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The Witcher #3
Baptism of Fire
The New York Times bestselling series that inspired the international hit video game: The Witcher
The Wizards Guild has been shattered by a coup and, in the uproar, Geralt was seriously injured. The Witcher is supposed to be a guardian of the innocent, a protector of those in need, a defender against powerful and dangerous monsters that prey on men in dark times.
But now that dark times have fallen upon the world, Geralt is helpless until he has recovered from his injuries.
While war rages across all of the lands, the future of magic is under threat and those sorcerers who survive are determined to protect it. It's an impossible situation in which to find one girl - Ciri, the heiress to the throne of Cintra, has vanished - until a rumor places her in the Niflgaard court, preparing to marry the Emperor.
Injured or not, Geralt has a rescue mission on his hands.
The Witcher returns in this action-packed sequel to The Time of Contempt.
The Wizards Guild has been shattered by a coup and, in the uproar, Geralt was seriously injured. The Witcher is supposed to be a guardian of the innocent, a protector of those in need, a defender against powerful and dangerous monsters that prey on men in dark times.
But now that dark times have fallen upon the world, Geralt is helpless until he has recovered from his injuries.
While war rages across all of the lands, the future of magic is under threat and those sorcerers who survive are determined to protect it. It's an impossible situation in which to find one girl - Ciri, the heiress to the throne of Cintra, has vanished - until a rumor places her in the Niflgaard court, preparing to marry the Emperor.
Injured or not, Geralt has a rescue mission on his hands.
The Witcher returns in this action-packed sequel to The Time of Contempt.
349 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1996
About the author
Andrzej Sapkowski
160 books16.9k followersAndrzej Sapkowski, born June 21, 1948 in Łódź, is a Polish fantasy and science fiction writer. Sapkowski studied economics, and before turning to writing, he had worked as a senior sales representative for a foreign trade company. His first short story, The Witcher (Wiedźmin), was published in Fantastyka, Poland's leading fantasy literary magazine, in 1986 and was enormously successful both with readers and critics. Sapkowski has created a cycle of tales based on the world of The Witcher, comprising three collections of short stories and five novels. This cycle and his many other works have made him one of the best-known fantasy authors in Poland in the 1990s.
The main character of The Witcher (alternative translation: The Hexer) is Geralt, a mutant assassin who has been trained since childhood to hunt down and destroy monsters. Geralt exists in an ambiguous moral universe, yet manages to maintain his own coherent code of ethics. At the same time cynical and noble, Geralt has been compared to Raymond Chandler's signature character Philip Marlowe. The world in which these adventures take place is heavily influenced by Slavic mythology.
Sapkowski has won five Zajdel Awards, including three for short stories "Mniejsze zło" (Lesser Evil) (1990), "Miecz przeznaczenia" (Sword of Destiny) (1992) and "W leju po bombie" (In a Bomb Crater) (1993), and two for the novels "Krew elfów" (Blood of Elves) (1994) and "Narrenturm" (2002). He also won the Spanish Ignotus Award, best anthology, for The Last Wish in 2003, and for "Muzykanci" (The Musicians), best foreign short story, same year.
In 1997, Sapkowski won the prestigious Polityka's Passport award, which is awarded annually to artists who have strong prospects for international success.
In 2001, a Television Series based on the Witcher cycle was released in Poland and internationally, entitled Wiedźmin (The Hexer). A film by the same title was compiled from excerpts of the television series but both have been critical and box office failures.
Sapkowski's books have been translated into Czech, Russian, Lithuanian, German, Spanish, French, Ukrainian, and Portuguese. An English translation of The Last Wish short story collection was published by Gollancz in 2007.
The Polish game publisher, CD Projekt, created a role-playing PC game based on this universe, called The Witcher, which was released in October 2007. There is also a mobile version of the game which has been created by Breakpoint Games and is being published by Hands-On Mobile in Western Europe,Latin America and Asia Pacific.
The English translation of Sapkowski's novel Blood of Elves won the David Gemmell Legends Award in 2009.
The main character of The Witcher (alternative translation: The Hexer) is Geralt, a mutant assassin who has been trained since childhood to hunt down and destroy monsters. Geralt exists in an ambiguous moral universe, yet manages to maintain his own coherent code of ethics. At the same time cynical and noble, Geralt has been compared to Raymond Chandler's signature character Philip Marlowe. The world in which these adventures take place is heavily influenced by Slavic mythology.
Sapkowski has won five Zajdel Awards, including three for short stories "Mniejsze zło" (Lesser Evil) (1990), "Miecz przeznaczenia" (Sword of Destiny) (1992) and "W leju po bombie" (In a Bomb Crater) (1993), and two for the novels "Krew elfów" (Blood of Elves) (1994) and "Narrenturm" (2002). He also won the Spanish Ignotus Award, best anthology, for The Last Wish in 2003, and for "Muzykanci" (The Musicians), best foreign short story, same year.
In 1997, Sapkowski won the prestigious Polityka's Passport award, which is awarded annually to artists who have strong prospects for international success.
In 2001, a Television Series based on the Witcher cycle was released in Poland and internationally, entitled Wiedźmin (The Hexer). A film by the same title was compiled from excerpts of the television series but both have been critical and box office failures.
Sapkowski's books have been translated into Czech, Russian, Lithuanian, German, Spanish, French, Ukrainian, and Portuguese. An English translation of The Last Wish short story collection was published by Gollancz in 2007.
The Polish game publisher, CD Projekt, created a role-playing PC game based on this universe, called The Witcher, which was released in October 2007. There is also a mobile version of the game which has been created by Breakpoint Games and is being published by Hands-On Mobile in Western Europe,Latin America and Asia Pacific.
The English translation of Sapkowski's novel Blood of Elves won the David Gemmell Legends Award in 2009.
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April 1, 2018
4.5 Stars
Not only this is my favorite Witcher book, but this might just be my favorite fantasy book where hardly anything happens to further the plot.
Okay, I am not even sure that is a classifiable category, but I am going to roll with it.
[Mild spoilers ahead and major spoilers are made invisible by magic ]
A lion's share of this tale belongs to Witcher and his posse's journey to Nifflegard [Which they never reach] and the rest of the narrative space covers Ciri's adventures [Which is more or less same as the last chapters of Time of contempt], and formation of a new lodge of magicians. Yennefer gets the least screen time but surprisingly, her chapter offers a clearer picture of what's going on. Paradoxically, her chapter is complex and very hard follow!
Geralt: The man with the plan!
After getting his ass kicked in Time of Contempt, Geralt is forced to take some time off to heal and mend in an exquisite retreat run by dryads. But when some damning news finds its way to Witcher, he saddles up and hit the road.
His mission? To reach the capital of Nifflegard.
His plan? Well, that's the problem.
Unfortunately, Geralt has to navigate through war-ridden nations and massive armies clashing relentlessly for victory. Fortunately, he won't be alone on this journey.
Meet the most unusual fellowship!
One of the key reasons for my distaste towards Time of Contempt was the new characters introduced in the story. I didn't think any of them were memorable or notable. But In Baptism of fire, EVERY SINGLE character introduced were compelling in their own way. Characters like Zoltan, Milva, Regis were a delight to read and discover.
One of the reasons I love Witcher series is because of the writing as well as the character interactions. For me, this installment pulled off both of these aspects with ease. Geralt's need to pull a Batman (Read: I work alone in Batman's voice) and Dandelion's outbursts at that point, which reduces Geralt to a pouting child was really fun to read.
And Of course, the action!
I loved the chaos, I loved the constant confusion of war and I loved the battle for the bridge!
Exclusive Spanish cover featuring Battle for the Bridge! Daaaaamn!
This, my friend, is a solid installment in Witcher saga.
Not only this is my favorite Witcher book, but this might just be my favorite fantasy book where hardly anything happens to further the plot.
Okay, I am not even sure that is a classifiable category, but I am going to roll with it.
[Mild spoilers ahead and major spoilers are made invisible by magic ]
A lion's share of this tale belongs to Witcher and his posse's journey to Nifflegard [Which they never reach] and the rest of the narrative space covers Ciri's adventures [Which is more or less same as the last chapters of Time of contempt], and formation of a new lodge of magicians. Yennefer gets the least screen time but surprisingly, her chapter offers a clearer picture of what's going on. Paradoxically, her chapter is complex and very hard follow!
Geralt: The man with the plan!
After getting his ass kicked in Time of Contempt, Geralt is forced to take some time off to heal and mend in an exquisite retreat run by dryads. But when some damning news finds its way to Witcher, he saddles up and hit the road.
His mission? To reach the capital of Nifflegard.
His plan? Well, that's the problem.
Unfortunately, Geralt has to navigate through war-ridden nations and massive armies clashing relentlessly for victory. Fortunately, he won't be alone on this journey.
Meet the most unusual fellowship!
One of the key reasons for my distaste towards Time of Contempt was the new characters introduced in the story. I didn't think any of them were memorable or notable. But In Baptism of fire, EVERY SINGLE character introduced were compelling in their own way. Characters like Zoltan, Milva, Regis were a delight to read and discover.
One of the reasons I love Witcher series is because of the writing as well as the character interactions. For me, this installment pulled off both of these aspects with ease. Geralt's need to pull a Batman (Read: I work alone in Batman's voice) and Dandelion's outbursts at that point, which reduces Geralt to a pouting child was really fun to read.
And Of course, the action!
I loved the chaos, I loved the constant confusion of war and I loved the battle for the bridge!
