Apr 102015
Our mad quest to catch up on the entire Witcher saga before The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt comes out in May has brought us to The Time of Contempt, the second full novel in the Witcher Saga. The previous book, Blood of Elves, set the stage for Ciri’s story, which properly began in the short story collection Sword of Destiny.
(Although Sword of Destiny is currently available in English only as a fan translation, an official English version is coming out and can be pre-ordered now.)
When I reviewed Blood of Elves, my only criticism was that it didn’t feel like a complete story, just the setup for a larger plot. I’m happy to say The Time of Contempt does not suffer that problem.
The plot threads the previous book introduced are expanded upon, and it still sets the stage for future events, but its central plot feels more focused. While The Time of Contempt works toward the overarching saga with hints of prophecy and the Wild Hunt (we’ll get back to that in a minute), it concentrates on the political machinations and conflicts that are immediate threats, such as the growing power of the sinister empire Nilfgaard. It also feels much more balanced between its protagonists. While Ciri remains at the core, Geralt has a strong role in the story as well.
As in the previous Witcher books, this one brings together action, believable character interactions, a grim world, and sporadic moments of humor to craft an enjoyable narrative. Whether Geralt’s growing sarcasm at a dinner party full of spies or a truly unsettling scene with a character suffering dehydration, The Time of Contempt drew me into the story and didn’t let me go. It also has a few notable plot twists which I won’t spoil here.
One of my favorite parts was the brief introduction of the Wild Hunt. Previously, all I really knew about the Wild Hunt came from previews of The Witcher 3.
What are these guys?
Other than “terrifying”?
Now, in folklore, the “Wild Hunt” is basically a group of spectral huntsmen galloping through the sky. It’s considered a sign of bad luck. The song “Ghost Riders in the Sky” is a reference to the Wild Hunt. The Great Hunt and the Heroes of the Horn in the Wheel of Time series may also be a reference, especially since the hunters in the Wild Hunt are often said to be gods or heroes, such as Woden or King Arthur. Of course, sometimes the Wild Hunt is depicted as evil, too.
I’m sure I could go on all day about folklore and different references to the Wild Hunt, so let’s get back to the Witcher saga’s Wild Hunt. Early on in The Time of Contempt it’s mentioned that the Wild Hunt has been seen, and then we get to see them for ourselves as Ciri flees through a storm filled with specters from her past–and the specters of the Wild Hunt.
The vague, ghastly shapes of riders become visible in the ribbon sliding across the sky. As they come closer and closer, they can be seen ever more clearly. Buffalo horns and ragged crests sway on their helmets, and cadaverous masks show white beneath them. The riders sit on horses’ skeletons, cloaked in ragged caparisons. A fierce gale howls among the willows, blades of lightning slash the black sky. The wind moans louder and louder. No, it’s not the wind. It’s ghostly singing.
The ghastly cavalcade turns and hurtles straight at her. The hooves of the spectral horses stir up the glow of the will ‘o the wisps suspended above the swamps. At the head of the cavalcade gallops the King of the Wild Hunt. A rusty helmet sways above his skull-like face, its gaping eye sockets burning with a livid flame. A ragged cloak flutters. A necklace, empty as an old peapod, rattles against the rusty cuirass, a necklace which, it is said, once contained precious stones, which fell out during the frenzied chase across teh heavens. And became stars…
It isn’t true! It doesn’t exist! It’s a nightmare, a phantom, an illusion! I’m only imagining this!
The King of the Wild Hunt spurs on his skeleton steed and erupts in wild, horrifying laughter.
O, Child of the Elder Blood! You belong to us! You are ours! Join our procession, join our hunt! We will race, race unto the very end, unto eternity, unto the very end of existence! You are ours, starry-eyed daughter of chaos! Join us; learn the joy of the hunt! You are ours. You are one of us! Your place is among us!
‘No!’ she cries. ‘Be gone! You are corpses!’
The King of the Wild Hunt laughs, the rotten teeth snapping above his rusted gorget. The skull’s eye sockets glitter lividly.
Yes, we are corpses. But you are death.”
You know, somehow I don’t think that’s Woden or King Arthur.
What a passage! As soon as I reached that, I couldn’t wait to learn more about the Wild Hunt–and just what’s up with Ciri, our mysterious child of prophecy.
That little tease is the Wild Hunt’s only real presence in The Time of Contempt, but that’s a good thing. If I’d read the book when it first came out, instead of after learning about the third game, I wouldn’t have realized the Wild Hunt’s significance. It serves as a tiny hint of stranger things on the horizon, and I think it works very well.
As for Ciri, we get some definite answers about here in this book, but I won’t spoil them for you. Let’s just say… things are going to get interesting.
The Time of Contempt is an excellent continuation of the Witcher saga, and a stronger novel than its predecessor. If you’re interested in Geralt, Ciri, the Witcher story in general, or just dark fantasy, give it a read.