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  • Time of Contempt

Time of Contempt

The Witcher #4 / 9 ✓
by Andrzej Sapkowski
Time of Contempt (The Witcher #4) by Andrzej Sapkowski
★ 8.42 / 34
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Geralt - the witcher - and his friends and enemies return in another installment of the best-selling series.

Geralt the Witcher has fought monsters and demons across the land, but even he may not be prepared for what is happening to his world. The kings and armies are maneuvering for position, each fearing invasion from across the river, each fearing their neighbours more. Intrigue, dissent and rebellion are on all sides.

The Elves and other non-humans are still suffering under decades of repression, and growing numbers join the commando units hidden deep in the forest, striking at will and then dissolving into the trees. The Magicians are fighting amongst themselves, some in the pay of the kings, some sympathetic to the elves.

And against this backdrop of fear and contempt Geralt and his lover Yennefer must protect Ciri, orphaned heir and sought by all sides. For the prophecy rests on her, and whether she lives or dies she has the power to save the world - or perhaps end it.

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FantasyEpic FantasyHigh FantasyTranslationVideo Game
Release date: June 27, 2013

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Andrzej Sapkowski

Andrzej Sapkowski

Few writers have reshaped the fantasy landscape like Andrzej Sapkowski—though he never set out to become a legend. Long before The Witcher earned its place in gaming lore and Netflix queues, Sapkowski was a Polish economist with a love for stories that didn't flinch. In the late 1980s, he entered a short story competition with a sharp-edged tale about a monster hunter named Geralt. He didn’t just win; he kicked open the doors to an entirely new world—one filled with political tension, moral ambiguity, and beasts that often looked a lot like men.

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What sets his fantasy apart isn’t just the swords or sorcery—it’s the bite. Sapkowski’s writing walks a narrow, dangerous path between folklore and philosophy. His characters grapple with power, prejudice, and survival in a world where the lines between good and evil are constantly blurred. It’s dark, often brutal, but laced with sardonic wit and an undeniable sense of mythic gravity. His storytelling draws heavily from Slavic legends, blending the ancient with the cynical, the magical with the all-too-human.

Born in Łódź, Poland, Sapkowski brought a post-Communist realism to fantasy that felt anything but escapist. His Witcher Saga, which includes titles like Blood of Elves, Baptism of Fire, and The Lady of the Lake, doesn’t just follow Geralt’s journey—it challenges readers to confront uncomfortable truths, all while navigating a treacherous world where every choice has consequences.

Though he's famously skeptical of adaptations—once noting, “I can’t stop people from doing stupid things; I just wish they wouldn’t do them with my books”—his influence is undeniable. The international acclaim of his series has opened doors for Eastern European fantasy on a global stage, drawing comparisons to genre titans while maintaining a voice that’s distinctly, unapologetically his own.

Sapkowski’s work continues to resonate not just because it entertains, but because it unsettles. In his world, monsters aren’t always the ones with claws—and sometimes, a silver sword isn’t enough.

Photo: Elzbieta Lempp

The Witcher

In a land soaked with blood, riddled with ancient grudges and riddles sharper than swords, one man walks the line between myth and nightmare. Geralt of Rivia isn’t your typical hero—he’s a witcher, a monster hunter trained from childhood and mutated by alchemy to fight the creatures that haunt the dark. But in a world where humans are often crueler than beasts, what counts as a monster is rarely clear.

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The Witcher series is not a tale of simple quests or shining champions. It’s a slow-burn descent into a morally tangled landscape, where war, prejudice, and destiny twist through every kingdom and forest path. From the war-torn edges of the Continent to the eerie calm of cursed castles, these books build a rich, brooding world steeped in Slavic folklore, political intrigue, and philosophical bite.

At its heart is Geralt—stoic, weary, and deeply human beneath the scars. But he’s not alone. A runaway princess with chaos in her blood, a sharp-tongued bard with too much heart, mages, elves, rebels—all collide in a storm of alliances and betrayals. Loyalties shift like smoke, and destiny doesn’t care if you believe in it.

With razor-edged dialogue, dark humor, and moments of haunting beauty, the series balances brutal action with quiet introspection. It's no wonder it sparked a global phenomenon, inspiring award-winning video games and a hit TV adaptation—yet nothing captures the grit and soul of the world like the original novels.

For readers drawn to fantasy that dares to question heroism, that revels in shadow as much as light, these stories leave a mark. Not with flashy spells or predictable endings—but with the weight of choice, and the lingering question: what do we become when we fight monsters too long?


The Witcher consists of nine books — considered a complete series. The current recommended reading order for the series is provided below.

The Last Wish (The Witcher #1)
★ 7.62 / 71
Sword of Destiny (The Witcher #2)
★ 8.18 / 33
Blood of Elves (The Witcher #3)
★ 7.74 / 47
Time of Contempt (The Witcher #4)
★ 8.42 / 34
Baptism of Fire (The Witcher #5)
★ 8.00 / 27
The Tower of the Swallow (The Witcher #6)
★ 8.12 / 26
The Lady of the Lake (The Witcher #7)
★ 8.06 / 20
Season of Storms (The Witcher #8)
★ 7.40 / 15
Crossroads of Ravens (The Witcher #9)
★ 8.50 / 4


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