Sword of Destiny (The Witcher Book 2)
Geralt the Witcher battles monsters, demons and prejudices alike in Sword of Destiny, the second collection of adventures in the New York Times bestselling series that inspired the Netflix show and the hit video games.
Geralt is a Witcher, a man whose magic powers, enhanced by long training and a mysterious elixir, have made him a brilliant fighter and a merciless assassin. Yet he is no ordinary murderer: his targets are the multifarious monsters and vile fiends that ravage the land and attack the innocent.
The Sword of Destiny is the follow up to The Last Wish, and together they are the perfect introduction to a one of a kind fantasy world.
And look out for The Tower of Fools, book one of Andrzej Sapkowski's Hussite Trilogy!
Witcher collections
The Last Wish
Sword of Destiny
Witcher novels
Blood of Elves
The Time of Contempt
Baptism of Fire
The Tower of Swallows
Lady of the Lake
Season of Storms
Hussite Trilogy
The Tower of Fools
The Malady and Other Stories: An Andrzej Sapkowski Sampler (e-only)
Translated from original Polish by David French
Reviews (192)
The Second Collection of Tales of Geralt, the White Wolf.
I think I am landing on four stars for Sword of Destiny, the second collection of Witcher stories. Of the six stories I'd give four of them four stars, and two of them five. So four seems fair. The first thing I noted is that Sword of Destiny has a different translator than The Last Wish. David French in this case, rather than Danusia Stok. I noticed a little stiltedness and awkwardness in some of the writing in the beginning stories, and I wanted to attribute this to the new translator, however I am wondering if this was not more of a placebo effect. Because the first time I read The Last Wish I had similar 'issues' with the translation, but the second time I didn't have any at all. Nor did I have any issues with, say, the back half of this book. So I think it may just be a mood thing, or a matter of getting used to the writing/translation. In any case, I have never really felt my enjoyment of Sapkowski's stories lessened by the fact that they are not in the original language. So, then. Sword of Destiny. If you enjoyed The Last Wish and want to learn more about our man Geralt (much more) then you'd be doing yourself a disservice not picking up this book. It expands on the world, on the characters, and on just about everything that Sapkowski introduces in The Last Wish. It even introduces Ciri, who fans of the games will recognize instantly. She appears in two of the stories in this collection, and it's no coincidence that those two are the ones I'd have easily given five stars. In fact, Ciri's story bits--and the way they affect Geralt--have me more excited to eventually dive in to the main Witcher series than I ever was before. As I mentioned there are six stories in Sword of Destiny, just as there were six stories in The Last Wish. Sapkowski's talent for storytelling shines through once more. In his clever resolutions to what could otherwise be run of the mill fantasy; in complicated characters who engage in meaningful, smart dialogue and are consistently challenged emotionally (even when those characters aren't human). The feel of his world is one that I enjoy. It feels very lived in which is a compliment that I throw around at times, but not lightly. It's rough around the edges, but with the capacity to be beautiful. I'm actually reminded of the movie Willow at times, for whatever reason. Not in tone, or in content. Just the feeling of the world. It's a good feeling though. Spakowski is not without his faults. Women outside his main characters can sometimes feel like fodder for Geralt; whether sexually or to challenge him in some way (emotionally, intellectually, etc). You can make the, "It's the times!" argument here, probably even successfully, but still it's a noticeable piece of these stories. Even so, I enjoy them greatly. Now, here's a bit about each story in the collection. THE BOUNDS OF REASON: In which Geralt embarks with strange company on a dragon hunt, finding himself face to face with a living legend. This story explores the limits of possibility. A SHARD OF ICE: In which Geralt finds himself in a lover's spat with a sorcerer named Istredd as they fight over who should be with Yennefer. This story was noteworthy for how it challenges the idea that Geralt, as a Witcher, is without emotion. ETERNAL FLAME: A story surrounding a series of chaotic trade deals after a mimic (doppler) assumes the form of a merchant friend of Geralt's. Fans of the game will recognize the city of Novigrad, the dwarf banker Vivaldi, and the doppler Dudu. This one has an excellent scene during which the reader's view of 'monsters' or non-humans is deeply challenged. Some good Dandelion bits in this one. A LITTLE SACRIFICE: In which Geralt and Dandelion--down on their luck--are invited to a wedding where Dandelion has been commissioned to sing alonside Essi Daven, known as Little Eye. Soon enough Geralt is entangled in a Duke's advances on a mermaid and a case of some murdered pearl divers. This is another one that dives a bit deeper into Geralt's supposed lack of emotions. THE SWORD OF DESTINY: This and the next story were my favorite of the bunch, and may even be the two best stories of both collections. They serve as the introduction of Ciri, and begin to build toward what I can only imagine will be a large part of the series moving forward. In this one, Geralt is on a diplomatic mission to Brokilon, home of the dryads. SOMETHING MORE: Wounded after defending the life of a merchant stranded in monster territory, Geralt experiences several hallucinogenic visions while he recovers using his own alchemical agents. These.. visions, are very interesting. Namely because the reader is unsure whether they are visions. Or whether they are simply hallucinations. Additionally, we have no idea if they are happening now, have happened, or will happen; though some guesses can be made. Each is worthwhile though. This story also contains major information about The Law of Surprise, Geralt's parentage, and the Niflgaard war that will likely consume a large portion of our story moving forward. Excellent story. Well, there it is. Next up is Blood of Elves, the beginning of the main series.
