A prequel of sorts to the main Witcher series, this story sees Geralt loose his Witcher swords and go on a quest to find them. Along the way he teams up with old pal Dandelion and ends up getting embroiled in a sorcerer's mutant conspiracy and getting hired as a bodyguard at a wedding.

This has glimmers of the Geralt wit I know and love, with death by books and hybrid trolls/ogres, but ultimately the story itself is rather dull. It drags and drags, without much of anything happening. Not getting to know any of the newly introduced vast cast doesn't help either, as I found I wasn't invested in anything or anyone. The one redeem chapter involves Geralt and Dandelion joining the aristocracy at a wedding, where we get many the cutting mark from Geralt's current squeeze, the red headed sorceress Coral, regarding the new bride. If only there has been more scenes like this.

The other main issue I had with this was where exactly it fits chronologically with the rest of the series. Geralt, obviously, knows Dandelion here and spends a portion of the book discussing Yennefer, but no mention I'd made of Ciri. This would suggest it's set sometime after Sword of Destiny, but its not explicitly clear. Some concept of time may have helped orientate myself to the story, or perhaps make me care more.

I still love the writing, but the pacing for this is just too slow for me to rate it any higher.

Having not read any of the previous stories I had no previous ideas about this story.
I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed this although confusing in places.
The characters were great and I was sorry when I had finished it.

I love the witcher series and this did not disappoint! Andrzej Sapkowski as always draws you in with his world building and fantastic character development.

Season of Storms is the latest novel in the internationally known Witcher series, following the trials and tribulations of Geralt of Rivia, the eponymous witcher (an alchemically mutated monster hunter for hire, for those not in the know). Season of Storms (which I’m calling SoS from here on), like the rest of the Witcher series, is written by Andrzej Sapkowski with his characteristic cynical wit and unsubtle author diatribes. Like most of the series’ English releases, SoS has been translated by David French, who in my experience has usually done an outstanding job of staying faithful to the author’s original voice without, barring a few exceptions, making it read awkwardly.

Season of Storms, while being the most recent entry in the series, isn’t actually the latest, chronologically speaking. It’s instead an interquel, set near the beginning of the books’ timeline, before the original short story The Witcher, but after the short story The Last Wish, both of which are featured in the first published book of the Witcher saga, called… The Last Wish. Confusing, I know. SoS is only tangentially related to the rest of the books in the series by a few of the characters and a few small references to the aforementioned short stories, and in practice stands on its own.

In typical fashion, the story’s start gives only the vaguest idea of where the ending will be. Geralt shows up in a small seaside kingdom, with the essential mix of scheming politicians, scheming criminals, scheming wizards, and scheming sorceresses. So far, so Witcher. Geralt, not for the first time, is caught up in one, then several of these overlapping schemes, loses the tools of his trade, and becomes embroiled in yet more schemes trying to get them back.

I’ll admit, I felt conflicted about the plot of this one. Being set outside the main narrative of the series, lacking most of the characters people will know from the books or the videogame series, and knowing that, at the end, the series’ mainstays will still be alive and (at least mostly) uninjured, I found it hard to get invested in the plots early stages. Struggles for the monarchy of a small hitherto unheard-of kingdom and the scheming of other, hitherto unknown wizards feel kind of hard to care about, especially since Geralt himself couldn’t really care a bit about events going on around him, being mainly concerned with just getting his swords back.

Thankfully, the plot does pick up later on, and after a flurry of chaotic and roundabout events, more conspiracy and Geralt getting the chance to exact some bloody justice, the plot, and schemes, tie up in a rapid and dramatic fashion slightly reminiscent of Shakespearean drama and one those familiar with the Witcher series will recognise.

Far more recognisable, however, are the characters, and not just series regulars like Dandelion who, let’s face it, will always be the real star. Sapkowski’s characters, by and large, all fall heavily on the cynical end of the cynicism-idealism spectrum, and any characters that don’t are either roundly crushed and disillusioned by the end of the book or are just outright lying. Outside of Geralt and Dandelion, the majority of the characters appears for a handful of scenes at most, and may go from being friends to enemies, or corpses, by the end of them. This helps to give a sense of danger when it’s needed, even though you know Geralt must survive.

Unfortunately, for Geralt, not a lot has changed. He’s stil the same, cynical, smart-arse professional from the other books, and while I don’t have an issue with this, it’s a shame Geralt never seems to really grow as a character, a problem the series in general arguably shares. And of course every single woman within a hundred metres of him seems to be inflamed with passionate arousal just upon looking at him, despite the fact he’s also supposed to look unsettlingly inhuman.

