The New York Times bestselling series that inspired the international hit video game: The WitcherLook out for Season of Storms in April 2018 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 … 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.
The Witcher returns in this action-packed sequel to The Time of Contempt.
Witcher novelsBlood of Elves
The Time of Contempt
Baptism of Fire The Tower of SwallowsLady of the Lake
Witcher collectionsThe Last WishSword of Destiny
The Malady and Other Stories: An Andrzej Sapkowski Sampler (e-only)
Translated from original Polish by David Frenchmore
I know I keep saying it but it is true. The books get better and better. Not only is the overall arc developing nicely but the characters as well.
This book so far was my favorite, while there was so, so much going on there, it was also nice and slow and things not resolved or mentioned yet. First, I was like … WTH?! Let’s get to …. or what happened to ….
But now having finished this book I have to say bravo, well done, we get plenty of story and characters growth and action and still there is so much that needs to be addressed.
I love how he tells the story and the people.
In this book the group is still semi split up after the major battle. People are still recovering from their injuries and some are even permanent.
Geralt is traveling with a group. Of course, we have Dandelion, but he also is joined by Milva and Zoltan, both who I loved right away. There are some others and of course having Dandelion in the group will cause mischief enough, as he of course never knows when to shut up.
Here is one of my favorite quotes of the book that sums up pretty well Geralt’s group in his own words:
“What a company I ended up with,’ Geralt continued, shaking his head. ‘Brothers in arms! A team of heroes! What have I done to deserve it? A poetaster with a lute. A wild and lippy half-dryad, half-woman. A vampire, who’s about to notch up his fifth century. And a bloody Nilfgaardian who insists he isn’t a Nilfgaardian.”
There was not as much of Yennifer or Tris, but I have a feeling we will get plenty of that next book. At least when it comes to Yennifer.
The same with Ciri, which I’m most curious about. She is still with the Rats from last book and I’m not sure how I feel about it. I have no idea where this will be going so maybe that’s why. I have a feeling that it will be solved in the next book one way or another.
Overall, I loved this book and since it ended once again on a cliffhanger, I can’t wait to get to the next book in the series.
I give it a full 5
This third full volume in the Witcher series offers an exciting story. Sapkowski is a fine author of fantasy, especially a story offering a clear vision of a world fraught with war, magic, and supernatural beings.
Of course, Geralt is the main character, but he is accompanied by numerous companions who are clearly defined and unforgettable. Dandelion (Jaskier in the show) is a constant source of humor, and he will not disappoint you insofar as you see his and Geralt’s friendship grow. Other friends – including a vampire – join with Geralt to find Ciri.
The world building is excellent. Sapkowski interweaves the exploits of the characters within their world without info-dumping for paragraphs. In essence, you feel part of the place he describes.
Highly recommend this volume, and I look forward to starting Book 4.
With the fall of the Wizard Council, Ciri has disappeared, rumored to be captured by Nilfgaard. Near-death from his injuries, Geralt is unable to search for her. As he recovers with the dryads the world enters a time of political upheaval. War breaks out and the sorcerers are left to pick up the pieces of their order.
Baptism of Fire takes a step back from the witcher’s storyline for the majority of the book. As Geralt lies injured and recovering, Sapkowski gives a detailed overview of the world’s politics. I am not one for politics and had a difficult time remembering all the people mentioned as conspirators and spies. The story also came to a stand for the majority of the book as all the politics were divulged.
Of course, when the focus turned to Geralt, the pace picked up. Being injured he is limited in his actions, but it also gave time for readers to see how he is changing. And with the world growing darker, the comparison to himself and the humans around him is clear to see. Even injured he will not stand to see the innocent torn down. Sapkowski also made sure to give Geralt entertaining traveling companions. Dandelion is always a joy to read on-page, and a few dwarves were thrown into the mix as well.
I was surprised to hear the title of the book said multiple times in the story. At one point baptism of fire was used three times in one paragraph. I’m not sure what the point of this was. The meaning behind the title was explained well enough the first time it was used. So much of this book pointed to it being filler. At one point the entire history of Ciri’s bloodline is even explained. If I had not invested so much time in this series already, and knew how good it could be, I may have DNFed this book.
I know this series has potential and can be an entertaining read. I still have hopes for the next book to be worthwhile. I love Geralt’s character, and I can’t wait to see what Ciri’s ultimate destiny will be.
I was lucky enough to have gotten this Audio book from the library. Fantastic book plenty of twist and turns.
The Witcher isn’t at 100%, but while the war rages on, he’s determined to track down and rescue Ciri in this third volume on the series.
I love the Sapkowski’s wry, biting sense of humour and talent for describing scenes in vivid detail. This story unrolls almost like a movie and I really enjoyed the non-stop action.
This was interesting to read. Almost nothing of importance actually happens, and we find out some facts that probably couple have been included in the last book fairly easily. That said, this book was very enjoyable, especially the interactions with Zoltan Chivay and his band of merry thugs, and with Regis, the barber-surgeon. I’m hoping the books get back on track with the main quest in the next book, but this was still a very likable book.
Baptism of fire is the third book in The Witcher serie. Dark time as fallen upon the world and Geralt,who was gravely injured, can do nothing until he fully recovered. Ciri, he heiress to the throne of Cintra, has vanished. But they’re rumors of where she might be.
Really loved this one and a lot of news characters are introduced. But miss that there wasn’t enough scene with Yennefer.