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Blood of Elves

(Saga o Wiedźminie #3)

Andrzej Sapkowski

4.22 · Rating details · 39,589 Ratings · 1,602 Reviews

The New York Times bestselling series that inspired the international hit video game: The Witcher.
For over a century, humans, dwarves, gnomes, and elves have lived together in relative peace. But times have changed, the uneasy peace is over, and now the races are fighting once again. The only good elf, it seems, is a dead elf.

Geralt of Rivia, the cunning assassin known as ...more

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Kindle Edition, 384 pages

Published May 1st 2009 by Orbit (first published 1994)

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Oct 09, 2016 Evgeny rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

This book signifies a sharp departure from the previous two. The first and second ones were collections of short stories mostly told from Geralt the Witcher POV. This time this is a full-length novel with multiple POVs. Actually we only see Geralt's POV in just one chapter - and a shortish one too. In my opinion the book still shows its origins in short story format as the transitions between the chapters are mostly not continuous. Instead they start with a jump in time to give a flashback to co This book signifies a sharp departure from the previous two. The first and second ones were collections of short stories mostly told from Geralt the Witcher POV. This time this is a full-length novel with multiple POVs. Actually we only see Geralt's POV in just one chapter - and a shortish one too. In my opinion the book still shows its origins in short story format as the transitions between the chapters are mostly not continuous. Instead they start with a jump in time to give a flashback to connect the events between the previous chapter and current time.

As to the plot it is quite easy to outline. The last story of the second book left Geralt stuck with - supposedly - his destiny; namely a child (not his). The poor Witcher was doing all he could and even more to prove that destiny does not exists - at least in his case, only to fail spectacularly. Coming back to destiny's child:

oops sorry, wrong picture. It turns out everybody and their brother want to find the poor kid. I mean it literally: it was easier to count the number of named characters of the novel who could not care less about Geralt's protégé than the searchers. I also need to mention some of them were so insistent they would not hesitate to leave a dead body (or ten) if somebody happened to be in their way. Now Geralt needs to provide the protection. He also wants to remain neutral in the intensifying political games and this task turns out to be practically impossible unlike disposing of hired thugs.

I have some complaints about the book. Geralt is supposed to be a monster hunter first and foremost. Well he hunted exactly one monster in here; none others bothered even to show up. There is something to be said about the evil created by humans being the biggest monster of them all, but I seriously missed a tentacled multi-headed poison-tailed chitin-armored creature waiting for its butt to be kicked by a skilled professional.
Chtulhu

Now that I finished the book, I cast my mind back and realize that not much actually happened here: a lot of talks, a lot of politics, but by the end most of the characters remained right where they started. Things were brewing, but had not come to boiling point yet.

For all the slowness the book has charm. I cannot quite put my finger on it, but somehow I was never bored reading and the read itself was quite fast. For this reason I give the higher rating than I usually do for such book: 4 stars. ...more

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Mar 21, 2017 Joey Woolfardis rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: 2017, masculine, myths-magic-and-mordor, polish, intriguing-but-ultimately-naff, ce20, bookshelf

This review can be found on Amaranthine Reads.

Considering how well-written and quick-paced the short story prequel collection The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski was, this was ridiculously disappointing and underwhelming. We have the same characters as was to be found in The Last Wish, and we had their personalities expanded and explored further, but we had none of the excitement or fantasy that was found there.

Blood of Elves is very slow and very closed-off. We spend far too much time in one pla ...more

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Jan 14, 2017 ✘✘ Sarah ✘✘ (former Nefarious Breeder of Murderous Crustaceans) rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, kindle, machalo-tbr-cleaning-challenge-2018, poof-gone-harem, back-off-people-they-re-mine, cool-chicks-harem, set-sail-for-disappointment, deadly-land-of-meh, blah-blah-blah-heaven, 2018

Geralt of The Last Wish, where art thou?!

Do I need to call the puny human authorities and tell them to issue an AMBER alert? Have the obnoxious aliens abducted you again, as I suspect they did in book 2? Or is it that the Evil Russians™ are holding you hostage until I surrender my East Siberian Sea dominion? That very well could be. The Fluffy Siberian Bunnies (FSB™) can get bloody shrimping devious like that sometimes. Then again, I don't think that this is what happened here. You know what I t ...more

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Dec 18, 2013 Markus rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, 2010-2012, extraordinary-gentlemen, lovely-ladies, the-white-wolf

"The era of the sword and axe is nigh, the era of the wolf’s blizzard. The Time of the White Chill and the White Light is nigh, the Time of Madness and the Time of Contempt: Tedd Deireádh, the Time of End. The world will die amidst frost and be reborn with the new sun. It will be reborn of the Elder Blood, of Hen Ichaer, of the seed that has been sown. A seed which will not sprout but will burst into flame. Ess’tuath esse! Thus it shall be! Watch for the signs! What signs these shall be, I say ...more

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Feb 18, 2017 Celise rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy-adult, favourites, owned-read

