How long has it been since my last Witcher review? A month? Two? Either way, I feel it’s been long enough! Time to revisit our favorite monster hunter!
Honestly though, talking about this one is gonna be a little tough. Mostly because I’d just be repeating what I said in my review of The Last Wish. There are a few differences, some changes made here and there. But all in all, it’s a remarkably similar novel, one that leads pretty well into The Blood of Elves.
This is yet another collection of episodic stories, starring Geralt of Rivia. However, this one leans away from monster-slaying and focuses more on the character drama. Specifically between our favorite Witcher and Yeneffer of Vengerberg and his coming destiny regarding Ciri.
Not to say that we don’t have any supernatural shenanigans. The Bounds of Reason is a great opener, starring Geralt and friends going to face a dragon (dragons are always a win in my book). Eternal Flame is easily the best story in the book, featuring an intense Doppler chase and some interesting insights into the politics of trade.
Once again, the series’ signature worldbuilding is on full display here.
Unfortunately, not all of the stories are all that great. A Shard of Ice boils down to ‘Geralt and some shmuck argue over who gets Yeneffer, both of them get shot down’. The Sword of Destiny is more the same, only instead of a boring romance, we get a bunch of people interrupting each other and arguing over a child. They’re not intolerable stories, saved entirely by excellent dialogue. But compared to some of the stories we got in The Last Wish, and even in this book, they are significantly less interesting.
But then there’s the final story: Something More. This one is easily one of my favorite Witcher stories yet! It plays with perspective in some really fun ways to spice up the narrative! Plus, it leads straight into the events of Blood of Elves in an organic, interesting way! I love this one! It’s the perfect closer to the book!
And… that’s about all I have to say. The characters are still great and the world-building is as phenomenal as always. I had a much harder time getting through it, as my interest waned around some of the stories. But all in all, it’s still a solid entry in the Witcher series! If you’re a fan, it’s still well worth the read!
Now, I’ve fixed my mistake. Now I can pick back up from The Blood of Elves and read the series properly.
Unless I’m missing another one. Which… I don’t think I am. At least, I sure hope not. Otherwise, this is gonna be a pain in the ass.
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