An Excellent Read
After a very long wait (seven years), we finally have the official English translation of the second set of short stories about Geralt of Rivia. Why the publisher waited so long to translate this collection is beyond me, as The Sword of Destiny introduces some very important characters to the next book: Blood of Elves. However, that's a discussion for another day. The Sword of Destiny is similar to its prequel collection, The Last Wish. It's a series of short stories about Geralt, one of the last Witchers (a guild of monster hunters), and his many adventures. Unlike the The Last Wish, all the stories are in a fairly linear order and deal mostly with the topic of destiny. They also build on Geralt's relationships and what it means to be human. Whereas The Last Wish dealt more with philosophy that is grounded in real life, The Sword of Destiny concerns itself it the philosophy of destiny and is more rooted in a traditional fantasy story. For a while, I thought the story would take a clichéd approach to destiny, but was pleasantly surprised by how the author chose to tackle it. This book is an excellent read if you enjoy medieval fantasy and a must-read if you're a fan of the Witcher series.
An amazing collection of short stories
"Not this war, Geralt. After this war, no-one returns. There will be nothing to return to. Nilfgaard leaves behind it only rubble; its armies advance like lava from which no-one escapes. The roads are strewn, for miles, with gallows and pyres; the sky is cut with columns of smoke as long as the horizon. Since the beginning of the world, in fact, nothing of this sort has happened before. Since the world is our world... You must understand that the Nilfgaardians have descended from their mountains to destroy this world." The Sword of Destiny is the sequel to the Witcher's first collection, The Last Wish, picking up where the previous book left off. The continuity is surprisingly fluid with the stories being surprisingly interlinked and best read in the order that they are published. The Sword of Destiny is also absolutely essential to understanding the later novels in the series, which is unusual when dealing with short stories. The Sword of Destiny is also surprising in that it contains some of the lightest and darkest of the Witcher universe slammed together in one volume. There's stories which include silly stories about Medieval stock market manipulation and a retelling of The Little Mermaid alongside tales of genocide as well as forced relocation of native peoples. This is a really impressive display of the variety of Andrzej Sapkowski's work. I'm particularly fascinated by the character development of Geralt, new character Ciri of Cintra, and the Nilfgaardian Empire. Geralt gets expanded from The Man With No Name with swords, basically, to a man who is deeply suffering for his inability to find love. Ciri of Cintra is one of the rare non-annoying children in fiction, rivaling Newt from Aliens for how much I like her. The Nilfgaardian Empire? Well, they are an embodiment of evil who don't get much screen-time but manage to be both believable and terrifying at once. I started the review with the quote about them because, truly, it gave me chills. The supporting cast in the book is particularly strong this time around as well. The tragic but wonderful character of Essi Daven, the snobbish but enjoyable Istredd, the self-confident but heartbroken Yennefer, the imperious Calanthe, and (of course) Dandelion are all characters who fly off the page despite their little screen-time. I'll go into more detail but, really, I should address each of the stories individually. "Limit of Possibility" This is a deconstruction of the dragon-slaying epics which we all know, even if we've never seen them outside of The Hobbit. Geralt of Rivia is the one professional monster slayer in the surrounding kingdoms who isn't interested in killing a dragon when a prince puts up a fabulous reward for slaying one. This attracts a holy knight, a wizard more interested in saving one than killing one, a would-be peasant hero, and some cold-blooded mercenaries. The fact the dragon is an intelligent individual who may be the last of its kind on the Continent doesn't effect their motivations one bit. This story picks up on Geralt and Yennefer's relationship immediately after The Last Wish. Geralt, apparently, abandoned her soon after the story which did not sit well with Yennefer in the slightest. This is one of her best appearances as she gives some truly staggering justifications to convince herself that it's alright to kill the dragons for her very personal selfish reasons. It's a humorous, silly, and yet surprisingly well-written and observant story. "Splinter of Ice" This is not really a typical Witcher story in that while it has a few nods to being an deconstruction of The Snow Queen, it's actually a romance about Geralt and Yennefer. Well, actually it's only a romance in it's an analysis of how the two (actually three as Geralt finds out) are deeply dysfunctional people who have difficulty loving or being