Exclusive Spanish cover featuring Battle for the Bridge! Daaaaamn!
This, my friend, is a solid installment in Witcher saga.
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April 26, 2023
This review can be found on Amaranthine Reads.
We come to book three of the Witcher series, or book five if you're counting the first two collections of short stories. Whichever way you want to look at it, Baptism of Fire is the same dull book as it would be in any order.
The series continues with Geralt the Witcher searching the land for the Child Surprise, Ciri. The war rages on around them and it seems every faction is on the look out for Ciri, too. But Geralt is injured and the sorcerers are in disarray, whilst the enemy approaches ever closer...
Let's first of all take a little look at the title of the series: Witcher. One would hope that this meant that the book would be about Geralt, who is THE Witcher, and of course, it is about him. In a roundabout way. But unfortunately, it is about him in the sense that today is about you. There's barely any Witcher-ing going on (a Witcher being someone who is paid to kill monsters) and the only Witcher-y things that happen are the countless pirouettes that occur during a sword fight.
Taking the characters as a whole, they're all still similar, juvenile and can't speak for toffee. Their dialogue has stopped being all about whores and sluts, and yet it is still the speak of simpletons. We get endless conversations that should be propelling the plot along but ends up being mindless drivel. The characters themselves don't notice this, nor do they seemingly notice anything else that's happening around them. When we focus on a certain character, the rest of the world just stops: or so it seems.
I feel I can't comment on the writing, not only because it's a translation (though I know a translation can only work with what it's given) but because I think the version I read was a fan-generated ebook of terrible writing and horrible grammar. Having said that, you cannot make good what was already poor to begin with-or indeed, you can't polish a turd.
Going back to the plot, it is dry and underdone. We only really have one plot thread running throughout, and that is Ciri. Whilst we are now getting POV from many different characters and we are encountering the different races and peoples that inhabit this Witcher world, we are still not getting much in the way of plot. There are minor conspiracies dashed about, but ultimately all it boils down to is Geralt's need to find Ciri. And even once we know that, we don't even know why. There are countless times when we are told of prophecies and plans, but nothing substantial stands out. It's mostly conjecture and it's as if the author didn't necessarily have much of a plot in mind from the beginning anyway.
My main consternation for this series, however, is the true lack of originality and imagination. We have here just a generic, every-day kind of fantasy novel. Which you could say is fine, because if fantasy is what you like, then this'll be right up your street if you're not looking for anything challenging or something that is truly breath-taking and different.
But when you consider what Sapkowski wrote in The Last Wish you'd be easily forgiven for hoping that these books might be better. The Last Wish intertwined fairytale re-tellings with political intrigue and we had a great and original character in Geralt the Witcher. But with these books we have none of that. We simply have flat storytelling, pointless plots and some very lacking characters.
We come to book three of the Witcher series, or book five if you're counting the first two collections of short stories. Whichever way you want to look at it, Baptism of Fire is the same dull book as it would be in any order.
The series continues with Geralt the Witcher searching the land for the Child Surprise, Ciri. The war rages on around them and it seems every faction is on the look out for Ciri, too. But Geralt is injured and the sorcerers are in disarray, whilst the enemy approaches ever closer...
Let's first of all take a little look at the title of the series: Witcher. One would hope that this meant that the book would be about Geralt, who is THE Witcher, and of course, it is about him. In a roundabout way. But unfortunately, it is about him in the sense that today is about you. There's barely any Witcher-ing going on (a Witcher being someone who is paid to kill monsters) and the only Witcher-y things that happen are the countless pirouettes that occur during a sword fight.
Taking the characters as a whole, they're all still similar, juvenile and can't speak for toffee. Their dialogue has stopped being all about whores and sluts, and yet it is still the speak of simpletons. We get endless conversations that should be propelling the plot along but ends up being mindless drivel. The characters themselves don't notice this, nor do they seemingly notice anything else that's happening around them. When we focus on a certain character, the rest of the world just stops: or so it seems.
I feel I can't comment on the writing, not only because it's a translation (though I know a translation can only work with what it's given) but because I think the version I read was a fan-generated ebook of terrible writing and horrible grammar. Having said that, you cannot make good what was already poor to begin with-or indeed, you can't polish a turd.
Going back to the plot, it is dry and underdone. We only really have one plot thread running throughout, and that is Ciri. Whilst we are now getting POV from many different characters and we are encountering the different races and peoples that inhabit this Witcher world, we are still not getting much in the way of plot. There are minor conspiracies dashed about, but ultimately all it boils down to is Geralt's need to find Ciri. And even once we know that, we don't even know why. There are countless times when we are told of prophecies and plans, but nothing substantial stands out. It's mostly conjecture and it's as if the author didn't necessarily have much of a plot in mind from the beginning anyway.
My main consternation for this series, however, is the true lack of originality and imagination. We have here just a generic, every-day kind of fantasy novel. Which you could say is fine, because if fantasy is what you like, then this'll be right up your street if you're not looking for anything challenging or something that is truly breath-taking and different.
But when you consider what Sapkowski wrote in The Last Wish you'd be easily forgiven for hoping that these books might be better. The Last Wish intertwined fairytale re-tellings with political intrigue and we had a great and original character in Geralt the Witcher. But with these books we have none of that. We simply have flat storytelling, pointless plots and some very lacking characters.
July 27, 2019
My adventure with The Witcher novels continues at a breakneck pace as, like the previous books, I devoured this story in two days. This series has shown moments of utter brilliance but with certain plodding and info-dumping sections, it's never quite ascended to the heights that it truly could have. Until now. So far this is the finest entry and it features everything I love from this series.
Following the finale of Time of Contempt Geralt is badly injured and was transported to Brokilon forest by the enchantress Triss. Under the watchful eyes of the Dryads he is slowly regaining his health. As soon as he feels anywhere near healthy enough he plans to rescue Ciri who everyone believes is in Nilfgaard. The truth is that Ciri has actually taken on the guise of a bandit with the pseudonym Falka operating in a Robin Hood-style posse. She's become quite a celebrity amongst the common folk but her temper and blade-prowess have become legendary in a short space of time.
As well as series favourites Geralt, Ciri and Dandelion we are introduced to a plethora of new characters here that are some of thegreatest of Sapkowski's creations thus far. Milva the forest dwelling archer and Regis a barber-surgeon are two of the finest even though those descriptions give nothing away regarding what to expect from them in this narrative.
Unlike the last two books which have had a large amount of different point of view perspectives eighty-percent of this novel is following the Witcher on his mission to rescue Ciri. For the first time in these tales, which normally see Geralt on his own or with one companion completing missions, here, a fellowship/brotherhood is created with a very varied cast of players. Geralt is initially uninclined to let anyone share his burden but comradeship does succeed towards the finale. The conversation and banter between the members of this ensemble is excellently crafted as many of the characters are so different. Although his closest friend, Geralt, and Dandelion could not possibly be any more different and I often chuckled at their oddness reflected in their exchanges.
The other sections that we follow are what is happening to Ciri at the other end of the world. We also see a few scenes from the viewpoint of certain enchantresses who seem to have a scheme under development. A few moments feature Dijkstra who is the head of Redania's secret service.
The war is raging all over the world, mainly Nilgaardians verses everyone else but in politics, things are never that simple, and with all the names of factions, King's and noble houses I still occasionally get confused about who is fighting who, however; that actually suits the vibe in this book. As the fellowship are on their journey they come across many battles, fights, and skirmishes and Sapkowski's skillful writing accentuates the confusion and unpredictability of war but also heightens the fact that the brotherhood are so isolated in trying to achieve their objective.
There are so many standout moments and set-pieces, character development is sublime, and relationships that are frosty at best transcend any predicted outcome as the Brotherhood fight for their life and for Ciri. This series is finally reaching the lofty heights that it has always hinted at and I can't wait to start The Tower of the Swallow straight away. This entry is exceptional and as well as the finest story in The Witcher saga it is also probably in my top-20 books of all time.
Following the finale of Time of Contempt Geralt is badly injured and was transported to Brokilon forest by the enchantress Triss. Under the watchful eyes of the Dryads he is slowly regaining his health. As soon as he feels anywhere near healthy enough he plans to rescue Ciri who everyone believes is in Nilfgaard. The truth is that Ciri has actually taken on the guise of a bandit with the pseudonym Falka operating in a Robin Hood-style posse. She's become quite a celebrity amongst the common folk but her temper and blade-prowess have become legendary in a short space of time.
As well as series favourites Geralt, Ciri and Dandelion we are introduced to a plethora of new characters here that are some of thegreatest of Sapkowski's creations thus far. Milva the forest dwelling archer and Regis a barber-surgeon are two of the finest even though those descriptions give nothing away regarding what to expect from them in this narrative.
Unlike the last two books which have had a large amount of different point of view perspectives eighty-percent of this novel is following the Witcher on his mission to rescue Ciri. For the first time in these tales, which normally see Geralt on his own or with one companion completing missions, here, a fellowship/brotherhood is created with a very varied cast of players. Geralt is initially uninclined to let anyone share his burden but comradeship does succeed towards the finale. The conversation and banter between the members of this ensemble is excellently crafted as many of the characters are so different. Although his closest friend, Geralt, and Dandelion could not possibly be any more different and I often chuckled at their oddness reflected in their exchanges.
The other sections that we follow are what is happening to Ciri at the other end of the world. We also see a few scenes from the viewpoint of certain enchantresses who seem to have a scheme under development. A few moments feature Dijkstra who is the head of Redania's secret service.
