sToNED_CAT Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 I also happen to think that the Hussite trilogy contains some of Sapkowski's best writing. I have my doubts it'll ever be published in English, however. I'm lucky that it's been translated into Spanish and German, so I could read the trilogy at all. First book (Narrenturm or what was the name?) is good, but the quality goes down in sequels. Also I think the book would be better without the fantasy elements, as purely historical novels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry. Posted May 23, 2014 Author Share Posted May 23, 2014 The magic elements didn't bother me, as they were fairly well-integrated into the setting, I thought. I haven't read Lux Perpetua yet in Spanish, only in German (in which my reading comprehension is a bit worse than in Spanish), but I don't recall there being that much of a difference between it and the first two in terms of prose. I'm thinking more in terms of prose than plot, where I will grant there are some weaker elements later on in the series. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Reckoner Posted June 6, 2014 Share Posted June 6, 2014 I'd like to get into this series. I'm a reader from the United States (so that you'll have an idea of the translations that are available to me locally). I've seen The Last Wish, Blood of Elves, and The Time of Contempt. Are there any novels missing from this lineup, or do they proceed in a chronological order? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry. Posted June 6, 2014 Author Share Posted June 6, 2014 You're only missing The Sword of Destiny, a collection that chronologically follows The Last Wish and which sets up the characters and action for Blood of Elves, The Time of Contempt, and the soon-to-be-released Baptism of Fire. But alas, that collection is not officially available in English translation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3CityApache Posted June 6, 2014 Share Posted June 6, 2014 And of course be aware, that the series is still far from being completed in English (at least officially, as there are fan translations of the remaining two books: The Tower of Swallow and The Lady of the Lake). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talleyrand Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 I went back and re-read Lady of the Lake again because I feel the first time around I kind of lost interest and skimmed through it after Brenna and damn The deaths of Geralt's companions was worse this time around, especially Cahir, Regis and Milva - I didn't really care for the one who wanted to open a brothel (Ang-something?) but Cahir went out well at least he manged to actually hit Bonhart which is more than be said of Ciri's outlaws despite the fact they had him outnumbered six to one or something Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Centrist Simon Steele Posted June 25, 2014 Share Posted June 25, 2014 Just picked up Baptism of Fire. I'm so excited! I also checked out from the library the last Robert Jordan and a book called Revelation Space. I got those before I remembered Baptism of Fire had just come out, and that I had a gift card for Barnes and Noble. I should really read those before the Witcher, right? I mean, the best for last......right? I don't know if I can do it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry. Posted June 26, 2014 Author Share Posted June 26, 2014 Yeah, I had forgotten that I had pre-ordered the e-book edition, so it was a nice surprise to see it in my iBooks bookshelf the other day. Will read it later, to see how it compares to the Italian, French, and Spanish editions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Reckoner Posted June 26, 2014 Share Posted June 26, 2014 Would reading through what's been published stateside feel jarring, since there's a volume missing from the sequence? Or can I pick up on what's happened previously through exposition in Blood of Elves? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Centrist Simon Steele Posted June 26, 2014 Share Posted June 26, 2014 Would reading through what's been published stateside feel jarring, since there's a volume missing from the sequence? Or can I pick up on what's happened previously through exposition in Blood of Elves? I'd say it doesn't work. I put a review on Amazon that discusses this exact problem: http://www.amazon.com/review/R27SA9DEGXL331/ref=cm_cr_pr_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=031602919X You really need to read the unpublished volume (Sword of Truth/Destiny?) for Blood of Elves to really mean something. The difference in Blood of Elves when I read it the first time, then the second time after getting a translated version of SoT was hugely different. I won't link it here because I'm not sure how Sapkowski and copyright feels about it, but you can get a fan translation online at the official Witcher forums. The translation is really good, has been revised and edited multiple times, and I think it is a bit better than the official translations of the other books in English. I'd recommend getting the SoDestiny there. I bought an untranslated copy from some website to even things out (it was hard to find from the U.S. actually). The fan translation is formatted for ereaders like the Kindle too, and is very well done. I wouldn't skip it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mgambino Posted June 26, 2014 Share Posted June 26, 2014 I'd say it doesn't work. I put a review on Amazon that discusses this exact problem: http://www.amazon.com/review/R27SA9DEGXL331/ref=cm_cr_pr_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=031602919X You really need to read the unpublished volume (Sword of Truth/Destiny?) for Blood of Elves to really mean something. The difference in Blood of Elves when I read it the first time, then the second time after getting a translated version of SoT was hugely different. I won't link it here because I'm not sure how Sapkowski and copyright feels about it, but you can get a fan translation online at the official Witcher forums. The translation is really good, has been revised and edited multiple times, and I think it is a bit better than the official translations of the other books in English. I'd recommend getting the SoDestiny there. I bought an untranslated copy from some website to even things out (it was hard to find from the U.S. actually). The fan translation is formatted for ereaders like the Kindle too, and is very well done. I wouldn't skip it. Yep, the fan translations are all excellent. The copyright holders appear to be cool with them as long as the forum removes any book that has an official release date... at least that's what the host site was informed of. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry. Posted June 27, 2014 Author Share Posted June 27, 2014 I seem to recall that being the case a decade ago when I saw some fan translations of The Last Wish online that are no longer there. That being said, the opening to Baptism of Fire in English feels "dead" in comparison to what I read in Spanish a few years ago. Not as good as the Time of Contempt opener, yet both are done by the same translator, David French. Strange. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beniowa Posted June 27, 2014 Share Posted June 27, 2014 Would reading through what's been published stateside feel jarring, since there's a volume missing from the sequence? Or can I pick up on what's happened previously through exposition in Blood of Elves? I read Blood of Elves without having read Sword of Destiny and didn't have any problems. I got enough from exposition and The Last Wish to figure things out. I'd say it depends on how important it is to you to read absolutely every bit of the story. I'd say it doesn't work. I put a review on Amazon that discusses this exact problem: http://www.amazon.com/review/R27SA9DEGXL331/ref=cm_cr_pr_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=031602919X You really need to read the unpublished volume (Sword of Truth/Destiny?) for Blood of Elves to really mean something. The difference in Blood of Elves when I read it the first time, then the second time after getting a translated version of SoT was hugely different. I won't link it here because I'm not sure how Sapkowski and copyright feels about it, but you can get a fan translation online at the official Witcher forums. The translation is really good, has been revised and edited multiple times, and I think it is a bit better than the official translations of the other books in English. I'd recommend getting the SoDestiny there. I bought an untranslated copy from some website to even things out (it was hard to find from the U.S. actually). The fan translation is formatted for ereaders like the Kindle too, and is very well done. I wouldn't skip it. Seriously? You really think the fan translations are better than the official ones? I read the fan translation of Sword of Destiny and had MAJOR problems with it. Frankly, I thought it was terrible and it affected my enjoyment of my re-read of Blood of Elves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Centrist Simon Steele Posted June 28, 2014 Share Posted June 28, 2014 I read Blood of Elves without having read Sword of Destiny and didn't have any problems. I got enough from exposition and The Last Wish to figure things out. I'd say it depends on how important it is to you to read absolutely every bit of the story. Seriously? You really think the fan translations are better than the official ones? I read the fan translation of Sword of Destiny and had MAJOR problems with it. Frankly, I thought it was terrible and it affected my enjoyment of my re-read of Blood of Elves. No. Not seriously. I just made up everything I said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beniowa Posted June 28, 2014 Share Posted June 28, 2014 eta: Never mind. All I wanted was an honest discussion instead of just bowing and scrapping at Sapkowski's pedestal, but it doesn't seem anyone is capable of that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Centrist Simon Steele Posted August 10, 2014 Share Posted August 10, 2014 I'm closing in on the end of Baptism of Fire. Phenomenal. Best one yet. I love the characters and their interactions. I just finished the part where they all kind of band together and finally start giving Geralt shit for being such a mopey bastard. Funny, tragic, action packed--this series is amazing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darth Richard II Posted August 10, 2014 Share Posted August 10, 2014 eta: Never mind. All I wanted was an honest discussion instead of just bowing and scrapping at Sapkowski's pedestal, but it doesn't seem anyone is capable of that. Hey, I'll be happy to have an honest discussion when they decide to actually release book 2 in english instead of skipping it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowborn Posted August 11, 2014 Share Posted August 11, 2014 So, Larry, the Spanish translations are better than the English ones? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry. Posted August 11, 2014 Author Share Posted August 11, 2014 So, Larry, the Spanish translations are better than the English ones? Yes, in the sense that it was easier for the Spanish translator to use archaic constructions when necessary to replicate what Sapkowski did. Only real complaint I recall is that he didn't attempt to give Jaskier/Dandilion a flowery name, like the Italian and German translators did as well (Jaskier in Polish means "buttercup," if I recall). Modern English doesn't lend itself as well to complex, flowing sentences, at least from a style perspective, so that is another thing I noticed in the English translations, the truncation of certain sentences, creating a flatter, less interesting narrative at the syntactical level. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AncalagonTheBlack Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 Gollancz Acquire Three More Witcher Novels THE SWORD OF DESTINY, will be published in May 2015 Two further books – THE SWALLOW’S TOWER and LADY OF THE LAKE – will be released in 2016 and 2017 and will conclude the main story of Geralt the Witcher. All three books will be translated by David French, whose translation of the previous two volumes in the series was widely acclaimed.http://www.gollancz.co.uk/2015/01/gollancz-acquire-three-more-witcher-novels/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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