The writing itself is where the book either shines or flops, depending on your taste. Personally I enjoy the sarcasm, snarking and monologuing of Sapkowski’s characters, but the language can come across sounding archaic and a bit plodding. This may work towards the feel of the book, but by the seventh of eighth time a character has gone on an extended big ol’ speech, you may roll your eyes just a little.

This monologuing, directed at and by Geralt in equal measure, is actually, I think, where the themes of the book tie together. The plot meanders like crazy and may go off at a total right angle to what you think is the actual main narrative, but when you hear a characters wax philosophical about things like, accountability, hubris, corruption and even abortion, you realise that the actual physical events linking these themes are really just that, links to (perhaps sometimes simple) critiques of modern society.

Considering that the Witcher series is itself a deconstruction of those childhood fairytales about things lurking in the woods, it’s not all that surprising that SoS actually serves the same purpose as those tales, to try and warn against evil and vice using physical stand-ins. Only here, the monsters are us. Maybe not wholly original, but still well done.

If you haven’t enjoyed the previous entries, this one won’t change your mind. If you’ve not read The Witcher series (which, why the hell not? Go read it, now, I’ll wait) you can leave this one for later. If you’re already a fan, this a solid story with a nice little epilogue which leaves you with a twinge of happy nostalgia. Just don’t expect a major departure from what came before, because really, this is Sapkowski writing the same thing he’s written before with the series, an enjoyable dark fantasy tale in a world full of evil, both melodramatic and mundane, and a crotchety old witcher, as always, killing monsters.

There's no such a thing as a bad Witcher's book. Sapkowski is simply too good a writer.
This book is pretty unremarkable, though.

While the 'sub-quests' unfolded, the feeling I had was to be on a drifting boat, driven by the current now in one direction, now in the other, without really getting anywhere.

Sapkowski's delightful sarcasm and the solid worldbuilding derived from the previous books partly made up for the lacking in substance. Sadly, however, it didn't hold a candle to the main saga.

Have you enjoyed the previous tales of Gerald and his ever flamboyant friend Dandelion? If so then you will do so again. You’d think that someone would realize that Geralt is not easily deterred, but he is once again in the mix of politics and sorcery despite his only desire to slay the beast and collect his pay. Sapkowski does a fabulous job of mixing action with humor, with Geralt’s single-mindedness combined with his laissez faire approach to getting things done. This book had a slightly lighter tone than some of the other works, which made it a fun and entertaining read while also adding more to the dimension of our diligent Witcher. #witcher #gollancz #seasonofstorms #netgalley #orionbooks

Overdue review notes...

The first thing to know about it - it is a full-length novel. Not a collection of short stories like [book:The Last Wish|1128434] or [book:Sword of Destiny|25318857]. But despite that, this story is much closer in spirit to these prequel instalments as opposed to the main saga [book:Blood of Elves|6043781] and onward.

It is an easy and enjoyable read. But it would naturally appeal to those who already love the series. If you are new to Witcher - you can start here... but I am not sure I would recommend it. I would rather go through Last Wish > Sword of Destiny and then stop by here before diving into the main story. Or even keep it as a sweetener farewell entry.

It has all the thing that we enjoy about Mr Sapkowski's world: rich worldbuilding with historical allusions, modern themes raised in the medieval setting and a lonely path of a hero in a cynical world around him. Lots of things to love here... but I don't think this particular book has enough oomph to stand on its own as a stand-alone.

So - 4* from me and hopefully we will hear more about Geralt of Rivia in the future.

***

Dear Orion/Gollancz,

I am so very grateful for this NetGalley ARC! It is probably the very first time I was approved for the book I really really wanted. So: thanks again for making my day today ;)

Witcher/Ведьмак is on my best ever fiction shelf. I fondly remember it as one of my taste formative reads. I read it originally in a wonderful Russian translation and absolutely adored it for years.

I think the themes and a style of these books provides a curious missing link between fantasy of JRR Tolkien and sword&sorcery of GRR Martin; set in a western Slavic environment. If you haven't read it - I strongly recommend. It is NOT a fanfic to the video game. (It is rather the video game is a fanfic to this awesome series and the world it portrays).

