Time of Contempt

What is the price for holding to a moral code when the world belongs to the immoral, when only the contemptible thrive and only the good die young? For Geralt of Rivia, the answer to that question doesn’t matter. He chose his path long ago. Let the Nilfgaardian Empire plot its revenge for the Battle of Sodden Hill. Let the northern kings fritter away their moment of unity. Let the sorcerers and sorceresses rot in their arrogance and corruption. None of that is worth a farthing to an avowed neutral, a Witcher, a bio-engineered freak crafted to kill monsters, and one who wants nothing to do with the machinations of a world that moved on from his kind. All that matters to Geralt and his frenemy-lover, Yennefer, is protecting Cirilla — show more orphaned heiress of a lost throne, the Lion Cub of Cintra, and the Child of the Elder Blood now the target of a continent-wide dragnet and the fulcrum for a destiny of universal chaos.

I like the Witcher series, but to get the most out of it you need to approach it in three ways. First, start your journey with the two original short story collections, which I failed to do. The novels, though they do contain some great action sequences, are lighter on action than the short stories. By the time the novels pick up the story, they assume you know the most important beats of the characters and the disintegrating world they inhabit. Second, download a map of the continent. The books—at least the English translations—inexplicably fail to provide this, and the action is disorienting without the geography.

Finally, understand that Andrzej Sapkowski’s fantasy world is a deeply Polish universe, so much so that he’s famously disengaged from the translation of his works for a global audience. Nilfgaard is a mashup of the Ottoman Turks and the Russian Empire, two expansionist superpowers that for centuries tried, with various measures of failure and success, to engulf the Polish state. The Witchers’ schools stand in for the Knights Templar: powerful, rich, militaristic, driven by its own code, and exterminated by a modernizing world of kings and merchants disinterested in or hostile to their holy credo.

Turning to Poland’s more recent past, Sapkowski has said that much of the political drama of his fantasy derives from his forty years of life under the heavy-handed bureaucratic corruption of a Communist state. Geralt is the iconic Polish everyman who isn’t willing to give up his integrity despite the moral disorientations of invasions from without and oppressions from within, not even when integrity leaves you broken and alone: “You were all right. Only I, the naive, anachronistic, and stupid witcher, was wrong.”

This is why Geralt speaks to us all, even those of us who don’t share the cultural DNA of the Polish people. You don’t need a legacy of high triumph followed by centuries of suffering and loss to feel the tug of contempt. The wicked are often ascendant and mock those who cling to the good: “You’re incorrigible. You are still incapable of assessing the situation correctly.” The hard times that hard men bring about favor hard hearts: “They were children of the time of contempt. And they had nothing but contempt for others. For them, only force mattered.”

In such a time, the personal cost of integrity is high; but its value is even higher. Holding a moral line may cost you all you hold dear, but you cannot calculate the ripple effect of your honor falling into a sea of dishonor: “Had it not been for the foolish scruples of the Witcher, and his impractical principles, many subsequent events would have run their course quite differently. Many events would probably have not taken place at all. And the history of the world would have unfolded in an alternative way. But the history of the world unfolded as it unfolded, the sole cause of which was that the Witcher had scruples.” show less

Do you want a miserable time? Then have I got the book for you! Sure, it should be obvious from the title, but maybe you've made the mistake of thinking you're interested in this story universe and just want to read all the official materials, titles be damned!

There is no particular topic this book tackles in a way that approaches enjoyment, poignancy, or something like "makes you think". It's just... grimness, a world filled with characters you don't care about probably getting into fights you don't care about, a lot of sexism, a lot of rape threats, descriptions of and allusions to rape... and that's it, really. Yes, it's a translation. Maybe the original Polish is a truly beautiful tale worthy of being retold by the heavens show more themselves. I don't know. This is the official English translation. It's not fun. In fact, it's rather terrible. I'd rate it lower if Goodreads let me.

I think this summarizes much of how Sapkowski writes women: “The first was a middle-aged but vigorous man in extremely modest woollen clothing. At his side strode a tall, sharp-featured woman with dark, smoothly combed hair.
‘That is Gerhart of Aelle, also known as Hen Gedymdeith, the oldest living sorcerer,’ Yennefer informed Geralt in hushed tones. ‘The woman walking beside him is Tissaia de Vries. She isn’t much younger than Hen, but is not afraid of using elixirs to hide it.”

