The Time of Contempt: The Witcher, Book 2

This is a tough read. It is good, a well told tale, but some of the chapters leave you needing recovery time.

I really liked the original books, its better than the TV shows

Probably like a lot of people, I played the games, watched the show, but never got to enjoy the books. This was my first entry into the series and I had quite a bit of fun with it, following the political intrigue and Ciri’s struggle for survival. The central theme of contempt invokes a feeling of fury at the adversity that Geralt and Ciri face and I found myself captivated by the novel. As I understand, this is not the book that most Witcher fans recommend starting with, but I enjoyed it all the same.

10/10 great book, the Witcher series gets better and better every read through. The focus on characters and attention to the times it’s set in really make an enjoyable read

I love these books the best way I can describe the Witcher World in one sentence is to say that they are a cross between Game of Thrones and Harry Potter. They have all the political conflict between Kings and regions like Game of Thrones and all of the magic and sorcery of Harry Potter. As you get further into the novels they really leave you on some incredible cliffhangers and the story of Ciri, Yennefer and Geralt is Simply Amazing. The Deep connections between the three of them are what makes these books what they are and it truly makes one see that a child does not have to be your own for you to love them care for them and protect them like you would your own child. To the best of my knowledge these books were written long before Harry Potter and it may be that JK Rowling actually took some of her ideas from the books about The Witcher. I don't know that for a fact but I do see some correlations there, that might lead one to believe that she at least may have gotten some of her ideas and Concepts from The Witcher novels. Yes some of the same fantasy elements are there that you see in a lot of fantasy books werewolves, vampires, Sorcerers, witches. However being that the author is Polish and has a lot of deep polish folklore to drawn on, these books are very different from anything you would find from a British or American Author. I highly recommend them. Please don't let yourself be fooled thinking that these books were written after the video games they were written long before that and that's what makes The Witcher 3 video game in particular one of the best videogames of all time. The story that was taken from these novels. Do yourself a favor and read the first two Witcher short story collections and the five novels you won't regret it.

Part four of the Witcher and the series shows no signs of slowing down. After a brief lull in the previous book, no doubt thanks in part to the transition from short stories to novel, Sapkowski's tale is back with a bang. More world building, specifically the sorcerers and activities of the various kingdoms, which continue to draw parallels with the modern world. And speaking of the modern world, what Witcher tales would be complete without some moral relativism? None, which is why faithful readers should be pleased to note that those themes are present in this book, as well. From a character perspective, "The Time of Contempt" focuses on Ciri and her changes, though Geralt and Yennefer are also presented with opportunities for growth and change. Sadly, Dandelion plays a small role in this entry. Perhaps he gets more 'page time' in the next book. Fingers crossed more of the troubadour in "Baptism of Fire." And now, some quotes. "You're right: stories. But do you know when stories stop being stories? The moment someone begins to believe in them." - - - - - "Secondly, he didn't want to wipe away with words the taste of her delight, which was still on his lips." - - - - - 'Don't mock me, Witcher. The matter is becoming serious. It's becoming ever less clear what this is all about, and when no one knows what something's about it's sure to be all about money.' - - - - - "The wording on the sign read: 'Codringher and Fenn, legal consultation and services'. But Geralt knew only too well that Codringher and Fenn's trade had little in common with the law, while the partners themselves had a host of reasons to avoid any kind of contact either with the law or its enforcers. He also seriously doubted if any of the clients who showed up in their chambers knew what the word 'consultation' meant." - - - - - 'Geralt,' said Ciri, putting her eye once more to the hole in the wall, 'is standing with his head bowed. And Yennefer's yelling at him. She's screaming and waving her arms. Oh dear... What can it mean?' 'It's childishly simple.' Dandelion stared at the clouds scuddling across the sky. 'Now she's saying sorry to him.'