loved. Both Yennefer and Geralt have terrible self-esteem as it turns out, which effects their ability to say how much they care for one another. I like this story's surprisingly unglamorous portrayal of Geralt and Yennefer's romance, which is how these things sometimes go. Yennefer is constantly cheating on Geralt while he isn't all that much better, not the least bit because he won't really identify what it is they have. The introduction of Istredd is excellent as he is a character who really would be better off seeking anyone else than Yennefer but wants her anyway. Despite some truly nasty things he says to Geralt, you also get the impression he's not that different from our hero. "Eternal Fire" A comedy about economics, identity theft, and assimilation in a Medieval city. Geralt and Dandelion find themselves bankrupt (again) in the city of Novigrad. Going to visit a halfling friend of theirs, they find that he's been replaced with a mischievous doppler who has stolen all of the man's wealth. Joining with their friend, who has escaped imprisonment, they proceed to chase the doppler around the city only to find out he's built a veritable economic empire in just a few short weeks. Much discussion is had about the definition of monster and what kind of opportunities we allow the disadvantaged. I got a lot of fun out of this story since I read it while playing the Novigrad section of the Witcher 3. The doppler character, Dudu, really impresses me with his statement about how arbitrary the rules of society can be. Dudu would very much love a chance to live amongst "normal" people but he's forbidden it because of an accident of birth. This is perhaps the lightest story in the whole of the Witcher series and is quite enjoyable as a comedic romp. "A Little Sacrifice" The final "humorous" story in this collection, A Little Sacrifice is a re-telling of The Little Mermaid with a Lovecraftian twist. Geralt and Dandelion find themselves bankrupt (notice a theme?) and the latter is forced to be the backup entertainment at a wedding. This is after as disastrous attempt by Geralt to try and serve as a go-betweener for a Duke with his mermaid sweetheart. Once there, they meet a young rival of Dandelion's who Geralt swiftly develops feelings for. A Little Sacrifice is much like Splinter of Ice in that it's more a story about love and relationships than the supernatural. While the Little Mermaid parody is hilarious, it's really mostly about Geralt's relationship with Essi Daven and how he could find love with a woman other than Yennefer (but doesn't want to). The ending is touching, even if it's a bit hard on the mermaid. I also like the random inclusion of Deep Ones in the setting. "Sword of Destiny" The Sword of Destiny is the first story to really have a heavy focus on the myth arc of the Witcher as well as set up the events of Something Greater. Geralt goes into a Dryad-filled forest in order to carry a treaty offer from a nearby king. The Dryad race is dying out but they would prefer to go down fighting than watch their lands turned into lumber except for a tiny section. Meanwhile, Geralt stumbles across the lost Princess of Cintra, Ciri, who has the potential to change his destiny forever. There's a lot of heavy subtext about native displacement, extinction, racism, and the problem of cohabitation looking a lot like surrender. There's no good answers here and the ending is ambiguous. Ciri's presence is, however, adorable and I loved her deconstruction of arranged marriages as well as the runaway princess trope. We also get a lot of foreshadowing for where their story will go next. "Something Greater" Something Greater is, hands down, the best of Sapkowski's short stories. It's powerful, emotional, dramatic, and tension-filled. The fact it's mostly about Geralt recovering from a horrible injury sustained fighting run-of-the-mill bandits belabors the point that it is a well-written story about loss as well as the horrors of war. Geralt struggles with the idea that his mother may be dead without ever having met her or that Yennefer might die on some battlefield somewhere. He also struggles with the fact he has no legacy since he rejected the possibility of taking Ciri as his child/apprentice. The introduction of Nilfgaard is truly horrific and done extremely well. In a world as horrible and filled with suffering as the Northern kingdoms, they are something worse and come to bring an end to the old way of life (as well as possibly its people). The destruction of Cintra is one of the most harrowing short bits of fiction I've read. Bravo, Andrzej! I recommend this book strongly. It's got humor, drama, action, character insight, tragedy, and wonder. Is it the best fantasy I've ever read? No. However, it's up there. For the short story format, the author manages to really crank out some wonders. 10/10
Great Story for Adults
