Title: The Witcher – Sword of Destiny

Author: Andrzej Sapkowski

Hi all,

I’ve completed the second book of the new novel series, and cannot complain of the brilliance of the adventures we are provided with.

As with the first book, they have included some of the stories from this book in the first season, but not all. Even though that may be annoying to some, because we may argue that we miss valuable parts of the story. Not to mention, they have changed some parts in the series than they are told in the book. However, they have not left out the most important part of the second book from the ending of the first season, the part where the Witcher and Ciri meet so they may carry on their adventures from the second season onwards.

In the second book you will continue to accompany Gerald of Rivia on multiple different adventures as the Witcher. The stories covered are:

• The Bounds of Reason – Gerald is on an adventure with Dandilion once more, this time, the adventure is for the capture of a Golden Dragon. At least, that is the goal of the other members of the company, not Gerald. He joined the quest from the king because Yennefer took the job, not to earn her coin, but rather to continue her pursuit that which was stolen from her since she joined the sorcerer’s Guild. Her ability to give child birth. (featured in series one)
• A Shard of Ice – Gerald and Yennefer are in a town called Aedd Gynvael where he was assigned to kill a monster and Yennefer wishes to reacquaint with another magician. It is here that he learns her whole heart doesn’t belong to him, but that she has two admirers. Before they decide to battle he decides to step aside and not cause an unnecessary battle, to the annoyance of the other lover, who is frustrated to do anything to have her for himself, but ends up losing her as well.
• Eternal Flame – Gerald and Dandelion happen upon Novigrad, and a halfling in a tavern who tells them of his business dealings. Then, a mirror-image of the halfling enters the room and scolds him for taking his identity and having looted his possessions. It turns out its a creature that can take on the appearance and personality of another person. He escapes them and they continue to chase him down, only to learn the double’s business instincts are better than the trader himself, whereafter they make a pact with each other.
• A Little Sacrifice – The next adventure takes Gerald and Dandilion to a kingdom by the sea shores where the king requests Gerald to translate the language from a mermaid to him as he tries to persuade her to become his queen. She wishes the opposite, that he become a merman instead. Having failed, they go back to the tavern to consider their options as they are running out of money. Dandilion acquires a music gig at an upcoming wedding, whilst Gerald obtains a task at the wedding. It is once again from the King Agloval to investigate why one of his fisherman boats is bloodied, but without any bodies remaining. They find out the ship lingers above a cave that disappears with the tide, and then decide to investigate, only to find a secret species that has been living there.
• The Sword of Destiny – Gerald ventures in the woods of Brokilon, known to be the kingdom of a queen that roams in the woods, and whose soldiers are all female. It is here that he meets a certain princess for the first time who ran away with a troop of people because they didn’t want to be the subjects (and in the girl’s case, the future bride of the prince) of the king. Unfortunately, the policy in Brokilon is that when a child wanders into the woods, it remains a child of the woods. Gerald has a hard time to persuade the queen to let the child return home. That child will have a big role in the future, and is the princess Ciri, daughter of princess Pavetta, and granddaughter to Queen Calanthe.
• Something More – Gerald helps out a trader on a bridge, and becomes worryingly injured by the beasts. However, he manages to kill them off and keep the traveler safe. The traveler takes him in his cart in the hopes of finding help for the Witcher to treat his wounds. The payment that Gerald had requested for his help was “anything that is unexpected at home”. By this, he means any child that was not expected so that it may be trained for the Witcher Guild. Meanwhile, the Nilfgaard kingdom has declared war on different kingdoms, which resulted in Queen Calanthe’s death, and the fleeing of the princess Ciri. She fled to a settlement where refugees from the war were waiting out the result. Here, she is met by a mother with her two children, who take her on into her family. She is on her way home, and Ciri, who has no one left, decides to go along with the family. When Gerald and the trader reach his home, the mother has already returned with her sons and their new daughter. The trader, realizing that the daughter is the unexpected, understands that fate brought them together. It is here where Gerald and Ciri meet once again, this time, to stay together, as destiny wanted it.

You won’t be disappointed or bored at any time, because the adventures on their own are intriguing.

Further, you will understand it better how the different stories fit together and how it was that princess Ciri was meant to find The Witcher to be her teacher and her mentor. Though I am not saying this because I read the next books, I believe this is what the stories and series are building up towards.

Summary:

Enjoyed the stories very much and managed to link individual components of the stories better together. The short stories flow into the bigger story line very well. The adventures are with new monsters and the tools of the Witcher Guild are new and unique. I gave the book a rating of 4.4/5

Stay in touch for another book review later on for the next thrilling adventure of the Witcher!