For anyone who's played The Witcher games, or anyone who has not but is interested in dark fantasy, I encourage you to consider reading The Last Wish, which is the first of The Witcher books, an anthology of short stories. Read it before this, and Sword of Destiny too. They're good, and you'll thank yourself for it later when you're not trying to decipher the backstory behind this one. The Blood of Elves is the first full-length novel in the series, and I was not disappointed. It's even made it For anyone who's played The Witcher games, or anyone who has not but is interested in dark fantasy, I encourage you to consider reading The Last Wish, which is the first of The Witcher books, an anthology of short stories. Read it before this, and Sword of Destiny too. They're good, and you'll thank yourself for it later when you're not trying to decipher the backstory behind this one. The Blood of Elves is the first full-length novel in the series, and I was not disappointed. It's even made it onto my "favourites" shelf.

The general concept is that Geralt, a Witcher created through elixirs and brutal mutilation as a child, hunts and kills monsters for pay. This volume is about the child Ciri, who we meet in the short stories of The Last Wish and The Sword of Destiny, and her training in both magic and witching (I don't know if that's what the Witcher craft is called but hey I used it). The other part of this is the brewing war between the Nilfgaardians and the countries on the other side of the river.

Character relationships are complex and full of history. They're so tied together by destiny, yet so emotionally stunted towards each other that at some point it's just sad. Poetic and lovely, and not pathetic enough to become angsty and melodramatic. Ciri is kind of the light in the dark, probably to her detriment. She's the one to which Triss's longing for Geralt, and Yennefer's pain over him, is actually put into words. This is the first book in which Triss appears and while I was geared up to immediately feel bitterness towards her, none of Sapkowski's characters end up deserving that. All that said, this isn't a sappy romance love-fest, and is very much story-oriented.

Sapkowski's sense of humour is exactly within my tastes too: cynical and quippy, as well as a little mean. Yennefer and Triss both have that sharp tongue that made me laugh out loud a few times, and Ciri is just comical by nature.

And here's a less reviewy part and more of a collection of my thoughts. At this point, I'm not sure if Ciri being "destined" for Geralt means she's meant to eventually be his partner, or more of a daughter, and I have not played the games to know. Also no spoilers, please. Yennefer's initial resentment towards Ciri would be justified either way, either as a woman with a past with Geralt, or as a woman unable to bear her own children. In this volume at least, Ciri is his ward, and he trains her in Kaer Morhen to be a witcher. Her early training in magic (and how to survive puberty, let's be honest) is carried out by Triss Merigold, whom I adored for being one of the only characters who just said what they were feeling, and later by Yennefer. Yennefer's interactions with Ciri were my favourite part of the book, ultimately. In my opinion, Sapkowski writes the relationships between a young girl and her older female mentors with sincerity and impressive believability.

I usually struggle with fantasy not making me truly feel things, but there's plenty of heart torture for me in these! ...more

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Feb 18, 2009 Logan rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: all-time-favorites, fantasy

I loved it like I knew I would. It was well worth the wait, and I can not wait until the next installment. For some reason, my wife and I were possessed by the title and now run around the house doing some ridiculous call and response thing-
Me(from downstairs, yelling black metal voice): "BLOOD OF ELVES"
Her (from upstairs, shrieking black metal voice): "BLLLLLLLLLLOOOOD OF EELLLVVVVEEES"

There are worse reactions a book can inspire.

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Jan 03, 2013 Mogsy (MMOGC) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook, review-copy, fantasy, magic, action-adventure

4 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum http://bibliosanctum.com/2015/07/01/a...

I remember being thrilled when I discovered that The Witcher saga by Andrzej Sapkowski was available in audio format. As a big fan of the video games which were adapted from this series, I was of course interested in reading the books, but as waiting for the English translation from its original Polish already required a bit of patience, I never really dared hope that the audiobooks would be coming too.

As of this writing t 4 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum http://bibliosanctum.com/2015/07/01/a...

I remember being thrilled when I discovered that The Witcher saga by Andrzej Sapkowski was available in audio format. As a big fan of the video games which were adapted from this series, I was of course interested in reading the books, but as waiting for the English translation from its original Polish already required a bit of patience, I never really dared hope that the audiobooks would be coming too.

As of this writing though, English versions of The Last Wish, Blood of Elves are available in audio with The Time of Contempt coming soon. In time it would be amazing to see the entire saga get the same treatment, and not least because I think the books stand up quite well in this format. They’ve chosen a very good narrator in Peter Kenny, whose voice lends itself perfectly to telling this type of story. His performance style can be described as almost “bard-like”, which really highlights the book’s opening scene in which the charming minstrel Dandelion holds a crowd rapt by reciting the heroic exploits of the legendary Witcher, Geralt of Rivia.

