This year started out with screaming, but by that point I was used to it. My son was a colic baby. New Year's Day, he was 5 months old. By this age, colic has resolved in most babies. Not this kid, he is no quitter! He held on for a few more months.
When things are rough, but bound to change, books have always been friends. The best way to get my son to relax was to nurse him in a dim room. If he fell asleep, he'd sleep for hoursβ only if I held him though. Enter: The Witcher Series. That dim room became an escape for us both!
Technically, the series is only 5 books, with three prequels. Because of the wavy way Sapkowski builds his timeline however, many recommend only reading The Last Wish first. Then the word was to read the other two after the final book, so I followed that advice. Fellow nerds rarely let me down, and this time was no different!
So, I'm going to bring up the Netflix series and games once and only once. This is a book review; however, it would be remiss of me to leave the other branches of this massive franchise unaddressed. So let's get it over with.
I hate the Netflix show, okay? I didn't think I could be mad while watching a shirtless Cavil, but they managed it. The first season matched up fairly well with the the events of The Last Wish, but the similarities end there. That's all I have to say on that.
I have not played through any of the Witcher games, I am a tabletop gal. I have heard that they are basically considered cannon. They follow the events of the books, and quite well according to the internet. Anyhow, what are the books about?
Humanity
Like most fantasy authors, Sapkowski brings you into a world where good and evil are coming to a head in their scuffle, a fight for what's right is looming... except, what is right?
One of the first things that stands out to me about this series (aside from its rich plot) is how the author is not afraid to write characters that you will not like. Geralt is a great 'protagonist', yet he's also the worst I've ever seen!
He's opportunistic, his only code of ethics is his gut feeling. He's promiscuous to the point you feel he is a womanizer at times, then he turns around and shows great respect to the divinity of women. I love a main character like that, someone who feels real, not easy to summarize in a few words.
Yes, there are characters that are written so despicably that you'd have to be a psychopath to like them, but this is such a small minority. At the end of the day, you have to give the reader someone to root for, and Sapkowski achieves this by making sure the hero is human.
Or perhaps an assortment of not so human people, as few are what they seem. For those with or without a special skill, mutation, or curse, excellence is always portrayed modestly. Sapkowski is a master of "Show me, don't tell me.", an ability you will find strong emphasis on in The Ink Well community. It is the mark of a true wordsmith.
It is hard to give your main characters conflicts that are rooted not only in the plot, but also weighted by personal dilemma. By adding rich backstories to even unexpected characters, a solid world forms, where our author no longer needs to spell out things like motivations or skillsets. Infamy is in an item someone carries, or name they utter, heard across a dim tavern.
Sapkowski takes after Gaiman in providing an old tale a new license, wowing us with his ability to warp worn tropes into freshly painted pleasures! And of course, making them entirely his own.
A series where a group of adventurers set out to achieve a common goal, some of the best and worst stories revolve around this framework. Sapkowski boots any ideas you might have about that right out of your head, as any gathering of characters is bound to have a multitude of layers in this world. As I said previously, this lot is complicated!
What else would you expect from a series, that pretty early on should have you wondering "What defines a monster?". We explore this concept through Geralt, who has many bitter memories of those who define morality by the qualities that suit them. His job is to slay monsters, but that's not always what he decides to do. The parameters that influence this choice are chaotic.
At the risk of turning Geralt into a soft touch for the kind things he occasionally does, Sapkowski made sure to level that out by reminding you every so often what Geralt is. A Witcher, a being who survived trials that killed others, becoming something beyond human.
He can drink certain poisons, he does not showcase a traditional sense of empathy, and he is gruff by necessity. There are times you can really hate the choices he makes, and I admire that. A straightforward hero has no place in serious fantasy in my mind.
One critique that I do have on the series is that the politics can be a bit confusing at times. This is in part because the story jumps around so often, and in part because it is so intricate.
Luckily, the history that you are meant to understand seems to come through well enough, and there was never a point that I was unsure why something mattered. I just would've liked to get the nuances of certain situations more fully.
I also have a few gripes on two of the main arc resolutions, it feels as if Sapkowski just decided he was done writing the series. It is still written beautifully, but he absolutely had another book that was begging to be written.
We see this happen fairly often with serial fiction, and it is a phenomenon that I relate to. Sometimes you are just ready to part ways with a set of characters, much like an old friend group that no longer adds value to your life. Or maybe I am just missing Sapkowski's intention.
The man can paint a gorgeous scene in a handful of sentences, making you feel as if you are in the midst of the action. His nature descriptions are sublime, you smell the moss and hear the wind rustle the leaves... An eloquence that is almost poetic flits in seamlessly with less refined creative devices.
You will also find almost haphazard descriptions in these books like: "The expression froze on their faces like cold mud." or "Shaking his head like a sheep which had rammed a wall by mistake." there is a vague sense of humor behind most scenes, a feat when you see the severity of the situations this narration often surrounds.
This is a series that found me setting my book down to ponder the content for a time. As someone who can effectively speed read most stories, I am always in awe when someone makes me pause to consider. That is one thing I love about Hive, we have many writers of that caliber here!
Anyone with a decent writing ability can tell a story that sits well with most audiences, where there is a linear point A to point B. It takes someone with true talent to give you what you don't want, and make you like it! The best plot is often not the feel-good one, yet writers must balance this carefully.
Satisfying victories are sprinkled in with less edible ones, which are capable of spreading bitterness in one's gut. Some resolutions are downright troubling, as it must be when you make a world so realistic. Sometimes victory is shortsighted, an achievement an invisible ankle weight.
The harmony Sapkowski achieves in the story of Ciri and the war against Nilfgaard is impressive. Part of this, is that he lets the past explain the present. When that fails, he lets the future take over at times. Yes, Geralt is a main character, and we learn a lot about him... He isn't the THE main character though.
The beloved hero of the franchise is the greatest foil of all time. His experiences, each look we get into his life, are there to shade the world in. When that thought struck me, I was even more blown away by our author! Part of what makes Geralt elusive, is that you are missing the point if you try to understand him. He doesn't even want to do that, because Geralt is a constant stream of motion. He is the force of initiative.
We find friends in many of Geralt's companions throughout the series. Dandelion in particular stands out to me. The loquacious and hyperbolic bard is a cornerstone of the series, surprising me as often as he made me laugh! Milva comes later on, and makes me smile every time she has dialogue. A true feral warrior woman.
And of course, we cannot flit by Ciri, who is a star. I decided to say very little about her, because most of what you learn comes after the first two books. She is an incredibly important character, and fascinated and repulsed me at several turns. In her, we find a fresh coming of age story that would make anyone grateful for what teenage awkwardness they had!
We also meet a revolving cast of interesting additions to the party, who I cannot describe because spoilers. They are well crafted, and I can honestly say that there wasn't a single character in the series that was a sore thumb to me. So, if you like an author that writes a cursed beast-man as well as he does an Elven queen, this is the series for you!
I hope my review of The Witcher Series has inspired you to go out and give them a read! All of the photos are my own, taken with my basic phone camera. The art on the books obviously does not belong to me, and is shared in promotion of the content. The full set is above, with the first 5 in order (the last three are the prequels).
I don't know what I would've done without this series in the first half of 2022! At a time that I felt fairly isolated and pinned down, these books came along to take me on a wild adventure! Thanks Andrej Sapkowski, for my favorite reads of 2022! ππ
Did you enjoy some good books in 2022? Hive Book club has invited us to share either our favorite books of 2022, OR our read list for 2023! Check out the details here!