The war is raging all over the world, mainly Nilgaardians verses everyone else but in politics, things are never that simple, and with all the names of factions, King's and noble houses I still occasionally get confused about who is fighting who, however; that actually suits the vibe in this book. As the fellowship are on their journey they come across many battles, fights, and skirmishes and Sapkowski's skillful writing accentuates the confusion and unpredictability of war but also heightens the fact that the brotherhood are so isolated in trying to achieve their objective.
There are so many standout moments and set-pieces, character development is sublime, and relationships that are frosty at best transcend any predicted outcome as the Brotherhood fight for their life and for Ciri. This series is finally reaching the lofty heights that it has always hinted at and I can't wait to start The Tower of the Swallow straight away. This entry is exceptional and as well as the finest story in The Witcher saga it is also probably in my top-20 books of all time.
March 31, 2020
I'm still entranced by these novels.
It's sometimes hard to see why. I mean, the way the plot flows, it's almost like there's no sense of structure, just things happening, more character development, and the far-off whispers of big things to come. The war? Already started in the last book. This one is more an off-the-scene recuperation and focused side-quest to get Ciri back. Somehow.
And yet.
Jeeze... the 'and yet' is as big as a lake of fire. And yet, from the start to the finish, I'm totally entranced by the tale, loving the characters, enjoying the new characters even more than the old (save Geralt, of course,) and getting INVESTED all over again in the tale.
It's like there is no true beginning, middle, or end... AND I JUST DON'T CARE. My goodness... can I love our new fair surgeon any more than I do? I don't see how it might be possible. He just FITS in the group more than just about anyone. I love his interactions with everyone. And a certain scene that fits perfectly for an AA meeting?
Totally precious.
I remain ensorcelled.
It's sometimes hard to see why. I mean, the way the plot flows, it's almost like there's no sense of structure, just things happening, more character development, and the far-off whispers of big things to come. The war? Already started in the last book. This one is more an off-the-scene recuperation and focused side-quest to get Ciri back. Somehow.
And yet.
Jeeze... the 'and yet' is as big as a lake of fire. And yet, from the start to the finish, I'm totally entranced by the tale, loving the characters, enjoying the new characters even more than the old (save Geralt, of course,) and getting INVESTED all over again in the tale.
It's like there is no true beginning, middle, or end... AND I JUST DON'T CARE. My goodness... can I love our new fair surgeon any more than I do? I don't see how it might be possible. He just FITS in the group more than just about anyone. I love his interactions with everyone. And a certain scene that fits perfectly for an AA meeting?
Totally precious.
I remain ensorcelled.
January 14, 2020
I really tried but it is time for me to quit this series.
Let's just hope that Netflix does better job with adaptation of this series because full-length novels are huge failure in my eyes. After great The Last Wish and good Sword of Destiny, I suffered through first three full-length books in this series and I seriously can't take any more. This series is getting worse and worse with every instalment and I'M DONE.
The Witcher books have the worst narration ever - I hated the constant POV switch. Add extremely boring storytelling style and you have a recipe for disaster. Talk about wasted potential for a great fantasy story. Sometimes I find it hard to believe that collections of short stories and full-length novels were written by a same person...
My series reviews:
Book #0.5: The Last Wish (4 STARS)
Book #0.75: Sword of Destiny (3 STARS)
Book #1: Blood of Elves (3 STARS)
Book #2: The Time of Contempt (2 STARS)
Let's just hope that Netflix does better job with adaptation of this series because full-length novels are huge failure in my eyes. After great The Last Wish and good Sword of Destiny, I suffered through first three full-length books in this series and I seriously can't take any more. This series is getting worse and worse with every instalment and I'M DONE.
The Witcher books have the worst narration ever - I hated the constant POV switch. Add extremely boring storytelling style and you have a recipe for disaster. Talk about wasted potential for a great fantasy story. Sometimes I find it hard to believe that collections of short stories and full-length novels were written by a same person...
My series reviews:
Book #0.5: The Last Wish (4 STARS)
Book #0.75: Sword of Destiny (3 STARS)
Book #1: Blood of Elves (3 STARS)
Book #2: The Time of Contempt (2 STARS)
November 6, 2018
As usual, Andrzej Sapkowski continues to immerse the reader in the vast world of “The Witcher” series. “Baptism of Fire” is grittier than the previous entries, but despite the grim darkness of the world it presents, it is nonetheless charming and funny -- and is, in another sense, a celebration of good companionship. There is a lot of time spent with Geralt and his newly acquired fellowship, which I think was a good decision. The new characters -- mainly Regis, Milva, Zoltan and Cahir -- are wonderful additions. My personal favorite is Regis, the teetotaler vampire --because he, more than any other character in the series to date, best exemplifies Sapkowski’s quirky humor.
The quest for Ciri takes Geralt and his companions across a desolate landscape of massacre, pillage and displacement -- occasionally pausing to vanquish marauders, protect women and children, deal with greedy peasants, escape from captivity, discuss herb lore, philosophize about various topics, or debunk legends with mathematical proofs. The characters involved are all deep and interesting, but they spend most of the novel aimlessly wandering about or conversing. It doesn't necessarily drive the plot forward on the grand arc of Ciri and Geralt’s destiny, but it does have a lot of action, and a lot of enjoyable, snappy dialogue. As I was quite entertained, I nevertheless found that we were given too little of Ciri -- and Yennefer who, I think, is just as interesting and compelling a character as Geralt. The small taste we do get serves as a reminder: any scene she is involved in is pure gold! The novel felt poorer for the lack of Geralt/Yennefer interaction.
If you were interested in finding out more about the intricate web of politics and sorcery going on in this world, this entry might be kind of disappointing for you. The political conflict rarely happens around Geralt, Ciri and the others, though it frequently threatens to envelop them. There are a few passages (mostly involving Redanian spymaster, Dijkstra -- or the sorceress, Philippa Eilhart) that do speak of the grand conflict. But the bulk of action, whether following Geralt or Ciri, focus on small vignettes, and are constructed out of Sapkowski’s sophisticated, elliptical dialogue. The war is treated in this manner as well -- as the central conflict between Nilfgaard and the Northern Kingdoms doesn’t matter. Beyond the death and destruction it creates, there is little appreciable difference among the belligerents, and the interest of both parties are remote from those of nearly everyone else.
While perhaps not as exceptional in the manner of its immediate predecessor, “Baptism of Fire” nevertheless solidifies “The Witcher” series as one of the best and most interesting fantasy series I’ve ever read. Though it functions well as an adventure fiction, it has added depth and value as satire and commentary on fantasy literature. Moreover, Andrzej Sapkowski is a genuine stylist. His prose is supremely clever -- hiding texts and subtexts in the most innocuous of places -- and uniquely playful.
The quest for Ciri takes Geralt and his companions across a desolate landscape of massacre, pillage and displacement -- occasionally pausing to vanquish marauders, protect women and children, deal with greedy peasants, escape from captivity, discuss herb lore, philosophize about various topics, or debunk legends with mathematical proofs. The characters involved are all deep and interesting, but they spend most of the novel aimlessly wandering about or conversing. It doesn't necessarily drive the plot forward on the grand arc of Ciri and Geralt’s destiny, but it does have a lot of action, and a lot of enjoyable, snappy dialogue. As I was quite entertained, I nevertheless found that we were given too little of Ciri -- and Yennefer who, I think, is just as interesting and compelling a character as Geralt. The small taste we do get serves as a reminder: any scene she is involved in is pure gold! The novel felt poorer for the lack of Geralt/Yennefer interaction.
If you were interested in finding out more about the intricate web of politics and sorcery going on in this world, this entry might be kind of disappointing for you. The political conflict rarely happens around Geralt, Ciri and the others, though it frequently threatens to envelop them. There are a few passages (mostly involving Redanian spymaster, Dijkstra -- or the sorceress, Philippa Eilhart) that do speak of the grand conflict. But the bulk of action, whether following Geralt or Ciri, focus on small vignettes, and are constructed out of Sapkowski’s sophisticated, elliptical dialogue. The war is treated in this manner as well -- as the central conflict between Nilfgaard and the Northern Kingdoms doesn’t matter. Beyond the death and destruction it creates, there is little appreciable difference among the belligerents, and the interest of both parties are remote from those of nearly everyone else.
While perhaps not as exceptional in the manner of its immediate predecessor, “Baptism of Fire” nevertheless solidifies “The Witcher” series as one of the best and most interesting fantasy series I’ve ever read. Though it functions well as an adventure fiction, it has added depth and value as satire and commentary on fantasy literature. Moreover, Andrzej Sapkowski is a genuine stylist. His prose is supremely clever -- hiding texts and subtexts in the most innocuous of places -- and uniquely playful.
January 16, 2020
Best book in the series so far!
Also let's appreciate this gif
Also let's appreciate this gif
May 19, 2020
Baptism of Fire is indeed the best book in The Witcher series, it picks up a few months from where The Time of Contempt ended.
‘Fire purges. And hardens. It must be passed through. Aenyell’hael, ell’ea, sor’ca? In your tongue: a baptism of fire.’
This book has qualities that I admire in fantasy. Friendship, loyalty, magic, female characters etc.
The plot progression here is fast paced and very well executed, the book is narrated 50% from Geralt's point of view and the remaining 50% from other character's narrative. The writing is easily comprehensible, I wasn't confused like I was when I read Blood of Elves.
