Book Summary – The Time of Contempt – The Witcher – Book 2

Book summary by chapter of The Time of Contempt. Includes spoilers from the fracture at Thanedd to the end of the book. From the moment Ciri becomes Falka, every earlier catastrophe folds inward—the desert’s delirium, the tavern’s bloodshed, Geralt’s ruin under Vilgefortz, and the mage uprising reveal themselves as stepping stones to that final turn, where a child sheds her past and steps willingly into a future shaped not by prophecy, but by wrath awakening in her veins.

Geralt of Rivia and Ciri in a forest clearing with mountains in the background under cold midday light – Chapter-by-chapter summary of the book The Time of Contempt

Introduction – The The Time of Contempt

There are no eternal alliances when fear takes hold. In The Time of Contempt, Andrzej Sapkowski tears away the last diplomatic illusions, revealing a world where sorcerers turn against each other, kings sign secret pacts, and Elder Blood awakens in a girl who no longer runs. From the chaos at Thanedd to the scorching dunes of Korath, every step Ciri takes drags her further from innocence—and deeper into the fire that reshapes her soul.

This chapter-by-chapter summary brings to life the turning point where Ciri becomes Falka, Geralt falls broken under Vilgefortz’s power, and the continent erupts into war. Sorcerer betrayals, collapsing kingdoms, Nilfgaardian schemes, and prophetic visions cut through the pages like burning blades. And when the dust settles, there is no room for prophecy—only choices branded by contempt and survival.

But to truly understand how we reached this breaking point, you need to follow the full path from the beginning. Check here the reading order of The Witcher Universe ➤

Want to see all the summaries from this series?

Click here to access the Complete Reading Order. 👇

Reading Order ➤

Chapter Navigation

• Chapter 1 Summary – The Time of Contempt – The Return of the White Wolf and the Hidden War

• Chapter 2 Summary – The Time of Contempt – Ciri Amid Intrigues, Secrets, and Monsters in Gors Velen

• Chapter 3 Summary – The Time of Contempt – Intrigue in Thanedd and Vilgefortz’s Proposal

• Chapter 4 Summary – The Time of Contempt – The Thanedd Massacre and Ciri’s Awakening

• Chapter 5 Summary – The Time of Contempt – The Time of Lies and Smoke

• Chapter 6 Summary – The Time of Contempt – Fire, Dreams, and the Wounded Wolf

• Chapter 7 Summary – The The Time of Contempt – Ciri Joins the Rats and Falka Is Born

Chapter 1 Summary – The Time of Contempt – The Return of the White Wolf and the Hidden War

Aplegatt, a veteran royal messenger, returns to his trade after years of neglect, riding through dusty and perilous roads. Gifted with a “golden head” for memorizing secret messages and an “iron backside” for enduring long days on horseback, Aplegatt senses a shift in the world: kings no longer trust sorcerers to communicate. On his journey, he crosses tense territories filled with troops, whispers of war, and the looming shadow of the Scoia’tael. At an inn, he hears disturbing news about military conflicts, pogroms against non-humans, and most shockingly, the death of Princess Cirilla, heir to Cintra. In a mysterious encounter, a green-eyed girl cryptically warns him of danger and gray feathers. As he rides away, her words haunt him. What began as a simple war dispatch soon feels like a darker omen, where nothing is as it seems.

Aplegatt arrives at a road blocked by a creature that spread terror and death. He learns from two old men and a boy that a witcher has slain the beast. It is Geralt of Rivia, the legendary White Wolf. As soldiers haul the corpse of the monstrous manticore, the boy proudly recounts how the witcher demanded two hundred crowns for the job. Geralt, resolute, refused to negotiate and displayed his deadly combat skills. After the encounter, he travels to Dorian, where he meets Codringher, a lawyer who is more of an information mercenary. In his hidden office, Geralt pays for intel on Rience, a killer pursuing him. The lawyer reveals connections between the criminal and an unknown mage, possibly tied to Nilfgaard. He also hints that the Northern Kingdoms attempted to eliminate Ciri out of fear of her lineage. The witcher demands protection for the girl, but Codringher proposes a sinister plan: to replace her with another. Geralt refuses.

