Yennefer is everything that Geralt despises about sorcerers and magicians. She is headstrong, arrogant, and willing to risk the well-being of other people for her own aims. Despite this, Geralt is infatuated with her. Even Geralt admits that she is not a great beauty. Rather, she possesses a charisma that captures the attention of many men in the book. While the true dimensions of their relationship are unknown, Geralt pines for her throughout his stay in the temple of Melitele. Nenneke suggests that Yennefer is one of the things that Geralt is running away from while he is staying in the temple, though it is unclear what caused a rift between them.   

Much of Yennefer’s characterization is defined by her role as a sorceress. In this way, she provides insight into what life is like for people who use magic but are not witchers. As a sorceress, she is unable to have children because her use of magic has caused her ovaries to atrophy. This speaks to the ways that magic users are different than people who do not use magic. Despite this, Yennefer’s ego drives her to seek out remedies that will restore her fertility. It is this same ego that drives her to seek more and more power, as she does when she nearly destroys Rinde to gain a djinn’s power.