Like most other Witcher books, this one is set in a Medieval World and, as any fantasy must, has its share of goblins, dryads, elves, dragons, and dwarves. What sets it apart is the realism of that world; the sheer humanity of it. As one (pretty minor) character puts it toward the end of the tale “life must go on no matter what happens.” And perhaps we can try to do as little harm as possible. At the center of this world, this story is Geralt, a Witcher that is a man who has been mutated and made fit to fight monsters, who has lost faith. Lost faith in what he was created to do, lost faith even in destiny itself. And at one level, this is a book about how he recovers that faith. And that story is told brilliantly. At another level, this is a story that makes fun of the fairy tales with which we grew up. Are the knights who go out to kill dragons truly that valiant or are dragons the ones who deserve our praise? Does the tale of the Little Mermaid, as told by Hans Christian Anderson make sense or is it (as Geralt puts it) “rot” that no-one in their right mind would believe? Who is a monster, really? And how can you tell? And finally, the question that keeps the whole set of tales together: the blade of destiny has two sides. One is a child prophesy. What the other will be depends, to a large extent, on Geralt. It is a wonderful book and I highly recommend it for adults whether you are a fan of the Witcher video games or, indeed, a fan of the fantasy genre or not.
Worth The Read
Of course, I came to these books having greatly enjoyed the Witcher games: particularly Witcher 3. I knew that the game designers stayed close to the original book themes but that they are not canon. The author steadfastly refused to have anything to do with the games, unfortunately. So the question is: if you enjoyed the games, are the books worth it? And the answer is an easy yes - these books fill in so much about the characters that seemed to be only side quest accessories but instead Geralt had met them before. As well, several Gwent cards feature characters that were introduced in the books (e.g., this book has the golden dragon Villentretenmerth. There are two short story collection books (this is one of them) and then an ongoing series. The stories in this book include the story of how Geralt met Villentretenmerth, how he met and fell for Yennefer, how he uncovered a plot featuring the Doppler Dudu (who shows up in Witcher 3), a plot featuring mermaids and a duke who wants a bride (a riff on The Little Mermaid), and Sword of Destiny - which sets up the storyline for the series (focusing on the child of Destiny, Ciri). Sapkowski enjoys taking fairy tales and creating a more 'realistic' storyline around them. In previous books we saw Beauty and the Beast subverted and here we have a rather imaginative take on the Little Mermaid. Those who have played the game can imagine how the story will unfold: with the trademark lack of morality and clear endings. I do enjoy that vagueness since it means you are given a lot to think about afterwards. I found the stories in both of the 'collection' books to be interesting and worth the read. As well, a lot more focus is on Geralt in these books than in the series. In fact, in the series the POV is rarely Geralt, which may frustrate some. I listened to the Audible book and it was obvious the narrator took great care with the voices and acting. Admittedly, at times the accents were very hard to understand and I had to stop doing anything else in order to listen carefully (which took me out of the story). But other than that, it felt like a lot of love went into the narration.
Best of The Witcher
To my taste this collection of stories represents Sapkowski’s very best work in the entire Witcher collection. It is a direct continuation of “The Last Wish,” following the same format of linked short stories tracing the arc of Geralt’s self-discovery, his struggle with faith in the unseen, and his tremendous difficulty in accepting and building human relationships, particularly in the female mode. His mother, his lover, his daughter, even a sort of lady grim reaper – each of these relationships is explored and developed in its tortured incompleteness to reveal Geralt of Rivia, a man of superhuman abilities, as thoroughly and vulnerably human. Dandelion, the only person Geralt seems comfortable with, nails him: “for people who think clear-headedly you’re the most normal man under the sun, and they all wish that everybody was so normal.” Adding this layer of literary introspection to what is otherwise a very entertaining and creative set of swashbuckling fantasy adventures really sets this series apart in terms of interest. The first story, “The Bounds of Reason,” is my favorite one of all, because it manages to highlight all of Sapkowski’s strengths at once: creative reinterpretation of fantasy clichés, humor, action, salty dialogue, sexuality, viciously dysfunctional but passionately sincere romance, philosophical conflicts on man and nature. The next three are each good in their own way, but the last two are noteworthy in that together they form both a satisfying thematic conclusion to the two-book collection, as well as a bridge to the following novels in that the relationship between Geralt and Ciri is firmly established.