As a Witcher, Geralt is part of a society of enhanced fighters and monster-slayers. Taken as children, they are subjected to intensive training and a ruthless regimen of alchemical and mutagenic compounds intended to alter their physiology and prepare them to hunt their prey. Although Witchers are meant to remain neutral in matters of politics, Geralt has taken an orphan princess named Ciri into his protection, hiding her from spies and assassins sent to find her. He believes that she is the prophesied child meant to bring great change to the world, not only because of her royal heritage but also because of the magic that flows in her veins – the blood of elves.

The narrative follows Geralt and Ciri on various adventures. The young princess, taught sword fighting and other martial arts by Geralt and other Witchers, learns about supernatural monsters and how to kill them. She also begins training in magic with the sorceress Triss Merigold. But on the way to a school were Ciri will receive a more normal education, the party encounters all kinds of obstacles, including illness, encounters with monsters, Scoia’tael ambushes, and attacks from Nilfgaardian agents. As Ciri’s magical potential becomes more powerful, Geralt realizes he will need the aid of some friends and unexpected allies in order to continue protecting and training her.

It’s important to note that while Blood of Elves is advertised as the first of the series, it is technically preceded by two short story collections in terms of chronology: The Last Wish and Sword of Destiny. It’s not really necessary to read either before tackling Blood of Elves, though it would probably help fill in a lot of the background information. The book is very heavy on world-building elements, and while Geralt is arguably the star of the series, he doesn’t appear as much as you would expect. His character is often seen through the eyes of others, or is talked about in others’ perspectives. On top of this, the switching points-of-view and various flashbacks may make this story feel confusing and disjointed. Having read The Last Wish as well as played The Witcher video games might have familiarized me with a lot of the characters and the setting because I managed to follow without getting too lost, but it might pose a challenge for readers going in blind. It’s probably worth considering The Last Wish as a starting point instead.

In spite of this, the plot was wildly entertaining. One can never be sure how much is lost in translation, but there is some humor that managed to come through. Also, the author sometimes employs an interesting storytelling style where entire scenes are almost completely made up of dialogue, and it often amazed me how much of the atmosphere and plot came through via conversation alone. Again, this is where Peter Kenny’s narration shines, because someone less skilled with differentiating voices would probably have a lot of trouble pulling off these scenes.

Sapkowski definitely has a flare for writing adventure and action, even experienced through the lens of translation. The pacing is strong, despite various breaks in the plot to focus on character development or to explain the political situation. The highlights were of course the scenes of Geralt fighting off enemies and monsters. The book does leave us hanging a bit, but this is after all the first full-length novel in the series and does spend a lot time establishing the premise and setting things up nicely for the next one, The Time of Contempt. I’ll have to seek that out very soon.

If you’re a fan of the games and can’t get enough of Geralt of Rivia, I highly recommend these books. They could also be good for fantasy readers looking for a somewhat different kind of sword and sorcery. The translation is decent, but what I was really impressed with was the way the narrator read for this audiobook. Can’t wait to experience the rest of the series. ...more

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Sep 30, 2009 Mike (the Paladin) rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: didn-t-finish, skimmed

I "feel" (note the use of the word "feel" rather than "think") I should (have) like(ed) this book better. The plot sounds very interesting. The girl Ciri, child of promise and prophecy (yes a common motif in fantasy and folklore) who was promised to the Witcher before she was born. (Evil faeries and so on used to claim that promise). The story of her "education", training, change and all the people around who want to protect or use her.

But I just found the book a sort of yawner. It opens with a ...more

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Jul 23, 2017 Mili rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Very enjoyable read. Nothing huuuge happens in the book, its mostly focussd on Ciri and her training. But still the world and the characters are epic so its just good to be reading about them. Relaxing even haha. Anyway a war is coming up and a bit of training is deff necessary. I mean I do want if Ciri becomes this crazy ass whipping chick to be believable. And this book is just the beginning and a small part of a bigger journey.

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Oct 14, 2017 Gorgona Grim rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: my-library

Forma koja opisuje sagu se još jednom promenila, te sada pratimo nastavak priče kao roman. Iako mi je do sada najbolje legla forma kratkih priča, moram da priznam da je podjednako zanimljivo čitati nastavak u klasičnom maniru. Pribojavala sam se da će tempo pripovedanja opasti i da će se saga, poput nekih drugih priča iz žanra epske fantastike, razvuči u moru nepotrebnih opisa. Međutim, Sapkovski nastavlja u identičnom ritmu i piše odličan nastavak sage.

Geralt, veštac iz Rivije, odvodi Ciri, Čed ...more

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Oct 09, 2011 Abigail rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: second-half-2011, sequals, own

I jumped right into this after reading "The Last Wish" expecting something similar in terms of pacing and structure. Instead this picked up a dangling thread from one of the short stories in the previous book and wove an epic fantasy.

I did feel that I needed a map to keep all of the little countries and their relations to each other, and maybe even a diagram with all the rulers and their relations to each other, but the important ones were easy enough to follow.

