The Witcher: Book order and how to read the saga, short stories, and comics
Where to start with The Witcher and in what order should you read the books? Begin with the short story collections The Last Wish and Sword of Destiny. Then continue with the five-part saga, from Blood of Elves to The Lady of the Lake. Save Season of Storms and the new release The Crossroads of Crows for last, even though they take place earlier.
Below you will find an overview of all nine books, the chronological order for a second read-through, and the order of the comics. At the end, you'll find out where the games, the series, and the board games fit in. We have all the volumes together in the The Witcher – book series category.
The Witcher book order: all 9 volumes at a glance
The entire series is written by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski. The Czech editions are published by Leonardo, mostly translated by Stanislav Komárek. The Roman numerals correspond to the Czech volume numbering.
| Vol. | Title | Format | About | Published in Poland |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I. | The Last Wish | short stories | Geralt on the Path, first meeting with Yennefer | 1993 |
| II. | Sword of Destiny | short stories | destiny, Ciri, and Brokilon Forest | 1992 |
| III. | Blood of Elves | novel | start of the saga, Ciri at Kaer Morhen | 1994 |
| IV. | Time of Contempt | novel | coup at Thanedd, war begins | 1995 |
| V. | Baptism of Fire | novel | Geralt and his company on the road | 1996 |
| VI. | The Tower of the Swallow | novel | Ciri as Falka, the hunt for her | 1997 |
| VII. | The Lady of the Lake | novel | finale of the saga | 1999 |
| VIII. | Season of Storms | novel | standalone story from the short story era | 2013 |
| IX. | The Crossroads of Crows | novel | eighteen-year-old Geralt after training at Kaer Morhen | 2024 |
Sword of Destiny was published in Poland a year before The Last Wish. Even so, read it second, as it follows the short stories from The Last Wish.
Recommended reading order for newcomers
Read according to the Czech numbering, which is roughly the order in which the books were published. Sapkowski builds the world gradually, and the prequels assume you already know Geralt. This order is the safest choice for a first read.
Short stories: The Last Wish and Sword of Destiny
The saga doesn't start with a novel, but with two short story collections. The Last Wish introduces Geralt, his work, and the gray morality of the Continent. Sword of Destiny then brings Ciri onto the scene and sets the fate in motion that the entire saga revolves around. Don't skip the short stories. Without them, you'll miss half the context in the novels.
The Saga: from Blood of Elves to The Lady of the Lake
The five-part saga is one big story divided into books. The order is fixed: Blood of Elves, Time of Contempt, Baptism of Fire, The Tower of the Swallow, and The Lady of the Lake. The pace accelerates with each volume, and from Baptism of Fire onwards, it's hard to put down.
Season of Storms and The Crossroads of Crows
Season of Storms takes place during the time of the short stories from The Last Wish. However, Sapkowski wrote it after the saga, and it assumes the reader knows the ending. The same applies to The Crossroads of Crows. It shows a young Geralt shortly after his training; it was published in Poland in November 2024 and in Czech in October 2025. You will enjoy both books most as a return to a world you already know.
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Reviews 9. 10. 2025 Honza Kohoutek 7 minChronological order: The Witcher for a second read
Do you know the saga and want to experience it again, this time according to Geralt's life? Then read in this order:
- The Crossroads of Crows: Geralt's beginnings on the Path.
- The Last Wish: short stories from Geralt's years on the road.
- Season of Storms: place it alongside the short stories from The Last Wish.
- Sword of Destiny: Geralt meets Ciri.
- Blood of Elves to The Lady of the Lake: the saga in numerical order.
With a chronological read, you'll uncover little details you missed the first time. However, we don't recommend it as an entry point for newcomers.
Which Witcher edition to choose
The paperback edition is a classic. You can get it at the best price as a 9-book set. For collectors, we have the set in a wooden 'Temple' box.
A new hardcover edition is also being released gradually. The first three volumes are in stock, and you can pre-order volumes IV to VI:
- The Witcher I – The Last Wish (hardcover, new edition)
- The Witcher II – Sword of Destiny (hardcover, new edition)
- The Witcher III – Blood of Elves (hardcover, new edition)
You can find the entire series in the The Witcher in hardcover category.
The Witcher in comics: reading order
The Czech Witcher comic series is numbered and is best read in that order. However, most volumes are standalone stories, so feel free to start with whichever one catches your eye. The series has two branches.
The first consists of original stories not written by Sapkowski. They start with the volume House of Glass and continue with, for example, the new release The Bear and the Butterfly.
The second branch consists of comic adaptations of Sapkowski's short stories. Those who know the books will find familiar scenes in new artwork:
- Geralt / Lesser Evil
- A Grain of Truth / Lesser Evil
- The Road with No Return / Betrayal
- The End of the World / A Question of Price
Outside the numbered series is the manga The Witcher: Ronin, which transports Geralt to a Japan inspired by the Edo period.
You can find all volumes in the The Witcher comics category. If you want the whole collection at once, grab the 11-comic set with the wolf amulet.
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Reviews 11. 11. 2025 Bunny 6 minWhere do the games and the series fit in?
The video games from CD Projekt Red follow the books. The trilogy The Witcher (2007), The Witcher 2 (2011), and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (2015) takes place after the events of The Lady of the Lake. We therefore recommend reading the books first; you will understand the games much better. We discuss what's new for The Witcher 3 in a separate article.
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26. 8. 2026 Karel Krajča 3 minThe Witcher series from Netflix adapts the books loosely. The first season (2019) draws mainly from the short stories, while subsequent seasons follow the saga. The fourth season was released in 2025 with Liam Hemsworth as Geralt; the fifth season will be the last. The series is a good taster, but the order of events and character personalities differ from the books.
The Witcher at the table: RPG, board games, and Gwent
You can enter the world of The Witcher even without the books. In the RPG The Witcher: Role-Playing Game, you create your own character and travel the Continent with your party. The character journal is also useful for players. We discuss how the rules work in our review of the core rulebook.
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Reviews 4. 6. 2025 Gergon 7 minThe board game The Witcher: Old World sends you to the era of the Witcher schools' prime, long before Geralt. In it, players hunt monsters and compete for trophies.
For two players, there is the card game Gwent, a game straight from The Witcher 3. You can find the difference between physical Gwent and the community version in our comparison.
And when you finish the last page and get hungry? The book The Witcher: Official Cookbook brings recipes from the taverns and royal feasts of the Continent. We tested what's worth cooking from it in our cookbook review.
You can find more merch, games, and accessories in the The Witcher category.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many volumes does The Witcher have?
The book series has nine volumes. Two short story collections, a five-part saga, and two standalone novels: Season of Storms and The Crossroads of Crows.
Should I start with The Crossroads of Crows?
You don't have to, and we don't recommend it for a first read. Although it takes place first, it assumes you already know Geralt. Start with The Last Wish.
Where does Season of Storms fit in?
The story takes place during the time of the short stories from The Last Wish. However, we recommend reading it only after The Lady of the Lake, as it was published after the saga and works with its ending.
Do I have to read the books before playing the games?
You don't have to; the games work independently. However, they take place after the books and follow on from them, so more characters and references will make sense if you've read the books.
In what order should I read The Witcher comics?
According to the numbers of the Czech series. However, most volumes are standalone, so you can start with any of them. You will enjoy adaptations of short stories, such as A Grain of Truth / Lesser Evil, most after reading the books.