“It’s hard to call an accident destiny.”
While the stories contained in “Sword of Destiny” are undeniably part of the Witcher continuum and undeniably awesome, they also undeniably take second place to those in “The Last Wish.” Qualifier: nothing in “Sword of Destiny” is bad. Quite the contrary: it’s a great read and worth every one of its five stars. Each story in this anthology is entertaining, well told, has a message and is very much worth reading. Compared to the absolutely top-shelf quality and originality of every story in “The Last Wish,” however, “Sword of Destiny” can’t help but feel a bit wanting. Part of this is successor syndrome (i.e., the preceding installment was JUST SO GOOD the sequel can’t really compare), part of it is Sapkowski finding his voice and dialing in his style. There are two very notable exceptions: “Little Sacrifice” and “Something More.” Those two stories rank among the very best of the Witcher short stories contained in either of the aforementioned collections. Holy wow do those stories hit the reader right in the feelz. Geralt of Rivia returns for another foray into Sapkowski’s brilliant fantasy world; a world as vibrant and real as our own, full of metaphor, allegory and relativism, where everything exists only in some wonderful shade of gray. Are dragons inherently evil and what exactly does that mean? What do you do with a creature that clones a person, but only copies said person’s good behaviors? What precisely constitutes a little sacrifice? How do you define destiny or if it even exists? The Witcher series is making fairy tales relevant again, but with grown-ups as the audience. With “The Last Wish” (Witcher #1) and “Sword of Destiny” (Witcher #2) finished, time to move onto the novels. “Blood of Elves” (Witcher #3) is already on this reviewer’s short list. “The Witcher nodded. Not for the first time, the criteria by which women judged the attractiveness of men remained a mystery to him.” - - - - - - “It’s not worth worrying about storytellers. If they don’t have enough material they’ll make things up anyway. And if they do have authentic material at their disposal, they’ll distort it.” - - - - - - “The Sword of Destiny has two blades… You are one of them.” - - - - - - “She stood before him and Geralt regretted it was her and not the fish-eyed creature with a sword who had been hidden beneath the water. He had stood a chance against that creature. But against her he had none.” - - - - - - “Aha,” he said calmly. “Essi Daven, also known as Little Eye. The alluring little eye of Little Eye fixed its gaze on the Witcher and caused confusion in the Witcher. The Witcher behaved like a little schoolboy before a queen. And rather than blame himself he is blaming her and searching for her dark side.” - - - - - - “For me,” Dandelion fantasized, “a palliasse without a girl isn’t a palliasse. It’s incomplete happiness, and what is incomplete happiness?” - - - - - - “You’re sensitive,” she said softly. “Deep in your angst-filled soul. Your stony face and cold voice don’t deceive me. You are sensitive, and your sensitivity makes you fear that whatever you are going to face with sword in hand may have its own arguments, may have the moral advantage over you…”
Destiny is unavoidable and amazing
Review 5 stars I’m attempting to remain chronological in reading and reviewing Andrzej Sapkowski's absorbing books about Geralt of Rivia, although I first met the White Wolf in The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt video game. I also know that there are some shorts that might not fit this chronology. However, the six short stories in this second collection are on the one hand standalone but on the other, there are strong threads linking them – not least the White Wolf himself, Geralt of Rivia. Some see him as emotionless and ruthless, but his potion-subdued emotions emerge, and he is torn by his heart and by his destiny. Sapkowski creates an evolving and complex character who has a code, relationships, habits, quirks, dreams, nightmares…and destiny. That destiny unfolds in the stories – and I know in later books. However, the author doesn’t use a linear style for the plot, weaving the threads with flashback memories, nightmares and encounters. Some readers might find this approach confusing, but when the pieces fall into place, I sat back and admired the craft, grinning with pleasure. Each story deals with an event in Geralt’s journey, introducing both new characters and old ones, like Dandelion, the bard and Yennefer, the sorceress. From the opening story, The Bounds of Reason, when we encounter the mysterious Borch Three Jackdaws, we realise that this is neither a black-and-white world nor classical fantasy, but a multi-faceted and richly-visualised world of many hues, some grey and muddy, some earthy and verdant, and some red as blood or purple as lilacs. Each character in this and the other stories has levels of complexity, none more so than the child called Ciri in the last two stories – The Sword of Destiny and Something More. I could write about all six stories, but other reviewers can do that better. Do I focus instead on Yennefer’s devious attractions or Dandelion’s humorous escapades? Not this time – even if they are both play memorable character-driven episodes. Ciri is the person who fascinated me most, watching