Title: The Lady of the Lake – The Witcher series

Author: Andrzej Sapkowski

Pages: 531

Hi all,

This book has delivered quite a surprise how the story unfolds when I think back how the story ended in the previous book (010-2022 The Tower of the Swallow), but just proves that we can all make our own destiny.

In the previous novel we finished with Ciri entering the mysterious tower by the lake after evading from her pursuers for a good many weeks (which covers pretty much the whole book). The previous book was told from the perspective of Ciri taking refuge at a cottage with the hermit of the forest. This book applies this same approach, but with a slight twist, which at first makes the reader wonder how the story suddenly came to be here. However, as we reach the final chapter we are cleared up and can’t help but chuckle. For in the first chapter I believed there to have been an error in the book. Ciri emerges from a lake and is seen to emerge by a man, called knight Galahad (yes, from King Arthur’s round table). She befriends him and then starts telling her story. End of chapter. Then the next chapter jumps right back to where we ended in the previous book, in the Tower of the Swallow. Only at the end of the book did I remember her encounter with Galahad and it made sense that she was retelling her story to him, just as she did for Vysogota.

The book is structured over twelve chapters, and the story told in each chapter is as follows:

• Chapter 1 pg. 1
  • The story kicks off with Ciri emerging from the lake of a world different to her own. A rider notices her and calls her the Lady of the Lake and calls for her to offer him a gift. At first she doesn’t understand his intention but believes him to be rude, but he clears her up and tells her that in the tales there is a Lady of the Lake, a magical one, and when one encounters her she would often offer visitors a gift. The gift he requested of her was the sword she had on her back since the blade seemed to be of good make.
  • She clears him up that she is not this Lady of the Lake and will most definitely not hand over her blade. The blade was made for her, is connected to her, and thus she will never part from it.
  • Instead they decide to ride along the lake and he, at her request, tells her about the world they are in. His name is Galahad and he is a knight of King Arthur’s round table.
  • The chapter closes here, and we return to this encounter in chapter 12.
• Chapter 2 pg. 13
  • During this chapter we predominantly focus on the storyline with Nimue and Condwiramurs. Two characters that didn’t play any role for the other books, or won’t in this one. Condwiramurs joins Nimue (an enchantress) on her island to aide as her assistant. It is Nimue’s aim to use Condwiramurs’ magical abilities to learn the true tale of the Witcher, Ciri and Yennefer so she can distinguish it from all the fantasies and tales that have been made up of their adventures.
  • Condwiramurs has the ability to look at paintings (inspired by the Witcher tales) and then go into a dream-like trance where she sees the true version of events. It doesn’t always work successfully, but piece by piece they collect the bits to account for the real story.
• Chapter 3 pg. 57
  • Geralt and his troupe are still housed in Touisant. Geralt has befriended a local knight (Reynart de Bois-Fresnes) and they sometimes exterminate a monster in the local region for pay. Milva is entertained by a local baron and they also go hunting due to their related passion for archery. Dandelion keeps company with the duchess Anarietta and believes that he may yet one day become her betrothed due to their extended relationship. At night Geralt is entertaining the local sorceress Fringilla Vigo, with whom he also dines at all special occasions.
  • However, the rest of the company wishes for them to continue with their journey. Their stay at this neutral duchy has been welcome to recover their strengths and heal their wounds, but they are becoming restless to continue with their journey to find Ciri.
  • In the latter part the enchantress Fringilla Vigo joins a meeting with the other sorceresses via crystals. There she informs them that she has convinced Geralt to stay with her for a while longer, which pleases the other attendees since they can thus continue their efforts of finding Ciri before him and lead her on her path towards her (or their) destiny.
• Chapter 4 pg. 109
  • Geralt has rendered some of his monster-killing services for the kingdom and even opened a bank account with one of the local bankers to house his earnings. He receives an offer to kill off another few monsters, all located in an old mining shaft, now used as a wine cellar. He takes the offer and passes through different passages until he happens upon a group of people who intended to hold a meeting of stately matters in private.
  • They discuss the whereabouts (or apparant whereabouts) of Yennefer and the dire need to get hold of her sooner rather than later. They believe she is located at a castle with Vilgefortz and need to retrieve her. He let’s them be on their way, and intends to return at haste to his troupe and continue their search, when he encounters some monsters ahead of him. They were the monsters roaming the shafts and now intend to kill him.
  • He manages to fend them off and rushes back to Touisant where his groupe assemble and they leave the kingdom, continuing their search once more.
  • The enchantress Fringilla Vigo notifies the other sorceresses that at Geralt’s departure, that they need to increase their efforts, but also that Geralt has disclosed to her the location of the castle where Vilgefortz apparently has his hide-out. They intend to be there before him and recover Yennefer for themselves and with that they take their leave as well.