To me it felt like Ciri was real ...more

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Jun 20, 2015 C.T. Phipps rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, grimdark, witcher

Blood of Elves is the first full-length novel of the Witcher franchise. Strangely, it was translated into English as the second novel despite the second anthology, Sword of Destiny, having a huge role in setting up this novel's events. How huge? Well, about sixty-percent of the story deals with the aftermath of the Nilfgaard invasion of the North. The Nilfgaard invasion of the North happens in Sword of Destiny. The rest of the novel deals with Geralt's adoption of Ciri, which is kind of importa Blood of Elves is the first full-length novel of the Witcher franchise. Strangely, it was translated into English as the second novel despite the second anthology, Sword of Destiny, having a huge role in setting up this novel's events. How huge? Well, about sixty-percent of the story deals with the aftermath of the Nilfgaard invasion of the North. The Nilfgaard invasion of the North happens in Sword of Destiny. The rest of the novel deals with Geralt's adoption of Ciri, which is kind of important since she gets adopted in the Sword of Destiny too.

Yikes.

Seriously, I pity the fool who attempted to read this novel after The Last Wish, since it must have been nonsensical. Anyway, Sword of Destiny is now available in English and there's nothing preventing readers from reading the book in its proper order. Blood of Elves follows the events of Sword of Destiny by recapping the previous book's events as a story told by Dandelion. We, immediately, get a sense that this is going to be a different kind of tale than the short-stories. Much focus is given on the politics, interrelationships, history, and culture of the North over the short stories being about Geralt's comedic monster-slaying.

Nilfgaard invaded the country of Cintra, destroyed its capital city, and was promptly driven back due to the outrage from the North. Nilfgaard has switched tactics, however, and now are undermining the North by covertly funding an elven terrorist group called the Scoia'tael. The Scoia'tael has popular support from nonhumans but is too few in number to do anything but cause civil war and economic collapse. Which Nilfgaard is counting on. The Southern Empire is also using a combination of religious prophecy and economic warfare to divide the North. As a result, the monarchs are debating whether a first strike against Nilfgaard may be their only chance to avoid defeat by their foes without a war.

Meanwhile, Geralt of Rivia has taken the sole surviving member of the Cintran Royal Family, Ciri, under his wing. Training her as a witcher despite the fact it was never meant for unmutated girls, let alone princesses, they discover Ciri has immense potential as a Sorceress and invite Geralt's old flame Triss Merrigold to join them. Events conspire to set them on the road, though, as both Nilfgaard and the Northern monarch's plans do not tolerate a loose end as big as Ciri.

Blood of Elves isn't a typical fantasy novel as very little of it is about actual events but, more, exploring the aftermath of a war. If I were to liken it to another series, I'd say it's similar to the scenes where Arya and the Hound explore the Riverlands in the aftermath of the War of Kings. It's more a mood piece than anything else. The characterization is particularly strong with Geralt, Ciri, Yennefer, and Dandelion all having very strong scenes. I'm also impressed with new characters Triss Merrigold and Yarpen, who have smaller but still essential roles. Ciri, in particular, is an impressive bit of characterization because she's one of the very few children in fiction I don't find annoying.

I like the depiction of Nilfgaard inside the book as they back away from the Nazi-analogues from the previous novel. Instead, Nilfgaard is a ruthless and aggressive dictatorship which has many horrific qualities--but the North isn't much better. More than anything, the Nilfgaard is extremely good at conquering and if they can't get you through one method, they'll try another more subtle one. We also get an introduction to Emperor Emhyr, the secret mastermind behind the invasion, and he is an effective character defined entirely by other's interactions with him. Not since Sauron or the Galactic Empire have I gotten such a strong character feel from someone off-camera.

The Scoia'tael and their role in the book is also well-handled. Sapkowski created a group which has all the hallmarks of a plucky resistance against a racist set of governments but the truth is more complex. They're killing large numbers of innocent people for dubious gains. In the North, peaceful cooperation between the races is a pearl without price and the conflict between them only creates more bodies which does no one any good. Still, you understand where they're coming from and why they believe what they do. Yarpen's scene where he explains his motivations, also, is a real gut-punch for how some people are sacrificing everything in the name of peace (and won't be appreciated for it).

I've mentioned before I'm not a huge fan of the Yennefer and Geralt romance. I think Sapkowski means for them to be a flawed but noble couple but, honestly, I just think they're toxic for one another and would be happier with other people. I, pretty much, prefer ever single other romance for Geralt to her (especially Triss). Despite this, I love Yennefer as a character and enjoyed her scenes with Ciri a great deal. Yennefer is a terrible mother-figure, mostly because she didn't go into it intending to be one at all, but her gradual warming to Ciri reminded me of Angelina Jolie's performance in Maleficent. Who, honestly, wouldn't be a bad pick for playing Yennefer in the imaginary super-big-budget adaptation of the series. Yennefer is a fun, engaging, and witty character I would love to see in future works with or without Geralt.

But I could be talking about this stuff all day. It's a deep-deep book.

