The first 2/3 of this book was really strong but the latter half really was a let-down as it lost focus. I'm happy with the increased focus on Ciri; it feels like a baton pass in ways, but we got a lot of Geralt and Yennifer, with interesting twists along the way. Unfortunately, with the last third, the literal aimlessness and the focus on the gang who boast about pillaging and raping went on for so long. Characters and names getting thrown about with no context is par for the course with Witcher but this was especially bad because there were characters I did not care one whit for.

Spoiler

And don't get me started on the weird uncomfortable sexual assault scene for Ciri right at the end. She falls in with a band. A male member makes advances as a "thank you" for saving him, gets fought off by a female member and then basically proceeds to do the same to a visibly distraught Ciri, who is supposedly into it?? Baffling, insulting, and exhausting. There's been a lot of weird sexualisation of Ciri throughout the series but this just highlights some of the worst of it. Bear in mind, she's only 14 by this book.

It was good.