The Time of Contempt

The Witcher, Book 2

By: Andrzej Sapkowski, David French - translator

Narrated by: Peter Kenny

To protect his ward Ciri, Geralt of Rivia sends her to train with the sorceress Yennefer. But all is not well within the Wizard's Guild in the second novel of the Witcher, Andrzej Sapkowski's groundbreaking epic fantasy series that inspired the hit Netflix show and the blockbuster video games.

★ The New York Times Bestselling Series
★ Over Fifteen Million Copies Sold Worldwide
★ World Fantasy Award Winning Author
★ David Gemmell Legend Award Winning Author
★ Named One of the Greatest Book Series of All Time by Forbes

Geralt is a Witcher: guardian of the innocent; protector of those in need; a defender in dark times against some of the most frightening creatures of myth and legend.

His task now is to protect Ciri. A child of prophecy, she will have the power to change the world for good or for ill—but only if she lives to use it.

Witcher collections
The Last Wish
Sword of Destiny

Witcher novels
Blood of Elves
The Time of Contempt
Baptism of Fire
The Tower of Swallows
Lady of the Lake
Season of Storms
Crossroads of Ravens

Hussite Trilogy
The Tower of Fools
Warriors of God

Translated from original Polish by David French

Critic reviews

"This is a series you can sink your teeth into."—BuzzFeed News

"The universe of Sapkowski's The Witcher is one of the most detailed and best-explored in modern fantasy, offering endless opportunities for fresh ideas ... Complex character relationships enrich this already complex world; this is the sort of series fantasy fans will cherish."—B&N

"Delightful, intense, irreverent, and compelling....you have to read The Witcher books because they are rife with all of the elements that make you love fiction, and especially fantasy, in the first place....In a word, The Witcher delivers."—Hypable

"One of the best and most interesting fantasy series I've ever read. Though it functions well as adventure fiction, it has added depth and value as satire and commentary on fantasy literature ... Sapkowski is a genuine stylist."—Nerds of a Feather

"Like a complicated magic spell, a Sapkowski novel is a hodgepodge of fantasy, intellectual discourse, and dry humor. Recommended."—Time

"Like Mieville and Gaiman, [Sapkowski] takes the old and makes it new ... fresh take on genre fantasy."—Foundation on The Last Wish

"A breath of fresh air in a well-worn genre. Don't miss it!"—Fantasy Book Review

"Sapkowski has a phenomenal gift for narrative, inventing sensational events, creating a suggestive mood, and building up the suspense along with a dazzling, slightly cynical sense of humor."—Jacek Sieradzki, Polityka on The Last Wish

"Sapkowski's The Last Wish is a great collection of short stories centered around a witcher, Geralt - a rare sorcerous breed who hunts down the monstrous but is feared by the innocent. With a wondrous mix of Eastern European folklore and myth, beautiful princesses, mischievous demons and where all is not as it seems, The Last Wish is a great read - perfect for dipping into or just reading cover to cover, as I did."—Waterstones

"It is [his] world-weariness combined with his battle-honed powers that make Geralt such an interesting character. Here's hoping The Last Wish is merely the opening chapter in his English language adventures."—Edge

"I really, really enjoyed this book ... None of the characters in Sapkowski's world are black or white; they are all shades of grey, including Geralt and the monsters."—The Deckled Edge

"Sapkowski is very good at creating interesting, imaginative characters with unusual levels of depth to them ... The Last Wish is an enjoyable book full of stories both melancholy and comic."—The Wertzone

"This beautifully written character-based story from Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski ... a refreshing champion."—The Specusphere

Best so far

I'm writing this having read the next book in the series and currently the one after that.

This is my favourite book in the series so far as it is more action and eventful. We spend time in a relatively central position for most of the story and the inciting incident up close, personal, faster pace and first hand instead of the typical description narrative afterwards.

Politics and social intrigue play a large part of the story. Geralt finds himself in the middle of a power struggle. We get to get to see the rocky relationship of Geralt and Yennefer in a time when it works and understand why Geralt, who isn't suppose to have feelings, struggles so much with it.

The same writing style is present. We are spared no details on how the systems in the world work and can sometimes feel like a history textbook given the details. The female descriptions start to be more tame.

Great Book, Amazing Narration

The book is exciting and a good continuance from the previous in the series. What I would most point out is the narration quality. It is fantastic and brings the book alive as it is read. I have heard many narrators, and this is one if the best.

great listen

if you enjoy action and adventure then this book is the one for you. Enjoy friends.

Top Calibre story, writing, translating and performance

I came to this series after seeing the first season of Witcher which was well done. Now I have discovered an author of immense talent and a great story. Add to this the impressive performance of Peter Kennedy and an invisible translation and I can’t wait to devour the entire collection.

overall glad I listened

Some parts are a bit over drawn out. But for the most part a good book