In conclusion, Blood of Elves is a great novel. I very much enjoyed it and recommend it to everyone who is a fan of the Witcher series plus fantasy in general. It's not something you'll be able to read, however, without having read the previous two volumes. Likewise, it's a very slow and characterization-driven piece versus event-driven.

10/10 ...more

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Sep 24, 2016 Kat Hooper rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook

Will review at www.fantasyliterature.com.

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Jul 17, 2017 Thomas rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2017, e-books

Βαθμολογία: ★★★★

Τα πράγματα σοβαρεύουν στον κόσμο του Witcher. Στο τρίτο βιβλίο (αλλά πρώτο μυθιστόρημα) της σειράς ξεκινά επίσημα η saga της Ciri που μας συστήθηκε στην τελευταία ιστορία του προηγούμενου βιβλίου. Βλέπουμε επιτέλους κι άλλους αγαπημένους χαρακτήρες από τα βιντεοπαιχνίδια να κάνουν την εμφάνισή τους, γνωρίζουμε καλύτερα τον κόσμο από πολιτική και γεωγραφική άποψη και γενικά ετοιμάζεται να γίνει χαμός. Τέσσερα αστέρια μόνο για την έλλειψη ιδιαίτερης δράσης.

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Jul 13, 2018 Delia ✨ (Bookish Nymph) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

**** 4/5 ****

Oddly enough, I really enjoyed the politics in this book. It was more slow paced, and heavy in strategic talk. I think I will go back to the short stories before delving into the rest of the series.

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Dec 07, 2017 James Schmidt rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Today I will be reviewing Blood of Elves (The Witcher) by Andrzej Sapkowski

I want to start off by saying I am NOT a gamer and know nothing of the video games. So if you want to talk to me about the games, sorry! Nothing against gamers, its just not my thing. I know the games were based on these books, and are very popular, but that is as far as my knowledge goes.

I have seen many people say how great these books are, and that they are very Sword and Sorcery, Conan Esq pulpy fantasy, which is tota ...more

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Mar 04, 2017 José rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy-read, sagas-leídas

Mucho mejor que los dos anteriores.

La historia es narrada desde diferentes puntos de vista, con capítulos que siguen a Jaskier, Yennefer, Geralt y Ciri; también comienza a quedar más claro cómo funciona la magia y otros aspectos relacionados con los brujos.

A pesar de que está muy bueno, se lee rápido y no le falta momentos cargados de acción y humor, considero que este libro sirve de "puente" entre los relatos de los primeros libros y el resto de la saga.

La estoy pasando bárbaro con esta saga ...more

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Mar 02, 2017 Cody rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy-books

This is the Witcher book I had been hoping to read. The first two books in the series, while generally good and informative, were only short stories that ultimately felt quite disconnected. Blood of Elves quickly fixes that, and traditionally feels like the epic stories from the video game series. Sapkowski's novel centers on Ciri, the royal granddaughter to the fallen kingdom of Cintra, and her mentorship under Geralt of Rivia and the other Witchers at their base of Kaer Morhen, alongside Triss ...more

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Jan 23, 2017 Aly's Bookish Wonderland rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: adult, audibook, fantasy, best-series, faves, war

3.5 stars

I absolutely adored (of course I did, it's the Witcher, damnit) Blood of Elves and the only reason I'm giving it 3.5 stars and not 4 is because of the huge chunk of story that is pretty much just kings and queens sitting around, contemplating the end of the world as they know it as they drink and warm themselves by the fire. That bit bored me to tears and I skimmed mercilessly, knowing I'd probably find out a better, more easily readable version at some point later on in the story.

Blood ...more

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Mar 04, 2015 Marta Conejo rated it really liked it · review of another edition

La saga de Geralt comienza a ser una historia en lugar de pequeñas historias cortas. Esta novela te deja conocer más a los personajes. A Geralt, quién tiene que cambiar sus pensamientos sobre el destino; a Yennefer y a Ciri, dos personas que tienen más unión de la que parece... todo ello en un contexto bien labrado y con una historia que consigue engancharte y ver sus uniones con los personajes...

A por el siguiente!

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Feb 07, 2016 Zayne rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This was a pretty chill book. It wasn't at all what I expected for a Witcher sequel. When I look back at the plot of the story, there wasn't much that happens in the entire book. There were a few important plot points, but the rest was a lot of kings talking politics and Yennefer teaching Ciri about magic. And there was almost no Geralt in here. The book mainly focused on Ciri. There were a couple scenes where Geralt was the main pov but that was it. Geralt was moved to being more a support char ...more

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Dec 29, 2012 Wendy rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook, wwe-reading-challenges, fantasy, action-adventure, gaming

I could have played a drinking game based on how many times the phrase "blood of elves" came up in the first chapter of the book. Not that I'm complaining. In fact, a good few drinks would have added to the fun I had listening to this audiobook.

