Crossroads of Ravens

I still remember the disappointment caused by Season of Storms. A week after reading Rozdroże Kruków, I find myself struggling to recall its details. It's a decent read that leaves little impression and makes me question its purpose.

It's not a fully developed novel, rather a loose collection of short stories with a shared theme. They feel familiar as the setting, language, and structure are so reminiscent of good old Witcher. However, the spell breaks quickly because they offer no depth nor surprise. The writing is as safe as it can be, relying heavily on nostalgia, delivering Witcher action and fan service without taking any risks. Fortunately, the book ends before it becomes too boring, making it an easy and quick read.

I'd recommend show more a drinking game to make this book more fun - take a shot every time someone points out Geralt's young age. I'd love author to focus more on showing this; we get few moments of seeing the difference of experience and maturity that mean something, but most of the time it's heavy handed and forced. One could replace Geralt with any other witcher here and it wouldn't make much difference. All characters are one-dimensional, with none truly standing out. The biggest missed opportunity is the Geralt's "mentor" and their relationship that could be explored in more detail.

It's hard to tell what this book is about. There is a theme of vengeance that seems to tie the story together, but it feels underdeveloped and doesn't convey anything interesting. There is some monsters slaying and casual witchering, but there's no depth or meaning to it. The original stories were not holding punches and left a lasting impact on the reader. These stories give you a reflection of what you read before and do not stand on their own - many things make sense and are remotely interesting only because they reference other Witcher books. If this were someone's introduction to the Witcher universe, I doubt it would leave a good impression.

This book was not as painful as Season of Storms and didn't leave a bad taste in my mouth. Instead, it easily went through like empty calories that keep hunger at bay but leave you longing for something real. If you are a Witcher fan looking to spend some time in a familiar world with characters you loved, add one star to my rating. You might find flavors I didn't savor. show less

Geralt as a young man, bumbling his way across the countryside and generally making a mess of things. As I suspected for the past few books, without his coterie of friends and sidekicks he's not really a great character on his own. It's not a bad book, but doesn't really add anything significant to the series.

Just like NEW! Purchased at Half Price Books in Stone Oak, TX on 9Oct25.

Nie napiszę, że to stary, dobry Sapkowski, ale jest on — ten Sapkowski — na tyle w formie, że "Rozdroże" czyta się dobrze, nie nudząc i nie nużąc.