Storm season - new Witcher novel review

This is probably a risky enterprise. To review the newest novel of A. Sapkowski.
Hearing that name Polish readers will unmistakably think about the Witcher stories and saga. Foreign readers might recall the awarded video game series.
Be it as it may, the essence of the Witcher is in the books. And since the last Witcher book was released in 1999 (Lady of the Lake) and the author himself was quite firm in his assurances that he would never ever write anything about the Witcher, it came as quite a surprise that in the autumn of 2013 the new Witcher novel landed on the bookstore shelves out of the blue.

I must say it felt like an old friend coming back from a long exile. Or oblivion for that matter.
The Witcher stories and saga is one of my  favourite fantasy series. The games for one allowed to return for a moment to the good old days when Geralt, Dandelion and Ciri were my day-to-day companions.
But it was not exactly the same as holding a fresh, unread Witcher story in my hands.
Feeling the Witcher's world come to life again and share new untold secrets with me.

It should suffice to say that the new book had some quite high expectations to meet among the fans.
Did it do the trick?

First I want to note, that reading of the book coincided with the birth of my baby-daughter. I read it aloud to my wife between and while nursing, feeding, lulling the baby and changing diapers.
And in these rather harsh circumstances we managed to finish it in one week. Does it speak for itself?

Being well into the book I started to look around the reviews and noticed that there are generally two main attitudes. One is a joyous praise full of admiration for the oeuvre and its creator. Thickly interwoven with threads of sentiment and nostalgia. The other is of embarrassment and disappointment. Little wonder given the expectations I mentioned earlier.

To me Sapkowski is a master of short forms. Tales, stories are his natural element. To this day many fans claim (and with good reason) that nothing can beat his Witcher stories. Short, witty, brilliant, innovative and surprising. Dynamic, both dramatic and fun to read. If you don't like Witcher's stories that you have no taste for good fantasy literature, no argument about that.
There were already many a complaint regarding his 5-tome-long saga. I do agree to a certain extent, it seemed to loose its momentum. Despite that, it was fun to read, the story was interesting and epic.
The ending - moving. The last time I read it aloud with my wife we both cried.

The one thing important to point out is that in Sapkowski's case it's not only about his ideas. It's about the writing style, the composition of text, the language, the vocabulary he uses that enchants the reader and creates the Witcher's magic. And the sole fact that the whole saga was bursting at the seams with this individual style was enough to go through it all with fascination.

So now, coming back to the matters at hand - the new novel of Sapkowski - Sezon Burz.
It is neither a story (400 pages long) nor a saga (1 complete book). The action takes place somewhere between the stories preceding the events from the saga.
It is not as concise and focused as the stories - there are several subplots - but the variety of plots in my opinion does not make it a classic novel either. All in all to me it is more of a prolonged story. A combination of ideas connected chronologically and geographically. Does not sound that good, does it?
Well, to my surprise the book was very enjoyable to read.
The plot is interesting and dynamic, certain supposedly unrelated story elements form a big coherent picture at the end of the book.This is indeed a display of Sapkowski's composing abilities.
There are the characters we all love, and though in the beginning of the book the reader must take his time to believe they're the same people he knows from the previous stories, quite soon we suspend the disbelief completely.
But this would not be enough to make up a good novel.
The most important fact is that this book brings us back the unmistakable style of A. Sapkowski.
It might not be at its peak as some reviewers claim, but it is still there. Smart and witty, opulent and sophisticated, yet dynamic and harsh when necessary. It's all there, the dark and pessimistic humour, the trademark sarcasm, the irony of life.
I claim that the combination of the three elements: the story, the characters and the writing style make this book more than worthwhile.
The overall quality might only reach the writing level of the last two saga tomes (the lowest in all Witcher's bibliography), it might not blow hardcore fans' socks off, but for God's sake the Witcher is truly back, alive and kickin' (arses).