Geralt, attempting to protect Ciri, faces the powerful sorcerer Vilgefortz. In a brutal duel, Geralt is soundly defeated and nearly killed, leaving him broken and hospitalized in the forest of Brokilon for much of the subsequent events.
Yennefer brings Ciri to Gors Velen, intending to enroll her in the magical academy of Aretuza. During a grand conclave of sorcerers on the island of Thanedd, a long-simmering coup erupts. Different factions within the brotherhood, some allied with the North and others secretly serving Nilfgaard, turn on one another in a bloodbath.
The novel follows , Yennefer of Vengerberg , and their ward Ciri as the world descends into chaos. While Geralt attempts to remain neutral, he is increasingly drawn into a web of political intrigue between the Northern Kingdoms and the Nilfgaardian Empire .
After a traumatic journey through the desert, Ciri is captured by bounty hunters but eventually joins a gang of young outcasts known as The Rats . It is during this time she begins using the alias "Falka" and experiences her own "time of contempt" as she hardens into a survivor.
"Chas Prezreniia" (Russian: Час Презрения ) is the title of the fourth installment in Andrzej Sapkowski’s famous series, officially translated into English as Time of Contempt . It is a pivotal novel that shifts the focus from monster hunting to global war and the crumbling of the sorcerers' brotherhood. The Story of "Time of Contempt"
For fans of the series, this book is essential for understanding the origins of the Great War and Ciri's transformation from a princess into a hardened wanderer. Many readers find the audiobook narrated by Peter Kenny particularly immersive. Crossroads of Ravens || Review by Andrzej Sapkowski