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4.0 AVERAGE
4.0 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Another day, another Witcher novel. This is technically #4, (but that's not counting the short story collections). But honestly, it felt like I was still reading book #3 for a majority of this novel. You see, not much has changed since the end of Baptism of Fire. Geralt is still looking for Ciri and getting distracted along the way. Ciri is still finding herself and running away from about a bajillion characters who keep chasing her and Yennefer is still kinda missing.
Honestly, Tower of the Swallow was a bit of a bore and I'm starting to get sick of reading about characters that I could care less about. Please, give me more Ciri. More Geralt. More Yennefer. I don't care about that evil guy whose name I can't remember. I don't care about that peasant down the street who saw Geralt do this one thing this one time. I DON'T CARE.
(Honestly I have never ever felt so frustrated with a book series. EVER).
But, at the same time. I really, really like The Witcher. I loved Henry Cavill in a white wig. muttering 'hm. Fuck'. The video game was fun and funny (and really took the best parts of the book and made them better). So I do have a desire to know what the heck happens in these books. But it has been such a grind reading them. Sure there are some funny conversations, a few action scenes but the actual PLOT is lost on me.
Honestly, Tower of the Swallow was a bit of a bore and I'm starting to get sick of reading about characters that I could care less about. Please, give me more Ciri. More Geralt. More Yennefer. I don't care about that evil guy whose name I can't remember. I don't care about that peasant down the street who saw Geralt do this one thing this one time. I DON'T CARE.
(Honestly I have never ever felt so frustrated with a book series. EVER).
But, at the same time. I really, really like The Witcher. I loved Henry Cavill in a white wig. muttering 'hm. Fuck'. The video game was fun and funny (and really took the best parts of the book and made them better). So I do have a desire to know what the heck happens in these books. But it has been such a grind reading them. Sure there are some funny conversations, a few action scenes but the actual PLOT is lost on me.
I enjoyed this more as an audiobook than in print format (I started the print version of the book in May 2022, but stalled out halfway through). There are a lot of names I struggled to pronounce, which made it harder to keep the large cast of characters straight, which is a dumb thing to note but it was a factor. I listened to the audiobook pretty consistently and was able to get hooked by Ciri and Geralt's stories again at last.
Hello everyone, and welcome back to another review where Suzy disses the Witcher series.
Be aware: This review contains mild spoilers, so proceed with caution. I don't plan to hide it because I hope it will be useful to other readers despite this.
Let's start with a quick recap of my experience so far:
- The first two short story collections showed great promise for the series, and opened us up to the world of the Witcher. I was primed and ready for a great and sweeping fantasy story that delivered on all of the potential displayed in these books and had high hopes for what lay ahead.
- [b:Blood of Elves|6043781|Blood of Elves (The Witcher, #1)|Andrzej Sapkowski|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1589998653l/6043781._SX50_.jpg|1877722], the first novel (featuring the overarching storyline of the entire series) delivered intrigue but was rife with characters and murky, politically motivated plots that I found hard to keep up with at points. I figured all would become clearer as I moved through the series, but alas...
- No. Not so much. This is the point when I read [b:Season of Storms|36099978|Season of Storms (The Witcher, #0.6)|Andrzej Sapkowski|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1514124650l/36099978._SY75_.jpg|26575985] - a standalone Witcher story that (according to the recommended reading order) should have been read before 'Blood of Elves'. That said, it made very little difference to the wider storyline and so reading it after 'Blood of Elves' wasn't the source of my disappointment. Sadly, this stemmed instead from issues with the writing; namely poor storytelling, choppy plot development, formulaic fight scenes that inspired no sense of urgency whatsoever and notable pacing problems.
- Then came [b:The Time of Contempt|14781491|The Time of Contempt (The Witcher, #2)|Andrzej Sapkowski|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1443278961l/14781491._SX50_.jpg|1877759] - another huge disappointment that only served to highlight further issues ingrained within the writing of the series; primarily, a serious case of improper prioritisation within the storyline. I was left knowing very little about the important things that were happening, and far too much that was - ultimately - completely irrelevant.
- [b:Baptism of Fire|18656031|Baptism of Fire (The Witcher, #3)|Andrzej Sapkowski|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1443279182l/18656031._SY75_.jpg|1877750] sparked a new sense of hope, providing me with more backstory, context and emotional depth than I had begun to think was possible of this series. It was by no means perfect, but it went a long way to restoring my early faith in this story.
If you, like me, were hoping that this series was finally on the up - no. I'm here to say that all of the old problems continue on in this latest, disappointing instalment to a series that just keeps repeating the same mistakes.
