Scan barcode
A review by miclikesbooks
The Tower of Swallows by Andrzej Sapkowski
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-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? It's complicated
5.0
I didn't think we could top the last one...
This is a slower burn than Baptism of Fire, but the payoff between those slow breaks is AMAZING. Tense battle scenes, edge-of-your-seat intrigue, and a heaping dose of character trauma makes this as good as (if not better than) Baptism of Fire.
I especially love the way Sapkowski plays with time and frame stories. He's been doing this since the first novel, but here I feel that he's finally mastered it. No longer does it feel like I'm being bombarded with dull lore dumps (don't get me wrong, there's lore dumps galore in this book. They're just done in a MUCH more engaging manner involving compelling characters). The supporting characters we return to or are introduced to in the vignettes keep the story moving forward. Hell, I didn't even MISS Geralt and his party when we were focusing on the other characters. Which is new. Well done.
This book is EASILY the most violent of the series so far. Everyone's a bastard, and it seems as though everyone pays for it.
Never thought I'd feel bad for The Rats, but, fuck, that was a BLOODBATH
So, if the books haven't been violent enough for you yet, here you go.
I cannot wait to dive headfirst into the final (ish) novel of The Witcher Saga. And then maybe on to something a little more...optimistic?
This is a slower burn than Baptism of Fire, but the payoff between those slow breaks is AMAZING. Tense battle scenes, edge-of-your-seat intrigue, and a heaping dose of character trauma makes this as good as (if not better than) Baptism of Fire.
I especially love the way Sapkowski plays with time and frame stories. He's been doing this since the first novel, but here I feel that he's finally mastered it. No longer does it feel like I'm being bombarded with dull lore dumps (don't get me wrong, there's lore dumps galore in this book. They're just done in a MUCH more engaging manner involving compelling characters). The supporting characters we return to or are introduced to in the vignettes keep the story moving forward. Hell, I didn't even MISS Geralt and his party when we were focusing on the other characters. Which is new. Well done.
This book is EASILY the most violent of the series so far. Everyone's a bastard, and it seems as though everyone pays for it.
Never thought I'd feel bad for
So, if the books haven't been violent enough for you yet, here you go.
I cannot wait to dive headfirst into the final (ish) novel of The Witcher Saga. And then maybe on to something a little more...optimistic?