Codringher introduces his partner Fenn, a scholar with legal expertise, who explains why Ciri poses a political threat: her lineage, though disputed, still makes her a coveted piece. Spies fear she may fall into Nilfgaardian hands. The duo plans to discredit her claim to the throne by spreading rumors of illegitimacy based on her parents’ marriage. Geralt, unwavering, demands useful information, not intrigue. Codringher speaks of the Prophecy of the Elder Blood, linking Ciri to a danger feared by multiple factions. Though the witcher rejects corrupt schemes, he accepts the risks of political games. Meanwhile, Ciri and Yennefer travel toward Gors Velen, hunted by assassins. In the village of Anchor, Geralt kills three mercenaries in brutal combat. Aplegatt continues his route but is killed by an elven arrow while carrying a crucial message that could have stopped a war. The The Time of Contempt has begun.

Chapter 2 Summary – The Time of Contempt – Ciri Amid Intrigues, Secrets, and Monsters in Gors Velen

Ciri and Yennefer pass through a forest where elven corpses hang as a brutal warning to the Scoia’tael. The stench forces them to hasten their steps until they glimpse Gors Velen, a coastal city of towers, clamor, and hidden tension. Before entering, Yennefer transforms herself with Glamarye, an elixir that renders her hypnotic to all eyes. Ciri, upset at not being allowed to use magic, must cover her hair to avoid recognition. At the gate, the sorceress’s beauty avoids any inspection. Once inside, their destination is revealed: Thanedd, but first, a stop at the bank of Molnar Giancardi, an influential dwarf. There, amid racial tensions and financial unrest, they speak of rising taxes and war preparations. Ciri listens silently, learning that Yennefer has paid for her admission to Aretuza. Surprise turns to anger when she realizes she will be sent away to study, without seeing Geralt. Her disillusionment begins to fracture her hopes.

While Yennefer and Giancardi discuss numbers and favors, Ciri tries to grasp her fate. The sorceress has financed her schooling and arranged support for Geralt, yet Ciri feels displaced—just another piece moved by others. Giancardi suggests she explore the city with Fabio Sachs, a young and nervous guide. Yennefer gives her a magical amulet for protection and reminds her to return on time. With Fabio, Ciri explores Gors Velen: the walls, the port, the bustling market, the view of Thanedd Island and the magical school of Aretuza. From a distance, she describes it as both a fortress and a cage. The guide tells her about the fair and mentions Geralt, seen near Hirundum, igniting her fragile hope of escape. But that hope dangles by a thread of fantasy. Resentment builds within her, entwined with anxiety over the unknown. Freedom feels ever more distant.

Ciri and Fabio wander through the market, filled with scents, sounds, and caged creatures. A traveling show displays a fake basilisk, which is actually a young wyvern. Ciri recognizes the lie and calls it out, drawing mockery. A squire approaches and offers help. When the creature escapes, Ciri reacts with lethal speed: she grabs the young man’s sword and kills the beast with moves learned in Kaer Morhen. She then pretends the squire was the hero. Fabio leads her through the crowd, but before returning, Ciri glimpses Geralt and Yennefer through a hole in the wall. Geralt remains silent while Yennefer yells furiously. Dandelion, lounging nearby, muses about poetry and regret, while Ciri contradicts him. The air thickens with tension. Though still a child, Ciri understands that among adults lie invisible wounds that deeply affect her. In silence, she realizes that nothing will be the same. Something has changed—in her world and within herself.