This is listed as the third book in the Witcher series, with two short story collections coming before it, The Last Wish and Sword of Destiny. It's not necessary to read either of these to appreciate Blood of Elves, but it's definitely to your advantage. I could have played a drinking game based on how many times the phrase "blood of elves" came up in the first chapter of the book. Not that I'm complaining. In fact, a good few drinks would have added to the fun I had listening to this audiobook.

This is listed as the third book in the Witcher series, with two short story collections coming before it, The Last Wish and Sword of Destiny. It's not necessary to read either of these to appreciate Blood of Elves, but it's definitely to your advantage. I've read only the Last Wish, so I'm aware of many of the players and the politics involved, though I am missing some of the backstory on Ciri, the princess promised to Geralt who escaped harrowing events at Cintra, and Yennefer, the sort of love of Geralt's life. I've also played some of The Witcher games which definitely isn't necessary to enjoy the stories, but for me, it made for an intriguing character and medium transfer study. Sapkowski himself has distanced himself from the games, stating that they are dissimilar in many ways--which is true. But part of my enjoyment of the books has come from seeing where the game story writers have cherry picked scenes and characters and political machinations to create their own version of the stories. Most of the characters and their personalities and motivations are in tact, even if they serve different purposes in their original form. It makes me want to see how this story translates in The Hexer movie that was released in Poland in 2001 and it makes me very eager for the 2017 movie to come, especially if I could have Mads Mikkelsen as Geralt.

Blood of Elves introduces us to a world on the brink of war between the various races. Tensions between humans and non humans runs high, and that doesn't bode well for Geralt and his witcher companions. The witchers' are monster hunters. They have no interest in the politics and Geralt intends to stay neutral (an element of the books that factors in greatly with the games).

"I'm a witcher. An artificially created mutant. I kill monsters for money. I defend children when their parents pay me to."

That's all well and good, Geralt, until you make a royal couple swear an oath promising you their first born child. This is Ciri, the Princess of Cintra, who is now in the care of the witchers at their home of Kaer Morhen. Only, there's more to Ciri than the witchers can handle, which is why they request the aid of the enchantress, Triss Merigold, who also points out that the witchers are all big stupid men who don't know how to treat a 12-year-old girl, much less a princess. Here's where I praise Sapkowski for not only writing about menstruation as if it's a normal part of life that happens to women all the time, but also for making Triss' interactions with the witchers--even the sexist jerks--so hilarious. In fact, the whole book is quite funny. Sapkowski's tongue is often firmly in cheek, but he also writes very dark and very emotional scenes--all of this together creates some very endearing characters.

This is a slow burn in terms of the greater political plot. There are monsters fought--both human and supernatural--but the story does not end with any kind of climactic wrap up or cliffhanger confrontation. Instead, it works to solidify Ciri's role and her relationships. Geralt is the main character in this story, but so too is this princess who carries the blood of elves within veins and exhibits magic in very unusual and prophetic ways.

I still have to get around to playing the third Witcher game. While I know that it diverges greatly from this book, reading the books makes me want to spend as much time with the characters as I can, in whatever form they come in.

www.bibliosanctum.com ...more

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Jun 24, 2018 Paola added it · review of another edition

In questo terzo libro della saga dello strigo Sapkowski concede più spazio a personaggi che assumono il ruolo di co-protagonisti prima fra tutti Ciri, la bambina sorpresa, il destino di Geralt, la piccola che Geralt ritrova alla fine di La spada del destino; qui lei ha un ruolo centrale. Ciri, ritrovata da Geralt viene condotta inizialmente, dallo strigo stesso, alla residenza degli strighi dove viene sottoposta a un duro addestramento fisico. Non assume però le pozioni comunemente usati dagli s In questo terzo libro della saga dello strigo Sapkowski concede più spazio a personaggi che assumono il ruolo di co-protagonisti prima fra tutti Ciri, la bambina sorpresa, il destino di Geralt, la piccola che Geralt ritrova alla fine di La spada del destino; qui lei ha un ruolo centrale. Ciri, ritrovata da Geralt viene condotta inizialmente, dallo strigo stesso, alla residenza degli strighi dove viene sottoposta a un duro addestramento fisico. Non assume però le pozioni comunemente usati dagli strighi che potrebbero mutarne le funzioni fisiche. Durante tutto l'inverno, sotto la tutela di Geralt e della maga Triss (new entry nonchè vecchia fiamma dello strigo) la piccola principessa, nipote della regina Calanthe morta nelle battaglia di Cintra contro i Nafgaardiani (di cui si narra nella Spada del destino) viene assalita da incubi che le predicono il futuro. Geralt decide allora di portarla al tempio della dea Melitele e affidarla alla custodia di Yennefer, la donna e maga amata dallo strigo, al fine di sviluppare e controllare le sue capacità magiche ereditate dalla madre, la regina Pavetta (Di cui si parla nel Guardiano degli innocenti) figlia di Calanthe che ha perso la vita in mare durante una tempesta insieme al marito Duny, padre di Ciri.
La storia è abbastanza intricata e bisogna risalire al primo libro della saga per comprendere l'intricata matassa degli eventi e come il destino di Geralt e della piccola Ciri si sia incrociato (storia che occupa gran parte della Spada degli innocenti).
Lo sfondo di Il sangue degli elfi vede la guerra tra umani e non-umani (in particolare gli elfi) che rivogliono indietro le loro terre occupate illeggittimamente dagli uomini e suddivise in quattro regni, ognuno di essi gestito da un sovrano umano. Vi è inoltre la presenza dell'imperatore di Nilfgaard che vuole impossessarsene istigando i non umano e gli elfi alla guerra contro di essi. Il sovrano ambisce al trono di Cintra, occupato pet il momento in modo illegittimo. L'unico modo per essere il re legittimo è quello di sposare la piccola Ciri, ultima discendente della casa reale di Calanthe; decide quindi di cercarla ma senza esito positivo, inoltre nessuno è al corrente, a parte Geralt , Yennifer e Triss, che la bambina appartiene in linea di sangue all'antico popolo degli elfi, ed è destinata a diventarne la regiba (la rosa bianca) . Questo è quello che si intuisce dalla trama ma bisogna leggere il libro successivo per capire meglio).
Dunque le imprese di Geralt passano in secondo piano e sono soprattutto finalizzate alla protezione della piccola Ciri. Non mi ha catturato come i primi due libri della saga, vedremo col prossimo. ...more