Anyhow, Season of Storms is the only book I haven't read yet (it is a prequel released many years after the publication of the main series). Since my Polish is very poor I have tried reading Russian and Ukrainian translations (fan and official ones) but unfortunately left underwhelmed with their clumsy language. So this new English translation is my last resort to re-live the magic of my first encounters with the series.

So, I am crossing my fingers and diving in with excitement and anticipation of awesome ;) Will be sharing my field notes as I progress...

Season of Storms lives up to the greatest of all the other Witcher novels. The adventures of Geralt is still as amazing as ever.

To my knowledge, the books of The Witcher are split into the short story collection prequels (one of which I have read) and the full books (which I have not read). This book is somewhere in between being neither strictly a collection of short stories nor a focussed standalone novel in its own right. Chronologically, this book falls in between the stories contained in The Last Wish) though it is impossible to say quite where it falls (as mention of the stryga is made near the end, which begins the Last Wish I have to assume it comes after the flashback stories from that tome but before the overarching story linking them all).
It may be because I haven't read the full novels, but I find the Witcher to be a thoroughly bland and unexciting character and I have no connection with him. He has next to no personality and contributes nothing to the dialogue of the book. Similarly, all other characters are very disposable - they are either supposedly strong-willed sorceresses (who smell of flowers and throw themselves at the Witcher and are bedded instantly) or they are otherwise instantly forgettable.
I think Sapkwoski was trying to give the sorcerers a sense of academic snobbery but they frequently use Latin phrases, which just gets irritating very quickly. Similarly French words and phrases are thrown in willy-nilly without translation which gets annoying as well. This seems even more unusual when you realise the story was written in Polish and translated into English, with some parts kept in French or Latin. And then further when it is meant to be in a different world where French wouldn't be a thing.
The story essentially follows Geralt of Rivia (The Witcher) who loses his swords and goes on a quest to get them back, and just happens along the way to meet people who need his skills (like on Neighbours where one character leaves and another comes in through the door at exactly the same moment). This aspect makes me think this was meant to be a series of short stories stitched together. But unfortunately here those short stories are not finished up within themselves and you have a number of unsatisfying loose ends in the back of your head throughout.
As with The Last Wish, I found the ending very confusing and had no idea what had happened. It may be that other works fill in the gap and I will have that filled in time, but if so that makes this not a satisfying read in its own right.
Overall, I don't mind Sapkowski's writing in general, other than a few irritating bad habits and I like the overriding idea of the stories but find the execution, character development and overall world-building somewhat clumsy and throw-away. But as I say, this may be because (I think) I have read these in chronological order, rather than published order. I will fill in the gaps and work out if that is the case.

Honestly never really got into this one. I like my fantasy novels with a bit more character development, and this was definitely more focused on the action side of things. Some fun worldbuilding, but I was left feeling like reading it was a chore rather than a pleasure.

This book sits nicely between the short stories and the start of the novels. It gives a fair bit of back story that is not really important in the context of the series but it's a lovely way of getting to know the characters a bit better. It starts slow but turns into a well told story that fits well into the whole narrative of the series. It's not a must read as you won't really miss much of the plot of the rest of the series but it's an entertaining extra rounding of Geralt's character. It was a nice way to travel back to a wonderful world that I missed quite a bit. Definitely worth the read. I am looking forward to finishing of the rest of the series now.

Thank you to Netgalley, Andrzej Sapkowski and Orion publishing for my arc of Season of Storms.

Publication Date: 22nd May 2018

Having read the Witcher series last year after my partner who plays the games recommended it to me, I was so excited to see a new one had been released! Season of Storms is a prequel, set before the events of the main Witcher series, and it did not disappoint!
It was so great to be back in the world of Geralt, Dandelion and Roach. My only complaint is that there was quite enough Yennefer for my liking as she was and still is my favourite character!

The story finds Geralt heading to a city where his swords are promptly stolen and he is thrown into jail. Despite the lack of Yennefer there were plenty of sorceresses and sorcerers to keep me happy and the usual bawdy humour, blackmail and fighting. Geralt is such a great character because he's inherently good but also violent, a little bit crazy but completely logical at the same time.

It was great to experience the story prior to the events of the main Witcher series and get a feel for Geralt's life before he met Ciri and before certain events came to pass. We also get some interlude's featuring Nimue which I found very interesting. It's certainly making me Hold out hope that more Witcher books will be coming in the future. I'd certainly love to see a stand-alone from Yennefer's POV!!