Chapter 3 Summary – The Time of Contempt – Intrigue in Thanedd and Vilgefortz’s Proposal

Geralt agrees to accompany Yennefer to the banquet preceding the sorcerers' conclave at Thanedd—an invitation he would have refused in the past. He travels from Hirundum with Yennefer, Ciri, and Dandelion, stopping at the palace of Loxia before heading to Aretuza. The banquet astonishes him with its extravagance, absurd social rules, and shallow appearances: decorative food, scarce wine, fake greetings, and empty smiles. Yennefer, radiant in her dress, guides him through a maze of scheming sorcerers and evaluating glances. Geralt suspects his presence is part of a greater scheme. His medallion senses magic in the air, and some attempt to read his mind. However, he thwarts them by thinking solely of Yennefer, throwing them off. Amid hypocritical greetings and extravagant fashions, Geralt encounters key figures like Philippa Eilhart, Triss Merigold, and Sabrina Glevissig. Each interaction unveils political tensions, secret alliances, and a brewing conspiracy.

During the banquet, Geralt witnesses conversations laced with double meanings. Spies, seductive sorceresses, and manipulators weave a dance of power. Sabrina and Marti Södergren plan to seduce him, while Dorregaray, a mage opposed to using animals in fashion and cuisine, offers a critical view of the event. Philippa approaches with apparent flirtation, revealing that everyone present hides ulterior motives. They discuss illusory caviar, fashion made from endangered species, and enchantments masked as politeness. Vilgefortz, a charismatic and ambitious sorcerer, requests a private meeting with Geralt. In Aretuza’s gallery, he shows him paintings illustrating the history of magic, using them to speak about power, will, obedience, and death. Vilgefortz proposes Geralt join his cause, hinting it's his destiny and only option if he wishes to protect Ciri. The witcher rejects the offer with irony, making it clear he won’t be part of a game that isn't his, nor let the girl be used as a pawn.

After the conversation with Vilgefortz, Geralt returns to Yennefer. They share a sincere and passionate night of love at Loxia, interrupted only by the weight of uncertainty. Though they declare mutual love, a shadow of doubt looms. Yennefer assures Ciri will be protected and can develop her talents at Aretuza but avoids discussing her own childhood, hiding truths Geralt senses. Their bond strengthens, yet also reveals the depth of fear they feel about the future. The next day, on the terrace, Vilgefortz shares his traumatic past: abandoned, turned mercenary, then sorcerer driven by hatred. He tries again to recruit Geralt for an imminent war, appealing to his fear of losing Ciri. Geralt, loyal to his neutrality, refuses and reaffirms he won’t be anyone’s chess piece. But deep inside, he knows something inevitable is approaching. The time for contemplation is over.

Chapter 4 Summary – The Time of Contempt – The Thanedd Massacre and Ciri’s Awakening

Ciri wakes drenched in sweat after a series of dreamlike visions mixed with memories, symbols, and warnings. She dreams of animals, magical signs, and fragments of her past, until she hears Yennefer’s scream pulling her back to reality. Locked in Loxia under protective enchantments cast by the sorceress, Ciri feels imprisoned and betrayed by both Yennefer and Geralt, whose reunion was cold and distant. Dandelion sings a melancholic ballad while chaos erupts on the island. In her dreams, Ciri witnesses a conversation between Codringher and Fenn revealing her connection to the Elder Blood and her possible destiny as the mother of the world’s destroyer. Rience, Emhyr var Emreis’s servant, sends assassins who brutally kill Codringher and Fenn, setting their library ablaze. Ciri awakens screaming, sensing the enchantments have vanished. She knows something terrible has occurred and that she must flee.

Geralt becomes entangled in a web of betrayal as he witnesses Artaud Terranova’s arrest by Redanians led by Dijkstra. Amid blows and spells, Keira Metz reveals a coup among the mages has begun. Geralt is detained and temporarily blinded by Triss to protect him. Philippa Eilhart interrogates him, assuring he saw nothing that could endanger his life. Meanwhile, a deep rift fractures the sorcerers: Tissaia de Vries accuses Philippa of allying with human kings to suppress non-humans, while Philippa exposes Vilgefortz’s betrayal fueled by ambition. Ciri, turned into an unwilling medium, reveals that war has already started—Nilfgaard has been attacked and retaliated. Amid the chaos, Tissaia releases Vilgefortz and Francesca, allowing the Scoia’tael to invade. Disorder erupts in Garstang, alliances shatter, and the conflict among mages descends into bloody catastrophe.

