Βάπτισμα Πυρός

χωρίς τίτλο
[[{{{Εικόνα}}}|200px]]
Πληροφορίες Έκδοσης

Baptism of Fire (Ελληνικά: Βάπτισμα Πυρός, Polish: Chrzest Ognia), written by Andrzej Sapkowski, first published in Poland in 1996, is the fifth book in Η σειρά The Witcher and the third novel in the Έπος του Witcher.

Brief synopsis

Geralt recovers in Brokilon forest after the Thanedd incident, but he is intent on leaving as quickly as possible and continuing on his path to find Ciri. In Brokilon, he meets a young woman who will follow him on his journey towards Nilfgaard. Meanwhile, Ciri settled into a life with some people elsewhere whom she finally can call her friends. The witcher, accompanied by Dandelion and the young woman he meets in Brokilon, undertake a dangerous journey, meeting new people along the way and discovering the truth about the mysterious Black Rider who has been plaguing Ciri's dreams. One of the new friends they make along the way turns out to be rather interesting...

Spoiler warning: Significant plot details follow.

While recovering in Brokilon from his injuries sustained during the Thanedd coup, Geralt meets Milva, a hunter and expert archer. Her mastery of the bow is unequalled. Despite not particularly liking the convalescing witcher, she decides to follow Geralt, who is accompanied by Dandelion, on his way towards Nilfgaard and hopefully, Ciri. The journey is not easy, the war is encroaching seemingly from all directions and nearly every city is ablaze.

Along their journey they meet a group of Νάνους led by one Zoltan Chivay. As it seems they are all going in the same direction, Geralt's party joins the group who are also shepherding some refugee women and children.

At several points in their journey, Geralt and his companions come across Cahir, the erstwhile "Black Rider" that plagued Ciri's dreams. Initially, the knight is being transported as a prisoner — in a coffin no less! — by some hawkers, when Geralt spares his life for the second time. However, the witcher wants nothing to do with the young Nilfgaardian and leaves him to his own devices, Cahir is ever persistent and continues to shadow the witcher and his entourage. Eventually, through Milva's intervention, the young knight comes to join the group.

Finally, the troupe is joined by Regis, a vampire, some might say "monster", who rather surprisingly becomes the monster hunter's good friend. Regis proves invaluable for his medical skills.

As the group travels east, they are inevitably caught between the warring factions which leads them into the thick of the Battle for the Bridge on the Yaruga where the group is pivotal in queen Μεβ's victory. It is shortly after his battle that Geralt is knighted by the queen and officially becomes "Geralt of Rivia".

Meanwhile Ciri has settled into life with a party of young rebels who call themselves the "Rats" and has become known as "Falka". With the Rats, she experiences killing on quite a regular basis, but also forms a strong bond with Mistle. Killing ultimately becomes an obsession for the former princess.

Significant plot details end here.

Translations

• Bulgarian: Вещерът: Огнено кръщение, translated by Vasil Velchev (ИнфоДар, 2010)
• Czech: Zaklínač V. - Křest ohněm, (Leonardo, Ostrava 1997)
• French: Le Baptême du Feu, translated by Caroline Raszka-Dewez (Bragelonne, 2010)
• German: Feuertaufe, (dtv, 2009)
• Lithuanian: Krikštas ugnimi, (Eridanas, 2006)
• Russian: Крещение огнём, (АСТ, 1997)
• Serbian: Vatreno krštenje - Saga o vešcu 5, translated by Milica Markić (Čarobna knjiga, 2012)
• Spanish: Bautismo de fuego, (Alamut, 2010)

Εξώφυλλα βιβλίων

• 

  First Polish edition cover. Illustration (featuring Milva) by Bogusław Polch

• 

  Second Polish edition cover

• 

  Bulgarian edition cover

• 

  Polish edition, designed along with CD Projekt

• 

  Czech edition cover

• 

  Another Czech cover

• 

  New Czech edition cover

• 

  First French edition

• 

  French edition (2012)

• 

  First US edition (exp.July 2014)

• 

  First German edition cover

• 

  Russian cover

• 

  Serbian edition (2012)

• 

  Spanish edition cover