Geralt – The Pluviophile Writer

Baptism of Fire by Andrzej Sapkowski

“A baptism of fire, the Witcher thought, furiously striking and parrying blows. I was meant to pass through fire for Ciri. And I’m passing through fire in a battle which is of no interest to me at all. Which I don’t understand in any way. The fire that was meant to purify me is just scorching my hair and face.”

4/5 stars.
ebook, 288 pages.
Read from March 15, 2021 to March 22, 2021.

Next to The Last Wish, this has been my favourite Witcher book in the series so far.

Geralt has found himself in quite a predicament. He almost died after the Wizard’s Guild fell and has been separated from Ciri. He is recovering from his injuries in the Brokilon forest, of which he is a rare male exemption amongst the female dryads. While Geralt is nowhere near healed, he must find Ciri as rumours are circulating of her capture and impending marriage to the Emperor. Little does he know that the Ciri in the Niflgaardian court is an imposter. The real Ciri has found the company of thieves and has managed to keep her identity a secret, for now. Despite Geralt’s desperate situation he attempts to maintain his gruff lone wolf mentality by trying to shrug off some very unique companions as well as finding himself involved in a battle he wanted no part in.

The story in this book really revived the series for me and makes me want to replay and rewatch the games and TV show (especially before the second season starts this Christmas). Geralt is a stubborn brute and I love him for it. The character work and Geralt’s internal conflict in questioning who he is a Witcher and what he stands for as well as his interactions with his new, and generally unwanted, companions that stick with him through thick and thin are what make this book one of the best in the series. His new companions are robust and dynamic characters that I fell in love with immediately and the surprise reveal of one of them really caught me and had me loving and appreciating this story even more.

The books, games and TV shows are each such innovative takes on Geralt’s path and the Witcher world. With any other series, I might be annoyed at the discrepancies and inconsistencies with character appearances and the chosen focused storylines, however, with the Witcher I’ve really enjoyed each medium’s differing takes on Geralt’s story, the characters that he meets, and the trouble he finds himself in.

A highly recommended read for fantasy lovers, it’s definitely worth reading the whole series just to get to this book. Here’s hoping the next book continues to impress.

The Time of Contempt by Andrzej Sapkowski

“That’s the role of poetry, Ciri. To say what others cannot utter.”

4/5 stars.
ebook, 336 pages.
Read from January 19, 2020 to January 28, 2020.

Have I mentioned how much I love the world of Geralt? Well, I do. Whether it’s from the books, the video games, and now the TV show there are many ways I can now indulge in this world. If you haven’t watched the TV series, you might be a bit lost for a few episodes if you haven’t read the books or played the games as the timeline jumps around a lot with no warning. Believe me when I say it’s worth it. The show is outstanding and much to my surprise Henry Cavill played Geralt absolutely perfectly, as I had serious doubts before.

This book picks up where Blood of Elves left off. Ciri has been training with Yennifer and they haven’t seen Geralt in a long time. Ciri is proving to be a promising student and the bond between Ciri and Yennifer grows deep. As Ciri ages, like most pre-teens, she doesn’t always want to listen to Yennifer and it gets her in some big trouble in this book. Yennifer wants to enrol Ciri in a school in Aretuza where she will be able to continue learning about sorcery and magic in safety but Ciri has other ideas and runs off in search of Geralt when she learns that he might be nearby. Ciri’s escape doesn’t go unnoticed by other sorceresses who mistaken her for a runaway from the nearby school. This leads to arguments during a mage’s conference that both Geralt and Yennifer end up attending. What neither of them know, is that a coup is brewing within the mages that threaten everyone’s safety, especially Ciri’s. Thanks to Geralt and Yennifer, Ciri manages to escape the coup but her journey is far from over.

‘I can’t leave— I can’t just leave her to her fate. She’s completely alone . . . She cannot be left alone, Dandelion. You’ll never understand that. No one will ever understand that, but I know. If she remains alone, the same thing will happen to her as once happened to me . . . You’ll never understand that . .”

This book finally starts to give you answers about why everyone is chasing poor Ciri which is what makes this book a lot more enticing than the previous book. On top of getting to know Ciri in more depth, a new cast of characters, there are also some amazing fight scenes as well as a steamy sex scene. Now that I feel that things are finally coming together, I can hardly wait to start the next book in the series.

The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski

“I manage because I have to. Because I’ve no other way out. Because I’ve overcome the vanity and pride of being different, I’ve understood that they are a pitiful defense against being different. Because I’ve understood that the sun shines differently when something changes. The sun shines differently, but it will continue to shine, and jumping at it with a hoe isn’t going to do anything.”

4/5 stars.
ebook, 288 pages.
Read from August 9, 2019 to August 13th, 2019.

I picked up all three Witcher games on a fantastic Steam sale this last summer when I found myself halfway through the first game and loving it, only to find out that the games are based off a book series! I was committing book blasphemy! And now, there is a Netflix series coming out this fall too. I had to read the books.

Geralt of Rivia is a Witcher. A mutant. An outcast. He is one of the few to pass the Witcher training and complete his mutation without dying giving him remarkable powers and strengths. His stark white hair has been stripped of its colour from the change and his eyes are slit like a cat. The tasks of a Witcher are to defeat the monsters of the world but as Geralt is coming to learn, sometimes the monsters aren’t what they seem. He questions his ethics and purpose as a Witcher as the world around him becomes more corrupt with not monsters, but people, who appear to be the evil ones.

2018-09-05-image-5 — Definitely crushing on this handsome gent.

This book is touted as a collaboration of short stories but it read more like a novel as the stories related to each other and followed a general chronological order, however, you could easily have read each chapter in and of its self. Geralt is a fantastically dynamic character and the writing paints the realm of Witchers so vividly. Even in translation, the writing is concise and engaging. The book lends itself well to the first Witcher game as you get to play out some of the more elaborate plot points from this book in the game itself.

I am ecstatic to have found another fantasy series that I’m in love with and I will definitely be devouring every book in this series. I would recommend this book to any fantasy lover and especially those who want to play the video games as you’re able to get the full pictures and scope on Geralt and his adventures. Needless to say, I don’t plan on leaving the Witcher world anytime soon.