The Tower of the Swallow

In my reading order, this is Witcher book 6. Putting a star rating to this is going to be very difficult. There are many, many brilliant things in this book. Very clever dialog and situations. The pace can be a bit plodding at times (not helped by how slowly I read it, which was not the book's fault). But when it heats up, the action is fast and furious. I liked it. I didn't love it, but I liked it. And I respect it. I'm certainly curious where all of this is going!

The Tower of the Swallow is the sequel to Baptism of Fire, and gives a new way of narration and telling stories.

Ciri being hunted by allies and enemies, seeks refuge in a swamp, with Vysogota. Then, the story begins, with Ciri, Vysogota, Dandelion's Fifty Years of Poetry, and a witness in a lawsuit, recounting the events between Baptism of Fire, and the Tower of the Swallow.

With quick-witted dialogue, ingenious ways to finance the Redanian army, and the conclusion being 'that the most effective defence against intellectual domination is roundly to affront the domineering intellectual', I thoroughly enjoyed this book, though a bit more chapters of Geralt's companions would've been appreciated.

5/5

absolutely stunning pacing and an amazing journey to witness. this book sparked something inside me. something I will never forget.

There is an awful lot of talking, and not a lot of 'meat'.
I'm a big fan of wordy books, and this would be fine if it wasn't just characters repeating things we already know over and over and over.

At times a bit slow, & a bit confusing with the changes of POV, but altogether a rollicking tale. The author seems to be trying out some new techniques to varying degrees of success. The very end bit though? At the lake? chef kiss

Ciri's a prisoner; then she gets her butt kicked; then she kicks some butt. And then there's a cliffhanger. Is it just me, or is the author just stalling on the plot for the sake of making the series longer? Meh.