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4.0 AVERAGE
4.0 AVERAGE
3.5 stars
Tower of the Swallow is another good entry into the Witcher series but it suffers a little from Geralt's snail pace arc and some odd time hopping. This is nothing new for the series but it was the first time that it wasn't executed all that well. In the latter half of the book, Sapkowski mentions the date like 1000 times as all 3 arcs are happening at different times. It feels a bit messy.
There is much more of Ciri in this entry which is great because at this point her arc is the only one really pushing forward with purpose. Her storyline is engaging and exciting at all times.
Geralt on the other hand has come soooo far (geographically) yet has gotten nowhere with regard to his objective. That was fine in baptism of fire because there was so much great interaction between him and his companions but that's not so much the case in Tower of the Swallow. His goal truly feels unachievable.
Yennefer's arc is good, not great. Happy to see a little bit more of her after so little in BOF but her mission didn't end as I suspected or would have liked, subjectively.
Lastly, this entry is grim! I mean, NO ONE is having a good time in this book! Sapkowski shows you the characters that you've come to love really go through the wringer here! You also get a little villain perspective in a hunter becomes the hunted type way. You never feel bad for them though, if that was the intention.
Interested to see how this all comes together in Lady of the Lake. I hope the finale befits what a great series this has been!
Tower of the Swallow is another good entry into the Witcher series but it suffers a little from Geralt's snail pace arc and some odd time hopping. This is nothing new for the series but it was the first time that it wasn't executed all that well. In the latter half of the book, Sapkowski mentions the date like 1000 times as all 3 arcs are happening at different times. It feels a bit messy.
There is much more of Ciri in this entry which is great because at this point her arc is the only one really pushing forward with purpose. Her storyline is engaging and exciting at all times.
Geralt on the other hand has come soooo far (geographically) yet has gotten nowhere with regard to his objective. That was fine in baptism of fire because there was so much great interaction between him and his companions but that's not so much the case in Tower of the Swallow. His goal truly feels unachievable.
Yennefer's arc is good, not great. Happy to see a little bit more of her after so little in BOF but her mission didn't end as I suspected or would have liked, subjectively.
Lastly, this entry is grim! I mean, NO ONE is having a good time in this book! Sapkowski shows you the characters that you've come to love really go through the wringer here! You also get a little villain perspective in a hunter becomes the hunted type way. You never feel bad for them though, if that was the intention.
Interested to see how this all comes together in Lady of the Lake. I hope the finale befits what a great series this has been!
Wow.
What a slog fest. While the words are good and the story is decent (I think), getting through the constantly changing POVs and stylistic asides and inconsistent storytelling devices, I'm struggling to understand how ANYONE could get through enough of this to put together a successful series of video games, much less a TV series.
I think the story is compelling enough to keep going but I honestly can't keep any of the secondary characters straight and, beyond the main storyline of Geralt constantly looking for Ciri and Ciri consistently showing she can take care of herself, I couldn't actually care less about the side plots. I don't care about the characters and the back and forth in time/space/storytelling is more aggravating than anything else.
What a slog fest. While the words are good and the story is decent (I think), getting through the constantly changing POVs and stylistic asides and inconsistent storytelling devices, I'm struggling to understand how ANYONE could get through enough of this to put together a successful series of video games, much less a TV series.
I think the story is compelling enough to keep going but I honestly can't keep any of the secondary characters straight and, beyond the main storyline of Geralt constantly looking for Ciri and Ciri consistently showing she can take care of herself, I couldn't actually care less about the side plots. I don't care about the characters and the back and forth in time/space/storytelling is more aggravating than anything else.
Ciri returns with a literal vengeance. Geralt's character grows tremendously, and we get a taste of what comes next. Much more action-packed than book 3, but sprinkled with philosophical ideas worth quoting.
The endings of The Witcher always keep me coming back for more.
Much like the previous book, it was an entertaining read, chock full of action, mystery, mysticism, murder here and there; and all creatively and uniquely described.
It's good when a book such as this is peppered with comedy and lightheartedness... even at a scene of a massacre.
It's good when a book such as this is peppered with comedy and lightheartedness... even at a scene of a massacre.
I really want to like these books and I do in brief moments, but the interminable chapters of world building and political gamesmanship just stops being interesting at a certain point. How many pages can be devoted to everyone talking about how important Ciri is before anything of consequence happens?
7.2 - Good
Overall not a bad story at all, especially by this series' standards. Witcher continues to be a disappointing adventure for me overall, with a lot of contrivances and a lot of unnecessary journeying. Still, this entry wasn't bad by any means. Geralt and Co. are in Nilfgaard finally and have some cool battles, though they make middling progress at best yet again. Geralt loses his witcher emblem, but declares he hasn't been a witcher for a long time (true). Yennefer escapes and gets help from Craich. Ciri recounts her journey to Vysogota the hermit, telling him of how the Rats were killed by Bonhart, her capture, getting her sword and horse and magic returned to her, and ultimately leaves the hermitage and beats her pursuers (Bonhart, Reince, Tawny Owl) to the Tower of Swallows. Ciri's story has improved and I like it a lot better now, but that doesn't stop her past actions being questionable imo. Overall, a low-7 again for a solid story with some intriguing moments.
Overall not a bad story at all, especially by this series' standards. Witcher continues to be a disappointing adventure for me overall, with a lot of contrivances and a lot of unnecessary journeying. Still, this entry wasn't bad by any means. Geralt and Co. are in Nilfgaard finally and have some cool battles, though they make middling progress at best yet again. Geralt loses his witcher emblem, but declares he hasn't been a witcher for a long time (true). Yennefer escapes and gets help from Craich. Ciri recounts her journey to Vysogota the hermit, telling him of how the Rats were killed by Bonhart, her capture, getting her sword and horse and magic returned to her, and ultimately leaves the hermitage and beats her pursuers (Bonhart, Reince, Tawny Owl) to the Tower of Swallows. Ciri's story has improved and I like it a lot better now, but that doesn't stop her past actions being questionable imo. Overall, a low-7 again for a solid story with some intriguing moments.
I love the diversity of the storytelling techniques in this saga. This book takes a belying reprieve, Ciri is safe in an isolated hermitage inside a swamp. She is found, cared for and listened to by an academic who was exiled from both the South and North for his revolutionary theories. She recounts the fall of the rats and her abuse and enslavement by a cruel bounty hunter named Bonhart. We get a look into the political fractures in Nilfgard, which fractures the supposed Unity and Order of the empire. Ciri’s story is harrowing, and her ultimate revenge at the end (that scene with the ice skates and fingers against Rhyans was EPIC) satisfying! Yennifer is also changed in this book, she’s been through a lot and she’s no longer the overpowered, in control figure she was in the first few books. She’s risking herself to find Vilgafortz to avenge Ciri? To find her? Motive for seeking him was not immediately clear to me. The story we get about Dietrsre (the spy) and the kingdom to the north was also riveting - I thoroughly enjoying listening to the king and queen’s love story, through their ultimate assassination. The Witcher’s story takes a bit of a backseat, but he’s still on the journey to find Ciri - the most notable change in this book is finally trusting and uniting with Ryanse and the interaction with the elf in the caves.
That's it, I'm done. Even more overdone than the last couple with even less happening. It's turning into nonsense as with other series that go on and on and on. I'd tell you the plot but there really isn't one, just lots of exposition, cloying flashback techniques and other tricks to say nothing while using a lot of words.