Baptism
of Fire (The Witcher series)
Author: Andrzej Sapkowski
Publisher: Orbit
American
release date: June 24, 2014
Format/Genre/Length: Paperback/Fantasy/400 pages
Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★★
Milva, the archer, first meets Geralt, the Witcher, two weeks
after the disastrous conclave on the Isle of Thanedd. To say she is not amused
would be an understatement, especially as he has seen her face. But Geralt is a
friend of Brokilon, and he is injured, so they care nothing for the politics of
the situation. So when the leader of Brokilon requests that Milva assist
Geralt, how can she refuse? She can’t,
although she doesn’t have to be happy about it. And she isn’t.
Dijkstra, the head of Redanian
intelligence, is approached by the Nilfgaardian ambassador who seeks a criminal
by the name of Cahir Mawr Dyffryn aep Caellach. Dijkstra feigns ignorance, but
that man always knows more than he is willing to admit to. Once rid of the
ambassador, Dijkstra writes to his sorceress, Philippa, revealing that he seeks
the man as well. Not that he let slip that fact to the ambassador.
The sorceresses have their own
agenda. The situation as they see it is going from bad to worse. It is only by
some miracle that they were not all killed on Thanedd. They must take control
of the situation before the men screw it up any more than they already have.
But they must do it under the utmost secrecy as they work to reestablish the
Chapter and the Council. They have to rely on one another, even the
Nilfgaardian sorceresses, although there is a decided lack of trust there. They
meet telepathically to lay the foundation and make plans to meet in person. Not
everyone is pleased to see Assire of Nilfgaard among their number. And where is
Yennefer?
Meanwhile, Ciri, who is going by
the name of Falka, is having the time of her life, running with her little
hoodlum pals, the Rats. So why does everyone else think she’s in Nilgaard,
engaged to the emperor?
Having healed and left Brokilon,
Geralt and Dandelion begin their journey. Although the Witcher think he’s
inscrutable and mysterious, the poet can put two and two together and he knows
where they are headed and why. And so the journey begins.
If you think there was a lot going
on in the last book, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet, b-b-b-baby.
The Witcher series has three main
threads which twine and intertwine about one another, those three threads belonging
to 1) Geralt, 2)Ciri, and 3)Yennefer. These three are bound by a fate they
cannot escape. I can only hope and trust that they will end up together when
all is said and done, but that remains to be seen.
Geralt has suffered much in his
lifetime, beginning with his betrayal and desertion by his birth mother, to the
pains he suffered in becoming the mutant known as a witcher. He had no choice
in the matter, but he has certainly embraced this life, such as it is, and is
renowned far and wide for his skill and prowess at slaying monsters. On the
other hand, he has assumed a mask of indifference in the way he presents
himself to the world, as if nothing and no one matters to him. Nothing reaches
him or touches him. He is an emotionless killer of bad things.
But we know better, don’t we?
Despite pushing the troubadour away
and keeping him at arm’s length, all the while commenting on his bad singing,
Geralt considers Dandelion a friend, and has saved his bacon on more than one
occasion. Dandelion may be a loud mouth who speaks first and thinks afterward,
a braggart who feels that embellishment of the truth is often preferable to the
facts, a narcissist who thinks he is irresistible to women… but truth be told,
he has a good heart, and he would do anything for Geralt. Dandelion is the only
companion Geralt has tolerated for many years, and I love to see them together
(and yes, while I realize there is much fanfiction on the relationship between
them being more than friendship, I don’t see that and consider it so much
wishful thinking).
Geralt and Yennefer—ah, that is
one complicated relationship. From the moment they met, something drew them
together, almost as if they were magnetized, one to the other. And even though
their lovemaking is often followed by separation and anger, they manage to find
their way back together again and again, as if they are unable to help
themselves. To be honest, I have no idea what he sees in her, and I would be
happy if he were to find another love. Such as Triss Merrigold, for instance.
But alas, I don’t feel that is meant to be, thanks in large part to the wish
Geralt foolishly made (see The Last Wish, although I assume you’ve read it by
this point). Whether they can stay together in the end remains to be seen.
Yennefer has had a rough life, and I’m sure she feels something for the
Witcher, but ultimately I don’t trust her.
Ciri is Geralt’s Law of Surprise
gift, a serendipitous gift for Geralt cannot father a child, so Ciri is the
child he cannot have. I don’t think he ever intended to go through with taking
her on as his responsibility, and evaded doing so for as long as he could. But
he couldn’t stem the tide of Fate forever, and having met her, he would do
anything now to protect her. Woe betide anyone who comes between him and Ciri,
or threatens to harm her in any way. As for Ciri, I worry about what will
become of her after her time with the Rats. I think she likes killing a bit too
much, and being a law unto herself. Will she be able to return to a more normal
life, relatively speaking, or will she become more rebellious than ever? She’s
always been a willful handful, but now…
There are some very interesting
secondary characters in this book. If you’ve played the game (I’m only on the
first one) you may recognize some of them, such as Zoltan Chivay. And some interesting new friends, such as Regis.
The plot is exquisitely intricate as the author spins an amazing web of
intrigue, war, deceit, love, mystery, supernatural, and so much more.
If you love the books, watch the
series. Henry Cavill plays Geralt brilliantly
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