Reading order
| # | Title | Year | Type | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Last Wish | 1993 | Stories | Buy |
| 2 | Sword of Destiny | 1992 | Stories | Buy |
| 3 | Blood of Elves | 1994 | Novel | Buy |
| 4 | Time of Contempt | 1995 | Novel | Buy |
| 5 | Baptism of Fire | 1996 | Novel | Buy |
| 6 | The Tower of the Swallow | 1997 | Novel | Buy |
| 7 | The Lady of the Lake | 1999 | Novel | Buy |
| 8 | Season of Storms | 2013 | Novel | Buy |
Geralt of Rivia is a witcher, a professional monster hunter enhanced through mutagenic processes that leave him stronger, faster, and longer-lived than normal humans. He’s also sterile, emotionally muted, and distrusted by the people who hire him. Andrzej Sapkowski created him in 1986 for a Polish fantasy magazine contest and won third place.
The books blend Slavic folklore with subversive takes on fairy tales. Snow White becomes a gang leader. Beauty’s beast is a cursed nobleman whose affliction might be deserved. The Little Mermaid’s story becomes a meditation on transformation and identity. Sapkowski treats these familiar tales as raw material, twisting them into something darker and more morally complex.
The short story collections introduce Geralt, his on-again-off-again lover Yennefer, and his companions. The main saga follows Ciri, a princess with Elder Blood who becomes Geralt’s adopted daughter. Her power makes her a target for emperors, mages, and otherworldly forces.
Sapkowski’s prose is witty and often philosophical. Geralt insists on neutrality in political conflicts, but the series demonstrates how neutrality is itself a choice with consequences. The books question the nature of evil, whether monsters are always monstrous, and whether humans are any better.
The Witcher became internationally famous through CD Projekt Red’s video game adaptations and Netflix’s television series starring Henry Cavill. The books were translated into English between 2007 and 2017, introducing Sapkowski’s work to a global audience.