Witcher Buddy Read discussion

Hello everyone!!!

How are you all liking the second set of short stories? I forgot how much the third one bummed me out. I mean, it's great, and it really shows Geralt's character, but I felt so bad for Renfri! Her life was so tragic :'(

I was really surprised by how quickly this story did a fairytale turn around! Totally didn't expect that. Also glad that it was a fairy tale with a twist though. Not sure I would have enjoyed it that much if it wasn't creative about the fairytale!

I absolutely felt for Renfri as well.. So far this is my favourite short story!
I loved the talk about powerful people, mutations, and the concept of the lesser evil.

For me one of the best quotes was:
“Evil is evil, Stregobor,” said the witcher seriously as he got up. “Lesser, greater, middling, it's all the same. Proportions are negotiated, boundaries blurred. I’m not a pious hermit. I haven't done only good in my life. But if I’m to choose between one evil and another, then I prefer not to choose at all.”

I definitely like Geralt as a character so much: his humor, his competence, his feelings, which perhaps we see more glimpses of in The Voice of Reason sections, and I'm all for him being a flawed character nontheless.

Also, how good are the bits of fairy tails retelling here and there?? So in love with them!
I'm so glad I'm reading this book.

I actually feel a little bad for Geralt in the Lesser Evil story, he was just trying to get his hustle on as a witcher but got caught up in the quarrel between two other people. You could tell he really didn't want to get involved but ended up having to anyway to save the marketplace of people from being slaughtered.

Also for those who have played Blood and Wine, it was neat reading the Grain of Truth story and him having to fight a bruxa.
I am liking how dialogue heavy the book is so far and the flawed nature of the many characters

I’m really growing attached to Geralt. And within the few pages each story gets it’s easy to become attached to the characters he meets. I was not expecting any of the fairy tale aspects but I am loving them!!!

I am loving this book so far! I agree though that the last story was just tragic. What im really enjoying about this book is the way that, despite it being short stories, i never feel i havent had enough info on the world and characters, and likewise never feel its too much info that it takes away from the action of the story. This is my first buddy read and im LOVING it so much.

At first I was really confused about the Voice of Reason bits in between the short stories, but now I finally got it :D
I always try to make everything fit into the bigger picture, so it took some adjustment for me to get introduced to new characters and plots in every story without it fitting into a bigger context. Actually I don't have problems with reading short stories, but here it feels really random sometimes. I hope that it will make more sense when we're reading the 'actual' novels.
Nonetheless I'm really enjoying it and I love the fairytale aspects and the humor.

A Grain of Truth is one of, if not my favorite sections of the entire series. Especially the first half of the story. It's the one that completely hooked me into the books. It feels so much like a side quest from the video games. It's just Geralt and some beastman having a meal together. It also helps show how unshakable and observant Geralt is. It's refreshing to have a main character that is closer to a Superman than an everyman type hero.

For The Lesser Evil, I love how crazy powerful, useful and versatile magic is in the Witcher Universe. The old sorcerer turned the inside of some musty tower into this little paradise. It is a tragic story, but I wonder what an autopsy would have revealed. It seems like her hatefulness and "evilness" was due to difficult and tragic circumstances during her life. But, maybe it was inherent due to mutations from the curse. She was immune to magic, and her hair didn't grow back right after she had cut it.

**MINOR WITCHER 3 BLOOD AND WINE SPOILERS***(Is there a way to spoiler tag?)
Anna Henrietta's sister Sylvia was also born during a full solar eclipse and supposedly suffered from the same curse. They both have a lot of similarities.

I felt so bad for Geralt at the end of THE LESSER EVIL. He saved those people from being slaughtered and they stoned him and Caldemeyn kicked him out of the town forever =(

But I couldn't really get a feel for what Geralt was thinking toward the end. It seemed like perhaps he was kind of ashamed at what he did, but he had to do it.

Twisted dark fairy tales that end badly? Sign me up!

Nivellen story was really interesting. I loved how it started out as a dinner between a monster and Geralt and how Nivellen kinda made the best thing possible out of a possible bad situation. The fight was pretty epic but I felt so sad for Nivellen!

With the second story, I love the discussion on lesser evil and what that is and if that is the only way to go. I thought that Renfri was a really interesting character and while I don't approve of murder I do understand why she is pissed of enough (whether she is cursed or not) to want to kill the man who in her mind is responsible for the sucky life that she had. The ending made me feel so bad for Renfri but also for the Witcher who was just there doing his Witcher thing and then got dragged into this conflict.

I'm so excited to continue with the book, I really hope that we will come across more fairy tales!

I've actually read the Last Wish...like, either last year or the year before that, but I don't have time right now to re-read it... I did like the idiots do and gave myself too much shit to do this month, so can I catch up with you guys when you start Sword of Destiny, if that is what you plan to do?

Hey all, just caught up with this reading chunk! First of, I loved it, especially Nivellen's story (also, there's some awesome fanart of Geralt and Nivellen's meeting. I'll post it on the FB group.)

What I personally found really compelling about A Grain of Truth was the almost side-quest feel to it all. (As previously stated by Siph).

From someone who thoroughly enjoys the video games, I can tell you that the creators of the game (CD Project Red), took a lot of inspiration from this story, when writing the side-quest of the games.

The idea that a lone Witcher, on his stead, drifting through the wilderness, hunting for possible pray to sell to whoever will buy, stumbles (as he always seems to do) upon this creature and curse.

Amazing story, and a really clever take on Beauty and the Beast by Sapkowski.

Amber J. wrote: "I felt so bad for Geralt at the end of THE LESSER EVIL. He saved those people from being slaughtered and they stoned him and Caldemeyn kicked him out of the town forever =(

But I couldn't really g..."

I agree, I mean seriously he saved you from being killed and this is the thanks you give him.

Wendy wrote: "Amber J. wrote: "I felt so bad for Geralt at the end of THE LESSER EVIL. He saved those people from being slaughtered and they stoned him and Caldemeyn kicked him out of the town forever =(

But I ..."

Yeah, it did really suck but at the same time the villagers didn't know that they would have been killed. All they see is this pile of bodies and a girl fighting the man who killed her friends :/ I'm not sure if I would have given him the time to explain himself if I had been in that situation...