The New York Times bestselling series that inspired the international hit video game: The Witcher.Look out for Season of Storms in April 2018Geralt is a witcher, a man whose magic powers, enhanced by long training and a mysterious elixir, have made him a brilliant fighter and a merciless assassin. Yet he is no ordinary murderer: his targets are the multifarious monsters and vile fiends that … multifarious monsters and vile fiends that ravage the land and attack the innocent.
This is a collection of short stories, following the adventures of the hit collection THE LAST WISH. Join Geralt as he battles monsters, demons and prejudices alike…
Witcher collectionsThe Last WishSword of Destiny
Witcher novelsBlood of Elves
The Time of Contempt
Baptism of Fire The Tower of SwallowsLady of the Lake
The Malady and Other Stories: An Andrzej Sapkowski Sampler (e-only)
Translated from original Polish by David Frenchmore
Another great collection of short stories in the world with Gerald. Although most of them were about Geralt and Yennifer, Geralt and Ciri or Geralt and Dandelion.
We dip deeper into the world and lore, but even more aboy Geralt and his feelings and his past. A lot about how he got to be a witcher , what ot takes to be a witcher and about how he became the ward of Ciri, also the law of surprise is once again brought up and better explained.
I enjoyed most of the stories, there was only one that was not my fav about a mermaid, I’m not a fan of mermaids in the first place, it gave me a terrible vibe or Ariel for adults lol , but even with that I still enjoyed it and loved the site parts with the other people involved and Geralt how he handled it and Dandelion of course. He is always one of my favorite parts in the books.
But overall another great book and I’m looking forward to start the main books now.
I rate it 4
Working on book 2 in the Witcher saga loving it! Does anybody know if Season of Storms is being translated or where it fits in to the series?
Sword of Destiny gives readers new tales of the Witcher Geralt with twists on classics and new unique adventures of fantasy and magic.
Amazing Writing
Sapkowski is a fantastic writer. Why? Because he was a way with words, storytelling, drawing the reader into the story and giving them something.
In Sword of Destiny, there are six short stories, each one as different as the one before it, and yet, the way they move into one another makes sense. These stories do not seem random. Instead, each one has a message that drives the story forward, keeping up the story’s momentum.
These stories are also so fulfilling. I usually do not read compilations because I am often left unfulfilled by them. However, with Sword of Destiny, I devour them, and I am satisfied by the ending. Geralt grows; each story has plot development and character development to hold the reader in the narrative. Two stories draw illusions to The Snow Queen and The Little Mermaid. I loved that; I loved how Sapkowski could draw from those tales to create something else entirely.
Sapkowski does not retell fairy tales; he reinvents them.
Character Growth
Each tale in Sword of Destiny also sees growth in the characters. Geralt is a Witcher, which means he is met with many prejudices against those who are different. He has Yennefer and Dandelion, two characters who see him as more than an abomination, but they rarely do. However, of course, each story does have Geralt come across someone new who is respectful of him.
These characters challenge him; they have ethical and moral debates that add to the growth of the narrative and the character Geralt.
There is a change in Geralt as a person by the final tale, and it happens subtly over time. However, it also seems more like his deeper self is coming to the surface, that he is allowing himself to be more human, rather than apart from them.
The reader also sees more of his relationship with Ciri, Yennefer, and Dandelion develop. These three characters are more present in these stories than in The Last Wish, adding to the depth of his relationship with them. The reader sees and understands what these characters mean to one another and the depth of love between them. They are lovely and funny all at once, especially where Dandelion and Ciri are concerned, offering up something delightful.
Final Thoughts
Sword of Destiny is a fantastic collection of stories. There is depth and humor to them, and for fans of Netflix’s Witcher series, this is a must-read.
Geralt does not believe his life is led by fate. But despite his adamant denial, each short story in this collection shows how fate continues to intervene in his life. Whether he chooses to believe in it or not. In this collection of stories, Geralt will find out that his destiny is not as escapable as he wants it to be. Despite the choices he makes in life, there will always be a way that destiny weaves his path back to its original design. And when he forces destiny’s hand too many times, there will be dire consequences.
Sword of Destiny is the second set of short stories that takes place before Blood of Elves. The main set of secondary characters that accompany Geralt on and off throughout his journeys are given more depth in these stories. They also highlight key moments in Geralt’s life. Even though The Last Wish and Sword of Destiny were published after Blood of Elves, I highly suggest reading them before you start the core series. Sapkowski writes in a way that makes the reader put together the pieces of character relationships and history. Reading the two short story collections will provide new readers with a better foundation to carry on into the main series.
As I venture deeper into the world of The Witcher, I am becoming more and more entranced by the world and Geralt. He’s such a realistic character in how he behaves and questions himself. At one point he held an internal monologue about awkward feelings of attraction. I was amazed at the exposure to such raw emotions and it made him all the more endearing to me. And he can be such a stubborn character. Watching him fight against the inevitable provides a wealth of conflict and entertainment. Especially when Yennifer and Dandelion are thrown into the mix.
The Witcher series is filled with memorable characters and a fantasy world bursting with lore. There is so much still to discover with this series, and I can’t wait to dive into the next book! I took a side quest into the short stories, now it’s time to continue my main journey!
Begging is just so much slow pace but i liked last 2 chapters so it is okay!
Original review: https://myshelfbooks.wordpress.com/2020/08/29/review-sword-of-destiny-by-andrzej-sapkowski/
Anthology: This book has better stories than the previous anthology, but it also feels more unbalanced. Some were really great and entertatining, others I couldn’t read them fast enough to get over them. The first anthology doesn’t have epic tales, but the quality is more stable. Overall, this second book is slightly better.
Great Cast: This time I have enjoyed the regular characters quite a lot. His romantic misadventures with Yennefer have been fun, but a bit scarce for my taste. What has been a blast to read has been the exchanges between Geralt and Ciri. I wasn’t expecting the Witcher being so charming with the little girl. Fate has chosen wisely. But there has been one character that has annoyed me a little bit: Dandelion. We know he is kind of a clown, but his attitude in some situations has rubbed me the wrong way.
Angry: Again, the stupid banner in the cover telling me this saga is now a show in Netflix. The art of the cover is SO pretty that is rather insulting that they have covered part of it with that monstrosity.
I checked this audio book from out from the library. Fantastic book plenty twist and turns. Can’t wait to read the next book.
Like The last wish, Sword of destiny is another collection of short stories. My fave one was Sword of destiny where Geralt met Ciri. Really loved the Witcher’s world.
This Witcher book was definitely better than the first one. Even though it’s a collection of short stories, most of them interlink, and fill out the characters a lot more. I especially liked the one with the changelings–it was a humorous departure from a lot of the heavier subjects in the rest of the story. The last story was a little confusing, as it was told in two times at once, but I’m guessing it sets us up for the rest of the series. Looking forward to the next book!
What a great collection of short stories. I love how much each story really shows Geralt’s struggles. Loved them so much.
Awesome second book. Great vignettes. Perfect precursor to the games.