The Witcher books official reading order

YOU ARE READING: The Witcher books official reading order | PC Gamer AT PhebinhvanhocEN

the witcher season 2 has been out for a while and season 3 is filming now. A few books have been covered so far, so it’s time to look forward to what we can expect in the next season. We’ll most likely hear a lot more from Phillipa Eilhart and Djikstra as they try to gain more control in Redania, and Francesca and the elves have already started their retaliation in the north that won’t end well for anyone.

Overall, the show changes a lot of details, but it takes its broad plot lines directly from the witcher stories written by polish author andrzej sapkowski, which were also the basis for the cd projekt red witcher games. if you want to read the story on which the first episode of the witcher season 2 is based, for example, you will find it in the last wish (opens in a new tab), the book of the witcher with which we recommend that you start.

You are reading: The witcher books in order

It’s not the most complicated fantasy series ever, but the release date isn’t in the right order to read them, ie they haven’t been released in chronological order. The Witcher began in the 1980s as a series of short stories written by Sapkowski for a fantasy magazine. in the 1990s, the stories were published in two collections, followed by five novels, all published during the same decade. The books were published in English in 2007, with Danusia Stok translating the first two and David French taking over the duties for the third book.

The Witcher Books follow the story of the titular Witcher, Geralt of Rivia. a warlock is a mutated human, undoubtedly a man, who possesses supernatural abilities and has trained since childhood to fight the monsters that arose during the conjunction of the spheres. Many stories have been told in the warlock universe, but the central arc follows Geralt as he protects Ciri, a princess whose country has been conquered and her surprise son. If you want sword action, romance, family ties, and grotesque monsters, you’ve come to the right place.

the reading order of the witcher’s books

let’s get down to business: what order should you read the books in? as mentioned above, you’ll want to ignore the release dates and instead read them in actual chronological order if you want the story to make sense. so, here is your list:

the last wish (opens in a new tab)
the sword of destiny (opens in a new tab)
the blood of the elves (opens in a new tab) opens in a new tab)</li
time of contempt (opens in a new tab)
baptism of fire (opens in a new tab)
the tower of the swallow (opens in a new tab)
lady of the lake (opens in a new tab)
stormy season (opens in a new tab) (optional ; explained below)

You’ll want to start with last wish (opens in a new tab). Although it was published second, it is the beginning of the series, featuring Geralt and setting the continent as the backdrop.

the last wish presents everything you will see in the games. Sapkowski sets the scene beginning with the importance of Geralt’s silver sword with which he kills monsters. he also describes the often corrupt governments that reside around the world, and we meet an array of colorful characters that many of us have come to know and love. These include Dandelion (also known as Jaskier), a poet friend of Geralt who is listening to these stories we are living through, and Yennefer, a sorceress with whom Geralt begins a turbulent relationship.

The story, a grain of truth, presented in this collection kicks off the second season of the Netflix show, telling the story of Nivellen. the rest of the stories in last wish make up the majority of the show’s first season, though it’s also based on the book you must read second: the sword of destiny (it opens in a new tab). It is in Sword of Fate that we meet Ciri, and each story takes place just before the main novels.

A recent release, Season of Storms (opens in a new tab), takes place within the Last Wish stories. while its events aren’t an integral part of the main arc, it’s a storied entry worth reading.

Otherwise, please read the books in the order they were published: Goblin Blood (Opens in a new tab), Time of Scorn (Opens in a new tab), Baptism of Fire (Opens in a new tab). new tab), the tower of the swallow (opens in a new tab) and the lady of the lake (opens in a new tab).

Below are the best prices for these books individually, but they are sold together on amazon: the first six books together on amazon us (opens in a new tab) and the first seven together on amazon uk (opens in new tab).

other witch books

Apart from the novels, it is also worth reading the world of the sorcerer (opens in new tab), which is a compendium of information created directly by cd projekt red. is a beautifully illustrated addition to the series containing everything you’ll ever want to know about monsters, weapons, people, and places. beware though, it features spoilers for the games and the books. read it, and you too can be called geralt of trivia.

There is a designated witcher 3: wild hunt art book, but it’s pretty rare, as it was only published in collector’s editions. one to keep in mind though; I know I always do. And even more artwork is available now after the release of the Gwent game as it now also has its own art book: The Art of the Warlock: Gwent Gallery Collection (Opens in a new tab). And to top off the artistic side, there’s a Warlock Adult Coloring Book (Opens in a new tab) that will keep you busy well into the night, giving your favorite characters unique outfits and painting your own Warlock pictures. /p>

the witcher’s graphic novels

In addition to short stories and novels, dark horse comic book graphic novels have been published. While not written by Sapkowski, the comics do a great job of adding extras to already published stories, plus they look great as the art evokes the off-putting themes of the books and games. volume 1 (opens in new tab), volume 2 (opens in new tab), and volume 3 (opens in new tab) each include multiple stories, while a collected library edition (opens in new tab) opens in a new tab) includes everything in one.

why should i read them if i’ve played the games?

because you’re obviously desperate for more warlock content, that’s why! One of the joys I got from rereading the series was reading it with the voices of the characters from the games in mind. I could hear Doug Cockle’s sweet tone every time Geralt spoke, which adds more depth to the stories.

They are wonderful books to read with complex political narratives, full of backstabbing, magic and love. They’re not just for fantasy nerds either; they are accessible to lovers of all genres who just want a good series to read. Once you’ve read them all, you can finally engage in “which is better: the books, the netflix series, or the games?” speech. Come with your notes prepared.

Reading the books will give you a better sense of the world, further develop the cast, and create a stronger bond between you and the situations in the story. the characters are drawn in more depth, and while much of the plot you’ll know if you’ve played the games, the books fill in little gaps here and there.

how faithful are the witcher games to the books?

a lot, although only a portion of the books were brought directly into the games. CD Projekt Red went to great lengths to bring Sapkowski’s witty, ironic, and strong Geralt of Rivia to gamers. due to the games’ branching narratives, the plot is based on the books, rather than a direct retelling of each story. however, everything you’ve seen in the games, from runes to weapons to monsters, is featured in the novel series.

There is an interesting divide between how Sapkowski sees his world and how it was translated into the games, but readers will only notice minor differences here and there. Coming to the books from the games brings a certain spark of life to the battles and fights.

However, it’s worth noting that games, especially ones of such quality, are designed to generate excitement and danger. this can make some sections of the book, mainly the political discussions, rather dull in comparison. Because they present the story in small chunks between the killing and the hunting, the games offer the most interactive way to experience part of Geralt’s story.

how true to the books is the netflix witcher series?

much more than games, by design. Officially, The Witcher Show is based directly on the books, not the games. That said, the show does take some liberties, particularity over time. To introduce viewers to Geralt and the world around him more naturally, the Season 1 story is a combination of the Last Wish short stories and the beginning of Ciri’s arc in Sword of Destiny.

The first season was confusing for some people, so Netflix put together a beautiful timeline map (opens in a new tab) to keep it all straight (spoiler warning for the books, obviously). the second season (opens in new tab) is much more linear and easy to understand, with a few adaptations to the stories here and there.

where can i get all these books?

Since the profile of the witcher series and the books has risen to glittering and famous heights around the world, the books are generally available at all major retailers, including amazon (opens in a new tab ). The only one that is a bit hard to get, as I mentioned earlier, is the Witcher 3 Art Book Collector’s Edition but it does show up on eBay from time to time. however, for your ease and convenience, see the current best prices on all books below.

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The Witcher books official reading order | PC Gamer