Geralt was wounded and in a coma after the battle, he stayed in Brokilon for months. After recovery he went on a hunt to rescue Ciri from wherever she is. Geralt is joined by Dandelion, Milva, Regis and Cahir. The party are the most weird companions ever.
Milva is my favourite character in this book, she is one of the girls that lives in Brokilon forest even though she's human. She is the best archer ever and her POV is refreshing. Dandelion is same old whinny him but his loyalty to Geralt is admirable, he hates discomfort but he still went head long into danger for Geralt. Geralt is finally working on his people skills.
Cahir is a swordsman that is helping Geralt to find Ciri for reasons I believe to be altruistic.
‘He’s taken offence, look at him.’
‘That’s him all over,’ Milva said, pouting. ‘He’s all talk. If he doesn’t know what to do, he just talks and gets offended. Haven’t you lot caught on yet?’
‘A long time ago,’ Cahir said softly.
‘Add pepper,’ Dandelion said, licking the spoon and smacking his lips. ‘And some more salt. Ah, now it’s just right. Take the cauldron off the heat. By thunder, it’s hot! I don’t have any gloves…’
‘I have,’ Cahir said.
‘And I,’ Regis said, seizing the cauldron from the other side, ‘don’t need any.’
‘Right,’ said the poet, wiping the spoon on his trousers. ‘Well, company, be seated. Enjoy! Geralt, are you waiting for a special invitation? For a herald and a fanfare?’
Ciri and Yennefer was barely in this but the few pages they were in was awesome.
The sorceresses meeting was also a great addition to this book, I loved those parts so much.
I have nothing against men. I’d go further; I adore men and I cannot imagine life without them. But… after a moment’s reflection… Yours is actually a reasonable proposal. Men are psychologically unstable, too prone to emotions; not to be relied upon in moments of crisis.’
The above quote was from one of their meeting.
I adore the dwarfs, Zoltan, Percival and the others are so much fun to read about.
‘Fire purges. And hardens. It must be passed through. Aenyell’hael, ell’ea, sor’ca? In your tongue: a baptism of fire.’
This book has qualities that I admire in fantasy. Friendship, loyalty, magic, female characters etc.
The plot progression here is fast paced and very well executed, the book is narrated 50% from Geralt's point of view and the remaining 50% from other character's narrative. The writing is easily comprehensible, I wasn't confused like I was when I read Blood of Elves.
Geralt was wounded and in a coma after the battle, he stayed in Brokilon for months. After recovery he went on a hunt to rescue Ciri from wherever she is. Geralt is joined by Dandelion, Milva, Regis and Cahir. The party are the most weird companions ever.
Milva is my favourite character in this book, she is one of the girls that lives in Brokilon forest even though she's human. She is the best archer ever and her POV is refreshing. Dandelion is same old whinny him but his loyalty to Geralt is admirable, he hates discomfort but he still went head long into danger for Geralt. Geralt is finally working on his people skills.
Cahir is a swordsman that is helping Geralt to find Ciri for reasons I believe to be altruistic.
‘He’s taken offence, look at him.’
‘That’s him all over,’ Milva said, pouting. ‘He’s all talk. If he doesn’t know what to do, he just talks and gets offended. Haven’t you lot caught on yet?’
‘A long time ago,’ Cahir said softly.
‘Add pepper,’ Dandelion said, licking the spoon and smacking his lips. ‘And some more salt. Ah, now it’s just right. Take the cauldron off the heat. By thunder, it’s hot! I don’t have any gloves…’
‘I have,’ Cahir said.
‘And I,’ Regis said, seizing the cauldron from the other side, ‘don’t need any.’
‘Right,’ said the poet, wiping the spoon on his trousers. ‘Well, company, be seated. Enjoy! Geralt, are you waiting for a special invitation? For a herald and a fanfare?’
Ciri and Yennefer was barely in this but the few pages they were in was awesome.
The sorceresses meeting was also a great addition to this book, I loved those parts so much.
I have nothing against men. I’d go further; I adore men and I cannot imagine life without them. But… after a moment’s reflection… Yours is actually a reasonable proposal. Men are psychologically unstable, too prone to emotions; not to be relied upon in moments of crisis.’
The above quote was from one of their meeting.
I adore the dwarfs, Zoltan, Percival and the others are so much fun to read about.
August 23, 2015
4.5 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum http://bibliosanctum.com/2015/08/23/a...
Over the last two months, I’ve been working my way through all the available Witcher Saga novels in audiobook format. The series is surprisingly addictive, so much so that it feels like I was just listening to the first book Blood of Elves yesterday. And now that I’ve come to the end of book three, I find myself a bit lost and drifting. After all, the print version of the next book (The Swallow’s Tower) hasn’t even been translated in English yet, with the release date planned for 2016. So yep, unless I learn Polish in the next year (highly unlikely!), it’s going to be a looooong wait.
The fact that Baptism of Fire was perhaps my favorite book in the series so far isn’t helping my patience either. At first, I wasn’t sure that I liked where the story was going. This installment feels different from the others, shifting to a more traditional quest narrative while downplaying the political intrigue. We start the book off with an introduction to a new character, an expert archer and hunter named Milva. She meets Geralt in the forest, finding him badly injured from the events of the Thanedd coup. However, the Witcher only has his mind on recovering so that he can continue on to Nilfgaard to find Ciri, the young princess-turned-sorceress whom unbeknownst to everyone has settled into a life with a gang of rebels.
Despite his misgivings, Geralt gives in to Milva’s request to tag along. They are accompanied by Dandelion, the poet. And on their way, they also meet a dwarf named Zoltan. Further along their journey, they join up with a Nilggaardian named Cahir. Eventually, the party even gets a vampire named Regis. Far from the monster the group expected him to be, Regis actually proves quite invaluable thanks to his medical knowledge and skills.
I know what you’re thinking. Geralt and his fellow adventurers sound like they stepped straight out of a role-playing game. You even have your different races and classes. Not that I don’t enjoy this particular classic trope, but for a series that has thus far been all about the complexity and plot depth, I was surprised because this seemed like a step back. And indeed, I felt that the story in Baptism of Fire was much simpler when compared to the other books, and not a lot happened at the beginning while Sapkowski worked to introduce all the new faces and names. I also noticed a lot less of characters like Ciri, Yennefer, and Triss Merigold, given that most of the attention was on Geralt and his group. Don’t get me wrong; I always want more Geralt, but I can’t deny I was expecting more Ciri, especially in light of her prominent role in The Time of Contempt.
Around the halfway through the book though, something happened. Maybe the story finds its stride at this point, or maybe I finally got to appreciate the personalities of all the different characters, but I started really enjoying myself. Our adventurers make their way east, eventually running afoul of trouble caused by the ongoing war. Battling enemies and working together towards a singular goal – that’s my favorite part of these kinds of stories, after all. The dynamics between everyone in the group started to get a lot more interesting too, with Regis emerging as one of my favorites. Dandelion was a riot as always, and I got such a kick out of his conversations with the old vampire. Near the end, there was also a very good example of how far the characters have come as a group, when everyone got together to discuss what to do about a situation that would affect one of their members. A ragtag bunch of strangers become a family of sorts, which is what I love to see.
Something else to keep in mind: the original Baptism of Fire was published in 1996. And for a story that’s almost twenty years old, I think it has aged exceedingly well. Classic quest narrative or not, it still feels fresh, probably a testament to Sapkowski’s storytelling as well as the skills of the translator.
And don’t dismiss the audiobook and what it brings to the table. I maintain this is the best format to experience The Witcher Saga. Peter Kenny once again proves what a versatile narrator he is, delivering a superb performance as always. In fact, I feel this is probably his best work on this series so far. Kenny really knocked it out of the park, bringing the whole gang to life in this one, giving each group member a unique voice. He was absolutely fantastic.
So now I settle in for the wait. Heck, it may be even longer for the audio version. But it doesn’t matter; something tells me it will be worth it.
Over the last two months, I’ve been working my way through all the available Witcher Saga novels in audiobook format. The series is surprisingly addictive, so much so that it feels like I was just listening to the first book Blood of Elves yesterday. And now that I’ve come to the end of book three, I find myself a bit lost and drifting. After all, the print version of the next book (The Swallow’s Tower) hasn’t even been translated in English yet, with the release date planned for 2016. So yep, unless I learn Polish in the next year (highly unlikely!), it’s going to be a looooong wait.
The fact that Baptism of Fire was perhaps my favorite book in the series so far isn’t helping my patience either. At first, I wasn’t sure that I liked where the story was going. This installment feels different from the others, shifting to a more traditional quest narrative while downplaying the political intrigue. We start the book off with an introduction to a new character, an expert archer and hunter named Milva. She meets Geralt in the forest, finding him badly injured from the events of the Thanedd coup. However, the Witcher only has his mind on recovering so that he can continue on to Nilfgaard to find Ciri, the young princess-turned-sorceress whom unbeknownst to everyone has settled into a life with a gang of rebels.
Despite his misgivings, Geralt gives in to Milva’s request to tag along. They are accompanied by Dandelion, the poet. And on their way, they also meet a dwarf named Zoltan. Further along their journey, they join up with a Nilggaardian named Cahir. Eventually, the party even gets a vampire named Regis. Far from the monster the group expected him to be, Regis actually proves quite invaluable thanks to his medical knowledge and skills.
