Lucid appraisal of Geralt by Yennifer: "I repeat, Ciri is not in Nilfgaard. I know not what my Witcher— as you chose to describe him-is planning. But hLucid appraisal of Geralt by Yennifer: "I repeat, Ciri is not in Nilfgaard. I know not what my Witcher— as you chose to describe him-is planning. But he... Crach, it's no secret that I... am fond of him. But I know he won't rescue Ciri. He won't achieve anything. I know him. He'll become entangled in something, get lost, start philosophising and feeling sorrow for himself. Then he'll vent his rage, hacking whatever and whoever he can to pieces with his sword. Afterwards, to atone for it, he'll carry out some noble, but senseless feat. Then finally he'll be killed, foolishly, senselessly, probably by a stab in the back—" Fortunately for us readers, he is not all that useless! :-)
This final book in the Witcher saga has fantastic narration techniques: I think Sapkowski really improved as a writer (or the translator improved?) because this one is just so well-written. It has a Lord of the Rings inspired feel to it and I loved the new characters it introduced and how cleanly the conclusion was wrapped up with few questions left to puzzle the reader.
I don't quite understand how this one missed out on all the major Fantasy awards as it is a great epic adventure with monsters and magic, politics and sex, violence and friendship, and some engaging and endearing characters.
This prequel takes place between the final stories of Sword of Destiny and brings us lots of insights into Geralt, his relationship to Yennefer and DaThis prequel takes place between the final stories of Sword of Destiny and brings us lots of insights into Geralt, his relationship to Yennefer and Dandelion, and why he was on his way to Blaviken. I loved it and found it a pleasure to redip into the world of Geralt one last time. I'd probably recommend reading it before Blood of Elves if you want to keep the chronology.
SCENE INTRO: Office at Netflix. VP OF PROGRAMMING is sitting behind a large desk with stacks of paper all over the place. He is holding a telephone inSCENE INTRO: Office at Netflix. VP OF PROGRAMMING is sitting behind a large desk with stacks of paper all over the place. He is holding a telephone in his hand and looking distractedly at the ceiling. SHOWRUNNER comes into office holding a script. The walls of the office have bookshelves full of paperbacks.
VP: Oh, he is just coming in now, let me get back to you." (hangs up the phone) SHOWRUNNER: "Am I interrupting...?" VP: "No, no all good. How is prep work going for the new show? You got the memo I sent?" SHOWRUNNER: "Uh, yes, I got it, but can you just walk me through it, please? I am reading the original books by that Polish guy Sapkowski and finding some discrepancies..." VP (cutting him off): "Now look, HBO had a bigger budget to deal with for Game of Thrones, so you'll have to level down your expectations a tad." SHOWRUNNER: "And the special effects budget is so low..." VP (cutting him off and standing and stretching behind the desk): "C'mon, you have Harry fucking Cavill signed on to this already.." SHOWRUNNER: 'I realize that but, the other actors are just not that..." VP: "Actors, shmactors. Its up to the directors to bring out the best in them. Harry is totally stoked for this show and he'll bring the level up, don't worry about it." SHOWRUNNER: "But, the script doesn't follow the story very well..." VP: "Dude, you'll be filming in awesome places like Hungary and shit. Just the dialogs'll be green-screened." SHOWRUNNER: "But why does the script rename the Dandelion character?" VP: "I have no effing clue, they liked Jasquier for some reason..." SHOWRUNNER: "And Ciri, she is like 12 or 14, but the actress you have here is 17, how is that going to fly? And in the short stories, she meets Geralt years before the Battle of Sodden." VP: "Yeah, well, we had to take some shortcuts to keep within the budget." SHOWRUNNER: "Are you sure fans of the book are going to like it?" VP: "Are you dense or what? We want the gamers AND the readers and just anyone else watching it." SHOWRUNNER: "OK, so we have Harry for what 4 or 5 seasons so..." VP (cutting him off again as he comes around the desk): "Now listen here, Harry has other projects you know, so he may not be around the whole time. Besides, half of his dialogs are just 'hmm' anyway..." SHOWRUNNER: "But he's why folks are going to tune in. How will we..." VP (cutting him off): "Look, just start with the short stories like you have in initial treatment and weave in the novels. I think we can keep Harry engaged for at least three years and we'll cross the Season 4 bridge when we get there." SHOWRUNNER: "Well, I am glad that they are using some of the best stories from Sword of Destiny like 'The Bounds of Reason' (S01E06) and 'Something More' (S01E10), I just hope that my favorite one 'A Little Sacrifice' will get weaved in as well as 'A Shard of Ice', but it looks like more stories from The Last Wish will make it in.' VP: "Just run with it. Look, I have another meeting now, let's talk next week."
