The Time of Contempt (The Witcher, #2)

Title: The Time of Contempt (The Witcher, #2)

Author: Andrzej Sapkowski

Published in: 1995

Date read: 12th February 2022

Score: 4/5

Genre: Fantasy, Thriller

Plot: (Warning, may contain spoilers):
"The Time of Contempt," published in 1995 (and 2013 in English), is the second novel in Andrzej Sapkowski's main Witcher Saga, following "Blood of Elves." It deepens the political intrigue and accelerates the overarching conflict, placing the beloved characters of Geralt, Ciri, and Yennefer at the heart of a brewing war.

The story opens with Geralt of Rivia, the Witcher, continuing his uneasy alliance with the sorceress Yennefer of Vengerberg. Their primary concern is the protection and training of Ciri, the Child of Elder Blood, whose immense magical potential and royal lineage make her a pawn in the continent's escalating political struggles. Ciri's burgeoning magical abilities are becoming increasingly difficult to control, and Yennefer takes on the role of her primary magical tutor.

The political landscape of the Northern Kingdoms is increasingly volatile. Tensions between the kingdoms and the sprawling Nilfgaardian Empire are reaching a boiling point, with espionage and assassination plots rampant. The sorcerers, recognizing the looming war, decide to hold a grand summit on the Isle of Thanedd, at the wizard's academy of Aretuza, to discuss their role in the impending conflict and to potentially unify their power.

Geralt and Yennefer escort Ciri to Thanedd, intending for her to continue her training and perhaps find a safe haven among the powerful mages. However, the summit quickly devolves into chaos. The mages themselves are deeply divided, with factions secretly loyal to different kings or even to Nilfgaard. The gathering is revealed to be a trap.

The central event of the novel is the Thanedd Coup. What begins as a supposed forum for cooperation erupts into a violent and bloody internecine conflict among the sorcerers. Spies are exposed, allegiances shift dramatically, and powerful magic is unleashed. Geralt finds himself caught in the middle of this magical civil war, desperately trying to protect Ciri from the various factions who seek to control or capture her due to her unique abilities and prophesied destiny.

During the chaos, Ciri's powers manifest in unexpected and devastating ways, forcing her into a desperate flight for survival. Separated from Geralt and Yennefer, she is thrust into a perilous journey across the continent, battling monsters and facing human cruelty. Meanwhile, Geralt himself is severely wounded in the coup, left for dead, and Yennefer's fate is also uncertain.

"The Time of Contempt" is a pivotal novel that shatters the fragile peace and scatters the main characters. It irrevocably changes the political landscape of the Witcher world, setting the stage for full-blown war and sending Ciri on a solo journey that will profoundly shape her destiny. It's a tale of betrayal, desperate survival, and the growing realization that destiny, or kontrola, is tightening its grip on the Child of Elder Blood.

Comments:
Great stories again, struggle to remember where these fit as I have confused myself since by watching the Witcher on Netflix and the order is not the same.

Books that we've read by Andrzej Sapkowski (5):
Sword of Destiny (The Witcher, #0.7) (1992), The Last Wish (The Witcher, #0.5) (1993), Blood of Elves (The Witcher, #1) (1994), The Time of Contempt (The Witcher, #2) (1995), Baptism of Fire (The Witcher, #3) (1996)