I know what you’re thinking. Geralt and his fellow adventurers sound like they stepped straight out of a role-playing game. You even have your different races and classes. Not that I don’t enjoy this particular classic trope, but for a series that has thus far been all about the complexity and plot depth, I was surprised because this seemed like a step back. And indeed, I felt that the story in Baptism of Fire was much simpler when compared to the other books, and not a lot happened at the beginning while Sapkowski worked to introduce all the new faces and names. I also noticed a lot less of characters like Ciri, Yennefer, and Triss Merigold, given that most of the attention was on Geralt and his group. Don’t get me wrong; I always want more Geralt, but I can’t deny I was expecting more Ciri, especially in light of her prominent role in The Time of Contempt.
Around the halfway through the book though, something happened. Maybe the story finds its stride at this point, or maybe I finally got to appreciate the personalities of all the different characters, but I started really enjoying myself. Our adventurers make their way east, eventually running afoul of trouble caused by the ongoing war. Battling enemies and working together towards a singular goal – that’s my favorite part of these kinds of stories, after all. The dynamics between everyone in the group started to get a lot more interesting too, with Regis emerging as one of my favorites. Dandelion was a riot as always, and I got such a kick out of his conversations with the old vampire. Near the end, there was also a very good example of how far the characters have come as a group, when everyone got together to discuss what to do about a situation that would affect one of their members. A ragtag bunch of strangers become a family of sorts, which is what I love to see.
Something else to keep in mind: the original Baptism of Fire was published in 1996. And for a story that’s almost twenty years old, I think it has aged exceedingly well. Classic quest narrative or not, it still feels fresh, probably a testament to Sapkowski’s storytelling as well as the skills of the translator.
And don’t dismiss the audiobook and what it brings to the table. I maintain this is the best format to experience The Witcher Saga. Peter Kenny once again proves what a versatile narrator he is, delivering a superb performance as always. In fact, I feel this is probably his best work on this series so far. Kenny really knocked it out of the park, bringing the whole gang to life in this one, giving each group member a unique voice. He was absolutely fantastic.
So now I settle in for the wait. Heck, it may be even longer for the audio version. But it doesn’t matter; something tells me it will be worth it.
December 23, 2020
Wie zu erwarten, war auch der dritte Band der Witcher-Saga wieder ein Highlight für mich.
Den Schreibstil finde ich nach wie vor genial und er macht die Bücher einfach zu etwas ganz besonderem, da er doch sehr eigen ist.
In diesem Band passiert recht viel, wir bekommen mal ein paar Antworten auf offene Fragen, aber natürlich - wie sollte es anders sein? - werden mindestens ebenso viele neue Fragen aufgeworfen. Es wird einfach nicht langweilig.
Wir bekommen hier auch einige neue Charaktere, die eine wichtige Rolle zu spielen scheinen und die fand ich allesamt sehr interessant. Was ich auch sehr bewundere: es gibt bei diesen Büchern praktisch keine Nebenhandlung bzw. keine unwichtigen Details, da irgendwie alles miteinander verknüpft ist und es einen Zusammenhang zwischen allen Handlungssträngen gibt. Daher muss man sich meiner Meinung nach auch echt konzentrieren beim Lesen, damit man nichts verpasst/überliest.
Das letzte Kapitel und vor allem die letzte Szene waren dann nochmal so genial, das hat mich nochmal total überrascht und begeistert. Ich freue mich so darauf die Geschichte rund um Geralt, Yennefer, Ciri, Rittersporn & Co. nächstes Jahr weiterzuverfolgen :)
Den Schreibstil finde ich nach wie vor genial und er macht die Bücher einfach zu etwas ganz besonderem, da er doch sehr eigen ist.
In diesem Band passiert recht viel, wir bekommen mal ein paar Antworten auf offene Fragen, aber natürlich - wie sollte es anders sein? - werden mindestens ebenso viele neue Fragen aufgeworfen. Es wird einfach nicht langweilig.
Wir bekommen hier auch einige neue Charaktere, die eine wichtige Rolle zu spielen scheinen und die fand ich allesamt sehr interessant. Was ich auch sehr bewundere: es gibt bei diesen Büchern praktisch keine Nebenhandlung bzw. keine unwichtigen Details, da irgendwie alles miteinander verknüpft ist und es einen Zusammenhang zwischen allen Handlungssträngen gibt. Daher muss man sich meiner Meinung nach auch echt konzentrieren beim Lesen, damit man nichts verpasst/überliest.
Das letzte Kapitel und vor allem die letzte Szene waren dann nochmal so genial, das hat mich nochmal total überrascht und begeistert. Ich freue mich so darauf die Geschichte rund um Geralt, Yennefer, Ciri, Rittersporn & Co. nächstes Jahr weiterzuverfolgen :)
April 13, 2020
Gdyby to nie był wiedźmin dałabym tej książce dwie gwiazdki. Jedyne co tę książkę broni to bohaterowie, Milva i Cahir. Bo fabuły ani akcji to to nie ma. Przede wszystkim nie ma tez znaczenia, nie dzieje się tu nic znamiennego i ważnego dla całej historii. Zdecydowanie tom przejściowy, oby następny był lepszy. Największe rozczarowanie roku
February 27, 2023
I got excited about the series prematurely. I am not enjoying it at all. I am bored and distracted. Guess George R R Martin set very high standards for fantasy and I am very disappointed with this series. It's not bad. But it does not excite me. It does not have the depth or complexity or the exceptional character work that A song of fire and ice has. So I guess I will not continue with the Witcher series.
February 11, 2022
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The Last Wish ★★★★
Sword of Destiny ★★★★
Blood of Elves ★★★ 1/2
The Time of Contempt ★★★ 1/2
Baptism of Fire ★★★ 3/4
For some reason I don’t remember I thought that the Witcher was originally a trilogy ending with this book and hen it got expanded and two books added (Maybe because my box set was of the first three books) but that is not true at all because this book felt like a filler and did not advance the story much, I guess I have to stick with the remaining two books to find the ending!
Story wise, this is a continuation of the story after the unfortunate events that the Witcher went through in book 2 and mostly follows Geralt in a travel and fellowship type of story. The main goal is that Geralt finds Ciri and reached his destination but that means Ciri and Yennefer gets less story this time.
I do like unusual characters coming together on a quest and finding more about them and discovering their backstories and interactions which was the case with this one and I am leaving it vague as that because I don’t wanna spoil why they are unusual ones. I think the new characters were well fleshed but it was on the account of major characters arcs.
I have a mixed feeling about the writing, it is sometimes smooth as silk and flows very easily and I am immersed in the story and enjoying it and on other times -specially when it comes to politics- I get out of the story and find it hard to dive into it again. There are many info drop moments in this book with complex names and history and it just goes way over my head. Maybe if I had a paper and a pen and more patience, I would have been able to follow more but I don’t want my fun time to sound like a chore so I just fly through which affects my understanding and thus my enjoyment of the story. So what I am saying is that I blame myself partially but also blame the author for this complexity!
Summary: I think this one will be more memorable for me than the previous two books but the short stories collections are definitely my favorites thus far. I do like Geralt, his story line and companions in this book which were the biggest part of the story. However, I did not enjoy Ciri’s and Yennefer’s parts as much and did not appreciate the complexity of the way information was given. What scares me the most is that many people said this book was the peak of the story and then it went downhill from there and I don’t think I am ready for that yet! I will continue my read of this series with the next book which I will read in November!
“In this rotten world, Zoltan Chivay, goodness, honesty and integrity become deeply engraved in the memory.”
The Last Wish ★★★★
Sword of Destiny ★★★★
Blood of Elves ★★★ 1/2
The Time of Contempt ★★★ 1/2
Baptism of Fire ★★★ 3/4
For some reason I don’t remember I thought that the Witcher was originally a trilogy ending with this book and hen it got expanded and two books added (Maybe because my box set was of the first three books) but that is not true at all because this book felt like a filler and did not advance the story much, I guess I have to stick with the remaining two books to find the ending!
Story wise, this is a continuation of the story after the unfortunate events that the Witcher went through in book 2 and mostly follows Geralt in a travel and fellowship type of story. The main goal is that Geralt finds Ciri and reached his destination but that means Ciri and Yennefer gets less story this time.
I do like unusual characters coming together on a quest and finding more about them and discovering their backstories and interactions which was the case with this one and I am leaving it vague as that because I don’t wanna spoil why they are unusual ones. I think the new characters were well fleshed but it was on the account of major characters arcs.
I have a mixed feeling about the writing, it is sometimes smooth as silk and flows very easily and I am immersed in the story and enjoying it and on other times -specially when it comes to politics- I get out of the story and find it hard to dive into it again. There are many info drop moments in this book with complex names and history and it just goes way over my head. Maybe if I had a paper and a pen and more patience, I would have been able to follow more but I don’t want my fun time to sound like a chore so I just fly through which affects my understanding and thus my enjoyment of the story. So what I am saying is that I blame myself partially but also blame the author for this complexity!
Summary: I think this one will be more memorable for me than the previous two books but the short stories collections are definitely my favorites thus far. I do like Geralt, his story line and companions in this book which were the biggest part of the story. However, I did not enjoy Ciri’s and Yennefer’s parts as much and did not appreciate the complexity of the way information was given. What scares me the most is that many people said this book was the peak of the story and then it went downhill from there and I don’t think I am ready for that yet! I will continue my read of this series with the next book which I will read in November!
