2016 May Jun (b) Witcher Series

[S.E., Gray Mouser (Emeritus)]

Andrzej Sapkowski's Witcher series helped spawn the video games (or so I am told). Translated into many languages as well, this contemporary series has sparked interest recently. Let's learn about it.

[David]

Really, really loved the short stories. Read the first novel but it didn't work that well for me...

[S.E., Gray Mouser (Emeritus)]

David wrote: "Really, really loved the short stories. Read the first novel but it didn't work that well for me..."

David, so the first novel didn't contain the short stories? Can you explain for us newbies?

[Dan]

Last Wish is a collection of shorts, David is probably referring to one of the later instalments. I think the first two are both short story collections, not certain though.

I'll try to pick up the second book in the series for this group read.

[S.E., Gray Mouser (Emeritus)]

Jack wrote: "For those who want some information about the books and short dossiers of the Witcher and some of the main characters in the books, as well as the world in which they occur, check out this website:..."


Wow Jack, that is one hell of a link. I would argue that is required reading for anyone here....and perhaps even a good one to send to lure people in. I didn't know the series has been around since the early 1990's (quote below from intro.).

That site has a great How-to-Read the whole series as you say. Even a nice map.

Although English-speaking familiarity with The Witcher books has only largely come about due to the success of the Witcher video games, they’ve actually been around since the early 90’s. The first stories set in the Witcher universe — dubbed Wiedźmin in Polish — were written by Andrzej Sapkowksi for the Polish science fiction and fantasy magazine Fantastyka (in fact, Sapkowski wrote the very first short story for a competition for the magazine in the mid 1980s), where many premiere Polish writers of science fiction and fantasy cut their teeth.

[C.T.]

THE LAST WISH is an interesting introduction into the Witcher universe as it's kind of non-indicative of what is coming ahead. Ciri isn't a character yet (compare her to the Frodo of the series), it's mostly funny fairy-tales and there's a lot of really lighthearted humor here.

THAT IS NOT WHAT THE MAIN SERIES IS ABOUT.

It goes from Fractured Fairy Tales to Grimdark Which Would Make Abercrombie WinceTM in 0 to 40 and it's all the better for it.

If you're interested in my reviews of the series:

THE LAST WISH

http://unitedfederationofcharles.blog...

THE SWORD OF DESTINY

http://unitedfederationofcharles.blog...

BLOOD OF ELVES

http://unitedfederationofcharles.blog...

THE TIME OF CONTEMPT

http://unitedfederationofcharles.blog...

BAPTISM OF FIRE

http://unitedfederationofcharles.blog...

[S.E., Gray Mouser (Emeritus)]

CT, thanks for joining in. For new Witcher readers, should they start with the The Last Wish? Or is there another book toy would suggest later in the series?

[Fatima]

Hi I am on the blood of elves , I was confused with the sequence of the books Amazon had a different sequence to the books than what I found on other forums. Ideally you should start with the following:
Hope this helps
1. The last wish
2. Sword of destiny
3. Blood of elves
4. Time of contempt
5. Baptism of fire
6. Tower of swallows (available for pre-order on kindle release date marked at 17th may)
7. Lady of the lake

[S.E., Gray Mouser (Emeritus)]

Thanks Fatima!

[Fatima]

My pleasure !

[Dan]

I`ll probably pick up Sword of Destiny for later in the month or June.

[C.T.]

S.E. wrote: "CT, thanks for joining in. For new Witcher readers, should they start with the The Last Wish? Or is there another book toy would suggest later in the series?"

I would recommend reading THE LAST WISH then SWORD OF DESTINY and *THEN* reading BLOOD OF ELVES as the books won't make any sense if you don't. It's weird but they skipped over the one book (SOD) which had two short stories which explain who Ciri is, why she's important to Geralt, and why he is fanatically protective of her in the main book series.

The Last Wish gives us a strong sense of Geralt during his "normal" life and explains what a Witcher is. It's basically "okay, he's a monster slayer. Here's some monster slayer stories."

Sword of Destiny sets up Niflgaard (The Galactic Empire to our Northern Kingdoms--who are kind of assholes to be honest), Ciri, and other stuff which is direly important.

Then Blood of Elves picks up with Geralt having more or less retired and raising Ciri who is the co-protagonist of the book. It's all very confusing if you don't have the first two books. Amazon seemed to have missed Sapkowski didn't write a series of novels which could be jumped onto.