At the climax, Geralt tries to save Ciri and Yennefer but is forced to duel Vilgefortz in a brutal confrontation. Though skilled, he is savagely defeated by the sorcerer’s combined magical and physical power, left with shattered bones and near death. Triss Merigold rescues him, dragging him through ruins and corpses until Tissaia de Vries intervenes, halting the Redanians with destructive magic. Meanwhile, Ciri escapes through fire and chaos, ultimately confronting the Black Knight who hunted her in Cintra. Driven by training and fury, she defeats him, only to find a fearful young man behind the helmet—not the monster from her nightmares. Ciri spares him and flees on horseback. Geralt, saved by Triss and aided by Tissaia, lies gravely wounded, unaware of Yennefer’s and Ciri’s fate, as the island burns and the world descends into war.

Chapter 5 Summary – The Time of Contempt – The Time of Lies and Smoke

Dandelion travels to Brokilon as the official envoy of King Venzlav, tasked with finding Geralt. He crosses the Ribbon River alone, fearful of a dryad ambush, and gains entry into the forest thanks to an elven song that opens the way. There, he finds a wounded Geralt hiding among the dryads. The witcher explains he survived the Thanedd massacre, though at great cost. Their conversation reveals the extent of the war: Nilfgaard has razed Aedirn and Lyria, conquered Vengerberg, and driven kings and entire populations into exile. Redania, Temeria, and Kaedwen have chosen neutrality, breaking alliances. Dandelion reports the fall of cities, villages burned to the ground, and Nilfgaard’s systematic looting. The continent’s map has been redrawn in blood and smoke, and neutrality’s price has been the ruin of allied realms.

Kaedwen crosses Aedirn’s border under the pretense of protecting ancestral land, while in truth carrying out an invasion orchestrated with Nilfgaard. Orders are given to avoid rape and pillaging, but the campaign is tainted with hypocrisy and greed. In Dol Blathanna, Francesca Findabair, now queen of the elves, rules over a diminished kingdom tolerated by Nilfgaard in exchange for loyalty. Though she has reclaimed her people’s ancestral land, she knows she betrayed the Scoia’tael by accepting the Empire’s terms: no aid, and public condemnation. Despite her apparent triumph, her face betrays sorrow—she traded dreams for poisoned soil. In Temeria, King Foltest negotiates peace and betrays Aedirn, citing strategy. Human leaders surrender to cold calculations and fear. Geralt and Dandelion, surrounded by dryads, witness a world where words hold no weight, and treaties are ash. Allies become enemies, and the smoke of deception clouds the truth.

In Nilfgaard, Emhyr receives a false Cirilla, presented as the heir of Cintra, though she is merely an imposter handed over by traitors. The emperor uncovers the ruse and vows to find the real Ciri, deploying every resource he has. He orders the capture of Rience and Cahir and sends his finest agents to hunt Vilgefortz, now considered a traitor. Meanwhile, the real Ciri—still missing—has become the focal point of ambitions, betrayals, and manipulations. Emhyr decides to maintain the charade with the fake Ciri, using her as a political pawn. The nobility whispers, but no one dares challenge the emperor. The chapter closes with Tissaia de Vries, tormented by the conclave’s failure and her release of Vilgefortz. She takes her own life. Her suicide symbolizes the sorcerers’ moral collapse and the loss of balance. Geralt, now resolute, sets out to find Ciri, knowing only he can save her from the fate others have planned.

Chapter 6 Summary – The Time of Contempt – Fire, Dreams, and the Wounded Wolf

Ciri enters the Korath desert after escaping the chaos of Thanedd. Exhausted, starving, and haunted by shadows of the past, she moves through scorching dunes where the days burn and the nights freeze. Thirst drives her to the brink of madness. She experiences strange visions: a white unicorn, figures from her past, and voices echoing ancient prophecies. She struggles to separate illusion from reality. She remembers Geralt, Yennefer, and her time at Kaer Morhen. Amid hallucinations, she confronts a dark silhouette—an embodiment of the fate she wants to escape. Her body collapses under the heat and nightmares. She crawls. Despite the suffering, something within resists. She refuses to die. The desert, unforgiving, offers no mercy. But the blood in her veins is not ordinary. Her lineage responds, and the girl begins to be reborn in fire, sand, and pain.