For you see, even in fantasyland, men are allowed to age. Women are ridiculed whether or not they attempt to hide their age. If they do hide their age, and show off, they are ridiculed. If they don’t show off, they are ridiculed. Women ridicule each other. Men rape them or threaten to rape women. That is the way this world functions. I really doubt any of this was done with awareness. Maybe there's something to be had here about patriarchal structures in typical fantasy, but it just doesn't really say anything? The lot of women is shit in this universe. That's all. And it's hardly original. I mean if you like misery porn with a ton of sexism, sure, this is the book for you!

Shortly after this conversation, some women joke about raping someone, potentially multiple people. At one point, a rape survivor saves Victim from an in-progress rape, and then the first rape survivor rapes Victim. And Victim is... I don't even know. She kisses rape survivor while rape survivor is sleeping. I literally don't know what to do with any of these scenes.

I’m also quite certain this book contains some of the most embarrassingly bad descriptions of sex I’ve ever read. But it’s nice to know Geralt gives good head, I guess.

One thing this series has made me realize is that I am so tired of men and their obsession with infertility. In this series, there’s a strong theme of “people who try to become/do magic become infertile” just… because. You could argue that part of it is the theme that humans weren’t meant to do magic, so by trying to become/do magic they are defying nature’s apparent rule that they do magic, and so a sacrifice is made.

Which is strange when you consider one plot point in this book: that a magical parent is required to become a sorcerer. I forget if this infertility thing only applies to women or not. It probably does. Because you see, only men can be trusted in the procreation process in magical fuck-off land, I mean, the world of the Witcher.

But anyway, Ciri gives herself a magical orgasm somehow and it's implied maybe she's infertile now? I don't know.

I don't care about any of the characters in this story. Well actually, Rayla's cool, I guess. She's a bit character who shows up in two scenes. Again, there are a couple cute moments between Geralt and Dandelion, of all things, and Geralt has some nice quips, although any of his monster hunting is done from afar... And a lot of familiar names die or get injured and it's just all very yawn-worthy honestly. The story opens with a sexist messenger we don't care about and only gets worse from there. Four books in and I still do not care about this story universe. I'd really, really like to care, but I don't.

Also, the cover art is hideous. As far as I can tell this is art from the second game, apparently depicting Geralt standing in front of a monster. It is one of the uglier pieces in a series of ugly art.

Overall, miserable story. Skip it. Watch the 2019 show, which has a lot of issues with how it depicts women and dialogue and all that, but it's still somehow better than this. If you want a story about magical adults teaching magical minors, read Tamora Pierce's "Circle of Magic" series. That series touches on surviving in poverty, plagues, invasions, cross-cultural sharing, lots of different kind of magic, trauma, how a child deals with committing murder, confronting systemic sexism, and heck, "Battle Magic" features a child ruler. You want a decent story about a unicorn? Read "The Last Unicorn", or watch the movie. Or do both. You want grimdark (with humor) fantasy? Watch seasons 1-2 of the "Castlevania" anime. You want political intrigue fantasy that's grimdark and deals with child prostitution, trauma, angry mobs, magic, and skullduggery? Read Sarah Monette's "Doctrine of Labyrinths". Skip this. show less

You know, when I come right down to this series, like any other epic fantasy I've read, it all hangs on how much I get into the characters.

No matter what kind of action sequences come around or how much cool magic gets thrown in our faces or what kind of war blows up, I'm still tied up in my love of Geralt, Yennifer, and Ciri. When things get dark and the contempt surrounds everyone, I'm rooting for them. And the bard, too. :) And little miss unrequited. :)

After that point, I'm honestly amazed at how well I received this novel inside my head. Its structure and the way it flits from several different storytelling styles, its truly surprising (and awesome) jabs in the plot, and the wicked turns that come about later make me rather want show more to scream. But that's only because this book DOES NOT FOLLOW NORMAL STRUCTURE. Then again, neither did Blood of Elves. Or the two story collections. The way the tale comes out always keeps me on my toes, keeps everything feeling fresh, and there's no way I can't compare this against so many other epic fantasies, but one thing I CAN say is that it tells stories around corners. You may KNOW something is coming, but Sapkowski truly lulls you into believing that THIS cool scene here is the pinnacle of THIS section, and then he comes right around and slams your head against the table and you're either stunned or you get really pissed or it jerks tears out of you because the SCENE IS JUST TOO FREAKING GORGEOUS.

I'm sure some of you know what I mean. Yennifer and Ciri? As a mirror to a certain queen? OMG that just cut through all my defenses. And then the hits just kept coming and coming.

And coming.

