sueodd's review against another edition
3.0
This was....not the ending I had hoped for this series. Not that I wanted everything to come out roses, but I didn't expect the main conclusion to happen 70% in, while the rest of the story meandered oddly afterwards.
Spoilers ahead.
Ciri's potential as the "Child of Destiny" has been built up from the start, yet it was completely wasted. We are told many times that she changes or destroys the entire world. But did she? Everyone powerful was after her for her bloodline: Vilgefortz, some random elves, the sorceresses, even her own father, and yet she ends up through a portal into another world. Her world changed, but that was more a result of the war, Nilfgaard's defeat and subsequent negotiations. And even then we get teasers that the world really wasn't all that different afterwards.
All of Geralt's companions are conveniently killed in rapid succession, because none of them really mattered. I understand that the author wasn't going for a happy ending, but he spent several books building up these characters only to throw them away.
The reveal about the Nilfgaardian emperor as her actual father was creepy, but even worse, he just walks away after everything he had done to secure her as his wife, again, for her bloodline. I don't understand this. He already had a wife with the proper bloodline: Ciri's mom. Revealing that he killed Pavetta because his true goal was their child makes zero sense. Putting that aside, why would he walk away after finally securing Ciri just because she was crying? That was such an anti-climax and again, made zero sense.
The book didn't end there, however. It meanders about while Geralt, Yennefer, and Ciri revisit everyone from their past, and teases and actual happy ending, only to tear that away at the last moment as well. I'm still not sure what happened with Geralt and Yennefer but it was a little too similar to the LoTR ending where the elves sail off into the sunset. So they're dead but still live on somewhere? And their wedding was attended by the living and the dead? I obviously missed something.
There were some good parts. The battle between the Nordlings and Nilfgaard was well done. The showdown in Vilgefortz's castle was good, despite the deaths of Cahir, Milva, Regis, and the other girl, up until the Emperor showed up and we got the "big reveal".
There was so much potential in how this could have ended. Instead, the author decided to throw away much of what he had built up and give us a twist on an Arthurian legend.
Spoilers ahead.
Ciri's potential as the "Child of Destiny" has been built up from the start, yet it was completely wasted. We are told many times that she changes or destroys the entire world. But did she? Everyone powerful was after her for her bloodline: Vilgefortz, some random elves, the sorceresses, even her own father, and yet she ends up through a portal into another world. Her world changed, but that was more a result of the war, Nilfgaard's defeat and subsequent negotiations. And even then we get teasers that the world really wasn't all that different afterwards.
All of Geralt's companions are conveniently killed in rapid succession, because none of them really mattered. I understand that the author wasn't going for a happy ending, but he spent several books building up these characters only to throw them away.
The reveal about the Nilfgaardian emperor as her actual father was creepy, but even worse, he just walks away after everything he had done to secure her as his wife, again, for her bloodline. I don't understand this. He already had a wife with the proper bloodline: Ciri's mom. Revealing that he killed Pavetta because his true goal was their child makes zero sense. Putting that aside, why would he walk away after finally securing Ciri just because she was crying? That was such an anti-climax and again, made zero sense.
The book didn't end there, however. It meanders about while Geralt, Yennefer, and Ciri revisit everyone from their past, and teases and actual happy ending, only to tear that away at the last moment as well. I'm still not sure what happened with Geralt and Yennefer but it was a little too similar to the LoTR ending where the elves sail off into the sunset. So they're dead but still live on somewhere? And their wedding was attended by the living and the dead? I obviously missed something.
There were some good parts. The battle between the Nordlings and Nilfgaard was well done. The showdown in Vilgefortz's castle was good, despite the deaths of Cahir, Milva, Regis, and the other girl, up until the Emperor showed up and we got the "big reveal".
There was so much potential in how this could have ended. Instead, the author decided to throw away much of what he had built up and give us a twist on an Arthurian legend.
mrkuzzido's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
relaxing
sad
slow-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
elemmakil's review against another edition
4.0
Tässä kirjassa Sapkowskin tapa tappaa kaikki hahmot kävi jo vähän ärsyttäväksi - okei, sota on raakaa, mutta jotain rajaa hei, ei tämä ole Shakespearen tragedia. Lisäksi kymmenenkin kertojaa olisi riittänyt. Silti hyvä kirja, ja hyvä päätös saagalle.
mverrier's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
kanervareads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
davidkeithley81's review against another edition
5.0
Great finish to the “Witcher Saga”! I truly enjoyed all the books in the series, and I felt like they got stronger as the story went along. Bittersweet ending and I love how where Yennefer and Geralt ended up is left to some interpretation.
death_bringer's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75