Reviews tagging 'War'

Svalans torn by Andrzej Sapkowski

20 reviews

timmytunter's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

The Tower of Swallows, the fourth book in The Witcher saga by Andrzej Sapkowski, continues to weave the intricate threads of Ciri, Geralt, and Yennefer’s stories as their paths diverge and converge in a world teetering on the brink of chaos. Following my favourite entry in the series so far, Baptism of Fire, The Tower of Swallows may not quite reach the same heights but still stands as a worthy addition to the saga.

This installment is largely told from Ciri’s perspective, recounting her experiences to the old hermit Vysogota after a harrowing escape from her gang, The Rats, and a grisly encounter with the relentless bounty hunter Bonhart. Vysogota, with kindness and wisdom, offers Ciri shelter and care as she recovers from her wounds and unravels the events leading up to their meeting. The story also tracks the branching narratives of Geralt and Yennefer, maintaining the saga’s expansive scope and depth.

Sapkowski’s writing style shines, though it may not be to everyone’s taste. His narrative technique of jumping between storylines, time periods, geographical regions, and character recollections is both a challenge and a delight. As the series progresses, this complexity grows, mirroring the tangled web of Ciri’s own journey, which now includes

multiple trips through magical portals

by the book’s conclusion.

Overall, The Tower of Swallows is a compelling continuation of The Witcher saga, blending action, intrigue, and Sapkowski’s distinctive narrative flair. While it might not surpass Baptism of Fire, it remains a strong entry that propels the overarching story forward in satisfying, albeit sometimes dizzying, directions.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Cursing, Drug use, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Torture, and War

godelewa's review against another edition

adventurous slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Misogyny and War

Minor: Torture and Police brutality

sheiksleopardthong's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This is easily my favourite of the novels so far. It dances between POVs expertly, and plays with the timeline of each POV in a very fun way. It also brought back more of the fairytale feeling that was mildly present in Blood of Elves. Cahir and Regis are also some of my favourite side characters so I loved getting to know them so much.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Blood, Murder, and War

Moderate: Miscarriage, Racism, and Sexual assault

breamfish1138's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Such a confusion of plotlines that it's basically fantasy Pulp Fiction but if you can get past that it's an extremely well written dark fantasy (read the first books first, though, or you'll be confused). Also,

Leo Bonhart is one of the most compelling evil bastards in literature.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, and War

Moderate: Miscarriage and Injury/Injury detail

shiveryteacup's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, Drug use, Gore, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Stalking, War, and Injury/Injury detail

mcmeiss's review against another edition

adventurous dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Vomit and War

Minor: Infidelity and Abortion

breezie_reads's review against another edition

adventurous dark slow-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

I love how this was written, how all of the storylines bleed into each other in the form of recollections or stories. It was probably one of my favorite things about this book, actually. The amount of times I physically reacted to what I was reading was insane, and I was on the edge of my seat from page one. Despite this being a lot slower paced than the others in the series, I can see this being my favorite out of the other books. There wasn't a moment of peace on the pages, so there wasn't a moment of peace in my heart.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Murder, and War

Moderate: Slavery and Injury/Injury detail

opinkb's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Drug use, Physical abuse, Torture, Blood, Kidnapping, and Murder

Moderate: Sexual assault, Grief, Sexual harassment, and War

lqne's review against another edition

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Misogyny, Rape, Torture, Violence, and War

mikayladlewis's review against another edition

adventurous dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Maybe I am being generous with the 4 stars but The Tower of Swallows is maybe the best of the Saga so far. Maybe because of Ciri's character development... I am here for Ciri gaining her independence and owning it. There is a bit more development in Yennefer's character as well. This I liked because she is obviously important but very little time has been spent on her thus far. Two more books left so I am curious to see what my final verdict is. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Alcohol, and War