The Time of Contempt is Book 2 of the Witcher Series written by Andrzej Sapkowski and translated into English. To get the most out of this book, you'll really need to read Book 1, Blood of Elves. Other books featuring Geralt exist, but they are only short stories and not really a part of this series directly. And of course, millions discovered Geralt through the Witcher Video Game Series, which is awesome! The Witcher Universe: Witchers are a mysterious organization of monster hunters that protect the innocent for a price. The Witcher Universe is a well-written fantasy world that springs from mythology and folklore. There are Elves, Dwarves, Dryads, Druids, Wizards, Trolls... There are warring kingdoms, treachery, diplomacy, monsters, and bands of rebel fighters. It's an epic Universe and the ties to European Folklore make the Universe feel more credible. Story: Ciri, a child of prophecy with a huge bounty on her head and is being chased by bounty hunters. Yennifer, a powerful sorceress who is engaged in wizard's guild politics is escorting Ciri to safety. Geralt, a professional monster hunter, works behind the scenes to keep them safe. Dandelion, a bard / spy, provides the main characters with information. There a quite a few twists and turns as Ciri travels from place to place, dodging evils of many kind. Characters: The characters are all multi-dimensional and interesting and they all have good dialogue. The story mostly follows Ciri and the politics within the mage's guild, with Geralt, Yennifer, and Dandelion having supporting roles. Writing Style: You can't tell that the book was translated from Polish. It flows naturally, so that's good! There is no narrator who has an over-arching view of the story. Instead, the political battle between kingdoms is told in bits through the characters, similar to the Game of Thrones Series. Nobody has a complete view of what is going on, so you put the state of the realm together in your head from what you hear. You really need to pay attention to this book and follow the actions of the spies and mages. There is also no big build up or payoff. The story just flows. It does feel more organic that way, but it does lack that big payoff that most books deliver. Action: I'm a HUGE fan of the Witcher video games. I love it when Geralt ventures into the forest and slays creatures spawned from folklore and nightmares. It's also great when Geralt finds humans who are more like the proverbial monsters, than the monsters themselves and slays them, too. With that said, this book does have plenty of action, but Geralt isn't involved in most of it. Unfortunately, Geralt slays a wyvern and we hear about it second hand from a peasant. It would have been great to read about that. Geralt also battles 3 bounty hunters offscreen, so we only hear what is going on from a peasant's point of view inside a tavern. It would have been great to read these fights from Geralt's perspective. When there is action, it's quite good. There are magic duels, skirmishes, sword fights, etc... But there should be much more. Maturity: It's pretty adult oriented. There's violence, gore, swearing, and sexual situations. Overall: I enjoyed the book, but I'm a bit disappointed. The cover features Geralt as if he just killed some giant creature and crawled out of its slime covered maw. Geralt only kills one monster in the book and it happens offscreen. He spends most of the book stuck in political intrigue, and most of what goes on is over his head. Ciri actually has more pages dedicated to her than Geralt, and she's interesting as the story unfolds around her. A huge portion of the book is dedicated to the political squabbles of the mages guild, and you really need to follow it closely. So, this is a pretty good book, but it's not what you'd expect if you're a fan of the videogame series, the Witcher/Hexer TV Series, or a fan of the original Witcher short stories. If you like medieval fantasy with political intrigue, read The Game of Thrones Series by George RR Martin. It's much better than the intrigue here. If you want to see Geralt battle monsters, definitely pick up the Witcher Game Series. It's incredibly well written and grounded in folklore. If you're not into games, you should at least watch the cinematics on youtube. You'll love `em.

As a huge fan of CDPR Witcher games, I have been reading the books the games take place after to get more Geralt of Rivia. The books are well written, giving a lot of context to characters and places in the games. I would strongly recommend reading the books in chronological order, as it will have a more distinct beginning and end that way. For those who haven't played the games, it is light fantasy with enough political intrigue to satisfy a Game of Thrones fan. Love, betrayal, action, it's all here.