The unicorn reappears, this time real, wounded and as disoriented as she is. Ciri names him “Little Horsewhinny,” and despite initial fear, they learn to trust each other. Together they survive false oases, scorpion attacks, and impossible temperatures. Ciri, weakened but stubborn, hunts with her sword, cares for the animal, and shares her few resources. At night, she speaks to the creature, imagining replies that help shape her thoughts. The unicorn becomes symbolic: companion, hope, and mirror of her fragility. Ciri enters a trance, speaks unknown languages, and references white fire, white frost, and other elements of prophecy. The unicorn grows afraid and flees. When she wakes alone, Ciri descends into despair. She weeps, curses fate, and refuses to accept a destiny imposed upon her. She begins rejecting the words others have placed in her mouth. She decides destiny will not rule her.

Dehydrated, burned, and feverish, Ciri is stung by a scorpion. The venom triggers a vision in which she meets herself—divided between helpless child and woman marked by death. She crosses a mental threshold and sees the future: wars, destruction, and rivers of blood spilled in her name. In the midst of her delirium, the unicorn returns, now healed, and approaches without fear. Recognizing the danger, he uses magic to save her. The creature now understands that Ciri carries ancient, unpredictable, and terrifying power. The girl survives. She transforms. Her gaze loses its innocence. When she emerges from the desert, she is no longer a child. She has crossed an invisible boundary and now walks with newfound resolve. Her soul, touched by fire and visions of the inevitable, has hardened. And deep within, hatred has taken root. Ciri no longer runs. She waits.

Chapter 7 Summary – The The Time of Contempt – Ciri Joins the Rats and Falka Is Born

Ciri is captured by bounty hunters after crossing the Korath desert, weakened and stripped of her magic. Pretending to be mute, she carefully observes her captors and their intentions. She learns that a Nilfgaardian prefect has placed a bounty on her, making her capture valuable. During a stop, she witnesses a bloody duel between two rival knights—one dies, the other is left severely wounded. Amid the chaos, Ciri attempts to escape but is caught and brutally punished by Skomlik. They bring her to Glyswen, a hostile Nilfgaardian settlement, where they seek refuge in a tavern filled with soldiers and criminals. There, Ciri finds Kayleigh, a youth tied to a post—member of the gang known as the Rats. While the men haggle over rewards, Ciri plots his escape. Seizing a moment of carelessness, she cuts the boy's bindings just before the rest of the gang storms in. Amid the violence, Ciri chooses to fight.

The tavern erupts in chaos—blood, fire, and steel everywhere. The Rats—Kayleigh, Giselher, Mistle, Reef, Iskra, and Asse—arrive to rescue their friend. Ciri joins in, saving Kayleigh, dodging attacks, and confronting Skomlik using moves learned in Kaer Morhen. Though she could have killed him, she hesitates. The bandits are impressed by her skill and invite her to flee with them. Ciri rides with the gang, crossing the Velda River and proving her combat prowess, though she still shows fear and uncertainty when it comes to killing. After the escape, the group debates her fate. Ciri, unsure, chooses to stay for now. They give her a name: Falka. Thus begins her transformation. The fugitive girl finds shelter among murderers. That night, Kayleigh tries to assault her, but Mistle intervenes and later comforts Ciri with an intimacy that blurs tenderness and confusion. Ciri accepts the closeness, feeling less alone, immersed in a new world ruled by violence and loyalty.