her cope with events as a child, her raw emotions and reactions, seeing her encounter Geralt and struggle together with Destiny. The whole plot comes together in their story, with seeds sown in one of the key stories within The Last Wish collection and continued in the novels (and games). Everything takes place in a world that mirrors issues that our society still struggles with, like prejudice and racial segregation. Pogroms directed against elves and dwarves echo the horrors that the Jews suffered, totally – and witch burnings were for real. And the persecution of ‘minorities’ continues. People even dislike Witchers so abuse and exploit them – so why not send all Moslems back where they belong. Geralt's world is filled with monsters, and sometimes the human ones are the worst – as in ours. Sapkowski takes folklore and cleverly twists it, posing dilemmas. What side do you stand with, Order or Chaos? Are all dragons evil because a knight-errant must rescue maidens in distress? Sapkowski also raises topical issues, such as the struggle to preserve the natural world, vanishing species struggling to survive. Do we have a right to their land? I have just taken a few enjoyable steps exploring Sapkowski’s creation, even if I’ve visited the world others built from his imagination. Playing the Witcher 3 game and reading the early books creates moments of ‘understanding’ about this complex world. The depth originates in Sapkowski’s mind, so I must keep reading. Story – five stars Setting/World-building – five stars Authenticity – five stars Characters – five stars Structure – five stars Readability – five stars Editing – five stars
Overall enjoyable collection of stories that lend depth to the setting.
Continuing the short stories that spawned The Witcher phenomenon created by Andrzej Sapkowski, Sword of Destiny is the second book to pick up if you're looking to read everything chronologically. Or so I've been told. There's not a whole lot more that I can say about this collection of short stories, save that they continue to flesh out the setting and give background to the characters. Geralt of Rivia might be considered a heartless monster hunter, but behind the imposing façade lies an individual who cares deeply. Continuing discussions of destiny follow through as a theme, with Geralt wrestling with his responsibility towards Ciri, and how their paths keep crossing. If you've watched the first season of the series on Netflix, you'll recognise some of the story arcs, though the series does play loose and fast with the source material. I found particularly poignant the way Geralt and Yennefer damage each other so much – and Geralt very much cares for her, even if she pushes him away. The biggest issue that I can say is that what they value in life differs vastly. We also get glimpses into Geralt's past, and have hints as to why he got started on his path as a witcher in the first place. As always, I feel that much is lost in translation – some of the phrasing and idiomatic expressions are clunky, but I have sufficient love for the setting to continue reading.
Part Teenage Angst, Part Exploration of Important Continuous Themes
The much awaited second collection of short stories set in the Witcher universe, Sword of Destiny, is a frustrating read. Unlike The Last Wish, the first collection of short stories set that introduced us to the intriguing world and character of Geralt of Rivia, the second collection is not as much focused on developing the world but rather on developing the character of Geralt. As such, the happenings of the world, the who-dun-its, the secondary characters -- all of it function as narrative devices to do the more important work -- which is, for Sapkowski's second outing, the development of Geralt. The gambit, however, falls absolutely flat in the three of six stories, which read more like high school romance novels than the ground-breaking fantasy stories of the previous collection. It's not simply the strange translation choices, or the awkwardness of the dialogue -- the structures of the stories themselves change this dynamic character into a frozen, impotent character. Particular eye-rolling is the dialogue between Geralt and an important secondary character, which feels more like a poorly-written high-school romance than what we've come to expect from the Witcher collection. In fact, for the three out of the six stories, there's plenty of "oh, come on," moments, eye-rolling dialogue, and falling-flat of what is expected to be emotional moments. All that being said, the rest of the book is redeemed by the other three stories, namely, "Eternal Flame," the titular "Sword of Destiny," and the narratively most complex, "Something More." "Eternal Flame" is a story that is more akin to the stories of The Last Wish than Sword of Destiny in that it is a classic who-dun-it that also simultaneously develops Geralt and the world, but "Sword of Destiny" and "Something More" are squarely within the ethos of Sword of Destiny. They are primarily related to Geralt's internal struggles, but, unlike the other three stories that preceded it, are not hampered by triteness, eye-rolling dialogue, and cringe-worthy adolescent emotionality. All in all, the book is half intolerable, and half wonderful.
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