A review by sabrinabean
Lady of the Lake by Andrzej Sapkowski
adventurous
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
It took me 11 months to read this book. If that doesn't say how much a slog it was to get through, I don't know what does.
The Good:
Shifting Perspectives:
I did grow to like how some distant and close POVs gave the reader a broader sense of the world. There were clever moments of karmic justice or just plain sad moments built up off of these short segments. The reason I think these sections are great is because Sapkowski excels at writing short stories. Long overarching fantasy narratives? Not so much.
Time Jumping:
I may be in the minority here, but I did like the time jumping aspect of this novel. It gave some relief during tense moments, gave great "ah-a!" moments, and made me work to puzzle together events. While this technique isn't for every story, or every reader, I thought it made sense here.
The Medics:
Literally the only chapter I distinctly care about. Those medics are badasses, and what a cool way to show a battle.
The Parallels to Arthurian Legends:
The interpretation of Ciri as the Holy Grail (or, really, a False Grail), the ending, Avalon, etc all make really cool references which help soften the blow of the ending.
The Bad:
The Rape & Sexual Harassment:
Ciri cannot catch a break. Everyone (minus Geralt and party) she encounters in this book wants to beat her, rape her, inseminate her, and force a baby on her. The gratuitous amounts of rape, attempted rape, threats of rape, and rape as a plot point are too much.
Out of Character Moments:
It often felt like all (or what little character development there was) just flew out the window. I did not understand some character's decisions at all.
You're telling me Geralt and Yen finally find Ciri then just agree to commit suicide?? What the actual hell.
And then Emphyr just... sees Ciri cry and decides NOT to steal, rape, and impregnate his own daughter???
I just... what??
The Lodge of Sorceresses:
I was so hoping for some badass ladies to show men how to run the world properly. But they did nothing. And the few things they did do were worse than how other characters acted??
Women Hating Women:
Are there any decent women in this series? More specifically, are there any women who don't fall in love with Geralt and have sex with him? And are there any women with genuine connections other than mother/daughter or aunt/cousin?? Asking because I'm sick of this.
Would I recommend this series? Ehhhhhh. For high fantasy lovers, sure. I personally struggled with it through.
I would recommend the short stories, but the actual series was a bust for me. Somehow the Netflix show is turning out worse though, so there's that. I guess the games are where its at.
The Good:
Shifting Perspectives:
I did grow to like how some distant and close POVs gave the reader a broader sense of the world. There were clever moments of karmic justice or just plain sad moments built up off of these short segments. The reason I think these sections are great is because Sapkowski excels at writing short stories. Long overarching fantasy narratives? Not so much.
Time Jumping:
I may be in the minority here, but I did like the time jumping aspect of this novel. It gave some relief during tense moments, gave great "ah-a!" moments, and made me work to puzzle together events. While this technique isn't for every story, or every reader, I thought it made sense here.
The Medics:
Literally the only chapter I distinctly care about. Those medics are badasses, and what a cool way to show a battle.
The Parallels to Arthurian Legends:
The interpretation of Ciri as the Holy Grail (or, really, a False Grail), the ending, Avalon, etc all make really cool references which help soften the blow of the ending.
The Bad:
The Rape & Sexual Harassment:
Ciri cannot catch a break. Everyone (minus Geralt and party) she encounters in this book wants to beat her, rape her, inseminate her, and force a baby on her. The gratuitous amounts of rape, attempted rape, threats of rape, and rape as a plot point are too much.
Out of Character Moments:
It often felt like all (or what little character development there was) just flew out the window. I did not understand some character's decisions at all.
Spoiler
You're telling me Geralt and Yen finally find Ciri then just agree to commit suicide?? What the actual hell.
And then Emphyr just... sees Ciri cry and decides NOT to steal, rape, and impregnate his own daughter???
I just... what??
The Lodge of Sorceresses:
I was so hoping for some badass ladies to show men how to run the world properly. But they did nothing. And the few things they did do were worse than how other characters acted??
Spoiler
Seriously, they just want Ciri to get pregnant too!Women Hating Women:
Are there any decent women in this series? More specifically, are there any women who don't fall in love with Geralt and have sex with him? And are there any women with genuine connections other than mother/daughter or aunt/cousin?? Asking because I'm sick of this.
Would I recommend this series? Ehhhhhh. For high fantasy lovers, sure. I personally struggled with it through.
I would recommend the short stories, but the actual series was a bust for me. Somehow the Netflix show is turning out worse though, so there's that. I guess the games are where its at.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
Moderate: Rape
Minor: Rape