Yes, this series has a hard world to live in. It's not just hard for the elves, but it's hard for women. But damn, if there aren't a lot of hard women in here hitting back!

The love story. I'm sorry, but I started blubbering like a little baby. I thought it was great in The Last Wish, but this just made me an ugly little mess.

I can't not give a book that affects me the way anything less than a full five stars. It not only holds up well against all these modern epic fantasies, but I see precisely where it blows the previous generation of fantasies out of the water, ushering in everything we now know and love. :) show less

I really enjoyed the first two books in this series. Sapkowski plays from strength to strength when he's focused on THE ACTUAL WITCHER in this Witcher series.

I understand now that, from book three on, I believe the author is just treating this entire thing as a bunch of pages in one long (very long) story. But I'm sadly becoming less and less interested in the outcome.

Yes, I understand that some of the moving pieces have to come into play, and to be honest, I kind of learned to live with the plotlessness of the previous book, but this one simply seemed to throw plot to the wind and the author just kind of picked a scene, then put in some dialogue. Then more dialogue. Then, just in case there wasn't enough, he added dialogue. And to wrap show more it up, he finished it off with some dialogue. People talked. A lot.

And when they weren't talking, women were walking around like they were Kanye West's partner du jour so they, of course, basically had to appear naked. That's before we get to all the parts where men inflicted themselves on women. Or threatened to. Or started to, then were chased away by a woman only for her to inflict herself on the woman.

This one was not enjoyable, not interesting, virtually impossible to really follow, and also the last Witcher book I'm going to read. I was excited when I started this. It felt fresh and fun.

Now? Despite some really cool characters, all the fun is gone and dialogue and misogny and more dialogue rule the day.

I'm out. show less

The first half lagged like book one, withtoo much conversation and shifting perspectives of the various various kingdoms' rulers. However, once the poltical sh!tstorm struck, the story kicked into high gear.

Everyone is looking for Ciri, child of the Elder Blood and prophesy. The Emperor of Nilfgaard wants her because of her royal blood and claim (via a son) to the throne of Cintra. The various other kings are looking to kill her for the same reason. Geralt, skilled warrior and fighter, is wholly indequate with political intrigue and Yennefer is too arrogant in belief of her own skills of manipulation. When a coup erupts at Aretuza amongst the sorcerers, Geralt finally learns that neutrality is a delusion he must relinquish and Yennefer show more once again vanishes. Ciri is thrown into the world without either to protect her.

I really enjoyed the novel because the character flaws in our protagonists, Geralt and Yennefer, are fully revealed and the plot began to unfold. The second half is action-packed, and the book concludes with Ciri finally on her own and forced to take her own fate in hand. I'm excited to see where this goes. show less

The fallout from the first Nilfgaardian war is affecting politics and future war plans only for a certain white-haired individual to interfere. The Time of Contempt is the second Witcher novel by Andrzej Sapkowski sees Geralt, Yennifer, and Ciri come together at a conclave of magicians only for things to go to hell.

Throughout the book there is a sense that things are happening but the characters and thus the readers only see what’s happening to them until everything hits the fan. Sapkowski builds the events up slowly as the main characters come together on the Isle of Thanedd for a conclave of mages when two coups, one supported by the Nilfgaardians and the other by the Northern Kings who are planning covert action about the show more Nilfgaardians as well. The entire book feels more coherent than Sapkowski’s previous outing as the main narrative took over 60% of the book while aftermath took up the rest especially as Ciri makes an important decision near the end of the novel. Though there is a quick succession of point-of-view narratives across the continent, they are framed in a conversation between Dandelion and Geralt providing a better flow than the previous book. Thanks to a series by the YouTube channel Wizards and Warriors, I have a rough idea of the political and physical landscape of the continent which helped to understand where things were because there is no map which is the only thing that takes away from Sapkowski’s world building. Overall, this is a better book than the previous novel and makes me look forward to the rest of the series.

The Time of Contempt is an improvement on the opening novel but with the same great action and character development thus making me interested in where Andrzej Sapkowski takes things. show less

The patience I gave to this series finally paid off when it finds its pace and feet in the second novel. The story that was laid out in the first novel broadens into worldwide political scheming, and the intensity of individual character's arcs are deep and moving. Ciri is a wonderful narrating character and her voice adds variance to Geralt's. This book is tragic, intense, sexy, and even funny at some points.

Tons of feminist points for this book also, from depiction of menstruation to the full variety of women characters. At some points it feels that Geralt is a token male character in the cast of powerful Sorceresses, young girls finding their feet, queens and elven warriors. This is nice.