A review by a_chickletz
The Time of Contempt by Andrzej Sapkowski

3.0

It has been a while since I have read the previous Witcher book. Probably before the 1st season of the show came out. I remember that I enjoyed the story but I had issues with the translation and or the writing.

No surprise that I would have the same issues with the translation and writing. The story, the characters, everything is solid A in fantasy. However, the 'writing' and the 'translation' just comes across messy and that you have to re-word dialogue and plot to sentences that make sense and then enjoy the world that way.

Spoiler Let me tell you, the coupe / downfall of the Council was by far an amazing bit of the story. For those who watch the series, expect a scene in which Yennifer, Geralt and Ciri head to the Council to have a gathering. There Geralt discovers the spy who is working with Philippa and that others are after Ciri. It is during this time several groups or factions raid the Council and turn them against one another and then slaughter them all. This results in the breaking of the Council and less than 10 sorcerers remaining alive in the end. Yennifer and Ciri get split up, Geralt gets heavily wounded. You find out that the coupe and those turning one another was all set up by Emhyr to get Ciri... but he fails in the end, and instead gets an imposter to take her place while he puts a bounty on Cehyr's head. I never liked the Council of witches / wizards, so fuck them and their awful dealings with girls. So fuck 'em.

The negative bit is that when Yennifer and Ciri split up you never seen Yennifer throughout the rest of the book. Where did she go? You don't know (and I am reading the next book and she has still not shown up).


The translation or the original prose is a bit of mess, but with that all going on it's fun. You can see this stuff happening on screen. You hate who you're supposed to hate and you hope for the best when it comes to the characters you love.

I am excited to see where this series goes and I am glad that Henry Cavill pushed for more of Geralt's intelligence and wisdom - he is quite intelligent and funny and I felt this book cerements that.