History Literature / LadyOfTheLakeSapkowski

* BackForTheFinale: Yarpen and Zoltan show up in a bar to shoot the breeze with Geralt and Dandelion in the very chapter of the book. [[spoiler:Just before the fateful pogrom that takes Geralt's life begins.]]

* WretchedHive: If the city of Rivia wasn't such a den of iniquity before, it certainly became one in the aftermath of the Second Nilfgaardian War. There's a lot of poverty going around and racial tensions are at an all-time high. [[spoiler:It erupts in a bloody pogrom that claims the lives of both Geralt and Yennefer.]]

* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: When Leo Bonhart comes into her cell to brag about the fact [[spoiler: he's killed three Witchers in his time and plans to do the same to Geralt, Yennefer dismisses his claims as [[BlatantLies utter lies]], deriding Bonhart as a [[SmugSnake smug piece of shit]] and a [[DirtyCoward opportunist who only picks fights he can win]], and the only way he could have killed witchers was either in his dreams or by fighting dirty, and that Bonhart doesn't stand a chance against Geralt. A furious Bonhart tries to rape Yennefer in response]].

* BackstabBackfire: [[spoiler: After seemingly convincing Ciri [[VillainWantsMercy not to kill him on account of the fact he's beaten and unarmed]], Bonhart pulls a knife and tries to attack her from behind. Ciri hears him coming, dodges his attack with ease and [[SlashedThroat opens his throat with her sword]] before watching him bleed to death]].

* NoSneakAttack: [[spoiler:What kills Bonhart: he was inches from stabbing Ciri in the back when he lets loose a shriek of rage, giving Ciri enough warning to dodge the attack and then kill him]].

* HumiliationConga: [[spoiler: Bonhart gets a brutal one at Yennefer's hands when he tries to [[RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil rape her]] for deriding him as a coward: despite getting beaten in the process, Yennefer stabs him in the face with [[ImprovisedWeapon a stolen fork]], only missing his eye by inches, breaks his nose and hits him in the balls with well placed kicks, and cuts his face to ribbons with the edges of her shackles. Her guards also refuse to help Bonhart get some payback on her because they don't want her to inform on them to the approaching Geralt]].

* VillainousBreakdown: Vilgefortz has one when his attacks keep missing Geralt.

* OffWithHisHead: [[spoiler: How Vilgefortz dies at Geralt's hand]].

* PetTheDog: A major one from Emperor Emhyr. [[spoiler:After explaining to Geralt that he intends to marry his biological daughter, Ciri, and sire an heir with her, and that the Witcher and Yennefer can't be allowed to live on account of [[HeKnowsTooMuch knowing too much]], he makes a promise to the latter that he will never make Ciri. He holds true to it; Ciri starts crying almost immediately upon hearing what will happen, prompting him to abandon his plan on the spot. He lets her go back to her parental figures and departs, leaving the three of them to live their lives however they see fit.]]

* PetTheDog: A major one from Emperor Emhyr. [[spoiler:After explaining to Geralt that he intends on marrying Ciri, his biological daughter, and siring an heir with her, and leaving both the Witcher and Yennefer to commit suicide together, he makes a promise to the latter to never allow Ciri to cry. He holds true to it; Ciri starts crying almost immediately upon hearing what will happen, and he abandons his plan and lets her go back to her parental figures, leaving all three of them to live their lives however they see fit.]]

* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler:After all the struggle Geralt finally rescues both Ciri and Yennefer and decides to quit his job and settle down, but all his friends who were helping him save for Dandelion die. He decides to defend victims of pogrom for the last time and is killed in the process. Yennefer tries to heal him but also dies of exhaustion. It all takes place before Ciri's eyes and she can't save her foster parents.]] On the bright side, [[spoiler: Geralt and Yennefer are reunited in the afterlife while Ciri gets a MaybeEverAfter ending with Galahad]].

** LowerDeckEpisode: The battle is shown through the eyes of multiple minor characters (both appearing first time ever or the ones that figured in the previous books) having their 15 minutes of fame one after another. [[spoiler:And most of them die. Horribly]].

* DownerEnding: [[spoiler:After all the struggle Geralt finally rescues both Ciri and Yennefer and decides to quit his job and settle down, but all his friends who were helping him save for Dandelion die. He decides to defend victims of pogrom for the last time and is killed in the process. Yennefer tries to heal him but also dies of exhaustion. It all takes place before Ciri's eyes and she can't save her foster parents.]]

* VillainOfAnotherStory: Eredin and the Aen Elle. They play a tremendous role in the saga's backstory, and they have plans for Ciri that will have enormous ramifications for both the Witcher world and multiverse, but at most, they only serve as the ArcVillains for a relatively small section of the book, and disappear from the story completely once she escapes them and returns to her world.

* FunWithAcronyms: Jarre enlists in the army prior to the Battle Of Brenna and is sent to a division known as the "Pee Eff Eye" due to his qualifications. Turns out that PFI stands for [[CannonFodder Poor Fucking Infantry]].

* TogetherInDeath: [[spoiler: Geralt dies when stabbed with a pitchfork and Yennefer dies trying to save him. There is one final scene afterwards where they get to be together on a secluded island. Of course, [[VideoGame/TheWitcher the]] [[VideoGame/TheWitcher2AssassinsOfKings three]] [[VideoGame/TheWitcher3WildHunt]] and WordOfGod confirm that they came BackFromTheDead.]]

* BreatherEpisode: The hanse's stay at Beauclaire. Which is more or less a lot of {{Padding}}. It's even lampshaded with a quote from RudyardKipling.

Through the actions of men like Redanian spymaster Sigismund Dijkstra, The Nordling kingdoms finally start to get their act together in war with Nilfgaard. However, these distant events bear little importance to the heroes. Geralt, in his search for the druidic coven that may have the knowledge of Ciri's location, finds his way into the mountainous kingdom of Toussaint. As it turns out, Dandelion is already well-known to the locals, who also have a need for a professional monster hunter. Meanwhile Ciri is trapped in the oneirous world she's entered through the Tower of the Swallow. But, can any trap hold the Blood of Lara Dorren?

* ConsummateLiar: Elf sage Avallac'h. [[spoiler:He spins the tale about how Aen Elle need Ciri's powers in order to save the inhabitans of her world from impending apocalypse. Turns out they are power hungry conquerors just wanting an option to kill and enslave in every existing universe.]]

* DownerEnding: [[spoiler:After all the struggle Geralt finally rescues both Ciri and Yennefer and decides to quit his job and settle down, but all his friends who were helping him save for Dandelion die. He decides to defend victims of pogrom for the last time and is killed in the process. Yennefer tries to heal him but also dies of exhustion. It all takes place before Ciri's eyes and she can't save her foster parrents.]]

* ThePromise: [[spoiler:Yennefer makes Emhyr promise to never make "her daughter" cry, as she and Geralt are about to commit suicide and Ciri, taken away to marry the Emperor. Guess what Ciri does the moment she is told that she has to part with Geralt and Yennefer ''again''. It actually makes Emhyr abort all his plans for Ciri, turn around, and leave.]]