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Jan 18, 2017 Julie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: in-translation, epics, fantasy

"And the girl?" Yarpen indicated Ciri with his head as she wriggled under the sheepskin. "Yours?"

"Mine," he replied without thinking. "Mine, Zigrin."

Auuughh, my feelings!!

I'll say it again, though: you should definitely start this series with The Last Wish, because the short stories do a much better job of worldbuilding and getting you interested in this universe; plus, characterwise, you'll care so much more about Geralt, Yennefer, Ciri, and even background characters like Yarpen, Dandelion, an ...more

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Jul 08, 2010 C Joy rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Recommends it for: fans of fantasy, magic, those who want something refreshing

Recommended to C Joy by: Toshi-kun

Shelves: fantasy-magic, public-reads, ebooks

This was a rather laid back novel full of trouble brewing, wars in the making, and the introduction of Ciri, the Child Surprise, Geralt's and the other witchers' destiny.

For those who haven't read the prequel:

In "The Last Wish", there's a story where Geralt was invitied to an event by Queen Calanthe, the Lioness of Cintra and he was asked to disguise himself. The cunning witcher knew at once there's something afoot until there's a commotion, a knight who refuses to reveal his face, (turns out it This was a rather laid back novel full of trouble brewing, wars in the making, and the introduction of Ciri, the Child Surprise, Geralt's and the other witchers' destiny.

For those who haven't read the prequel:

In "The Last Wish", there's a story where Geralt was invitied to an event by Queen Calanthe, the Lioness of Cintra and he was asked to disguise himself. The cunning witcher knew at once there's something afoot until there's a commotion, a knight who refuses to reveal his face, (turns out it was hideous because of a curse) claims the hand of Pavetta, the princess. The Law of Surprise was explained: Calanthe's husband was saved by this knight, and he demanded something the king has at home, but wasn't aware of, to which the king blindly agreed to out of gratitude. The king wasn't aware Calanthe was already expecting therefore, it was the child the knight claimed, and he was very strategic about it.

The same law applied to Geralt when the knight asked him his price. He also asked for the same - that after six years, he would come back and claim that which the knight has but doesn't know yet. The story in "The Last Wish" ended with the Princess Pavetta blushing, because she's already with child.

That child is Ciri, and Geralt found her alive after the fall of Cintra, took her the Wtichers' keep and trained her to be one of them. Now those are the parts I liked best - Ciri's training. It's really interesting how she honed her skills and amusing when Triss Merigold stepped in.

I don't know how many lovers Geralt had, but I know with the author's hints, that he and Yennefer belong together. I can't help it I'm female. No matter how much bloodshed, war, and fights there are, I'm glad there's still some hint of complicated love between them, but they never meet in this book.

I hated the part where Geralt screwed Shani, the med student, men would always be men I guess, and he just needs a distraction. I'm obviously pro-Yennefer, I liked her from the start, and I liked her even more when she trained Ciri.

It's amazing how the humor is still there whenever Dandilion is around, there's more to him than the lecherous bard, he's a really good friend to Geralt, and I was touched when Yennefer thanked him for keeping Geralt company. I hope I could get my hands on the next books because this first book just leaves everything hanging for me, and I think that's how the author meant it.

I have to admit I didn't give this 5 stars because I was bored with the long talks of the kings and wizards from the Chapter. I hope to see more action next time. ...more

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Jan 10, 2017 Cris rated it really liked it · review of another edition

En esta nueva entrega de la serie de Geralt de Rivia nos encontramos con un formato distinto. Ya no leemos una serie de relatos con una relación de tiempos y espacios más o menos aleatoria sino que la historia se desarrolla de manera prácticamente lineal y con un hilo conductor mucho más marcado. Sin embargo, no es una diferencia radical: los numerosos cambios de perspectiva y localización suavizan la transición entre los dos estilos.

