Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Never have I been so fascinated with a video game series (exceeding even Mass Effect) than I am with the Witcher series. I purchased this book to gain greater insights into the world of the game, and it was more than I bargained for - in a good way. The book is presented under the pretext of a compendium providing information about the witcher, Geralt, his adventures, and peripheral information. The compendium is composed by Dandelion, poet and long-time friend of Geralt. He collects works of other authors and statements from main characters to compile an extensive and entertaining historical, biographical, scholarly piece of literature. His voice and character, wit and pomp, are heard throughout the work. The first chapter is a very broad history of the world, from times before humans inhabited it to the times when humans ruled over it. It provides information about the Northern kingdoms, the empire of Nilfgaard. and other places, as well as political factions and relations. It's apparently from the scholarship of a golden dragon named Villentretenmerth. It's a bit of an annoying and bizarre read because the dragon speaks in first, second, and third person; and has a great disdain or at least cynicism toward humans. Nevertheless, it's a fascinating look at the history of the world and how it came to be as it is at the time of the Wild Hunt. The second chapter provides information about witchers, their origin, their creation, and the tools of their trade (medallion, blades, signs, etc.). It was narrated by Vesemir, Geralt's mentor and, according to this book, probably the oldest living witcher. This was definitely my favorite chapter: a pleasant and enthralling read. I actually felt as if Vesemir really wrote, hearing his age old wisdom and world weariness. The third chapter concerns magic and religion.The magic section is perhaps the most intriguing information from the book because it is so well-composed and critically analyzed. The religion section is, well, about religion: the cult of Melitele, the Order of the Flaming Rose, Druids, etc. This chapter is narrated by powerful sorceress and Geralt's long-time lover, Yennefer of Vengerberg. Even more so than Vesemir, I thought a brilliant job was done in convincing the reader that it was her authentic voice - her stern attitude, dry wit, intellect, and intuition. Personally, I don't really like her character as a "person," but I respect her; this chapter smartly captures the essence of the characteristics I respect in her. Then we arrive at the fourth chapter, a bestiary and brief description of the monsters of the witcher (you know, drowners, wraiths, dragons, trolls, etc.). The guide is pretty good, yes. But my problem is its narrator, none other than the man himself, Geralt of Rivia. This chapter hardly felt as though it were in the voice of Geralt, save for a few references to his adventures and misadventures. To be fair though, it is what Dandelion recorded from conversations with Geralt, so not exactly his writings. But his character is utterly vacant from this chapter, which is a tad disappointing, as he is, you know, the main character. Nevertheless, this does not detract from the chapter as a whole - it's a very interesting read. The fifth and final chapter is a rapid overview of Geralt's story. It mostly concerns his destiny with that of Ciri, the fabled Child of Destiny and his adoptive daughter. The information seems to be taken from the books as well as all three games in the series. On that note, reading the entirety of this chapter will spoil the ending of the third installment; I myself stopped short of the last page because I've yet to finish the game. The fast-paced nature of this chapter can be confusing to one not oriented with the story, but if you want a broad picture and some colorful detail, this will satiate you. Speaking of colorful, this chapter, most of all, and naturally, captures the voice of its narrator, Dandelion himself: a tender recount of the history of his friends, and an inflated sense of his own importance in the events of the story. The art throughout the work is beautiful and, more often than not, relevant. However it is clearly not the focus of this book, as a great deal of it is used and reused, pasted here and there. Much of it is stuff you've perhaps seen before from promotional material. Nonetheless, it enhances the narrative and the aesthetics of the guide. In summary, The World of the Witcher is a fun, fascinating, and informative read. The inclusion of characters as narrators is a treat, but not as well done as it could have been. The art is nice, but not impressive and certainly on-the-budget. If you're interested in Geralt, his story, and his world, I would highly recommend this compendium.