The Witcher

The Witcher is a fantasy book series by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski about Geralt of Rivia, a monster-hunting witcher.

The Witcher is a fantasy book series by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski. It follows Geralt of Rivia, a monster-hunting witcher, and consists of short story collections, a five-novel main saga, and later standalone novels. The series has been widely adapted into other media.

Overview

The Witcher is a Polish fantasy series created by Andrzej Sapkowski. Its stories follow Geralt of Rivia, a witcher and monster hunter. The later novels focus heavily on Ciri, whose fate is central to the saga.

Publication and structure

The series began as short stories published in the 1980s and 1990s, with the first story collection published in 1992. It later expanded into a five-novel main saga. The core series is commonly counted as nine books: two short story collections, five saga novels, and two standalone/prequel novels. Later books include standalone works that are often treated as prequels or optional additions in reading-order guides.

Characters and themes

Geralt is a witcher, a professionally trained monster hunter with supernatural abilities. The series combines political conflict, folklore, moral ambiguity, and fate-driven storytelling.

Adaptations and influence

The books have served as the basis for a major transmedia franchise, including video games and screen adaptations. They are widely recognised as one of the most prominent modern fantasy series from Central and Eastern Europe. In Canada, the series is popular with readers through English-language editions and has wide recognition in Canadian fantasy fandom, gaming, and streaming audiences.