'The Sword of Destiny' takes the witcher into Brokilon Forest and a confrontation with his destiny, the child Ciri who will become so important in the remaining books.Īrguably the highlight of the collection is the concluding story, 'Something More,' a disjointed story which unfolds in different time periods as Geralt recovers from a serious wound.

'A Little Sacrifice' is a story about mermaids and thwarted romance which takes an interesting turn towards the Lovecraftian and becomes one of the more foreboding stories in the series. A smart and funny story, this is the one that arguably feels the closest to the video games, particularly The Witcher 3, which has a quest which is a direct sequel to this story. 'Eternal Flame' may be the most fun story in the collection and sees Geralt visit the great city of Novigrad and have to deal with a doppelganger. The opening story, 'The Bounds of Reason,' feels more like a traditional Geralt romp with the witcher called in to help neutralise the threat of a dragon, only to find matters complicated by politics. 'A Shard of Ice' at first appears to be an amusing love triangle story, with Geralt and a sorcerer squaring off over Yennefer's favour, but it soon becomes powerfully bittersweet and even a little tragic. Several of the stories are concerned with Geralt's relationship with Yennefer, and the fact they love one another but also cannot be together, and how they both handle the issue. Like that book, this is a collection of short stories and novellas linked by Geralt and several other recurring characters, such as the bard Dandelion and the sorceress Yennefer, and also by a thematic element: the growth of Geralt as a character and the realisation that he has a destiny he is unsure he wants fulfilled but may not have any control over. Sword of Destiny is the second book in the Witcher series, following on from The Last Wish. But his journey is also a circle, leading him back to a promise he exacted six years ago from the Queen of Cintra and a price he demanded, but is no longer sure he wants paid. He kills dangerous monsters for coin but also finds his path entwining with that of the mighty, of powerful sorceresses, generals and kings. Geralt, the witcher, continues his journey through the Northern Kingdoms.

Sword of Destiny by Andrzej Sapkowski