A New Adventure for Geralt of Rivia: What Does Crossroads of Crows Bring?

Andrzej Sapkowski returns to the world of The Witcher after many years, offering fans a new book that maps the adventures of a young Geralt shortly after completing his training at Kaer Morhen. Crossroads of Crows (Rozdroże kruków) is a prequel to the original series and promises a return to the short story style that made the first books, such as The Last Wish and Sword of Destiny, famous.

Of course, we can look forward to a Czech edition, which will once again be handled by Leonardo Publishing and translator Stanislav Komárek. The release is tentatively planned for the end of 2025.

Do we have something to look forward to? According to the first impressions of our colleagues from Poland, yes. I have selected a few reviews and prepared a short summary.

The server Chip.pl emphasizes that Crossroads of Crows is an unexpected yet welcome return to the world of The Witcher. The book is a prequel to the main pentalogy and focuses on Geralt's youth, when he is just beginning his journey as a witcher. The review appreciates that the author answers many questions regarding Geralt and the world of witchers that had previously remained unanswered. The narrative style is described as fluid and familiar, which will please long-time fans of the series. A quote from the book: "It was an unreasonable, even insane idea to attack a witcher with something as heavy and clumsy as a pitchfork."

According to naEKRANIE.pl, Sapkowski returns in Crossroads of Crows to the adventures of a young Geralt who is only at the beginning of his witcher career. The review highlights that the author avoided the usual pitfalls of prequels and does not provide unnecessary explanations that could disrupt the mystery of The Witcher's world. The story is enriched with new characters, such as the witcher Preston Holt, who becomes Geralt's mentor. The author of the review appreciates that the book offers a fresh look at a familiar character and considers it a very successful return to the world of The Witcher.

The server Poinformowani.pl emphasizes that Crossroads of Crows presents an eighteen-year-old Geralt at the start of his witcher path. The book is described as a coming-of-age story where every adventure and failure serves as a moral lesson. The review highlights the dynamic pace and narrative style that keep the reader in suspense. Despite its relatively short length (292 pages), the book is compared to the best moments of The Witcher saga.

According to Android.com.pl, Sapkowski focuses in Crossroads of Crows on a young Geralt who has just left Kaer Morhen and is beginning his journey as a witcher. The review appreciates that the book brings a new perspective on a familiar character and offers a deeper understanding of Geralt's personality. The narrative style is described as fresh and dynamic, making the book engaging for readers.

The review on the server Granice.pl appreciates the return to the short story structure that resembles the original tales and emphasizes deeper plots regarding revenge and alliances. Geralt is portrayed here as a younger, less experienced, and fallible hero, which leaves room for his character development. "It is a book that enriches fans' knowledge and provides entertainment with a dynamic narrative style, even if the less cohesive structure might feel distracting at times," writes the review author.

The review on the server nakanapie.pl emphasizes that Crossroads of Crows by Andrzej Sapkowski is a return to the author's proven style that will please fans of The Witcher series. The book is formally something between a collection of short stories and a novel, following a young Geralt after completing his training as he encounters the cruelty of the world for the first time. The stories are connected by familiar characters and themes, such as the origin of witchers and hatred of the different. The author maintains his colorful, albeit sometimes vulgar, writing style, full of vivid metaphors and turns of phrase.

Reviewers generally agree that the new Witcher installment is successful and that it suits the young Geralt well. Even though Crossroads of Crows does not bring much that is new and Andrzej Sapkowski occasionally has trouble drawing the reader into the plot, the result is overall well-done. It seems we have something to look forward to!

author Karel Krajča