• Chapter 5 pg. 153
  • Ciri is riding on her horse Kelpie through the forest, accompanied by an elf called Crevan Espane aep Caomhan Macha (alias Avallac’h) who tells her of her heritage, that she is a descendant of the Elder Blood. It becomes apparent to her that she is no longer in her own world, but on a completely different one. After she entered the Tower of the Swallow she had been transported to another world entirely, one where these elves lorded over the lands. They had long waited for her return so that she could fulfil her purpose to them.
  • They tell her that when her powerful ancestor (an elf) married a human sorcerer, and the offspring subsequently married into human society since then, they (the elven kingdom) had been wronged since the power of the ancestor was taken from them unjustly. Thus, they have awaited her return so she may right the wrong. She will bed with one of their elven kings, bear a child to him and the child shall then be raised with them. Thus, the Elder Blood shall be returned to where it belonged once more.
  • She declines the offer to be held as a hostage and be a mule to them but quickly learns that she is on a different world to her own and won’t be able to return unless they drop the force field that prohibits her from going anywhere. Her dearest wish is to return to Geralt and Yennefer, and if she doesn’t have any other way to getting back to them other than taking the deal then so be it. Ciri is prepared for the king Auberon Muircetach, but the king doesn’t wish to engage with her. The following nights no progress is made either since the king cannot bring it upon himself to mate with a non-elf.
  • Ciri is infuriated since this king is depriving her of her opportunity to get back home. Thus she takes her horse and flees for the forest, where she chances upon a herd of horses, no, unicorns. At first it seems they wish harm upon her, but then she gets the opposite impression. They communicate telepathically with her that the intentions of the elves are far more sinister than what they make her believe. One of the unicorns (Little Horse – Ihuarraquax) is familiar to her since he helped her a few months ago when she became lost in a desert. Thus, trusting this unicorn, she takes their version above that of the elves. They wish to aid her to escape and her friend will accompany her on her escape. The escape would happen the following night.
  • The following night the king is very drunk once again, and she drinks some liquor with him as well, however, his wine contains a poison that kills him. She decides to flee immediately since his death would have repercussions with her. Ciri manages to flee the castle on her horse and meets up with the unicorn. Together they ride with haste and escape from this world.
• Chapter 6 pg. 207
  • Jarre, the scribe from the Melitele temple has secretly left the complex and is heading for the town to sign up as a recruit for the army. In the town he meets with some local friends, two dwarves called Zoltan Chivay and Dennis Cranmer, who invite him for a lunch before they direct him to the office where new recruits register themselves.
• Chapter 7 pg. 243
  • Ciri has escaped with her horse, Kelpie, and the unicorn Ihuarraquax from the elven world and is jumping through the different other worlds, hoping to find her own. It becomes apparent to her that her ancestral Elder Blood powers allow her to do this and which was the true reason the elves were after her. Now, still unpracticed in this ancient power, she jumps between multiple worlds and different time periods of the same world.
  • She ended up in her world once, thinking of finding Geralt, but only missed them by a moment before jumping to another world. Fortunately she becomes accustomed to this power and finds one world where she always retreats to when another world was not the correct one. On one jump she even ended up on the world where Nimue and Condwiramurs are housed on an island and they help her get on her way.
• Chapter 8 pg. 287
  • During this chapter we are jumping between six narrators. The final battle between the Nordlings and Nilfgaard is waged between the two sides and went down in history as the Battle of Brenna.
  • One narrator is a history teacher in a military school of Nilfgaard who has his students individually tell him the story of the Battle of Brenna, and where one falters another picks up and continues.
  • Second narrator is from the commanders of Nilfgaard at their encampment where they discuss the battle plans, and then later as they fight against the enemies.
  • Third narrator is from the Nordlings healers tent as they prepare their station for the upcoming battle and then later how they treat the individual wounded soldiers as they are brought to them.
  • Fourth narrator is with the Nordling commanders as they plan their attack, as well as the subsequent battle with the enemy.
  • Fifth narrator is Triss Merrigold with Mother Nenneke from the Melitele temple as they discuss that some of her scholars had left the temple to give aid and medical support in the field
  • Sixth narrator is Jarre who we hear from on the battlefield, as well as read extracts from his chronicles that he is busy writing in his old age, whilst entertaining his granddaughter.
• Chapter 9 pg. 339
  • Ciri has managed to find her own world and has also managed to track down Yennefer. She knows that she is held as a hostage at a castle where Vilgefortz has has taken to hiding from the world. She plans to hand herself over to him, in return for Yennefer’s release.
