game )

 

[Pythro]

I’m not all surprised that Ciri would be that way haveing spent time with Yen and being the granddaughter of Calanthe (she seemed like someone you do not wanna mess with). I learned this from reading some stuff in the game and became confused how Emhyr is Ciri’s daughter. Was he Urcheaon? Did Paveta have an affair? If these will be answered in books then don’t tell me. I have heard people say what Triss does to Geralt. I also realize that not all relationships are what they appear in fairy tails but I still don’t think that justifies the way Yen treats Geralt. And now after reading the first book I’m still not sure why people a team Yen

 

[Pythro]

Edit I meant Father not daughter. I’m on mobile so couldn’t find an Edit post.

 

[Dan_Florian_Eremia]

Again, have patience, keep reading and in the end you'll see who's willing to sacrifice everything for Geralt and Ciri and who has some other priorities.

Spoiler

To be fair to Triss she was convinced that was for the better good. That she was wrong and was manipulated by Philippa is another story. But I honestly like that about her, that we get to see the difference between 2 best friends, both some of the most powerful sorceresses in the world: Yen who will let the world burn for the people she loves (if not ignite it in the first place) and Triss who will be willing to sacrifice what she loves, no matter how much it will hurt her.

 

[Deemonef]

I’m not all surprised that Ciri would be that way haveing spent time with Yen and being the granddaughter of Calanthe (she seemed like someone you do not wanna mess with). I learned this from reading some stuff in the game and became confused how Emhyr is Ciri’s daughter. Was he Urcheaon? Did Paveta have an affair? If these will be answered in books then don’t tell me. I have heard people say what Triss does to Geralt. I also realize that not all relationships are what they appear in fairy tails but I still don’t think that justifies the way Yen treats Geralt. And now after reading the first book I’m still not sure why people a team Yen

As you saif, you have to read it till the end to understand
And you just saw the very first story of their relationship.Point is, Yennefer and Geralt are a great match, and you will see it through the next books

 

[Dan_Florian_Eremia]

And with every story you will understand the relationship with Geralt and Yennefer more. Till the novels it will be rough but while the second novel you will see that both find her way to each other. Overcame what they were and finally able to be together.

Spoiler

They will get together in the last year of their relationship, for a day and then another month before they both die. After spending 27 years basically choosing to screw anyone else than stay together (or screw other persons WHILE they were together, in case of Yen), after they brought each other only misery. I don't have a precise timeline but I doubt the actually spent even 3 or 4 years of those 27 together

. This is like a textbook failed, dysfunctional and unhealthy relation. Many of them sound very romantic in theory, and the TV fandom is full of ships of similar relationships. The more drama, pain and angst and the less time spent together while using words like destiny, fate and soul-mates the more romantic it feels.
I know this is a oversimplification of their relationship, that there is a context and there are nuances. I know that Yen had a traumatic childhood, as a hunchback that made her doubt that she can be loved. I know Geralt had doubts about his capability of feeling because of his mutation. I know he had troubles with his sorceress mother leaving him to the witchers (and to a 70-80 percents chance to die). What a coincidence that he falls in love with a sorceress that loves him but keeps pushing him away and hurting him, no? But at the end all those failed unhealthy romantic relationships have their context and nuances too.

 

[Guest 3847602]

I’m still not sure why people a team Yen

What I like about her:
Her intelligence, badassery and sarcasm, her fierce, unquestionable loyalty to people she cares about (yes, Geralt is among them ). I like the fact she doesn't share her inner emotions with everyone, I like the fact that she prefers to convey those emotions mostly through meaningful gestures rather than nauseating, over-the-top sweetness. Lastly, I like Yen's healthy dose of cynicism and her not giving a damn about what random nobodies think about her, while still showing kindness when and where it truly matters.
I think that covers enough of why I admire her personality.

Spoiler

To be fair to Triss she was convinced that was for the better good. That she was wrong and was manipulated by Philippa is another story. But I honestly like that about her, that we get to see the difference between 2 best friends, both some of the most powerful sorceresses in the world: Yen who will let the world burn for the people she loves (if not ignite it in the first place) and Triss who will be willing to sacrifice what she loves, no matter how much it will hurt her.

Spoiler

To be clear - I do have sympathy for Triss, what she did was not without a cause. I just like Yennefer from the books more than Triss, and that event illustrates why. I still like "book Triss" quite a bit.

 

[Deemonef]

Spoiler

They will get together in the last year of their relationship, for a day and then another month before they both die. After spending 27 years basically choosing to screw anyone else than stay together (or screw other persons WHILE they were together, in case of Yen), after they brought each other only misery. I don't have a precise timeline but I doubt the actually spent even 3 or 4 years of those 27 together

. This is like a textbook dysfunctional and unhealthy relation. Many of them sound very romantic in theory, and the TV fandom is full of ships of similar relationships. The more drama, pain and angst and the less time spent together while using words like destiny, fate and soul-mates the more romantic it feels.

And after all that they found together. After screwing up so much, after overcoming many parts of their own life/fate they finally get together. And as I said, not every realtionship is the same. I mean, you are one kind who say Triss is better for Geralt, and this wasn't even a relationship. This was a short magic caused affair that Geralt ended... and this is nothing compaired to what Yennefer and Geralt are.
Many affairs for both but only one love. And this is what it makes so comlicated for both cause they don't know understand it at the beginning.
And at the very end of the novels they are together and happy with it. And they would do it much earlier, but the war and stuff happend

 

[Dan_Florian_Eremia]

I will edit my previous post to add spoilers. For now I am on my mobile, and I can't find an edit button.
I don' t deny for a second that Geralt and Yen are truly each others only love. And I certainly am not team Triss regarding a Geralt romance. There wasn't a Triss/ Geralt romance in the books. I prefer Triss as a character and a person.I also like Yen as a character, I just dislike her as a person.

 

[sv3672]

The neat thing about this series particularly with the romances is IT'S UP TO YOU to interpret things your way - I love the freedom these games give you in the romance arena, I value them highly. After reading all the books and playing all 3 games about 6 times a piece, I have my own viewpoints on why Geralt pursues Yennefer in the books, and it has a lot to do with the wish he made to the djinn.

I do not think it is really because of the djinn, but the events of the games do give a chance for his relationships to develop in directions that were not possible during the time frame of the books. I definitely agree with the first part, it is a value in any RPG to allow room for the player's imagination regarding what the protagonist would do in various situations. And in The Witcher series, your decisions can sometimes also lead to unexpected outcomes.

 

[Sunsibar]

Edit I meant Father not daughter. I’m on mobile so couldn’t find an Edit post.

I will edit my previous post to add spoilers. For now I am on my mobile, and I can't find an edit button.

Mobile users can try turning the device side ways. Edit/Quote options should be visible then

 

[Pythro]

Great to read everyone’s views on this topic. It is what I was hoping for. I feel like if I had read the books (if I had known there were books at the time) I probably wouldn’t have such a dislike for Yen. But since I had spent more time with Triss in the games I just grew to like her as a person and character. Even in the game when you go to that Witch hunter guy (forgot his name) in search of Ciri, Triss is willing to be tortured so you can get information. Yen I believe would have just started massive chaos. Now Triss does burn the place at the end but I feel like Yens actions would have been much worse. I never really let the torture go all the way though because I am too good of a person for that.

That at was probably one of my main reasons for not wanting to read the books when I found out there were books. I like the Triss and Geralt relationship from the game.

I also wanted to add in my first post that I loved the fairy tail references in the book. Like princes rescuing princesses from towers. The whole Rumplestilskin reference. And the guy who was cursed to look like an animal reminded me of beauty and the beast.