These revelations and the attempt to re-group the mages seem to have far more implications. What lifts the book is some revelation that happens in the last one-third of the book. The politics, the war, and the struggle to save magic and the mages are far more interesting than anything you get to read with Geralt’s story. What makes it more annoying is how much else is going around the continent. But apart from a Vampire, nothing new and exciting happen in this section. And a bloody Nilfgaardian who insists he isn’t a Nilfgaardian.”Īlso, one would expect during the quest there will be some world-building or new information that will appear about the world of Witcher. A vampire, who’s about to notch up his fifth century. ‘Brothers in arms! A team of heroes! What have I done to deserve it? A poetaster with a lute. “What a company I ended up with,’ Geralt continued, shaking his head. At times I agreed with Geralt about his role in the group. He was annoying and didn’t bring anything to the table. The lovable bard didn’t induce any love this time. But the most annoying aspect was how useless Dandelion was in this book. The ever-reliable Geralt was also reduced to a brooding and grumpy man. Milva was the only character with some layers and mystery around her. We only had a few new characters added to the roster, most of them not bringing much to the table. It was because the story didn’t progress at all. It wasn’t a lack of action or consequences that made it made slow. The simple reason behind it is the first two-thirds of the book.

I have to say, the book is one of the most crucial entry in the series, yet it might be the only forgettable book for me in this series. And the only hope lies with Ciri, who has mysteriously disappeared. The wizard guild is broken after the coup. At the same time, the war is raging throughout the continent. He meets some unlikely allies in his quest. With Dandelion, the bard and Milva, a dryad, he met in the woods, he leaves the forest in search of Ciri. After the bloody coup, Geralt is gravely injured and takes shelter in the Brokilon forest with the dryads.

The book picks up where The Time of Contempt left off. A lot of it due to the certain choices the author made, and a sudden departure from the narration style he had been following in the previous books. It would be the first entry from The Witcher saga that I didn’t enjoy much.

The witcher baptism of fire