Ep. 109 — Chapter 4 from "Tower of Swallows"

Breakfast in Beauclair

Charli from Austria and Softie from the UK join Alyssa for our discussion of Andrzej Sapkowski's Tower of Swallows, Chapter 4. Very important bits include: Season premiere rituals, unreliable narrators, nesting dolls of perspectives, progressive ideas in The Witcher, the literal sword of destiny, how Ciri's weaponization complicates her victimization, and how each chapter antagonist embodies a different kind of cruelty.

• [0:00] Cold Open
• [1:01] Introduction
• [2:40] Guest Introductions
• [8:16] Chapter Recap
• [9:49] Overall Thoughts
• [17:18] Alternate Perspectives
• [22:57] Kenna's Psionic Torture
• [26:14] Progressive Ideas in The Witcher
• [28:39] Swallow & Destiny
• [33:49] Ciri's Victimization v. Weaponization
• [39:14] Ciri's Attempt & Bonhart's Cruelty
• [43:32] "Would Ciri return home?"
• [46:12] The Villains and Systemic Cruelty
• [58:27] Closing Thoughts
• [1:02:59] Outro
• [1:03:26] End Credits