Nos acercamos a ciertos personajes que hasta ahora habían perm ...more

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Jul 18, 2017 Michelle Morrell rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: i-own, x-read-2017

It's official, my emergency back-up book on my phone is a Sapkowski book. This makes the third in the series (after The Last Wish and Sword of Destiny). We see more of the maturation of Ciri and how she bonded with Yennifer, and get some of Yen's view of Geralt.

It's not high fiction, but I do love Geralt so. And everything I'm reading is only making my sporatic Witcher 3 playthrough deeper and more poignant.

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Jul 13, 2014 Knjigoholičarka rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fantastika-epska, 2014

Šta sve donosi epska fantastika? Vilenjake, patuljke, magiju, seksi čarobnice. Koje sve motive možete očekivati od epske fantastike? Pa, zasigurno neko Proročanstvo, pojavljivanje Odabranog, najmanje jednog super frajera mračne prošlosti i slomljenog srca, koji se pretvara da to je isto srce odavno skamenjeno.

I dete.

Slatko, pametno, šarmantno do bola dete, koje, samo kako to deca umeju i znaju, svojom prostodušnošću, brbljavošću, radoznalošću i hrabrošću, leči to srce pretvoreno u kamen.

Suma su ...more

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Jul 30, 2011 Joseph rated it liked it · review of another edition

A bit of an odd duck, this one -- definitely the middle part of something, so I really, really hope they translate & publish additional volumes in the series. Geralt (the Witcher proper) also has much less of a role in it than one might otherwise expect. Having said that, as with the previous book, I enjoyed the Eastern European feel and the sometimes grim tone enough to overlook the structural flaws. (And I think I might cut translated books more slack because I assume the problem is with t ...more

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Jan 16, 2017 Kenchiin rated it really liked it · review of another edition

A transition book, but a good build up and overall idea of what's to come.
And I think I love Ciri.

Edit 1
And Yennefer

Edit 2
And Geralt

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About Andrzej Sapkowski

Andrzej Sapkowski

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Andrzej Sapkowski, born June 21, 1948 in Łódź, is a Polish fantasy writer. Sapkowski studied economics, and before turning to writing, he had worked as a senior sales representative for a foreign trade company. His first short story, The Witcher (Wiedźmin), was published in Fantastyka, Poland's leading fantasy literary magazine, in 1986 and was enormously successful both with readers and critics. Andrzej Sapkowski, born June 21, 1948 in Łódź, is a Polish fantasy writer. Sapkowski studied economics, and before turning to writing, he had worked as a senior sales representative for a foreign trade company. His first short story, The Witcher (Wiedźmin), was published in Fantastyka, Poland's leading fantasy literary magazine, in 1986 and was enormously successful both with readers and critics. Sapkowski has created a cycle of tales based on the world of The Witcher, comprising three collections of short stories and five novels. This cycle and his many other works have made him one of the best-known fantasy authors in Poland in the 1990s.

The main character of The Witcher (alternative translation: The Hexer) is Geralt, a mutant assassin who has been trained since childhood to hunt down and destroy monsters. Geralt exists in an ambiguous moral universe, yet manages to maintain his own coherent code of ethics. At the same time cynical and noble, Geralt has been compared to Raymond Chandler's signature character Philip Marlowe. The world in which these adventures take place is heavily influenced by Slavic mythology.

Sapkowski has won five Zajdel Awards, including three for short stories "Mniejsze zło" (Lesser Evil) (1990), "Miecz przeznaczenia" (Sword of Destiny) (1992) and "W leju po bombie" (In a Bomb Crater) (1993), and two for the novels "Krew elfów" (Blood of Elves) (1994) and "Narrenturm" (2002). He also won the Spanish Ignotus Award, best anthology, for The Last Wish in 2003, and for "Muzykanci" (The Musicians), best foreign short story, same year.

In 1997, Sapkowski won the prestigious Polityka's Passport award, which is awarded annually to artists who have strong prospects for international success.

In 2001, a Television Series based on the Witcher cycle was released in Poland and internationally, entitled Wiedźmin (The Hexer). A film by the same title was compiled from excerpts of the television series but both have been critical and box office failures.

Sapkowski's books have been translated into Czech, Russian, Lithuanian, German, Spanish, French, Ukrainian, and Portuguese. An English translation of The Last Wish short story collection was published by Gollancz in 2007.

The Polish game publisher, CD Projekt, created a role-playing PC game based on this universe, called The Witcher, which was released in October 2007. There is also a mobile version of the game which has been created by Breakpoint Games and is being published by Hands-On Mobile in Western Europe,Latin America and Asia Pacific.

The English translation of Sapkowski's novel Blood of Elves won the David Gemmell Legends Award in 2009. ...more