Hardcore fans worldwide can take a sigh of relief: the first volume of the third season of the much awaited The Witcher has recently been released on Netflix.
This will be the last season to see the Hollywood divo, Henry Cavill, in the boots of the witcher, who will be interpreted by Liam Hemsworth, in the future.
Amongst spells, swords hissing in the air, horses galloping and disgusting monsters rising from the least expected places, the adventures of Geralt of Rivia, Princess Ciri and of course Yennefer De Vengerberg, thus continue.
This third season will unravel many of the plot knots, after the twists and turns of the previous one. The last season ended with the episode Family, which revealed the emperor Emhyr –aka White Flame – as father of the young princess protagonist of the saga and as the instigator of the murder of Francesca’s newborn baby and of the incarceration of Fringilla and Cahir. Quite a cliff-hanger for the audience to hang onto for all this time, as a temporary closing to episodes that had been increasingly raising the stakes for everyone.
In fact, Cirilla had proved to have powers that would go beyond simple magic. As a matter of fact, she inherited from the elf Lara Dorren, the Ancient Blood that runs in her veins. A property and a strength desired by many, including the demon Voleth Meit, a powerful entity that can take many forms and possess people, as once it did possess the young protagonist and killed many witchers through her.
Enemies are everywhere, and sometimes even invisible or very hard to detect. Ciri has proved to be able to protect herself, but will it be enough now? The sword-training, she received at Kaer Morhen during Season 2, must be paired up with something else. She needs magical coaching as well.
And that is where Jennerfer De Vengerberg comes in handy.
After her recent past of many turbulent accidents and after endangering Ciri in order to gain back her powers, Yennefer has to gain the trust of her beloved witcher back now; and of the girl who seems to be immediately more forgiving. The connection between Princess Cirilla and Jen grows stronger by the day. The mage is now protecting her from everyone, including initially from Tissaia who spreads the world that Ciri is alive and her blood is so powerful that could endanger the world.
The magical skills of Yennefer’s newly adept are still weak, or sometimes too powerful and they must be controlled. There’s a lot to work on now that the world is changing and everyone is after Ciri. Bounty hunters, Rience, Francesca Findabair, as she thinks the girl could be the saviour of the elves, the court mage Philippa Eilhart and Radovid, who wants to give her to King Vizimir as a bride. Not to mention mutating creatures such as the armadillo-like Jackapace, able to detect elves’ blood.
None can be fully trusted. As Yen said in a letter to Geralt when he still won’t speak to her: “Days pass, but the threats keep coming, fast and furiously”. So fast and so furiously that we will see the trio constantly running away, trying to find a secluded haven where they can be safe for a while, and gain strength. And then think of a plan.
The paths of the three have to separate before crossing again later on. Joined by the usual witty bard Jaskier – who has been living the previous months guitaring, drinking and loving as many people as possible – the witcher will have to leave to put his plan of defeating Rience into motion.
As Ciri’s vision grow stronger, she and Yennefer must try and find a safe place in Aretuza, where the sorceress has to seek for redemption from her mates and convince the Brotherhood to host a mages conclave so that the unity of the North against Nifgaard can be strengthened.
At the same time, a mystery arises; the one of the missing Aretuzan students.
A quest that can be resolved looking for traces and for that Book of Monoliths. Written by the elves and containing a knowledge that is supposed to come from before the conjunction of the spheres, this volume is deemed to be central in understanding the monoliths: how they work and how to use them as gateways to other worlds.
Many plot twists and stunning orchestrated coral scenes (such as the banquet dance in Aretuza) are to be expected in this first volume of the third season of the Polish-US series that revolves around the fantastic world of Andrzej Sapkowski’s saga.
And many more will probably awe the audience in the second volume, which we are all waiting for.
And luckily there is not much more waiting to do.
It will be dropped on Netflix on July 27th.
The second part of the last season with Henry Cavill as the protagonist is now on Netflix.
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