  • She enters the castle and gives him her terms, but he refuses to grant her freedom since Ciri is within his castle, which is enchanted by him to prevent anyone from using magic other than himself. Thus, he takes her hostage as well and leads her to the experiment room. He wants to have her Elder Blood powers for himself, and therefore plans to somehow extract it from her.
  • In the meantime, Geralt and his troupe (Cahir, Milva, Angouleme and Regis) have made it to the castle as well. They attack and strike down everyone that comes across their path. Ciri manages to free herself and also frees Yennefer from her captors, who were busy transferring her to another cell when the attack fell upon the castle. During the the fight Geralt and Cahir are pinned down by archers. Milva manages to kill most of them but is herself struck critically. Angouleme finds Ciri and rushes away with her, only to be wounded by an axe from a pursuer. Ciri is also pursued by Bonhart but assisted with Cahir. However, Bonhart overpowers him and continues his trail on Ciri. Not able to run away any further she faces him in a final battle until he takes his last breath. Geralt and Yennefer meet each other, but are confronted by Vilgefortz who uses all the magic available to him to strike them all over, which results in the whole castle and surrounding area to tremor and rattle. Finally, the trio manage to kill him with a final blow after Regis temporarily distracts him and is incinerated in the process.
  • After retreating from the castle they find themselves opposite to soldiers in black and silver cloaks, the Nilfgaardian attire. In front of them is one and only Emhyr var Emreis. Finally in eye shot of Ciri.
  • He makes a deal with Geralt and Yennefer to take her with him and be his wife, and rule as his empress and as her protector. The two of them are willing to accept the deal, but then Ciri is left to talk with the emperor alone, after which exchange he leaves the three of them be and heads for home.
• Chapter 10 pg. 405
  • In this chapter we once again follow the narrative of different characters, but the main storyline is the one where the different kings of the northern lands meet with the embassy of the southern king to discuss the peace treaty. They negotiate to and fro and eventually also come to the topic of who should lead the kingdom of Cintra. All favour to put the rightful heir to the throne, but have doubts since rumours have it that the Nilfgaardian king has made her his empress and she would thus rule with the interests of the southern king at heart, and not her own or for her fellow northern interests.
• Chapter 11 pg. 457
  • Geralt and his two remaining companions (Yennefer and Ciri) head for Tousaint, where Dandelion awaits. However, Yennefer is summoned by the enchantresses lodge and thus leaves their company temporarily. When they enter Tousaint, they learn that Dandelion has now come to be in the duchess Anarietta’s disfavour and needs to leave their kingdom post-haste. Thus, Geralt collects some savings from the bank and the three of them leave once again. Only, now Ciri is summoned to the enchantresses lodge as well and departs their company as well. However, they agree to meet each other again in Rivia.
  • At the enchantresses lodge the attendees confirm to Ciri the role she is to play in this world: she is to become the lover of one of the local kingdoms and bore him an heir. This way the sorceresses would have a foothold in the nobility. She acknowledges their terms, but wishes to receive some time to think things over before she accepts these responsibilities.
  • After obtaining approval she leaves with Yennefer for Rivia to meet up with Geralt once again. In the kingdoms the wars may have been settled, but in Rivia another conflict was being pursued. Xenophobic attacks by the humans on the non-humans. During the struggle Geralt, Dandelion, Yarpen Zigrid (dwarf) and Zoltan Chivay (dwarf) remain hidden from the fighters, but then Geralt becomes involved to save some of the non-humans because the manner in which they are killed is too brutal and torturous than a clean and quick kill. The humans mistake him for an elf and harm him as a result as well.
  • Yennefer, Triss and Ciri enter the town and also become involved in the struggle. During this struggle Geralt becomes severely injured that all the magic they have doesn’t help to heal him.
  • Ciri decides that the only way to save them and have them live alone in peace is to get away from this world. Thus, she takes Geralt and Yennefer away with her to another world, away from all the harms, prejudices and destinies that everyone tried to put on their shoulders all their lives.
• Chapter 12 pg. 495
  • Knight Galahad listened intently to her tale and asks her to accompany him to meet his king, and if not today, then maybe they could continue their conversation by continuing to walk in the forests and next to the lake.

Summary:

To say the least, the whole story has been quite an exciting adventure. Each character in the book has grown so much from when we first met them, especially the trio (Gerald, Ciri and Yennefer). Many things were constantly going on around them and the odds always seemed to push them towards living the life destiny has predestined for them. Yet, even with all that was happening around them, one thing never wavered from their minds, to be together. They were separated for most of the books, but eventually ended up together, as a family.

The story has ended in quite a mind-boggling way, a twist, since it seemed that with every book one expected the lives of them to lead to one way and then suddenly another, only to be surprised in the end and none of those prior options being true at last. The book deserves a strong rating of 4.5/5 for a strong ending.

Sadly, this is the end of the series, but hopefully you derived some pleasure from the adventures we could enjoy together.

Take care! 🙂