Series · epic fantasy

The Witcher

The Witcher series by Andrzej Sapkowski has 8 books and is best read in publication order, starting with Sword of Destiny (1992).

Books: 8 books
First published: 1992
Status: completed
Last checked: 17 August 2026

Start here: Sword of Destiny (1992) — then read straight through in publication order.

Book one

Sword of Destiny (1992)

Reading order

The order the books were released — the default way to read the series.

Book 1:
Sword of Destiny
Novel1992
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Sword of Destiny
View book
Book 2:
The Last Wish
Novel1993
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Last Wish
View book
Book 3:
Blood of Elves
Novel1994
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Blood of Elves
View book
Book 4:
Time of Contempt
Novel1995
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Time of Contempt
View book
Book 5:
Baptism of Fire
Novel1996
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Baptism of Fire
View book
Book 6:
The Tower of the Swallow
Novel1997
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Tower of the Swallow
View book
Book 7:
The Lady of the Lake
Novel1999
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Lady of the Lake
View book
Book 8:
Season of Storms
Novel2013
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Season of Storms
View book

The order the story's events happen in, novellas slotted where they belong.

Book 1:
The Last Wish
Novel1993
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Last Wish
View book
Book 2:
Sword of Destiny
Novel1992
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Sword of Destiny
View book
Book 3:
Season of Storms
Novel2013
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Season of Storms
View book
Book 4:
Blood of Elves
Novel1994
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Blood of Elves
View book
Book 5:
Time of Contempt
Novel1995
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Time of Contempt
View book
Book 6:
Baptism of Fire
Novel1996
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Baptism of Fire
View book
Book 7:
The Tower of the Swallow
Novel1997
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Tower of the Swallow
View book
Book 8:
The Lady of the Lake
Novel1999
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Lady of the Lake
View book

About The Witcher

Geralt of Rivia is a witcher — a monster hunter mutated and trained from childhood to track down the things that prey on ordinary people, feared and distrusted by the villagers he protects precisely because he isn't quite human anymore. Andrzej Sapkowski built the series out of dark, morally slippery fairy-tale retellings before turning it into a full political fantasy saga: Geralt gets pulled out of his solitary monster-hunting life by his bond with Ciri, a princess with a destiny several kingdoms are willing to start a war over, and by his complicated, genuinely adult relationship with the sorceress Yennefer.

Written in Polish and translated into English years after Sapkowski became a bestseller across Europe, the series is sharper and more cynical about "chosen one" tropes than most epic fantasy of its era, filtering war, racism against non-human species, and political opportunism through Geralt's studied neutrality — a stance the books keep testing and undermining. It's the source material for the globally successful video game trilogy from CD Projekt Red and the Netflix television series, both of which draw more on the novels' world and characters than their specific plots.

How to read this series

Start with the two short-story collections in story order — The Last Wish, then Sword of Destiny — even though Sapkowski originally published Sword of Destiny's stories first in Polish; nearly every English edition and reading guide puts The Last Wish first because its stories introduce Geralt and are meant to be read that way. From there, read the five-book Blood of Elves saga in order: Blood of Elves, Time of Contempt, Baptism of Fire, The Tower of the Swallow, The Lady of the Lake.

Season of Storms, written and published years after the saga concluded, is a standalone adventure set chronologically between Sword of Destiny and Blood of Elves — read it there if you want story order, or last if you'd rather experience it the way Polish readers did, as a return to the character after the main saga's ending. None of the video games or the Netflix series are required reading, and neither follows the books' plot closely enough to substitute for them.

Frequently asked questions

How many books are in The Witcher series?

Eight: two short-story collections (The Last Wish, Sword of Destiny), the five-book Blood of Elves saga (Blood of Elves, Time of Contempt, Baptism of Fire, The Tower of the Swallow, The Lady of the Lake), and the standalone novel Season of Storms.

What order should I read The Witcher books in?

Story order: The Last Wish, Sword of Destiny, then the five-book saga (Blood of Elves through The Lady of the Lake). Season of Storms fits chronologically after Sword of Destiny and before Blood of Elves, though it was written and published much later.

Should I play the games or watch the show before reading the books?

No, and it isn't required either way. CD Projekt Red's video game trilogy and Netflix's TV series both draw on the books' world and characters but tell different, mostly non-overlapping stories, so there's no plot to spoil in either direction.

Is The Witcher series finished?

Yes as a complete saga: the core story concludes in The Lady of the Lake (1999), and Season of Storms (2013) is a self-contained side novel Sapkowski added afterward. No further Witcher novel has been announced.

Why was Sword of Destiny published before The Last Wish in Poland but after it in English?

Sapkowski wrote and published the stories that became Sword of Destiny (1992) before compiling The Last Wish as a book (1993) in the original Polish. English-language publishers reordered them so The Last Wish comes first, since its stories introduce Geralt and work better as an opening volume.