The Witcher series overall has been an interesting enigma of literature. Now 5 books into the overarching series, each individual entry has thematically had its own style in relation to the surrounding world. The first two books, The Last Wish and Sword Of Destiny, were collections of short stories, serving to introduce Geralt as a character in his own right. The third book in the series (and first book in the saga) Blood Of Elves served as a character study for secondary characters, while the fourth book in the series (and second book in the saga) The Time Of Contempt was a plot driven affair, focusing on the political turmoil of the world teetering on the brink of war.

Surprisingly, the titular witcher, Geralt of Rivia, has not been a major focus of the Witcher Saga overall (it's arguable that Ciri has been the main protagonist). Baptism Of Fire addresses this oversight, and focuses on the adventures of Geralt as he rushes to Ciri's aid. While not a bad book, Time Of Contempt had been my least favorite book in the series thus far, so it was encouraging to see Baptism Of Fire pick back up again on what the previous books have done so well.

There is a lot to like about Baptism Of Fire; new characters are great additions, there's a great blend of political scheming and action, and the series regains its tone and feeling of epic adventure. However, Baptism Of Fire is far from a perfect book. At times, we struggle with too much exposure to Geralt; despite legendary "badassery", his pouting and temper tantrums are far from endearing. Ciri is almost non-existent in this book, and we can count the number of pages on one hand that we check in with her. Through all its faults, Baptism Of Fire still suggests a positive return to form for Geralt and an optimistic view of what's to come.