[C.T.]

Jack wrote: "C.T. wrote: "S.E. wrote: "CT, thanks for joining in. For new Witcher readers, should they start with the The Last Wish? Or is there another book toy would suggest later in the series..."

Like most readers, I started with the video games and moved back retroactively. It's a surreal experience as the video games are sequels to the books with lots and lots of references to how they all turned out.

I kind of wish the DLC for the Witcher 3 had all been a separate game, though as they have plenty of hours of gameplay for it. Maybe an expansion like Dragon Age: Awakening available in stores.

[Olivier]

Dan wrote: "I`ll probably pick up Sword of Destiny for later in the month or June."

Just finished it. Great read. 4 stars.

[Christopher]

Hello all! I was wondering if anyone had some suggestions for me, (I hope this is an ok forum to ask this in). Due to me being a huge witcher fan, and im counting the days until the video games new DLC, I was wondering if someone can recommend some books to me that have some similarities to the witcher. What I would really enjoy reading would be based more on the monster hunting aspect of the witcher series, also preferably geared to a more mature audience. Pardon my excessive video game references but what would be literally perfect would be a mix of like Dark Souls monsters, with a witcher style of fighting and magic huntig them down. Now I'm sure there isn't anything perfectly matching this criteria but if anyone knows things similiar please let me know!! Thanks every one! And happy reading!!

[Christopher]

S.E. wrote: "Jack wrote: "For those who want some information about the books and short dossiers of the Witcher and some of the main characters in the books, as well as the world in which they occur, check out ..."

did you guys also know there was a short television series in Polish with subtitles, i believe it is on youtube called Wiedzmin, or the Hexer, it wasnt all that great but i watched it anyway lol

[Olivier]

Christopher wrote: "S.E. wrote: "Jack wrote: "For those who want some information about the books and short dossiers of the Witcher and some of the main characters in the books, as well as the world in which they occu..."

And apparently a new adaptation is in the works spearheaded by Sean Daniel, the producer of the Mummy & Scorpion King movies...

[S.E., Gray Mouser (Emeritus)]

Oliver, nice heads up. Looks like Nov 2015 there was a press release .

"In a press release, producers said the movie will star Geralt of Rivia, but won't be a straight adaptation of any of the novels or games. Instead, it will follow the "themes" of the short stories The Witcher and Lesser Evil from Sapkowski's The Last Wish collection. The film is expected to be the first in a series." GameStop
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-...


Did anyone here see the Hexer?
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_H...
Circa 2001

[Olivier]

I'm a HUGE fan of the games so it's a given I'll be among the first to go watch it, be it great or terrible. That's the kind of nerd I am!

[S.E., Gray Mouser (Emeritus)]

Christopher, I missed your above comment about the TV series of Witcher (Hexer). Sounds like it wasn't that great.

[S.E., Gray Mouser (Emeritus)]

Jack, listen to your inner soul. Buy those books! But then apologize.

[Olivier]

Jack wrote: "Olivier wrote: "I'm a HUGE fan of the games so it's a given I'll be among the first to go watch it, be it great or terrible. That's the kind of nerd I am!"

I'm a huge fan of Witcher 3 and will see..."

W2 Enhanced edition is amazing! I played it twice, if only to get to the different endings, and IMHO it was time well-spent. Also, having read the books is a plus but not a necessity; the programmers saw to that;-)

[Joseph, Master Ultan]

I have The Tower of Swallows (the latest English-language publication) on my Kindle and will get to it sooner rather than later.

I loved all three of the games, and need to go back to W3 to play Hearts of Stone and Blood & Wine.

[S.E., Gray Mouser (Emeritus)]

I'm 2/3rds done with the Last Wish.
Thanks to the posts here, I'll likely order Sword if Destiny before I finish it.
Yet another Groupread that introduced me to another author I should've known as a Sword n Sorcery junkie.

[S.E., Gray Mouser (Emeritus)]

Finished and review The Last Wish.
Review= https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Enjoyable. Notable too, given that most of us in the USA are saturated with English (and foreign S&S often limited to the UK). Nice to learn how this series continues in written form as well as the games platforms.

I thank the group for leading me to this series.

[Arley]

My copy of The Last Wish just shipped. I am very excited.