What a great way to wrap up the month and the witcher saga! Yes, Season of Storms is a standalone novel. AKA it’s optional for you to read it. Chronologically, the story’s plot takes place between the short stories in The Last Wish.

Overall, Season of Storms felt different compared to the previous novels. The plot was lackluster and the pacing was slow so the story dragged.

There was constant oversharing of details. I would have like more “showing” rather than “telling”; reading the mystery unfold through the scenes rather than just being told by a character that this is what happened. On frequent occasions the antagonists or characters would go on monologues about things (i.e. one of the sorcerers).

I think part of the reason why it dragged so much was that there were three subplots going on at the same time. I really wished there wasn’t too much going on in the story as it made for confusing reading.

1. Figuring out who stole Geralt’s witcher swords and why?
2. What the hell is happening at the sorcerers’ Chapter, or Rissberg Castle’s research complex, where some horrendous and threatening experimentation is being done
3. A potential assassination plot, believed to be organized by one of his sons, on the king of Kerack

Maybe it was just me (read the story to determine for yourself), but I found that the three subplots threaded throughout the novel were not cohesive with each other. It was just three crappy situations Geralt unfortunately got wrapped up in while in this town. I felt that it would have had a better impact, been written more cohesively had the subplots been written as 3 separate short stories instead of interweaving them in one. A short story dedicated to the each significant case that Geralt has to solve while in Kerack. Because the individual subplots are fascinating in itself – I loved how they wrapped up each subplot! The ideas, beautiful themes and concepts were certainly there and caught my interest. However, the execution fell below its usual standards (at least from how well it could have been written like in the two anthologies: The Last Wish and Sword of Destiny).

The overwhelming details, lack of wise and philosophical messages and lack of Dandelion’s humor made this book read differently from the others in the series. Like, my sweet baby Dandelion wasn’t as animated and humorous as he usually is! That’s saying something! And a Witcher novel is typically sprinkled with Easter eggs of wise insight from sagacious characters that enlighten my soul and make me go “Ohhhh, what an interesting thought about life and the world!” It did have some “Easter eggs”, but my mind was so bogged down by the rest of the story that the parts I usually enjoy didn’t move me.

Whether Season of Storms is good or bad, I can’t say because everyone has their own unique taste. For me, it’s not one that I feel inclined to reread. Just didn’t touch my heart and have that umph that I usually experience from a Witcher novel. If the entire book was cut down by 100 pages, I think it still would have achieved its story telling objective. Might even make it more polished.

It was also missing the fantasy elements, supernatural lore and mythical creatures as it didn’t really have scenes focused on Geralt’s monster hunting and killing. The scenes where Geralt does face the monsters…I didn’t really know its significance?

Season of Storms was focused more on politics, sorcerers and the royal family. I love the sorcerers but damn, they barely do magic when they appear in the story that to me they just read more as drama-seeking, arrogant politicians. Whenever the sorcerers/sorceresses star, feels like I just tuned into a (insert your favorite) reality TV show. Not my cup of tea. It would be the perfect opportunity to show off their magical skills and that didn’t happen in this book. Actually, kind of rarely happens in most of the books. I’d much prefer the elves, dwarves, dryads or hell even the witchers (please bring back the witchers of Kaer Morhen, I fell in love with them!) to be the main stars because they have interesting personalities, cultures, beliefs and attitudes.

So any good points of the book?? The cynicism, sarcasm and dry humor are still there, which I really appreciate! The epilogue was great! Bringing back Nimue! If you don’t know who Nimue is, read The Lady of the Lake. The epilogue makes it sound like there will be more books in the series?

All Book Reviews for The Witcher Saga (in series order):

1. The Last Wish
2. Sword of Destiny
3. Blood of Elves
4. The Time of Contempt
5. Baptism of Fire
6. The Tower of Swallows
7. The Lady of the Lake
8. Season of Storms