After taking a decent break from the Witcher books, I am back with Baptism of Fire, the third Andrzej Sapkowski’s Witcher novels. It is the fifth in the series following the short stories The Last Wish and Sword of Destiny (and it is debatable that Season of Storms would come before both of them, but I have not read it yet as it is placed last in the box set). After the underwhelming and frankly disappointing reactions I had to Blood of Elves and Time of Contempt, I wasn’t sure if Baptism of Fire would live up to the short stories.

The Wizards Guild has been shattered by a coup and, in the uproar, Geralt was seriously injured. The Witcher is supposed to be a guardian of the innocent, a protector of those in need, a defender against powerful and dangerous monsters that prey on men in dark times. But now that dark times have fallen upon the world, Geralt is helpless until he has recovered from his injuries. While war rages across all of the lands, the future of magic is under threat and those sorcerers who survive are determined to protect it. It’s an impossible situation in which to find one girl – Ciri, the heiress to the throne of Cintra, has vanished – until a rumor places her in the Niflgaard court, preparing to marry the Emperor. Injured or not, Geralt has a rescue mission on his hands.

In my opinion, Baptism of Fire has more interesting things happening in it than Time of Contempt, but it still lacks engagement and interest for me. The novel is dialogue heavy, perhaps to mask the very mundane and boring action (or lack thereof) happening for most of the novel. Things are falling into place, or at least beginning to, and the groups of characters should be intriguing and prompt some excitement for what the future entails, but I rarely felt that. It almost felt like there was a lack of seriousness at hand here given how much rambling took place. I know the Witcher series isn’t big on introspection or reflection with its characters, but the complete absence of internal monologue and thinking makes the characters feel very removed from me as a reader.

I didn’t feel so affronted by the events in Baptism of Fire as I was in Time of Contempt, though that isn’t to say there wasn’t a few questionable occurances that felt me ultimately unimpressed. Unfortunately, I’m finding the series a bit of a drag as nothing has really happened emotionally for me to feel connected or invested in the plot. It is a shame given the notarity of the Witcher series and Andrzej Sapkowski’s name as a fantasy writer. There are some exceptional details and paragraphs that read so beautifully, but there are often overshadowed by the lacklustre dialogue and empty plot overall.

I’m hoping for something to change in The Tower of the Swallow that will spur an increase in attention and emotional interest in the series from me because I do want to finish these books. I really liked the short stories, and I am quite looking forward to reading Season of Storms and the new addition to the series set to be released in English in September, Crossroads of Ravens. Crossroads of Ravens is reportedly a prequel to The Last Wish, Sword of Destiny, and Season of Storms featuring a young Geralt, so it will be very cool to see the origins of his character come to light.