January 30, 2020
The 3rd book in the series, and definitely the best one so far. In the first two books the author is building the characters, make us understand the world and magic system, is setting up the plot.
I’m loving The Witcher series more and more with every book I read. I can't wait to get my hands on the next one, and I recommend this to any fantasy lover. These are brilliant books.
I’m loving The Witcher series more and more with every book I read. I can't wait to get my hands on the next one, and I recommend this to any fantasy lover. These are brilliant books.
October 28, 2015
It is a sad experience when your favourite book lets you down. The Witcher, spawner of books and 3 hugely popular games fails to create the charm it held in the previous books of the series.
Plot The biggest let down of the book, the plot of Baptism of Fire is simply non existent. The story is about Geralt setting out to find Ciri but the story gets lost midway. In the whole book, nothing really happens. The witcher mopes, grunts and travels and yet reaches nowhere. There is no ending or a twist or pretty much anything else.
Characters Geralt of Rivia who does not belong to Rivia, one of my favourite characters does nothing in this book. This is a defeated witcher. He is helpless and desperate and manages to go through the plot without bothering to improve it in any manner. His interactions with some other characters is entertaining at some points but those points are far too few in between. As to the other characters, We meet Zoltan who is probably the liveliest character in the book and that list includes Dandelion.
Narration The narration for the most part fails because it does not have much to say. You can only say so much about travelling from no particular place to reach no particular place. The author manages to squeeze in a few good scenes and pick up speed but with so little to do, the pace does not make much of a difference
Hopefully the next translated book will be far better in comparison.
Plot The biggest let down of the book, the plot of Baptism of Fire is simply non existent. The story is about Geralt setting out to find Ciri but the story gets lost midway. In the whole book, nothing really happens. The witcher mopes, grunts and travels and yet reaches nowhere. There is no ending or a twist or pretty much anything else.
Characters Geralt of Rivia who does not belong to Rivia, one of my favourite characters does nothing in this book. This is a defeated witcher. He is helpless and desperate and manages to go through the plot without bothering to improve it in any manner. His interactions with some other characters is entertaining at some points but those points are far too few in between. As to the other characters, We meet Zoltan who is probably the liveliest character in the book and that list includes Dandelion.
Narration The narration for the most part fails because it does not have much to say. You can only say so much about travelling from no particular place to reach no particular place. The author manages to squeeze in a few good scenes and pick up speed but with so little to do, the pace does not make much of a difference
Hopefully the next translated book will be far better in comparison.
March 17, 2022
I enjoyed this one a little more than the last couple. RTC.
March 23, 2014
The symbolic Baptism of Fire is repeated throughout the story, as beliefs are challenged, paths reforged and it becomes certain that through the fire one must trek if he wishes to be born anew, like a phoenix rising from the ashes.
There were so many delightful parts of this story, clever and witty moments that made me laugh out loud, as well as emotionally gripping instances that touched my heart in ways that will surely linger long after the entire story is finished.
Now I move swiftly into The Tower of the Swallow, and with only two books left in the series I can already feel my heart growing heavy. These books have resonated with me in the most beautiful way, and will long be etched high atop the list of stories that touched my life and my heart.
Sapkowski is a brilliant storyteller, and his wit is not lost in translation. He crafts rich characters, thrusts them into the darkest and most terrifying of situations and still manages to lighten the mood with a few laughs now and again.
Five of five stars without hesitation, if you have not read these books I highly recommend them if you can find them.
There were so many delightful parts of this story, clever and witty moments that made me laugh out loud, as well as emotionally gripping instances that touched my heart in ways that will surely linger long after the entire story is finished.
Now I move swiftly into The Tower of the Swallow, and with only two books left in the series I can already feel my heart growing heavy. These books have resonated with me in the most beautiful way, and will long be etched high atop the list of stories that touched my life and my heart.
Sapkowski is a brilliant storyteller, and his wit is not lost in translation. He crafts rich characters, thrusts them into the darkest and most terrifying of situations and still manages to lighten the mood with a few laughs now and again.
Five of five stars without hesitation, if you have not read these books I highly recommend them if you can find them.
August 14, 2020
3.5***
Rtc
Rtc
June 21, 2020
What are we up to now, book five? I’m still planning to make it to the end of this series, despite its flaws. There’s a lot of build-up, and I’m just hoping it amounts to something epic by the end.
We pick up with Geralt recovering from some pretty serious injuries, though it isn’t long before everyone’s back in the swing of things. I guess I’ve just got to accept that Andrzej Sapkowski will keep jumping around without explaining who or what is happening until well into the scene. His style is ‘confusing the hell out of the reader’ and that’s that.
Maybe this is just my bias after reading those first two short story collections, but Geralt and Dandelion gallivanting around without hunting monsters is not as fun as it used to be. Thankfully there’s a little bit of monstering *as a treat*, albeit not as much as I would want. The pair end up picking up some companions on their quest to find Ciri, and I think this is probably the best gang of ruffians they’ve traveled with thus far. I really liked Milva in particular. Though every time so far it’s been, ‘Oh cool, a new female character that’s not at all sexually interested in Geralt and.....oh never mind she’s naked now.’ I’m eternally grateful that she ended up being the one to finally break that trend.
As for the missing princess, she falls in with a new crowd and is pretty much separate from her guardians the entire time. I liked The Rats subplot just because it mixed stuff up a bit. Do I want them to be a sustaining part of the series? Probably not, but I appreciate what this change of lifestyle does for Ciri’s character.
The sorceresses continue to be the best part of these books. Yes, I enjoy Geralt, have come around on Dandelion and I like most of the minor characters they interact with along the way, but their journeys always seem so directionless. I don’t know why Sapkowski insists on making me wait so long for Yennefer to appear time and time again. Her and Ciri are the highlights, and I always want to find out what they’re up to.
I’m kind of disappointed the first real LGBTQ rep in the Witcher saga is so problematic. That ‘relationship’ Ciri has with another female character is coerced and predatory, and I’m bothered by the fact the author doesn’t acknowledge it. Is she even attracted to women? There’s no way of knowing at this point. I can only assume that Andrzej Sapkowski, the guy who sprinkles sexual violence (or at least the threat of it) into nearly every interaction a woman has with a man, has kept Ciri’s “vIrTuE” in tact up until this point intentionally. So why give that up for an adult (or near-adult) preying on a lost, 13-year-old girl, where there’s a major power imbalance at play, among a whole bunch of other shit? The sole conclusion I can draw is that he doesn’t see this as exploitative, and that’s pretty chilling.
The only other complaint I have is that the constant politicking went on for too long and kept making me zone out. But I loved the Elven lore and I’ve decided the best way to get exposition out of the way is with a dozen terrifying sorceresses sitting around a table and explaining who-married-and-birthed-who hundreds of years prior. Anyways....see ya when I eventually get to The Tower of Swallows. ✌️
We pick up with Geralt recovering from some pretty serious injuries, though it isn’t long before everyone’s back in the swing of things. I guess I’ve just got to accept that Andrzej Sapkowski will keep jumping around without explaining who or what is happening until well into the scene. His style is ‘confusing the hell out of the reader’ and that’s that.
Maybe this is just my bias after reading those first two short story collections, but Geralt and Dandelion gallivanting around without hunting monsters is not as fun as it used to be. Thankfully there’s a little bit of monstering *as a treat*, albeit not as much as I would want. The pair end up picking up some companions on their quest to find Ciri, and I think this is probably the best gang of ruffians they’ve traveled with thus far. I really liked Milva in particular. Though every time so far it’s been, ‘Oh cool, a new female character that’s not at all sexually interested in Geralt and.....oh never mind she’s naked now.’ I’m eternally grateful that she ended up being the one to finally break that trend.
As for the missing princess, she falls in with a new crowd and is pretty much separate from her guardians the entire time. I liked The Rats subplot just because it mixed stuff up a bit. Do I want them to be a sustaining part of the series? Probably not, but I appreciate what this change of lifestyle does for Ciri’s character.
The sorceresses continue to be the best part of these books. Yes, I enjoy Geralt, have come around on Dandelion and I like most of the minor characters they interact with along the way, but their journeys always seem so directionless. I don’t know why Sapkowski insists on making me wait so long for Yennefer to appear time and time again. Her and Ciri are the highlights, and I always want to find out what they’re up to.
I’m kind of disappointed the first real LGBTQ rep in the Witcher saga is so problematic. That ‘relationship’ Ciri has with another female character is coerced and predatory, and I’m bothered by the fact the author doesn’t acknowledge it. Is she even attracted to women? There’s no way of knowing at this point. I can only assume that Andrzej Sapkowski, the guy who sprinkles sexual violence (or at least the threat of it) into nearly every interaction a woman has with a man, has kept Ciri’s “vIrTuE” in tact up until this point intentionally. So why give that up for an adult (or near-adult) preying on a lost, 13-year-old girl, where there’s a major power imbalance at play, among a whole bunch of other shit? The sole conclusion I can draw is that he doesn’t see this as exploitative, and that’s pretty chilling.