Ciri is out for blood as Yennefer and Geralt have their own quests to complete. The action intensifies as the Witcher screams towards its conclusion iCiri is out for blood as Yennefer and Geralt have their own quests to complete. The action intensifies as the Witcher screams towards its conclusion in The Lady of the Lake. I thought that compared to Baptism of Fire, this one picks up the pace, varies the narrative techniques and takes the reader on a fantastic voyage through the war-ridden continent and one cannot help but reach for the conclusion of this epic series!
Things go pretty sideways in this Witcher episode with all the characters experiencing loss and dealing with it is different ways. Trying to maintain Things go pretty sideways in this Witcher episode with all the characters experiencing loss and dealing with it is different ways. Trying to maintain hope in the face of so much destruction is maddening. I gave it four stars because it felt a tiny bit like filler after the action-packed first two volumes. On to #4!
I loved this second episode of The Witcher that corresponded more or less to Season 3 of the TV show. Ciri becomes even less annoying, Geralt a bit moI loved this second episode of The Witcher that corresponded more or less to Season 3 of the TV show. Ciri becomes even less annoying, Geralt a bit more human, and Dandelion hilarious always. As for Yennefer, she is an enigma. I don't want to do any spoilers and these books read so fast anyway. Look for my last review for a little more depth.
One of the most endearing characters created by Pratchett is definitely Death who gets an unexpected (and undesired!) retirement. Things - as always -One of the most endearing characters created by Pratchett is definitely Death who gets an unexpected (and undesired!) retirement. Things - as always - go horribly wrong with the interference of the Unseen University and a host of minor characters. I prefer the Rincewind and Luggage stories, but Death makes for some light entertainment and this one does not disappoint!...more
This was a hilarious adventure in the Witches sub-series of Discworld. It borrows broadly from a number of fairy tales making it both recognizable andThis was a hilarious adventure in the Witches sub-series of Discworld. It borrows broadly from a number of fairy tales making it both recognizable and hilarious from beginning to end. I am still annoyed by the lack of chapters and I can't quite understand exactly why it annoys me as much as it does. However, once I suck it up and just read these books, they are quite enjoyable....more
This was a funny parody of Hollywood by the always entertaining Pratchett. I liked crossing (however briefly) one of the Night Guards and the whole paThis was a funny parody of Hollywood by the always entertaining Pratchett. I liked crossing (however briefly) one of the Night Guards and the whole parallel universes thing was particularly well-done. I am enjoying these Discworld books although it still feels disturbing never to have chapters. ...more
I am a bit late to the Witcher train. I watched a few episodes of the Netflix show in Season 1 and finished Season 2. I think Harry Cavill does a greaI am a bit late to the Witcher train. I watched a few episodes of the Netflix show in Season 1 and finished Season 2. I think Harry Cavill does a great job in the role, but the rest of the cast really blows chunks, and the special effects are horrendous. You can tell in nearly every scene that they are green-screening it. So, having been underwhelmed by the TV version and not being a gamer at all, I figured I'd try the books.
This is the first book AFAIK that Sapkowski wrote for his character Geralt of Rivia and it is a loosely connected set of 7 short stories interleaved with another later timeline. It seems to occur before he meets Princess Ciri (although we seem to see her as a little girl with a different name in one of the stories) and provides background on what witchers do (kill monsters for a fee), what they don't do, usually (kills people for a fee), and the miserable state of the world he lives in. We hear about Yennifer of Vanderberg but as far as I recall, we don't see her and Geralt meeting in these stories, but he is thinking about her. What I liked a lot was the realistic portrayal of Geralt and the creativity in the various monsters and situations. Thinking about it, I realize that the things I liked in the TV show (the Beauty and the Beast story as well as the girl's revenge goes wrong story were based on stories in this collection. The dialogs are good and there is that black humor of our protagonist that lightens the otherwise dark tones of the narrative.
If we compare this to works of similar ambition that have become famous movies and TV shows (I am thinking of Game of Thrones and the various Tolkien ones), its universe is a bit smaller than the aforementioned ones, but it is dense with monsters, elves, dwarves, and magic. And honestly, better written then some recent YA-targeted fantasy writing like that of Holly Black or Leigh Bardugo. There is a palatable darkness and still a glimmer of hope in Geralt's silver sword.
I really enjoyed the world-building of the Witcher as well as the complex personality of Geralt and his stormy and complicated relationship with YenneI really enjoyed the world-building of the Witcher as well as the complex personality of Geralt and his stormy and complicated relationship with Yennefer. I am still not a huge Ciri fan, but this book is more about Gerault and the issues of fate and destiny than specifically about Ciri. I suppose that will change in the next volumes as she is so central to the story in Seasons 2 and 3 of the TV version of the cycle.