At dawn, Ciri reflects bitterly on the events. She washes in the river with fury, trying to cleanse herself of what is now part of her. The narration reveals the backgrounds of the Rats: each marked by war, abandonment, and vengeance. Kayleigh and Reef survived massacres; Giselher deserted the army and was saved by the elf Iskra; Mistle was captured and violated before being rescued by Asse. All found in crime a way to survive. Bound by hatred for a world that cast them out, they form a feared gang—cruel, but loyal to each other. Ciri, like them, is a child of the The The Time of Contempt. The chapter closes with the prefect of Amarillo receiving word of a seventh member among the Rats. Though he suspects her identity, imperial coroner Stefan Skellen—Tawny Owl—orders them all executed without exception, secretly knowing who the seventh is. The name Falka begins to awaken dangerous echoes.

Conclusion – The The The Time of Contempt

No threshold is crossed without leaving something behind. In this chapter-by-chapter summary of The Time of Contempt, Andrzej Sapkowski transforms Ciri into a new kind of symbol—not of hope, but of rupture. The blood she carries is no longer a puzzle to decipher, but a flame beginning to burn under a chosen name. Falka has awakened, and with her, a time where childhood, loyalty, and neutrality are swept away like ash in a rising war.

Geralt sets out wounded, Yennefer is lost, and those who once held balance—like Tissaia—are consumed by the very decisions they vowed to prevent. In Nilfgaard, masks replace truth, and impostors rewrite reality. But beneath all of it burns one truth: the real conflict is no longer political or magical—it’s deeply personal. And from now on, every choice will be paid in fire.

If you're ready to follow that path into the inevitable, move on to the next book now. Read here the chapter-by-chapter summary of Baptism of Fire ➤

FAQs – Chapter by Chapter Summary – The The The Time of Contempt

Why does Ciri take the name Falka at the end of The Time of Contempt?

Ciri chooses the name Falka as a declaration of rebellion and emotional rupture. After surviving the desert and joining the gang of Rats, she no longer sees herself as the heir of Cintra, but as someone forged by loss and rage. Falka, a name tied to fire, blood, and revolt in elven and human history, becomes a symbol of her rejection of fate and her refusal to be a pawn. It is a name she picks not from heritage, but from fury.

What does Geralt’s defeat by Vilgefortz reveal about the true danger he faces?

The duel at Thanedd is a brutal reality check. Geralt, known for his combat prowess, is overwhelmed and broken by Vilgefortz—a sorcerer with unmatched magical and physical power. The fight shows that Vilgefortz is no ordinary enemy; he's calculated, merciless, and playing a long, dangerous game. Geralt’s injuries mark the end of his illusion of control. He now knows that protecting Ciri will demand more than skill—it will require sacrifice and alliances he may not want to make.

What is the symbolic meaning of the Korath desert in Ciri’s journey?

The Korath desert acts as a spiritual crucible for Ciri. Alone, starving, and hallucinating, she confronts not just death but her own inner fragmentation. Visions, pain, and the scorching landscape strip away her innocence. The unicorn, the venom, and the burning sand are more than obstacles—they are metaphors for rebirth. She emerges not as a lost princess, but as someone who has chosen her own path, hardened by survival and no longer afraid of the fire within.

What does Tissaia de Vries’s suicide represent in the magical world?

Tissaia’s suicide is the tragic climax of the magical order’s moral collapse. Once a symbol of balance and structure, she realizes too late that her decisions—like freeing Vilgefortz—have led to disaster. Her death is both personal guilt and symbolic grief: a final act that confirms that the old ways of compromise and diplomacy have crumbled. With her gone, there is no longer a guiding conscience among the mages. The battlefield is now unrestrained.

Why do the Scoia’tael view Francesca Findabair as a traitor despite reclaiming Dol Blathanna?

Francesca achieves what few dared dream—an elven kingdom. But she does it through a pact with Nilfgaard, which includes abandoning the Scoia’tael. To many of them, it’s a betrayal of the blood they spilled. Her political success comes at the cost of others’ lives and sacrifices. Though she now wears a crown, her expression betrays sorrow. She’s a queen of land gained, but dreams lost. In the eyes of her former allies, she sold out their cause for survival.