Reviews with content warning for Violence - Batismo de Fogo

This one took me awhile to read (started it in May, finished in January), but I blame that on my own distractibility / starting other books, not on the book itself. Once I got to around pg 170, I was rolling and it took me less than a week to finish the remainder.

I really enjoyed this one, particularly the last half! (Probably more than #2.) The ending put Geralt in a humorous situation, (I won't spoil!) which had my sister looking at me weird because of how much I was chuckling to myself.

Some standout points:
- Perspective was handled in a way that stood out from the last one as being a great choice to watch the story unfold. Very clever and supported the worldbuilding.
- A few new characters are introduced in this one and I loved their interactions with Geralt.
- The geopolitical talks in this book were less prevalent and more enjoyable to me than in previous installments. Instead, there is a very interesting lore / genealogical info drop.

Overall, it was well-balanced between exploring interpersonal dynamics, commentating on societal issues & war, and dry, witty humor. I love books with that kind of blend; intelligently written, but don't take themselves too seriously. I've already picked up the next one.

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deepsp_ace_nine's review against another edition

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adventurous dark tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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steph7n's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

The third book of the Witcher Saga progressed the story in a much more relaxed way than the previous books. Indeed, there is no major plot progression concerning the main characters (Geralt, Ciri, and Yennefer). Instead of plot progression though, the readers were offered a diverse and lovable side characters like Milva, Zoltan, Cahir and Regis.

Personally I enjoy the change of pace. However, I can’t give it a higher rating because the author kept throwing names of places which when coupled with his insistence on not releasing an official map, make reading certain parts taxing and tedious.

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runitsthepopo's review against another edition

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fast-paced

Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

Felt like this was trying to say something about sexual violence towards women but felt more like it was targeted for men to understand and empathize with rather than for women and victims of sexual assault to feel seen by

Also a weird pro-life argument that evades consequences by having it end in a tragic miscarriage

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timmytunter's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Andrzej Sapkowski’s fifth Witcher novel (and third in the saga), Baptism of Fire, marks my favourite entry in the series so far, earning a rating of 4.25/5 stars. The story shifts from the tumultuous events of Time of Contempt to follow Geralt closely as he resumes his quest to locate Ciri. This installment focuses heavily on Geralt’s journey and the diverse group of companions he gathers along the way.

Among his companions are a dryad-sympathising human archer, a barber-surgeon with a sanguineous secret, a caravan of dwarves, a Nilfgaardian who denies his affiliation, and, of course, the ever-present bard Dandelion. Their dynamic is humorously highlighted in a memorable exchange:

‘What a company I ended up with,’ Geralt continued, shaking his head. ‘Brothers in arms! A team of heroes! What have I done to deserve it? A poetaster with a lute. A wild and lippy half-dryad, half-woman. A vampire, who’s about to notch up his fifth century.
And a bloody Nilfgaardian who insists he isn’t a Nilfgaardian.’
’And leading the party is the Witcher, who suffers from pangs of conscience, impotence and the inability to take decisions,’ Regis finished calmly.

The portions of the book detailing the group’s journey are particularly compelling, as we witness Geralt’s isolationist tendencies being challenged. He gradually comes to endure, if not embrace, his comrades. Special mentions must go to Milva and Regis, two characters who have greatly endeared themselves to me.

Aside from Geralt’s travels, significant insights are provided into the politics of the Lodge of Sorceresses and the movements of Ciri, still in the company of barbarous gang “The Rats.” The novel’s first half is a slow build, setting the scene for the action-packed second half. By the halfway mark, all relevant characters and locations have been introduced, and it’s just a matter of increasingly tempestuous events unfolding.

Sapkowski’s writing shines as we see significant growth in Geralt’s character. Regis’s observation about Geralt encapsulates this evolution:

‘For [Geralt]’ – Regis laughed – ‘the points of the compass have no great importance. It’s all the same to him which one he chooses, as long as he’s not idle. That is truly a witcher’s principium. The world is full of evil, so it’s sufficient to stride ahead, and destroy the Evil encountered on the way, in that way rendering a service to Good. The rest takes care of itself. To put it another way: being in motion is everything, the goal is nothing.’

This characterization, while perhaps true for witchers generally, becomes increasingly untrue for Geralt, whose paternal connection with Ciri (and perhaps his relationship with Yennefer) adds depth and purpose to his journey. Regis’s immediate recantation of his words underscores this transformation.

Overall, Baptism of Fire is a worthy addition to the Witcher series, with its rich character development and engaging narrative. Highly recommended.

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paulinia's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

The best begrudgingly-found-family!
Or 300 hundred pages of Geralt being brooding I-don't-need-anyone man:tm: and being constantly called out on that

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tdnan's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

The first half of this book was sooo slow, which was kinda crazy because I felt like things were ramping up in the last one. Once again, I enjoyed how much these characters discuss their own philosophy driving them through the tumultuous political climate of war they find themselves in. I finally felt like Geralt was pushed to develop a bit more, while Ciri just sort of got sidelined. The whole vampire blood-drinking as alcoholism bit was legitimately making me laugh. There were a certain amount of twists I truly was surprised by, which I loved. I feel like this book continued to have an atmosphere and messaging that I really enjoyed, but the plot itself didn’t hold up as much for me.

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geekmom's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny mysterious tense medium-paced

4.25

This was probably my favourite of these books so far. A well-paced story that is moving forward after seeming to meander in the last couple of instalments in this series...

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