The only other complaint I have is that the constant politicking went on for too long and kept making me zone out. But I loved the Elven lore and I’ve decided the best way to get exposition out of the way is with a dozen terrifying sorceresses sitting around a table and explaining who-married-and-birthed-who hundreds of years prior. Anyways....see ya when I eventually get to The Tower of Swallows. ✌️
November 15, 2021
4.5/5
I have to say, the main saga, at least when it comes to the last two books, is no joke. It requires a lot of attention, so consider yourselves warned. So many characters have been introduced over the last two books, it's hard to keep track of who's who sometimes. and rarely is important information given explicitly. I had make deductions and read some passages over and over again to make sure I really understood what happened. I'm fairly certain it's not the translation, just the author's writing style. Anyway, that's not why I took off a star from my rating. I actually enjoy the ambiguity, which is not unique to this installment–the plot is simply more complex here. I still loved this volume, but I'm missing the emotional connection that I felt with the first three books in the series, probably since the main characters have been separated for quite some time now. I'm really enjoying the political plot though, and I love the new side characters, so still going strong!
I have to say, the main saga, at least when it comes to the last two books, is no joke. It requires a lot of attention, so consider yourselves warned. So many characters have been introduced over the last two books, it's hard to keep track of who's who sometimes. and rarely is important information given explicitly. I had make deductions and read some passages over and over again to make sure I really understood what happened. I'm fairly certain it's not the translation, just the author's writing style. Anyway, that's not why I took off a star from my rating. I actually enjoy the ambiguity, which is not unique to this installment–the plot is simply more complex here. I still loved this volume, but I'm missing the emotional connection that I felt with the first three books in the series, probably since the main characters have been separated for quite some time now. I'm really enjoying the political plot though, and I love the new side characters, so still going strong!
July 14, 2017
Netflix is making a TV series adaptation of these books and I am HYPED. I highly, highly recommend reading the series, starting with The Last Wish, which is a short story anthology introducing the world and characters. Two of the books in this series have been some of my most enjoyed reads, and have made it onto my rather sparsely populated favourites list. This review doesn't really contain spoilers, but you probably won't want to read it if you haven't read the books.
Baptism of Fire is the fifth book in The Witcher series, chronicling Geralt's journey to Nilfgaard to retrieve Ciri. If one were to take the entire series and consider it as one giant epic fantasy book, this would be the filler section. Think Arya's chapters in A Storm of Swords where she wanders for 100+ pages. It works for some readers, and not for others.
Geralt is moody and more stubborn than usual in this one. I think I have to say that Geralt may even by boring, and the reason these books are so good is in owing to the rest of the cast of characters. I was excited to have Geralt as the main character again, but I think Ciri is just more interesting when it comes down to it. She was only in this one in a few dream sequences, and Yennefer, while she had good scenes, didn't have very many.
Even with the more generic fantasy storyline of this installment, Sapkowski still writes supporting characters like few others can. Geralt bands up with Milva, a half-Dryad and an excellent archer. She doesn't offer too much in terms of plot, but is a good addition to the story with her personality. Milva lacks some of the fire in Sapkowski's other female characters, but she is still reasonably badass. She has some really good one-liners directed at Dandelion that I found humorous. Geralt also encounters a group of dwarves who, while entertaining, weren't overly interesting to me. Zoltan was funny though, and some of the conversations were witty, but a lot of them seemed inconsequential. My favourite addition was probably Regis. No spoilers, but it was nice to have a folklore vibe in this novel, which has been missing from the previous two.
The main shortfall of The Time of Contempt is that the plot just falls flat. Not enough happens, especially when considering how much action and how many punches to the emotional gut Spakowksi managed to fit into the previous two novels. The other books in the series made me laugh, cry, and want to throw something out of sadness/frustration/rage, but this one doesn't do that. That said, it still holds up against other books in the genre. I'd love to see some actual witching (witchering?) at some point though.
Baptism of Fire is the fifth book in The Witcher series, chronicling Geralt's journey to Nilfgaard to retrieve Ciri. If one were to take the entire series and consider it as one giant epic fantasy book, this would be the filler section. Think Arya's chapters in A Storm of Swords where she wanders for 100+ pages. It works for some readers, and not for others.
Geralt is moody and more stubborn than usual in this one. I think I have to say that Geralt may even by boring, and the reason these books are so good is in owing to the rest of the cast of characters. I was excited to have Geralt as the main character again, but I think Ciri is just more interesting when it comes down to it. She was only in this one in a few dream sequences, and Yennefer, while she had good scenes, didn't have very many.
Even with the more generic fantasy storyline of this installment, Sapkowski still writes supporting characters like few others can. Geralt bands up with Milva, a half-Dryad and an excellent archer. She doesn't offer too much in terms of plot, but is a good addition to the story with her personality. Milva lacks some of the fire in Sapkowski's other female characters, but she is still reasonably badass. She has some really good one-liners directed at Dandelion that I found humorous. Geralt also encounters a group of dwarves who, while entertaining, weren't overly interesting to me. Zoltan was funny though, and some of the conversations were witty, but a lot of them seemed inconsequential. My favourite addition was probably Regis. No spoilers, but it was nice to have a folklore vibe in this novel, which has been missing from the previous two.
The main shortfall of The Time of Contempt is that the plot just falls flat. Not enough happens, especially when considering how much action and how many punches to the emotional gut Spakowksi managed to fit into the previous two novels. The other books in the series made me laugh, cry, and want to throw something out of sadness/frustration/rage, but this one doesn't do that. That said, it still holds up against other books in the genre. I'd love to see some actual witching (witchering?) at some point though.
November 16, 2019
So this is the book where seemingly the action is less fast paced, especialy comparing to the one before, but we get many new characters and all of them are just awesome. Also we get to observe the atrocities of war and these descriptions made of short but very effective sentences are gut wrenching...
I haven't mentioned it before, but I absolutely love little intros starting every chapter of the Saga. This was very smart idea to write those, master Sapkowski.
Triss, how could you?..
I haven't mentioned it before, but I absolutely love little intros starting every chapter of the Saga. This was very smart idea to write those, master Sapkowski.
Triss, how could you?..
January 19, 2023
3.5 Stars
This is a series where I like so many elements of the story and characters but it never quite comes together into a cohesive story. At times I wanted more of Geralt and other times more of Ciri. I like this series but l'm still waiting to completely fall in love with the book series.
This is a series where I like so many elements of the story and characters but it never quite comes together into a cohesive story. At times I wanted more of Geralt and other times more of Ciri. I like this series but l'm still waiting to completely fall in love with the book series.
January 10, 2022
Upd. Здається, це моя улюблена частина. Регіса ніжно люблю. Найбільше саме цього персонажа хочу бачити в серіалі, та водночас не хочеться, щоб в його лінії все змінили. Надій мало.
Ще з дитинства маю слабкість до історій про пригоди різношерстої компанії попутників, яких починає об’єднувати спільна місія, відданість і дружба. І хоча я переконана, що «Вежа ластівки» ту компанії чи розділить, чи поховає, але все одно дуже вдячна Сапковському за появу Регіса.
Ще з дитинства маю слабкість до історій про пригоди різношерстої компанії попутників, яких починає об’єднувати спільна місія, відданість і дружба. І хоча я переконана, що «Вежа ластівки» ту компанії чи розділить, чи поховає, але все одно дуже вдячна Сапковському за появу Регіса.
March 30, 2020
This 3rd full-length novel about the witcher Geralt of Rivia has him very much injured from the events of the previous volume. At least at the start. Then he does what Geralt does best: he travels across the country on a mission. This time, however, he's not hunting a monster. Instead, he's looking for Ciri. Actually, he is told she's at the emperor's court in Nilfgaard so that is where he's going. We still don't know what's happened to Yennefer (initially) so it's just Geralt and Dandelion.
During the quest through the country we soon find out that basically every city is burning. The coup from the previous book has turned into all-out war. There are lots of refugees and one group of them is accompanied (and protected) by a few dwarves. Geralt joins them and makes a few friends along the way. One of them being a very special one indeed (can't say that was a real mystery to me but it was still funny).
It turns out that a certain "Dark Knight" is following them, too - and not necessarily for the reason the reader and/or Geralt thinks.
And then there is Ciri's POV of which we get a few glimpses in between. Because - spoiler alert (not really) - she's not actually at the emperor's court.
And yes, eventually we even find out what has happened to Yennefer since Geralt saw her last ().
If you think anything is getting resolved here, you better think again. The machinations here are as wide-ranging and detailed as in LOTR and we didn't get a build-up of 2 books only to have it resolved willy-nilly. And that is only just.
Despite the grimness, I loved to see the world-wide repercussions of the conflict broiling over. Yes, it was hard to read about people eating rotting horse corpses because that is a feast compared to what they've had for months. Yes, seeing practically the entire world burn was uncomfortable. Then again, I loved the OLD world most, the one with all the monsters and critters - and since those had been driven to or near extinction, I didn't care too much about the humans. *lol*
I was here for the magic. Because this conflict is also about magic vs. politics of "normal" humans. And, within the circle of magic-users, the powers truggle of the different factions (there are more than the ones we were previously familiar with).
I liked the set-up, I liked the further build-up, most noteably also via Ciri's POV and her personal development.
The writing has remained as good as in the previous books, the character building remains wonderful as well. Knowing that all MCs are fighting hard to get back to one another (some more than others) tucked at my heartstrings. Nevertheless, this was the least fun so far. Maybe I'm just too impatient? *lol*
Anyway, great fun so I'm not really allowed to complain. Like, at all.
During the quest through the country we soon find out that basically every city is burning. The coup from the previous book has turned into all-out war. There are lots of refugees and one group of them is accompanied (and protected) by a few dwarves. Geralt joins them and makes a few friends along the way. One of them being a very special one indeed (can't say that was a real mystery to me but it was still funny).
