Genre: Fantasy
Series: Book three of the Witcher series. Book one of the main story.
Page Count: 398
Publication Year: Originally published 1994. The version I read came out in 2009.
Publisher: Orbit
Special Notes: Translated from Polish by Danusia Stok.
Summary:
My name is Geralt and war is upon us. But this is no longer just my story. With destiny closing in, Ciri must learn to protect herself from those who hunt her.
Now we’re talking. The translation still had some rough spots but it flowed smoother than the last book.
If you were thinking about skipping the short stories, don’t. Several characters, events and locations were utilized and referenced in a way that expected you to recognize and understand them.
Instead of full on plot, this book showed Ciri's new life, foreshadowing conversations, training montages, and traveling interspersed with occasional fights. I never thought the slower pace and character interactions were boring. I think that's the sign of a skilled writer. Geralt had few scenes from his perspective and it didn’t become annoying not seeing him. I would have liked more from him, but the new characters carried it well.
In the beginning there’s a long discourse between some people about the state of the war and countryside. I doubt any of the people will reappear, but the author often used outside eyes to paint pictures we wouldn’t normally see. I don’t know if I’ve ever come across this style before and it’s refreshing.
Dandelion had two sections and they were two of the best. He’s kind of incompetent when it comes to protecting himself, but he has such confidence in his capabilities that it’s crushing to see him fail.
Triss is introduced and she turned out okay. A sorceress like Yennefer, her history with Geralt was woven throughout her perspective, but she didn’t have the stablest of emotions when it came to him. I’d like to see more of her.
Ciri grew so much in this book. From a scared child to a competent warrior, she had a believable arc. At times she was annoying, but she failed enough times and genuinely wanted to learn and be better that I grew to like her. The last chapter showed her relationship with Yennefer and it was so sweet.
As I said before, several different characters of lesser importance captained the narrative. Every time it happened I learned more of the world and politics and it was interesting enough that I felt the loss of Geralt’s perspective less. The chapter with the kings was a little confusing since I still don’t have a grasp on the geography or the culture of the different countries. I had to rely on the spelling of their name rather than my knowledge of a particular person to keep them all apart. Within that chapter it was fine, but going forward I’m very unclear on who everyone is.
Since there were only seven chapters I can say chapter five was my favorite. Geralt did some witchering, Dandelion had a perspective, and the city of Oxenfurt was wonderfully illustrated.
The way dialogue included description made the pacing faster. Example: instead of saying Ciri was out of breath, Yennefer told her to control her breathing. Some of the fights were unclear for me, but it didn’t detract too much from my reading experience. Unlike the last book, people’s physical appearances weren’t overused this time.
Reading the previous books contributed to my enjoyment of this one. If I hadn’t read them I would’ve been lost and uninvested. This book laid the groundwork for the future while keeping things fresh and intriguing. The ominous final sentence hinted nicely of things to come.
Now that the chessboard is ready, I can watch the people make their moves.
My rating is here.
Check out my reviews for book one, two, four, and five and the bonus book.
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