I'm only so far from saying that all is lost for Sapkowski and this series, but there was (shock horror) one positive in this one. Ciri (eventually) takes ownership of her potential; but we see very little of this thanks to Sapkowski's decision to have this happen right at the very end of the book. As for Geralt and the others in his travelling company of misfits - nothing significant happens. Sure, they progress (sort of?), and he gathers some more info, but aside from that; nada. This book gives us the bare minimum of Witcher action from Geralt, leaving me with the now familiar sense of dissatisfaction that I've come to expect from the series.
In this novel, Sapkowski chooses to tell the story from a plethora of perspectives, following multiple timelines. The outcome was a mess of a storyline, muddied by a lack of consistency. Sadly (and I don't say this lightly), Sapkowski's writing skill is not sufficient to pull this off. Explanations and context suffered because he was determined to frame the book in this way.
Even discounting this issue, the explanations provided within the book were woefully poor. For example, when Geralt suddenly decided that Ciri was dead. Here's how it went:
Geralt: There was a sign.
Me: Was there? When? What?!
Geralt: I think you all know what it means.
Me: We do? Do we?
Geralt: It's irrefutable.
Me: WHAT IS?
Geralt: Ciri is definitely dead.
Me: Since when?! What? How do you know?
Geralt: It's incontrovertible.
Me: OKAY BUT HOW?
Geralt: It happened two nights ago. We didn't even notice it.
Me: Nor did I, mate. Nor did I.
Another gripe that reared its ugly head was the issue of sexism; particularly the fact that almost every male character (main or otherwise) seems to be wholly preoccupied with sex - even to the extent of raping women, who of course are just 'waiting' around for them as they surely can't wait to be 'satiated' in this way; and the issue of female characters refusing or regretting meals because they're 'watching their weight'. Neither of these issues are new to the series, having both been mentioned in previous books. But by this point I've had my fill of this kind of writing. You can tell me all you like that this is relevant to the medieval-adjacent time period the book is set in - I call bullshit. These books were written in the 90's, not the 13th Century, so there's no excuse as far as I'm concerned. Even if it is reflective of the time, it didn't need to be so heavily featured in the books. It served as nothing but another strike against this series for me.
I also struggle to buy into the strength of the relationships posited by this book. It notes (on several occasions, and not for the first time) that Yennefer considers Ciri her daughter, following their time together in 'Blood of Elves'. However, the lack of emotional depth within the writing - as seen throughout the series thus far - had me doing a double-take whenever I saw this come up. I simply don't believe that Yennefer can feel this way about Ciri based on what I've read. I don't doubt that her character is supposed to be evoking this sense of maternal love, this deeply emotional bond; but it just doesn't come across in any way, shape or form for me.
There comes a point in every book series when you look back and take stock. Based on my experience of this one, I have no desire to keep going and yet I will, because there is only one book left. I can't leave it now, but I bitterly regret not listening to my instincts sooner and DNF-ing the damn thing. If you're in doubt about whether to carry on - don't. If I had seen a review like this whilst still reading book 3/4 of the series, I might just have listened and saved myself some time.
Be aware: This review contains mild spoilers, so proceed with caution. I don't plan to hide it because I hope it will be useful to other readers despite this.
Let's start with a quick recap of my experience so far:
- The first two short story collections showed great promise for the series, and opened us up to the world of the Witcher. I was primed and ready for a great and sweeping fantasy story that delivered on all of the potential displayed in these books and had high hopes for what lay ahead.
- [b:Blood of Elves|6043781|Blood of Elves (The Witcher, #1)|Andrzej Sapkowski|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1589998653l/6043781._SX50_.jpg|1877722], the first novel (featuring the overarching storyline of the entire series) delivered intrigue but was rife with characters and murky, politically motivated plots that I found hard to keep up with at points. I figured all would become clearer as I moved through the series, but alas...
- No. Not so much. This is the point when I read [b:Season of Storms|36099978|Season of Storms (The Witcher, #0.6)|Andrzej Sapkowski|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1514124650l/36099978._SY75_.jpg|26575985] - a standalone Witcher story that (according to the recommended reading order) should have been read before 'Blood of Elves'. That said, it made very little difference to the wider storyline and so reading it after 'Blood of Elves' wasn't the source of my disappointment. Sadly, this stemmed instead from issues with the writing; namely poor storytelling, choppy plot development, formulaic fight scenes that inspired no sense of urgency whatsoever and notable pacing problems.
- Then came [b:The Time of Contempt|14781491|The Time of Contempt (The Witcher, #2)|Andrzej Sapkowski|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1443278961l/14781491._SX50_.jpg|1877759] - another huge disappointment that only served to highlight further issues ingrained within the writing of the series; primarily, a serious case of improper prioritisation within the storyline. I was left knowing very little about the important things that were happening, and far too much that was - ultimately - completely irrelevant.