It turns out that a certain "Dark Knight" is following them, too - and not necessarily for the reason the reader and/or Geralt thinks.
And then there is Ciri's POV of which we get a few glimpses in between. Because - spoiler alert (not really) - she's not actually at the emperor's court.
And yes, eventually we even find out what has happened to Yennefer since Geralt saw her last ().
If you think anything is getting resolved here, you better think again. The machinations here are as wide-ranging and detailed as in LOTR and we didn't get a build-up of 2 books only to have it resolved willy-nilly. And that is only just.
Despite the grimness, I loved to see the world-wide repercussions of the conflict broiling over. Yes, it was hard to read about people eating rotting horse corpses because that is a feast compared to what they've had for months. Yes, seeing practically the entire world burn was uncomfortable. Then again, I loved the OLD world most, the one with all the monsters and critters - and since those had been driven to or near extinction, I didn't care too much about the humans. *lol*
I was here for the magic. Because this conflict is also about magic vs. politics of "normal" humans. And, within the circle of magic-users, the powers truggle of the different factions (there are more than the ones we were previously familiar with).
I liked the set-up, I liked the further build-up, most noteably also via Ciri's POV and her personal development.
The writing has remained as good as in the previous books, the character building remains wonderful as well. Knowing that all MCs are fighting hard to get back to one another (some more than others) tucked at my heartstrings. Nevertheless, this was the least fun so far. Maybe I'm just too impatient? *lol*
Anyway, great fun so I'm not really allowed to complain. Like, at all.
June 26, 2023
I liked it, I enjoy the world and characters. I'm not sure it really comes together as a novel, but I still had a good time reading. As always we get title phrase (in this case baptism of fire) ad nauseum, but it is kind of interesting to see the different meanings it is given through the book. I missed seeing more of Yennifer, but I expect she might be in the next book more. Women aren't often treated great, but this does try to take a pro-choice stance on abortion, even if that plot arc isn't handled great.
January 8, 2020
Another great addition to the series and probably my favourite so far. Some great new characters are introduced ; all of whom will be great on the TV series (which I'm loving by the way). Highly recommended.
April 1, 2020
Book three of the Witcher, done! So far, out of the first three that I have, in a way, binged in the last four days, book 2, The Time of Contempt, remains my favourite out of all the books. Books 1 and 3, which I have just finished, are both very well written and engaging fantasies, though, in my opinion was not on the level of book 2. I do have criticisms for all 3 of the books, if anybody wants to be bothered reading a random guy’s opinions about books on the internet.
I would like to say that whereas with books 1 and 2, and especially book 1, where the plot was quite loose and all over the place, in terms of time and location and the characters that were being followed, with different chapters focussing entirely on different chapters, this book certainly took quite a turn. Instead, this book almost centred entirely around Geralt of Rivia and his search for Ciri. There are minor exceptions and we do get some scenes from the sorcerers such as Yennifer, as well Dijkstra and very short scenes featuring Ciri. I don’t how I feel about this, as though while the writing and world is the same, the way it approached telling the story change quite drastically. Additionally, this book also seems to cover quite a short period of time, while the previous books would jump forward in time, especially if there was travel involved, but not in this book…
Which frankly leads me to my next point, which is that, a great deal of this book, is simply just Geralt and his fellowship travelling, and that’s about it. I found that this book suffered quite a fair bit from middle book syndrome, or rather in this case, middle series syndrome. Travel is a common aspect in fantasy, I know, I’ve read a hell of a lot of fantasy, but since this is a relatively short book for epic fantasy, the actual plot progression is very minimal. In many fantasy novels, travelling is incredibly important to the progression of the overall arc of the narrative and the characters need to travel from place to place for certain things. This happens here, since Geralt is looking for Ciri, but throughout the 300 plus pages, the characters actually don’t get anywhere. They start in Brokilon, a forest slightly north of the Yaruga, but due to certain problems in the book, they take a very long detour and, to put it lightly, it takes them forever for them to move anywhere.
In books 1 and 2, I was happy at the way the plot moved, enough things happened for enough plot progression to occur, yet in this book, aside from meeting a few new characters and some character development from some of them, most of the things that happened since more like side errands and more trivial matters, that while major in the book, are quite insignificant compared to events in book 2.
Now, what I did like about this book was that I liked the way that the author managed the depict conflict, which he made as a terribly devastating thing, that also helps provide context what it also must have been like for people, particularly peasants in the Medieval Europe. This is a part that mentions that a town was destroyed just two years ago, and now, just as they have managed to build up the foundations, it is burnt to the ground in its entirely. I found that though this isn’t grimdark, the author still portrays war as what it is, and by no means does he make the characters or the world around them relish for more of it and that I appreciate. There are obviously characters in some fantasy books that see war as a war to gain things, which happens in this book as well, yet the author does show that often, it is trivial and the people with the least amount of influence on it end up receiving the worst of it.
Overall, I enjoyed it, though I did wish for the plot to more progress more and while I liked the new characters, I did wish things would just get a move on. 8/10
I would like to say that whereas with books 1 and 2, and especially book 1, where the plot was quite loose and all over the place, in terms of time and location and the characters that were being followed, with different chapters focussing entirely on different chapters, this book certainly took quite a turn. Instead, this book almost centred entirely around Geralt of Rivia and his search for Ciri. There are minor exceptions and we do get some scenes from the sorcerers such as Yennifer, as well Dijkstra and very short scenes featuring Ciri. I don’t how I feel about this, as though while the writing and world is the same, the way it approached telling the story change quite drastically. Additionally, this book also seems to cover quite a short period of time, while the previous books would jump forward in time, especially if there was travel involved, but not in this book…
Which frankly leads me to my next point, which is that, a great deal of this book, is simply just Geralt and his fellowship travelling, and that’s about it. I found that this book suffered quite a fair bit from middle book syndrome, or rather in this case, middle series syndrome. Travel is a common aspect in fantasy, I know, I’ve read a hell of a lot of fantasy, but since this is a relatively short book for epic fantasy, the actual plot progression is very minimal. In many fantasy novels, travelling is incredibly important to the progression of the overall arc of the narrative and the characters need to travel from place to place for certain things. This happens here, since Geralt is looking for Ciri, but throughout the 300 plus pages, the characters actually don’t get anywhere. They start in Brokilon, a forest slightly north of the Yaruga, but due to certain problems in the book, they take a very long detour and, to put it lightly, it takes them forever for them to move anywhere.
In books 1 and 2, I was happy at the way the plot moved, enough things happened for enough plot progression to occur, yet in this book, aside from meeting a few new characters and some character development from some of them, most of the things that happened since more like side errands and more trivial matters, that while major in the book, are quite insignificant compared to events in book 2.
Now, what I did like about this book was that I liked the way that the author managed the depict conflict, which he made as a terribly devastating thing, that also helps provide context what it also must have been like for people, particularly peasants in the Medieval Europe. This is a part that mentions that a town was destroyed just two years ago, and now, just as they have managed to build up the foundations, it is burnt to the ground in its entirely. I found that though this isn’t grimdark, the author still portrays war as what it is, and by no means does he make the characters or the world around them relish for more of it and that I appreciate. There are obviously characters in some fantasy books that see war as a war to gain things, which happens in this book as well, yet the author does show that often, it is trivial and the people with the least amount of influence on it end up receiving the worst of it.
Overall, I enjoyed it, though I did wish for the plot to more progress more and while I liked the new characters, I did wish things would just get a move on. 8/10
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June 2, 2015Terminar un libro de Geralt de Rivia para coger otro libro de Geralt de Rivia. Esa es mi actual vida.
Andamos con nuestro querido brujo y su querido juglar, con una Ciri cuya vida ha cambiado totalmente, con un consejo secreto de hechiceras... los caminos están llenos de cuerpos, sangre, guerra, cosas feas, y, si fuera George Martin, supongo que también dragones.
Pero es Andrzej Sapkowski.
Es verdad que esta saga se ha ido focalizando mucho más a la parte de la historia Ciri-Geralt, pero eso no quita que, de vez en cuando, el cometido del brujo de liberar al mundo de malas criaturas vuelva a aparecer. Eso sí, ahora lo hará con más detenimiento, con criaturas que te van a hacer pensar si realmente es justo acabar con ellas.
Y seguimos con Geralt en el siguiente libro de esta saga ;D
Andamos con nuestro querido brujo y su querido juglar, con una Ciri cuya vida ha cambiado totalmente, con un consejo secreto de hechiceras... los caminos están llenos de cuerpos, sangre, guerra, cosas feas, y, si fuera George Martin, supongo que también dragones.
Pero es Andrzej Sapkowski.
Es verdad que esta saga se ha ido focalizando mucho más a la parte de la historia Ciri-Geralt, pero eso no quita que, de vez en cuando, el cometido del brujo de liberar al mundo de malas criaturas vuelva a aparecer. Eso sí, ahora lo hará con más detenimiento, con criaturas que te van a hacer pensar si realmente es justo acabar con ellas.
Y seguimos con Geralt en el siguiente libro de esta saga ;D
August 7, 2020
He leído reseñas que lo tachan de libro de transición y, en efecto, así es, pero ojalá todos los libros de transición fueran así. Maestría absoluta de narración, no he podido parar de leer y eso que la mayoría era viaje del brujo, pero la compañía con la que se hace sumada a un par de capítulos de las hechiceras que son oro puro, han hecho que este libro haya mejorado muchísimo al anterior. Y como siempre: Faraldo, eres el puto amo.
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