The Tower of the Swallow stands high above the previous novels in the Witcher Saga

A fast paced plot which answers a lot of questions and moves the plot forward

Despite a great start to Andrzej Sapkowski’s saga, the previous entry in the Witcher series left a lot to be desired. But The Tower of the Swallow is a welcome return to form, with exciting action scenes, the variety of characters we’ve come to expect, and clarity in many plot points.

The novel opened with Ciri, who was rescued by Vysogota, an old philosopher who lives alone. Ciri grew to trust Vysogota, who welcomed the female witcher into his home, and listened intently to Ciri’s life story. This provided key insights into what had happened to the young protagonist, which was sadly missing from the previous novel, and cleared up lots of plot points. Ciri was involved in a few vicious fights, formed strong bonds with minor characters, and even feared for her life. It’s a coming of age passage for Ciri, the prophesied savior.

Geralt continues on in his journey to rescue Ciri. This takes him to various locations, but focuses on the bond between the travelers. In what may well be the most exciting passage of the whole franchise so far, Geralt fights off enemies, and almost loses his head and violently attacks his foes instead of saving his companion. Geralt becomes much more rounded, and his intentions are much more clear, allowing the reader to fully engage with the Witcher.

Yennefer also makes a welcome return. She’s alive and ready to find Ciri. Yennefer shows off her intelligence, while also highlighting her loyalty to her former apprentice. Triss also makes an appearance, which she hasn’t really done since the first book in the series. Both sorceresses work together at times, with the same goal in mind. Though their appearances are more brief that Geralt’s, they are just as impactful and meaningful.

Some of the issues from previous Witcher novels still creep into The Tower of the Swallow. At times the narrative view point switches to minor characters who haven’t been established enough for the reader to fully engage with. But, despite this, there are some expertly written moments where all narrative view points blend together, with small paragraphs from each minor, or major, character, all speaking about the same event. This gives real life to these moments and neatly brings the story together.

This is the main take away from The Tower of the Swallow: it’s a real page turner in a lot of instances, and ties together the plot points well to build up anticipation for The Lady of the Lake, the next novel in the series.