The Witcher Series by Andrzej Sapkowski | Book Review (With & Without Spoilers)

[@k2u364]

I just stumbled across your KZbin and I’m loving it ! Keep up the great work Kathi 👏😊

[@NerdyKathi]

Thank you so much and welcome. 😊

[@scrublord2166]

thank you for labeling spoiler section and non spoiler section

[@NerdyKathi]

I'd hate to spoil the books for people.

[@Madam_Vader_Reads]

I am so happy you enjoyed the books! Now I need to finish it for sure. Excited to know there are a good amount of society comments, especially the antiwar and the racial aspects. About history...isn't the saying something like history is written by the victors/conquerors.

[@NerdyKathi]

I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts on it, and yes! history is written by the victors.

[@kefkaFollower]

Nice review, I enjoyed your commentary. I have to admit I agree with most of it, thus is easier to like it. Beyond the agreeing part, I think you did a good job analyzing this series. E.G.: I never felt the elves where misrepresented after the prequels, but now you pointed there is a change in their treatment and I didn't noticed that before. I read the books in Spanish. In the Spanish translation is also common when Geralt is roaming the wilderness and he runs into lost towns. There, people talks using archaisms, features of ancient Spanish or even Latin. So I guess such anachronisms in the speak of some characters are a feature from the original text too.

[@NerdyKathi]

Thank you very much for your kind comments. Interesting that anachronisms were also used in the Spanish translation. I agree it seems to be part of the original text.

[@TallisKeeton]

@@NerdyKathi I confirm :) the Polish language of the novel is a mix of anachronisms (sometimes used by lords of elfes or by priests of gods or by uneducated peasants - there is a lot of villagers slang in this novel) and modern words like genetics or banking vocabulary. the modern medical or scientific words are here becouse of the educated wizards and witches and the banking vocabulary is here becouse Sapokowski is economist.

[@alanxyct1648]

people want to look beautiful, you cant deny its an advantage in society. the mages are served as king's adviser. almost all mages have artificial appearance,both male and female to use it as advantage. how is it related to sexist is beyond me. yennifer has a very strong and selfish personality due to her early painful experience. even when she was studying magic at aretuza, she tries to take her life once and was saved by her teacher Tissaia. Tissaia said to her there is nothing more pathetic than a sorceress's tear which she then pass it to ciri later on. geralt sees it in her eyes and understood immediately. family thread is indeed touching, geralt and yennifer both sterilized yet get an unexpected child just as in a short story the golden dragon did, that there is no limit as to what's possible. why Arthurian lengend is refered to? because this is in some sense a grail story. ciri is the grail, everyone wants her for their own purpose, only geralt has no any thoughts about her elder blood. he is like galahad with pure heart and soul and they are the ones who find ciri.

[@NerdyKathi]

I don't recall if I said it was sexist, but it seemed that the looks of women, beyond the mages, was important for characters in the books. I can't recall for certain, but I don't think it was included in the books that Yennifer tried to take her life, though it was on the show. Whilst I appreciate Yennifer's background, it does not make her a more likeable character. In the final book, Ciri meets Galahad I think it was from Camelot. I agree that her being the Grail is a good description. Thank you for sharing.

[@alanxyct1648]

@@NerdyKathi might have suffered PTSD from the tv shows that cause me memory disorder, so i went check and nope, my memory didnt fail me. ‘I shall take care of you,’ Tissaia de Vries repeated, gently touching her hair. ‘And now… We are alone here. Without witnesses. No one will see and I shan’t tell anyone. Weep, girl. Have a good cry. Weep your heart out for the last time. For later you won’t be able to. There isn’t a more hideous sight than a sorceress weeping” (lady of the lake,chaper 12)

[@joshridinger3407]

@@NerdyKathi she did try to kill herself in the books. it's one of her flashbacks. she only survives because tissaia saved her. tissaia commends her for 'cutting deep' with full intent to end her own life instead of just doing it for attention, which is both colder than what she says in the show, and less tritely cliche.

[@Sparkball]

The thing is the order is a mess. Technically it goes something like this Start with the second story in The Last Wish, then the third followed by the fifth and sixth then stop. Read the entire Season of Storms then read the fourth story and finish with the first. From then you go to Swprd of Destiny and then you can read the numbered books.

[@NerdyKathi]

I agree with you about the order. When I re-read them again, I'm sure I will enjoy them even more. Thank you so much for sharing.

[@luv2knit61]

I don't usually read fantasy fiction, I've read only one fantasy series, but after hearing you talk about it I think I will give it a try. What a great review!

[@NerdyKathi]

Thank you very much for the kind words. I'd love to hear what you think of the books.

[@TwilightBizarre]

You recent top 10 list remined me to go back and watch this. I remember watching you haul the witcher books and being really interested in your thoughts on the story. I really think Sapkowski's style of writing is very distinct and it takes some time getting used to but I love it now. Also very interesting that you didn't like Ciri, I quite enjoyed her character but maybe I was influenced a lot by the other witcher media (I started with the games which are non-canon sequels) so I knew the person she becomes later and it was easier to have more sympathy for her earlier. I think your complaint about the lack of maps is very valid, I did often refer to different "fan made" maps online while reading. However I completely agree about the setting at the end of the series (won't mention it because of spoilers) I don't understand the decision the author made there, it certainly threw me off. And I agree on those little things, such as foreshadowing (certain characters' death in the last book was described in detail in the first), as well as your comment on "destroying the world", it's certainly a very well written series that is even better once you let it sit with you after reading. I hope to reread it one day with more understanding of what the author was trying to convey. But overall, it's definitely one of my favorite series ever as well and I'm glad you enjoyed it :)

[@NerdyKathi]

I agree about Sapkowski's writing, but I love it now. I didn't dislike Ciri, but some of her behaviour I found hard to like. Glad I'm not the only one who found the setting at the end a poor choice. I am definitely going to be re-reading it. I often re-read favourites, and it has become one of mine. I appreciate it very much that you watched and commented. Thank you!

[@MindPalaceASMR]

Awesome review! ❤❤❤

[@NerdyKathi]

Thank you!