How to Read The Witcher Books in Order

Before the award-winning RPGs or live-action show , there was The Witcher book series. Andrzej Sapkowski's original story of Geralt of Rivia was heavily inspired by Slavic mythology as well as classic fantasy series like Lord of the Rings . Whether you already enjoyed Netflix or CD Projekt's The Witcher adaptations or are just looking for a great book series, this wild world is worth diving into.

1. The Last Wish (Short Story Collection)

2. Sword of Destiny (Short Story Collection)

4. The Time of Contempt (The Witcher Saga #2)

5. Baptism of Fire (The Witcher Saga #3)

6. The Tower of Swallows (The Witcher Saga #4)

7. The Lady of the Lake (The Witcher Saga #5)

The first book in the saga, Blood of Elves, introduces Nilfgaardian Emperor Emhyr var Emreis’ pursuit of Ciri, Geralt’s adopted daughter, in order to marry her and attain power over Cintra, the land that is hers by birthright. In an effort to thwart Emhyr’s plans, the Northern monarchs meet and decide to assassinate Ciri, but Geralt of Rivia watches over her in Kaer Morhen, the remote keep inhabited by Wolf School witchers. Meanwhile, a mysterious sorcerer is also trying to locate Ciri.

The Time of Contempt picks up where the previous novel finishes. The Northern Kings are still conspiring with one another in an effort to lure Nilfgaard into war, while Ciri is due to be enrolled at Aretuza in order to study magic. Ciri comes into contact with some of the most powerful sorceresses on The Continent. As war becomes inevitable, she finds herself on the run with a bandit group known simply as The Rats.

Geralt spends time in Brokilon forest recovering from events in the previous book, which is where he and Dandelion encounter an elven archer named Milva, who decides to join their group. People who have played the games will be glad to know that the dwarf Zoltan Chivay temporarily joins Geralt’s ragtag group too, as well as the vampire Regis. A Nilfgaardian knight named Cahir also tags along because he feels indebted to Ciri. Geralt officially receives his “of Rivia” title after an epic battle while Ciri begins to feel at home with The Rats.

Ciri is gravely injured after an encounter with Nilfgaardian bounty hunter Leo Bonhart, who was hired by the coroner Stefan Skellen to kill her. A kind old man nurses her back to health while Geralt’s party continues their search for Ciri and Geralt renounces his status as a witcher. The Lodge of Sorceresses attempt to gain control of a country called Kovir while Triss Merigold seeks information on Yennefer of Vengerberg. (Known as The Tower of Swallows in the U.S.)

Ciri encounters Arthurian knight Sir Galahad who believes she is the eponymous lady of the lake. The story cuts to a dream in which Geralt overhears Skellen and sets out to rescue Yennefer from a faraway castle. Ciri, meanwhile, tells Galahad about her time in the elven world of Aen Elle, home of the Wild Hunt. She begins to jump between worlds in order to escape them, but Eredin Breacc Glas persistently chases her, as she heads towards a final meeting with her surrogate parents Geralt and Yennefer.

The most recent addition to The Witcher book series was published in Poland in 2024 before getting an official English translation in 2025. Out now , Crossroads of Ravens is a prequel that follows Geralt's "first steps" as a Witcher. The novel takes place before any of the original Witcher stories, making it the earliest on a chronological timeline. Still, as the most recent release, Crossroads of Ravens assumes some familiarity with the rest of the series, and is likely best enjoyed with knowledge of what's to come in Geralt's Witcher career.

Where Do The Witcher Games Fit on the Timeline?

The Witcher book saga starts roughly 10 years before the games, with most of the books' plotlines wrapped up by the time the first Witcher game starts. So, for those curious, playing the games first does mean you get some of the book series spoiled. That said, both the books and the video games are fantastic (we specifically called The Witcher 3 "Amazing" in our review ), so whichever one you start with shouldn't affect your overall enjoyment. Though the author himself has taken issue with some

Between the books, video game franchise, and TV series, there's a lot going on in the world of The Witcher. Netflix's live-action The Witcher series wrapped up its fourth season in 2025 featuring Liam Hemsworth as Geralt, but production on season 5 has hit a bit of delay recently and been pushed to 2027 .

If you're a fan of the Witcher III: Wild Hunt, there's a surprising new expansion due out in 2027 you can check out. Titled Songs of the Past , the new DLC is expected to arrive in 2027, almost 11 years after the second expansion released.

Of course, the big question is when we'll get another Witcher game. While CD Projekt has spent the past couple of years focused on Cyberpunk 2077, in early 2024, they proclaimed that the " bulk of its effort " is now going toward The Witcher 4 . The new game was officially announced with a cinematic trailer at the 2024 Game Awards . We don't have a release date yet, but The Witcher 3's active community is making the wait a little bit easier.

In a recent interview with IGN , Andrzej Sapkowski and his interpreter have confirmed that his next Witcher book is scheduled for 2027 .