Take a photo of a barcode or cover
adj1920 's review for:
The Tower of Swallows
by Andrzej Sapkowski
Events are coming to a head, but the narrative is as meandering as ever. It starts off promisingly as we finally catch up to Ciri. However, I've discovered over the course of the series that Sapkowski is enamored with framing devices and won't tell a linear narrative unless it's absolutely unavoidable. Sometimes it adds richness to exposition that would otherwise be dry--like a chapter where Redanian spymaster Dijkstra visits the kingdom of Kovir in order to get money to fund his country's resistance to the Nilfgaardian incursion. It's a heavy ask because Kovir is the Switzerland of this world--they pride themselves on their neutrality. Instead of having us watch two clever old men haggle at a dinner table, Sapkowski spins a tale of how the Kovirans won their independence and gained the power to make the rest of the world respect their neutrality. After a brief chat between the Dijkstra and the king of Kovir, the matter is resolved by a bedtime conversation between the king and his cherished wife as she reads passages from scripture for her husband to puzzle out a solution. It's a little superfluous but it's a fun story that makes the universe of this series feel grounded and lived in.
Unfortunately, the technique isn't always used that well. The frequent use of minor third party characters flashing back to their encounters with Ciri/Geralt & Company is tiring because it feels like I'm constantly being introduced to new, pointless characters when I just want to catch up with my faves! On top of that, 90% of Ciri's actions in this book are presented through a 1001 Arabian nights style retelling to a hermit she stumbles upon in the forest. The action finally comes to the present tense in the last chapter or two, just to end on a cliffhanger as Ciri gets to the titular Tower of Swallows.
Like the last volume, this was so uneven I could only give it three stars. When the book is good, it's magic. But when it's bad, it's a bit like choking down your steamed spinach in order to get to dessert.
Unfortunately, the technique isn't always used that well. The frequent use of minor third party characters flashing back to their encounters with Ciri/Geralt & Company is tiring because it feels like I'm constantly being introduced to new, pointless characters when I just want to catch up with my faves! On top of that, 90% of Ciri's actions in this book are presented through a 1001 Arabian nights style retelling to a hermit she stumbles upon in the forest. The action finally comes to the present tense in the last chapter or two, just to end on a cliffhanger as Ciri gets to the titular Tower of Swallows.
Like the last volume, this was so uneven I could only give it three stars. When the book is good, it's magic. But when it's bad, it's a bit like choking down your steamed spinach in order to get to dessert.