Baptism of Fire
Ratings219
Average rating4.2
15
Ratings219
Average rating4.2
The Wizards Guild has been shattered by a coup and, in the uproar, Geralt was seriously injured. The Witcher is supposed to be a guardian of the innocent, a protector of those in need, a defender against powerful and dangerous monsters that prey on men in dark times. But now that dark times have fallen upon the world, Geralt is helpless until he has recovered from his injuries. While war rages across all of the lands, the future of magic is under threat and those sorcerers who survive are determined to protect it. It's an impossible situation in which to find one girl--Ciri, the heiress to the throne of Cintra, has vanished--until a rumor places her in the Niflgaard court, preparing to marry the Emperor. Injured or not, Geralt has a rescue mission on his hands.
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Reviews with the most likes.
Part three of “Geralt not being a witcher”.
Although the story progresses very slowly and I don’t care about a couple sub plots, from the main saga I like this one the most (the next one may be better, reading it right now). There are some time jumps here, which sometimes feel all over the place (or time?), but to me they're not too distracting and provide some additional points of view.
The whole traveling through forests, meeting new people and making new friends, dealing with some tense situations, being on a frontline between the two armies… It feels like the author emphasizes the grimdark atmosphere more and more, as the series continues, by showing the consequences of medieval war and what scared and desperate people may do in that situation. (which also happens a lot in the next book, but I’m getting ahead of myself)
Yeah, also, Regis is just the best! And Geralt receives some upgrades in both gear and character. And the ending is really nice and even satisfying.
So it feels like the series is getting better with each book and worth continuing if you're on the fence about it. (the first half of The Tower of the Swallow is very good)
A brilliant mix of political maneuvering and engrossing action.
This has been the best book in the Witcher saga so far. We get a healthy dose of Dandelion which is always appreciated, and there wasn't any superfluous erotica. Has me really excited for the next book.
Best Witcher novel so far - Sapkowski had outdone himself (literally, I thought no one could write better, but forgot that Sapkowski himself can write better than Sapkowski).
Also, one of the best fantasy novels I have ever read.
Actually, for my taste, one of the best novels in general ever read be me, whatever the genre. It has them all, anyway: military (war), espionage, friendship, love, courtly intrigues, politics... and a surprising amount of very good and funny humor (of the ”tongue in the cheek” kind).
I must also say I was amazed by the high quality translation: it reads as a very well-written book in English - the fact it was actually written in a very different language is incredible (în comparație cu traducerea execrabilă în română - par alte cărți, unele proaste și de necitit).
PS for the gamers: so far this is the most relevant Witcher novel for understanding the game: it explains the background of many characters and also the political conflicts and some hate relationships. After this book, I understand W3WH completely differently.
Series
5 primary books12 released booksThe Witcher is a 13-book series with 5 primary works first released in 20 with contributions by Andrzej Sapkowski, Danusia Stok, and 7 others.
Series
8 primary books11 released booksThe Witcher (Publication Order) is a 11-book series with 8 primary works first released in 1992 with contributions by Andrzej Sapkowski, Mihaela Fiscutean, and 3 others.