What I enjoyed was the changing of perspectives, Geralt's being the central one - but we also see the world through other characters' eyes which makes it feel a bit more real. I also prefer how the story is told in a more or less linear fashion, because in the TV show, it becomes quite confusing to make out the parts which are in the present or in the past. And I now can appreciate how despite the English translation gives the bard the name "Dandelion", the TV version kept the original Polish name of "Jaskier" which happens to be the word for that particular flower.
As for comparing this work with other masterpieces of the fantasy genre, LotR and GoT in particular, certainly the focus in The Witcher is much more tighter around the primary characters of Geralt, Yen, and Ciri whereas those other books had more primary characters, the politics of the land, its various countries and traditions, but especially the tension between the communities of elves, dwarves, and humans is well-done. I am just looking forward to a clearer explanation of the Colission or whatever they call the mashup that brought elves and humans into the same sphere...
This was a funny romp based a bit on The Sourcerers Apprentice trope where we get to meet the City Watch for the first time. I enjoyed the quirky humoThis was a funny romp based a bit on The Sourcerers Apprentice trope where we get to meet the City Watch for the first time. I enjoyed the quirky humor once again and all the zaniness that I have come to expect in Pratchett's novels. The dragons were pretty funny, particularly at the end of the book. Now, on to Moving Pictures!...more
One again, Pratchett takes a laugh at the expense of Faust here and gives us another adventure with Rincewind and some overly ambitious wizards. This One again, Pratchett takes a laugh at the expense of Faust here and gives us another adventure with Rincewind and some overly ambitious wizards. This is a tiny little novel, but funny and witty as we have come to expect from Discworld. An entertaining 30 minutes!...more
As usual, a pleasant and humorous romp by Pratchett, here taking shots at Central American and Egyptian mythology with a rambunctious story of a wannaAs usual, a pleasant and humorous romp by Pratchett, here taking shots at Central American and Egyptian mythology with a rambunctious story of a wannabe tyrant and a few unexpected heroes. There are plenty of low-brow antics and moments of hilarity throughout. This one won the BSFA in 1989, the year that C J Cherry grabbed the Hugo and Locus with Cyteen. Pyramids was definitely more fun to read while Cyteen was a lot more of hard sci-fi. Choose your poison!...more
Always humorous, I enjoyed this Discworld book and its playfulness in the parody of Shakespeare. Despite being mostly tongue-in-cheek and facetious, tAlways humorous, I enjoyed this Discworld book and its playfulness in the parody of Shakespeare. Despite being mostly tongue-in-cheek and facetious, there are passages that Pratchett writes the fuck out of like this one:
That's us down there, she thought. Everyone knows who we really are, but the things down there are what they'll remember-three gibbering old baggages in pointy hats. All we've ever done, all we've ever been, won't exist anymore. She looked at the ghost of the king. Well, hed been no worse than any other king. Oh, he might burn down the odd cottage every now and again, in a sort of absent-minded way, but only when he was really angry about something, and he could give it up any time he liked. Where he wounded the world, he left the kind of wounds that healed. Whoever wrote this Theater knew about the uses of magic. Even I believe what's happening, and I know there's no truth in it. This is Art holding a Mirror up to Life. That's why everything is exactly the wrong way around. We've lost. There is nothing we can do against this without becoming exactly what we aren't. pp. 306
I liked this Pratchett a little less as the plot felt a little too Harry Potter to me (was Rowling inspired by this one?) The bad guy wasn't all that I liked this Pratchett a little less as the plot felt a little too Harry Potter to me (was Rowling inspired by this one?) The bad guy wasn't all that scary and the adventures of Rincewind and Luggage, though funny, felt a little disjointed like in The Colour of Magic. I mean, it is still a Discworld novel, just not my favorite one....more
The apprenticeship to be an assistant to Death is a pretty dangerous thing to choose at a job fair, well unless there isn't anything else. These are tThe apprenticeship to be an assistant to Death is a pretty dangerous thing to choose at a job fair, well unless there isn't anything else. These are the rocambulesque adventures of Mort(imer) as his fate is in, and out, of Death's hands. Prepare to die laughing ;-)...more
This was a cute book about breaking the male stranglehold on all of wizardry on Discworld. I found it light but funny reading, on par for the PratchetThis was a cute book about breaking the male stranglehold on all of wizardry on Discworld. I found it light but funny reading, on par for the Pratchett Discworld books so far....more
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