BAPTISM OF FIRE: THE WITCHER 3

This is by far the best Witcher book I read in the saga (From Blood of Elves to this one). The introduction of Regis and Milva really made it a page-turner. Paper quality was 'Okay'. After surviving Times of Contempt, I wanted the plot to be interesting, and I finally got what I wanted. Will surely get the last two books of the main Saga. Read this one, you won't regret it. You will understand the true meaning of the title of my review at the end of the book (no spoilers given).

I'm devouring the books. Bought this part on 26th July and finished on 3rd August. Thoroughly enjoying. Superb.

Great book. Book collectors should be aware that the seller sends books without any quality control. The packaging was good but the book seems to have been kept in a humid or sunlit area and so the pages have yellowed like its ten years old. For a book collecter this is not acceptable. But I am not returning it because they will probably sell it to someone else instead.

I have never felt so engrossed while reading literature before, this book's climax is worth it. I read it 2 times to experience the thrill

Good

Not as good as the previous one, but still good nonetheless. Cahir is a great character! But Regis steals the whole thing, considering his involvement in Blood And Wine.

After the horrible politics and meandering chatter that had bogged the previous book down, this one was a hugely refreshing return to form. I loved it because of three reasons: 1. Geralt was in action. 2. Humour and conspiracy went together, throughout the narrative. 3. Finally we had a journey that befits any heroic quest, ending with pain and bitter joy, for now. Let's continue then. Highly recommended to all those who enjoy fantasies, especially to lovers of the Witcher.

Engrossing, both funny and tense at the same time. The writing is not game of thrones level but it's pretty good on its own.

Nice story. It's a great sequel, albeit not necessarily the greatest one. Certainly better written and more adult than Tolkien's work.

I've enjoyed all the books in the Witcher series & saga enormously, and this one was no exception.. I've found them all to be exquisite in their combination of fantasy and satire, story tales of old and parody, and don't understand the negative reviews this book has received. The charm of the world Sapkowski has created for Gerlat of Rivia and co., that makes it so different (and so much richer and more entertaining, from my point of view) from the Lord of the Rings, for instance, is the moral ambiguity, the shades of grey, the lack of clear, over-simplified, unambiguous themes (good vs. evil, for instance). The Witcher's world is much more nuanced, complex, and often confusing - much more "realistic", in a sense, if such a term can actually be used when speaking of fantasy. The "good guys" aren't always all that good, nor are there motives necessarily dignified, transparent or known to the readers or the characters themselves. Rulers' and players' moves and alliances are often the result of strategic geo-political decisions; characters' intentions are often veiled, serving individual ambitions, personal agendas or deceitful plots. Random events change the course of the story, characters doubt, fear, adapt, change, learn, mature... And then...there's the SATIRE. The mocking of all the real-world or fantasy-world stereotypes and clichés, which personally, I just can't get enough of. Perhaps this one IS a bit more slow-paced than some of the previous books in the saga, but definitely not less interesting. If you're reading these books just for the monster-slaying, the parries, pirouettes and humming of Geralt's blade, you're missing out on the best part of these books. If you're read the first books of this saga and are wondering whether to buy this one or not, just judge what you're into the saga for, and how much you value fast-paced action, as opposed to well-constructed atmospheres, great, witty dialogues and tons and tons of irony. ***SPOILER ALERT*** From the elves' far from idyllic nature and ultimate cooperation with Nilfgaard to the Regis' refusal to cave into his vampiric addiction to blood or the Sorcerers' elitist group and centennial conspiracy to get one of their own on the throne , I found this book to be as funny and stimulating as any of the others. I also enjoyed Geralt's internal struggle, the sociological and psychological hints about cooperation and teamwork, as opposed to individualism, or the crudity and cruelty with which war is portrayed - far from the glorious battles in LOTR. Really hoping Gollancz/Orion house will choose to translate the next book in the saga, hopefully SOON. Not sure whether I could wait, I checked out the Spanish edition (all 7 books of the saga are already in Spanish), but they're nowhere near the kind of rich language David French has endowed his English translation with. I don't speak Polish and haven't read the original, but you can tell he's put a lot of hard work into his translation, and has done a fantastic job!

I know the author would disapprove, but I picked up the books after having played Witcher 3 game, mainly because the games were based on them. So far I am not disappointed. Have really enjoyed the first three books and am looking forward to the next!

Perfect, I simply love it, the shipping was medium, package was protected, I thank you very much you made my life nice :D

Such a great book, builds up the story, world and characters further in a good way like all the other books in the series