- [b:Baptism of Fire|18656031|Baptism of Fire (The Witcher, #3)|Andrzej Sapkowski|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1443279182l/18656031._SY75_.jpg|1877750] sparked a new sense of hope, providing me with more backstory, context and emotional depth than I had begun to think was possible of this series. It was by no means perfect, but it went a long way to restoring my early faith in this story.
If you, like me, were hoping that this series was finally on the up - no. I'm here to say that all of the old problems continue on in this latest, disappointing instalment to a series that just keeps repeating the same mistakes.
I'm only so far from saying that all is lost for Sapkowski and this series, but there was (shock horror) one positive in this one. Ciri (eventually) takes ownership of her potential; but we see very little of this thanks to Sapkowski's decision to have this happen right at the very end of the book. As for Geralt and the others in his travelling company of misfits - nothing significant happens. Sure, they progress (sort of?), and he gathers some more info, but aside from that; nada. This book gives us the bare minimum of Witcher action from Geralt, leaving me with the now familiar sense of dissatisfaction that I've come to expect from the series.
In this novel, Sapkowski chooses to tell the story from a plethora of perspectives, following multiple timelines. The outcome was a mess of a storyline, muddied by a lack of consistency. Sadly (and I don't say this lightly), Sapkowski's writing skill is not sufficient to pull this off. Explanations and context suffered because he was determined to frame the book in this way.
Even discounting this issue, the explanations provided within the book were woefully poor. For example, when Geralt suddenly decided that Ciri was dead. Here's how it went:
Geralt: There was a sign.
Me: Was there? When? What?!
Geralt: I think you all know what it means.
Me: We do? Do we?
Geralt: It's irrefutable.
Me: WHAT IS?
Geralt: Ciri is definitely dead.
Me: Since when?! What? How do you know?
Geralt: It's incontrovertible.
Me: OKAY BUT HOW?
Geralt: It happened two nights ago. We didn't even notice it.
Me: Nor did I, mate. Nor did I.
Another gripe that reared its ugly head was the issue of sexism; particularly the fact that almost every male character (main or otherwise) seems to be wholly preoccupied with sex - even to the extent of raping women, who of course are just 'waiting' around for them as they surely can't wait to be 'satiated' in this way; and the issue of female characters refusing or regretting meals because they're 'watching their weight'. Neither of these issues are new to the series, having both been mentioned in previous books. But by this point I've had my fill of this kind of writing. You can tell me all you like that this is relevant to the medieval-adjacent time period the book is set in - I call bullshit. These books were written in the 90's, not the 13th Century, so there's no excuse as far as I'm concerned. Even if it is reflective of the time, it didn't need to be so heavily featured in the books. It served as nothing but another strike against this series for me.
I also struggle to buy into the strength of the relationships posited by this book. It notes (on several occasions, and not for the first time) that Yennefer considers Ciri her daughter, following their time together in 'Blood of Elves'. However, the lack of emotional depth within the writing - as seen throughout the series thus far - had me doing a double-take whenever I saw this come up. I simply don't believe that Yennefer can feel this way about Ciri based on what I've read. I don't doubt that her character is supposed to be evoking this sense of maternal love, this deeply emotional bond; but it just doesn't come across in any way, shape or form for me.
There comes a point in every book series when you look back and take stock. Based on my experience of this one, I have no desire to keep going and yet I will, because there is only one book left. I can't leave it now, but I bitterly regret not listening to my instincts sooner and DNF-ing the damn thing. If you're in doubt about whether to carry on - don't. If I had seen a review like this whilst still reading book 3/4 of the series, I might just have listened and saved myself some time.
It was a bit slower in parts than the other books so far, but when it kicks in, it's worth it. Gorgeous language. Deep world building. Compelling characters, new and old.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
reflective
slow-paced
i would give this book six stars if i could
This was a lot, a lot to take in. There are so many things that made my skin crawl so I had to stop a few times. All of the characters really seems like can't catch a break. Sapko really went all dark and violent and ugh just?? Especially Ciri's journey, she deserves everything good in this life good god. I know the timeline of his books is a maze of zigzag past-present-future but Lord help me I got so confused a few times, it just jumping out here and there without any warnings.
I guess it was fine. I really feel like the author has no idea what the ending is supposed to look like and doesn’t know where to go from the last books. He seems content in just describing whatever event popped in his head at the moment.
These books have an interesting world, some interesting characters, some good scenes and generally no sense of direction…
I enjoyed the short stories significantly more than I am the main storyline… one more to go.
These books have an interesting world, some interesting characters, some good scenes and generally no sense of direction…
I enjoyed the short stories significantly more than I am the main storyline… one more to go.