I know it's a bit of a cliche, to take a traditional fairytale and subvert it within a fantasy story, but when I first read The Last Wish - the first book in The Witcher series, a collection of interconnected short stories featuring Geralt - I couldn't help but notice just how well Andrzej Sapkowski executed it within the tale. To be sure, Andrzej didn't simply do a 1-for-1 re-interpretation of old fairytales, but he did take just enough elements for it to be noticeable where the inspiration came from, and in doing so immediately hooked me on the character of Geralt and his adventures.

If you've circled around The Witcher books but never taken the plunge, now is the time. More than a tale of monsters and magic, Andrzej Sapkowski's epic fantasy saga is a literary blend of emotional depth, biting wit, and philosophical reflection wrapped in a world that feels alive, brutal, and hauntingly beautiful. The Witcher doesn't just entertain - it lingers, it questions, and it challenges what fantasy fiction can be, always with a healthy dose of philosophical discussion to be sure.

If you're a fan of small-scale stories with grand stakes, intimate character studies, or stories that toe the line between myth and reality, here's why The Witcher deserves a place on your shelf.

What The Witcher Series Is About

The Witcher series centers around Geralt of Rivia, a mutated monster hunter trained from childhood in the art of killing beasts, Yennefer of Vengerberg, a sorceress haunted by her infertility, and Ciri of Cintra, the heir to a fallen kingdom on the run from forces who would seek to exploit her, along with a cast of other secondary characters that are introduced along the way.

Witchers like Geralt are viewed with suspicion, regarded as both necessary and unnatural. But despite his enhanced reflexes, silver sword, and supernatural endurance, Geralt is not just a tool for hire - he's a man of deep thought, bound by a personal code, grappling with a world that rarely rewards integrity.

The story begins with two short story collections (The Last Wish and Sword of Destiny) that introduce readers to Geralt's world and build the relationships that form the emotional bedrock of the series - particularly with Yennefer and young Ciri.

Ciri, a princess with a powerful magical lineage, is bound to Geralt by destiny. As war sweeps across the Continent and the Nilfgaardian Empire pursues her for their own ends, Geralt and Yennefer become her guardians, shaping her path, her power, and her future. The core saga - beginning with Blood of Elves and ending with The Lady of the Lake - follows this surrogate family across a continent riddled with war, political treachery, and ancient prophecies.

Yet, for all its sorcery, swords, and empires, the heart of The Witcher is achingly human.

An Intimate Tale Within a Larger Epic

What separates The Witcher from typical high fantasy is its ability to tell an epic tale through an intimate lens. At a glance, the series appears to sprawl - with nations at war, racial tensions between humans and nonhumans, magical councils manipulating kingdoms, and a prophecy that could determine the fate of the world. And yet, Sapkowski rarely indulges in sweeping battle scenes or elaborate world-spanning politics. Instead, he keeps the focus on individuals: Geralt, Yennefer, Ciri, and their closest allies.

The central narrative - Ciri's adoption, her loss, and the long search to reclaim her - remains the emotional anchor even as kingdoms rise and fall. Many major events occur off-page or in the periphery. We don't get front-row seats to the war - not in the way most fantasy novels deliver. The Battle of Cintra is shown in fragmented terror through the eyes of a child. The climactic Battle of Brenna, one of the largest in the saga, is filtered through a medic's eyes, focusing not on glory, but on survival, exhaustion, and horror.

This narrative restraint works to the series' advantage. Instead of being lost in geopolitics or military maneuvers, the reader experiences how these massive events impact the people caught in their wake. Every skirmish, betrayal, and shift in power is given weight not by scale, but by consequence. The reader doesn't miss the action - because The Witcher's real action is emotional, personal, and often devastating.

Characters That Leave a Mark

A great fantasy series lives and dies by its characters. Fortunately, The Witcher offers some of the most memorable in the genre. Geralt, Yennefer, and Ciri are brilliantly realized, but even the secondary cast - from bards and dwarves to vampires, thieves, and soldiers - feels distinct, unpredictable, and real.

Geralt is more than just a grizzled anti-hero. He's reflective, melancholic, and deeply principled, even as the world around him ridicules those principles. Yennefer, often portrayed as proud and calculating, slowly reveals layers of vulnerability, desire, and sacrifice that redefine her character. And Ciri - fierce, traumatized, and unwilling to be anyone’s pawn — grows into one of the most compelling young heroines in fantasy literature. Even secondary characters like Angouleme – an ex-member of the Nightingale gang of thieves – or Emil Godefroy – a “recovering” vampire – are a joy to follow.

The relationships between characters evolve organically. Geralt and Yennefer's love story is turbulent, bittersweet, and marked by mutual respect, even amid their chaos. Geralt and Ciri's bond, forged through choice rather than blood, is the emotional core of the series.

Dialogue That Cuts, Charms, and Resonates

Sapkowski's dialogue is one of the series' most underrated strengths. Eschewing the pompous tones often found in high fantasy, conversations in The Witcher crackle with wit, sarcasm, and emotional honesty. Characters tease, argue, mock, curse, and debate with biting intelligence and weary cynicism.

Each character speaks with a distinct voice, a rarity in fantasy. Dandelion (Jaskier in the show), Geralt's roguish bard friend, is a fountain of comedic gold and emotional insight. Yennefer's sharp tongue conceals deep wounds. Emil is a thoughtful and considerate vampire with a deep insight into his companions. Even minor characters like the priestesses of Melitele or elven warriors leave a mark because of how well their voices reflect their lived experiences.

Even the third-person narration adopts this dry, often sardonic tone. Sapkowski doesn't take his world too seriously - but that doesn't mean it lacks seriousness. Instead, he invites the reader to laugh in the face of horror and find absurdity in tragedy.

An Ending That Haunts and Inspires

It's hard to end a fantasy series well. Too often, authors tie everything in a neat bow or, worse, unravel the story's emotional integrity in a rush to wrap up plot threads. The Witcher avoids both pitfalls. Its ending, found in The Lady of the Lake and subtly extended in the standalone novel Season of Storms, is haunting, poetic, and deeply bittersweet.

Rather than answering every question, Sapkowski leaves space for mystery. He ties The Witcher's universe loosely to our own through dreamlike sequences and shifting layers of myth, legend, and memory. Did Geralt and Yennefer survive? Did Ciri truly escape her destiny? These unanswered questions linger - and that's the point.

A Saga Worth Your Time

The Witcher is not just a fantasy story. It's a meditation on power, love, fate, and what it means to choose your path in a broken world. It takes everything we love about the genre - magic, monsters, mystery - and uses it to explore human nature with unflinching honesty.

The pacing may challenge some. The structure is unconventional. The world is cruel and often unjust, and those who enjoy seeing geopolitical chess games or epic battles in their fantasy may feel like they're being deprived, but that's what makes it beautiful. Because in the middle of all that - war, prejudice, loss, and failure - are people trying to do right by each other.

What Do You Think?

Have you read The Witcher? Do you agree with our take, or did something else about the series resonate with you? We'd love to hear your thoughts!

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