The Witcher Books in Order
By Andrzej Sapkowski · 8 books
The correct reading order for Andrzej Sapkowski's Witcher series. Short story collections first, then the novels — don't skip the short stories.
About The Witcher
The Witcher series by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski follows Geralt of Rivia, a mutated monster hunter for hire in a morally gray fantasy world. Originally published in Polish starting in 1993, the series gained global fame through CD Projekt Red's video game adaptations and the Netflix TV series starring Henry Cavill. The books are the definitive canon — and the reading order trips up many new readers.
Correct reading order
This is critical: start with the short story collections, not the novels. The first two books introduce Geralt, Yennefer, Ciri, and the world. The five-novel saga that follows assumes you've read them. Skipping to Blood of Elves (the first novel) is the most common mistake new readers make.
| # | Title | Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Last Wish Short stories. Start here — introduces Geralt and Yennefer. | 1993 |
| 2 | Sword of Destiny More short stories. Introduces Ciri. Essential. | 1992 |
| 3 | Blood of Elves The saga begins. Geralt trains Ciri. | 1994 |
| 4 | Time of Contempt | 1995 |
| 5 | Baptism of Fire | 1996 |
| 6 | The Tower of the Swallow | 1997 |
| 7 | The Lady of the Lake Concludes the main saga. | 1999 |
| 8 | Season of Storms A standalone set between Last Wish stories. Read last. | 2013 |
Why publication order matters
The Last Wish was technically published after Sword of Destiny in collected form, but the stories within it come first chronologically and were written first. The reading order above follows the internal chronology and is the order Sapkowski himself recommends. Season of Storms is set chronologically between stories in The Last Wish but was written 14 years later and contains an epilogue that spoils the entire saga — always read it last.
Books vs games vs TV show
The games are set after the books and are not canon to Sapkowski's story. The Netflix show loosely adapts the books but changes significant plot points. The books are the original and best version of the story. If you've only experienced the games or show, the books will give you a deeper, more nuanced version of Geralt's world.