R3: The Witcher Saga by Andrzej Sapkowski

Five out of seven Witcher books make up my collection, with The Last Wish and Blood of Elves lent out to family and friends

Released: Between 1993 and 1999 (Polish) and 2007 and 2017 (English)

Genre: Fantasy

Number of Pages: 2704 (All seven books)

Books (In order of appearance): The Last Wish, Sword of Destiny, Blood of Elves, Time of Contempt, Baptism of Fire, The Tower of the Swallow and Lady of the Lake

Having recently exploded in popularity worldwide with the release of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt in 2015, it’s easy to forget that the franchise made its debut in Polish fiction. At first, I got into the series to keep up my fantasy fix as the long-awaited Winds of Winter from George RR. Martin is still so far away from releasing. As the Witcher franchise shares some similarities with the wildly popular Song of Fire and Ice, it was already an enticing alternative. The seventh and final book, Lady of the Lake, was translated and released in English by Gollancz in March 2017.

The series follows Geralt of Rivia, also known as the White Wolf, a professional monster slayer trained in the use of swordplay, magic and alchemy, not to mention enhanced by brewed mutations that make him far more resilient and hardened than ordinary men. His adventures to take on hunting contracts for coin often see him wrapped up in complicated affairs involving numerous colourful characters both friendly and aggressive including sorceresses, spies, soldiers, mercenaries, other Witchers and even members of royalty. This collection of faces works to switch up the action and keep you guessing as to what predicament will pop up next.

Geralt himself feels especially moody here, mostly keeping to himself and feeling reluctant to intervene in greater events. The bonds that tie characters together are incredibly strong, particularly between the Witcher, the strong-willed sorceress Yennefer and later Ciri, a child of prophecy with immense magical power. Further down the line, Geralt forms a company of many different races and beliefs, something which you’ll really be rooting for as the series reaches its inevitable climax. Sapkowski also sees fit to flesh out other characters by portraying their own perspectives; the Kings of the Northern Realms, Foltest of Temeria, Henselt of Kaedwen, Demavend of Aeidern and Radovid of Redania all have their own unique characteristics which make their squabbles and disagreements very believable. All told, there’s a complicated web of motives and desires that runs through the veins of the saga.

Thematically, The Witcher deals with issues of race, political machinations and hidden motives. Truly there is no definitive line between good or evil here which makes for compelling drama; characters motives are rarely clear, it just so happens that some individuals are more sadistic and ruthless than others. Again, much like Game of Thrones it’s a very adult tale with scatterings of sensual tension alongside gruesome violence. Yet despite these components making their way into the narrative, there’s still a moment or two for some comedic banter between Geralt and his compatriots or a different spin on an older fairy tale; for example, in the first book: “The Last Wish”, a curse broken by true love has some parallels to Beauty and the Beast. There’s also some vivid description going on here to set the tone whether it’s all the disgusting details of a loathsome monster or the surrounding landscape that works to pull the reader in.

While the first two books focus mainly on Geralt through a set of short stories, the later entries begin to focus more on Ciri and her time spent out on her own in a world where countless factions wish to use, abuse and exploit her. You really do grow attached to her over this time as she endures many hardships and often horrific spates of brutality. Things quickly expand to include the doings of the Northern Realms and an ever-growing tension with the Southern Empire of Nilfgaard, led by the Emperor Emhyr var Emreis. By deepening the world with countless factions and conflicts, the series becomes even more engrossing. In-between the warring humans we also have the persecution of dwarves and elves, adding another layer on top; the way in which they often fight for themselves in small bands and the connections they share with Geralt, who is also a non-human, adds further ambiguity. It’s this depth and the continued expansion of the lore alongside the central plotlines that make The Witcher saga a worthy member of fantastical fiction.

The only real issue I had with the books is the way the narrative point of view quickly shifts, particularly from Blood of Elves onwards. Sapkowski often cuts around to several different perspectives at key moments and in the case of the seventh book; Lady of the Lake, he also moves forward and back through time to show the reflections and aftermath of a major battle scene. On the one hand, it emphasises the scale of major events and the effect they have on the world at large but they also need a fair bit of focus to navigate through which may be a challenge for some readers.

Current Polish Covers of The Witcher Saga

Recommended?

Fans of fantasy (Adult one’s mind) should pick up The Witcher saga; over the years it’s become something of a national treasure in Poland. If you happen to have played any of The Witcher games from CD Projekt Red (Which take place after Sapkowski’s original saga) these seven books are essential as they create a complete tale, not to mention bring context to numerous characters and past events. It’s great to have the books fresh in your mind as you play through the trilogy, picking up on specific moments and perhaps even altering your perspective on the choices made and shaped by Geralt in the game trilogy.

Currently the series is on hold, though Andrzej Sapkowski did publish Season of Storms, a shorter book set in-between The Last Wish and Sword of Destiny. This is due to be released in English in May 2018. A Netflix series is also in the works which may well end up following the original seven-book saga. Personally, my favourite of the books would be a toss-up between Sword of Destiny and Lady of the Lake as both feature some of the biggest events in the franchise but these are best left to be discovered by the reader.