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+title = "Time of Contempt (Andrzej Sapkowski, 1995)"
+author = ["Michał Sapka"]
+date = 2024-03-24T22:27:00+01:00
+categories = ["reviews"]
+draft = false
+weight = 2006
+reviewSection = ["Books"]
+abstract = "My review of the second book in the Witcher saga"
+aliases = ["/blog/2024/andrzej-sapkowskis-time-of-contempt", "/brain-rot/witcher/andrzej-sapkowskis-time-of-contempt/"]
+rating = 3.5
+image = "reviews/covers/sapkowski-time-of-contemt.jpg"
+related = ["Witcher Saga"]
+relatedName = "Time of Contempt"
++++
+
+It's a stain of my honor - I am a Pole, but I've never read The Saga.
+It's not that I've never read any of The Witcher, but somehow I always stopped after the short stories.
+Last year I've decided to finally fix this.
+I am a proud nerd for crying out loud!
+
+_Time of Contempt_ is the second part of The Witcher Saga, but it's also the 4th book about Geralt and his world.
+Let's ignore the short stories for a second and let's talk about this book in context of The Saga.
+Here it suffers from being the middle child: Andrzej is developing the characters and story, but it lacks a impactful begging and an end.
+I haven't felt like that after finishing the _Blood of Elves,_ as it had a _begging_ and the ending was emotional.
+Geralt reunited with Ciri.
+The story is clearly not over, but we have a kind of closure.
+We know she is safe and ready for what's coming next.
+
+Here?
+Here we have no beginning as it follows the last book.
+It was to be expected.
+But I fail to notice anything new created here.
+Yes, we've got _amazing_ development of Ciri (I can't wait what how her blood heritage will screw over everyone), but nothing more.
+It just moves from scene to scene[^fn:1], not spending any meaningful time anywhere.
+After 300 pages of this, it ends with Ciri joining some random group.
+I guess I will get to know them in _Baptism of Fire_, but I am not yet there.
+Are they good?
+Are they cool?
+Who the hell they even are?
+For me it was a huge let down.
+
+But the biggest thing missing in The Saga is humour.
+Both, _Sword of Destiny_ and _Last Wish_ were hilarious.
+It was not on Pratchett's level of humor, but Geralt was amazing when it came to deadpan.
+Moreover, I have no idea how well it translated to other languages, as it was based on Polish humour, but:
+the books were written for Polish reader who was expected to know _Szewczyk Dratewka,_ and therefore the way Geralt dealt with dragon was a funny refernce.
+But this aspect is now completely missingm[^fn:2], but it was what made the short stories for me.
+
+The biggest problem for me however was the fact I saw two seasons of The Witcher TV Series[^fn:3].
+It was terrible and had nothing to do with the book (luckily for me!), but the TV versions of Ciri and Yennefer were irritating at best.
+Their book counterparts are not like that - Ciri is extremely cool and Yen is, well, not so bad - but the visual image is etched in my brain.
+I finally start to have a separate personnas for them, but it was difficult.
+Yes, to some extent Netflix ruined the books for me.
+
+I was never a fan of _fantasy_, as I always preferred _SciFi_.
+Give me a blaster or give me death[^fn:4]!
+If I found _Time of Contempt_ as a random book, I would not care for the rest of the series.
+It was ok, but nothing to write home about.
+Sapkowski has a great style and I very much want more, but he has not told anything interesting here.
+I will continue reading The Witcher, but mostly because it **is** The Witcher.
+
+I liked reading _Blood of Elves_ much more.
+
+I give it 3.5/5.
+
+[^fn:1]: ... _No one had a chance to interrupt_.
+    _It was really quite hypnotic_.
+[^fn:2]: We've got **huge** reference to _Enemy Mine_ in the single best part of the book, but it's not funny at all.
+    Sad, scary - sure; but not funny. Just like the movie.
+[^fn:3]: And not an episode more.
+    It was already too much.
+[^fn:4]: If you get the refence know, that I am no longer that type of a person.