This is the second
Witcher book I read (The Last Wish is reviewed here).
As with the first, it’s
a collection of short stories revolving around Geralt of Rivia, whose
job is hunting monsters and whose pastimes include boning sorceresses
and being subjected to prejudice on account of the fact Witchers are
mutants (which both makes them fearsome warriors and loathed by a
large portion of society).
Major characters from
the preceding book and The Witcher 3 make appearances, and there’s
also a story involving a chap with a Witcher 3 cameo that fits
nicely. The quality of the writing is high, and Geralt’s mixed
character (he’s not evil but definitely not a knight in shining
armour) coupled with the in-depth world-building helps to make the
fictional setting feel like a real, immersive place.
This wasn’t a problem
for me, but it’s worth noting the short stories shift in time and
there’s no firm indicator of what happens when (you can work out
some obvious sequencing but there are no dates/years). Unlike The
Last Wish, there’s no underlying, unifying story that gets dipped
into repeatedly. Every short story is complete, although some have
links to others.
I enjoyed it rather a
lot. If you liked The Last Wish, I think you’ll like this too.
Thaddeus
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