Hello Fellow Journeyers,
After years of not getting around to this review, we have the final book of The Witcher that I deem worth going into detail over: Season of Storms. As stated in the previous reviews I've published on this series, I have a complicated relationship with these books. I am a huge fan of so many aspects of it while having series issues with it overall. So here we go!
What's the story about: Season of Storms returns to the timeline of the short stories (during The Last Wish specifically) before the main saga (starting with Blood of Elves and ending with Lady of the Lake) and focuses only on Geralt and his wandering monster hunting days. Geralt loses his swords and goes through immense turmoil to retrieve them. This book is the only entry of the series that uses a singular and linear plot combined with the era of the short stories.
Season of Storms takes place in a very odd location in the Witcher timeline. I think someone stated that it is set between two of The Last Wish's short stories, so when to read this entry in the series is up for debate. Since this is the most recent Witcher book published, I read it last (after Lady of the Lake as someone on Goodreads recommended). And after having read it, there are choices by Sapkowski that make sense why it is last. So honestly, my opinion would be that you should read it as the third of the "Geralt of Rivia" trilogy consisting of The Last Wish, Sword of Destiny, and Season of Storms. It won't be a perfectly conclusive ending since it obviously will have threads from Sword of Destiny that won't be finished since they're continued into the main saga, but since the main saga of five books is...loosely enjoyable, I'd recommend skipping it entirely.
Getting into the more specific aspects of the book: as with the short stories, there are two large sections of the book that are gratingly lengthy and tough to get through. The first occurs when the plot is kicked off and Geralt loses his swords in a frustrating and odd manner that only makes sense during the final act. But the second aspect that this comes from is his time and relationship with the antagonistic sorcerer Lytta Nyd. As with all of Geralt's relationships, Sapkowski spends far too much time divulging the graphic details of their intimate sequences and, while this relationship is supposed to express issues with the power of seduction and emotional abuse, it does little to actually paint it in a bad light. Geralt is a glutton for punishment, but at this point we're just expected to think he actually enjoys this and won't change anything, which by the last book in the series, has been hit home far too many times.
All my issues being said, I thoroughly enjoyed Season of Storms as much as The Last Wish and Sword of Destiny because it took all of the aspects of those books and continued them. This final entry follows only Geralt and Dandelion (with some new characters added surprisingly) allows for brooding and philosophizing constantly, and we get a lot of enjoyable missions and quests that feel right at home with the first two entries. My favorite aspects of this series are when they stay to form in monster hunting, reflection, philosophizing, brooding on the dark aspects of the world, and solving the puzzles of humanity that are more than they appear.
★★★★ 4 Stars - Season of Storms is a fitting and enjoyable last entry for Geralt and Dandelion. All of the staple elements of the short stories return with Sapkowski's personal touches: despicable villains, unexpected events, wonderful philosophical musings, and a sense of adventure that was not seen in the main saga books. I really believe that keeping the format of storytelling exhibited in The Last Wish, Sword of Destiny, and Season of Storms could've lent itself to producing a truly amazing series that would be in line with the best books out there. Unfortunately, it was all for naught. This felt like a worthy place to end Geralt's story, but there is also a sense, leaving on this book, for what could have been. It's a great adventure, even if it doesn't satisfy like you would hope because of the main saga entries.
Let me hear from you! If you like what you read, want to hear more thoughts on this book, other reviews, or talk book recommendations and Essential Reading, leave a comment below.
Rating system:
★★★★★ 5 Stars: It was amazing; I loved it. Read this book; it is definitely Essential Reading!
★★★★★* 4.5 Stars: It was nearly perfect. I really loved almost every aspect of it, but a few things kept it from being amazing.
★★★★ 4 Stars: It was very worth reading and satisfying; highly recommend.
★★★★* 3.5 Stars: I thoroughly enjoyed this story, but it was lacking in certain crucial areas.
★★★ 3 Stars: It was good, but could've been better or improved upon significantly.
★★★* 2.5 Stars: I wanted to enjoy it. Certain aspects were good, it was worth finishing, but many issues.
★★ 2 Stars: It was okay, I didn't feel strongly about it.
★★* 1.5 Stars: I finished it, but it was a chore to get through.
★ 1 Star: I did not like it. It was not worth finishing or I did not finish it.
*I round up based on the system on Goodreads.