The Complete Witcher Reading Order Guide for Netflix Fans & Gamers (From Someone Who Made the Journey)

So, you binged the Netflix show, loved Henry Cavill and wanted more. Maybe you even played The Witcher 3, or the earlier CD Projekt Red games. But there’s an itch, you want more. You look into the story and discover it’s all based on a book series – but where do you start? The Witcher reading order can feel intimidating at first.

Well, that’s a bummer: reading is not really your thing. Maybe you read in the past, but most of your media consumption consists of visual media nowadays. For the story of the Witcher, going from adaptation to source material is a very common path to take. In fact, I’ve made this exact same type of journey, playing all three Witcher games before finally daring to dive into the Witcher books after basically not reading for nearly all of high school.

If all that sounds familiar, this article is for you. I’ve noticed a lot of toxicity on the internet about the Netflix show and confused people’s lack of knowledge on how it’s connected to the books and games. I’d love to offer a helping hand to newer Witcher fans, offering a beginner friendly reading guide on where to start, what to expect and how to make it through while having a fun time! No book snobbery, just honest, beginner friendly guidance from someone who was just as confused as you. I assure you: it’s actually easier than you think.

The Witcher Reading Order: Start Here, Not There

The recommended reading order – the only one a beginner should consider if you’d ask me – is fairly straightforward. Go down the list below, start with the first and make your way down to the ninth book in the series!

Why Start with The Last Wish (Even Though It Wasn’t Published First)

You might have noticed that the year of publication of the first short story collection is actually a year later than the second one. This may spark some confusion, but do not be afraid! It’s actually really simple: most of the short stories in The Last Wish were actually written before the ones in Sword of Destiny, but published in another short story collection in 1990 that is no longer available. The Last Wish is structured using a framing story in which Geralt recovers from an encounter with a monster, with each of the short stories serving as a memory he recounts.

It is important to read the short story collections in the correct order because there is some real continuity between the two. For instance, the development of Geralt and Yennefer’s relationship in Sword of Destiny would make little sense without reading how they met each other in The Last Wish. So: when reading the Witcher books, definitely start with The Last Wish!

The Short Story Collections vs. Novels: What To Expect

I can hear many of you thinking that maybe short stories aren’t really your thing, and you might just start with the Blood of Elves, the book I noted down as novel no.1. This would be a big mistake! The short stories provide the foundation of the character work and worldbuilding Sapkowski has done. Crucial parts of the narrative, like Geralt meeting Yennefer for the first time, and the beginning of his bond with Ciri, including the entire setup for the main saga, are all within these short stories. Skipping them would be like starting the Netflix show on season 2 – quite literally, since that season picks up where the short stories end.

Nevertheless, the two short story collections are an entirely different reading experience, one that I approach as though it was a table filled with bite-sized pieces of fantasy. After reading through them all, you know what you like, and can always come back to that specific short story that might scratch the itch you’re feeling at that moment. In short: do not skip the Witcher short stories, as they’re crucial to the narrative!

Where Season of Storms Actually Fits (Spoiler: It’s Complicated)

Season of Storms is set chronologically early, but don’t let that fool you. You have to read it after the main saga novels, because it contains a framing story that will spoil the ending for you! I believe it’s best to look at this as a bonus episode that works best if you already know the characters very well. Geralt’s story in the book is set between the two short story collections, meaning that there’s no Ciri and only very little Yennefer. To compensate for this, we do get a lot of Dandelion (Jaskier) and Geralt as an actual monster hunter!

In short, don’t bother reading Season of Storms before finishing the main saga – focus on working your way through the main story, and read this when you finish and can’t go without this amazing world yet!

Gaming Timeline Context: How This Connects to Witcher 3

The Witcher games are effectively a fan made sequel to the Witcher books. Yes, you heard me correctly: that game that so many people enjoyed, is basically non-canon fan fiction, picking up after The Lady of the Lake! The first game starts with Geralt having major amnesia, but as the games go on, he recovers his memories and more and more references to the books start appearing. This culminates in The Witcher 3, in which Geralt has fully recovered his memories, allowing for an awesome amount of book tie-ins. Characters like Regis, Dijkstra, Zoltan, Emhyr, and many, many more are taken straight from the books, and places like Novigrad and Oxenfurt also feature prominently!

Reading the books gives you so much more context for everything that’s happening during the game’s narrative, providing a whole new layer of depth. Honestly, I can’t recommend it enough!

What Witcher Books Are Actually Like vs. Netflix & Games

As I’ve touched upon, the Witcher on Netflix and the Witcher games are not the Witcher books. To be precise, the games are, as I’ve mentioned, essentially a fan fiction sequel to the book series. The Netflix show, however, does make an attempt to adapt the book series, covering a number of short stories as well as the main saga novels (only the first two so far). In this part I will elaborate on this, hoping to manage your expectations!

The Games Are Fan Fiction (And That’s Actually Cool)

Like I said before, the Witcher games are effectively a large fan fiction sequel made by loving fans who grew up with the Witcher book series. They pick up after the final main saga novel (Lady of the Lake) and by the time the Witcher 3 starts, Geralt has recovered his memories. This means that if you played that game, like me, there’s a ton of information that flew over your head because you did not read the books! Geralt does remember everything from the books, including Ciri. You can imagine how much harder the storyline hits once you’re familiar with Yennefer, Ciri, Vesemir, the Wild Hunt, and even the locations.

After enjoying the games so much, it was really a no-brainer for me: I had to know more about this world, these characters, their motivations, and backstories. Just playing the games is not enough! I can only recommend you make the same choice: read the books!

Managing Expectations: How Different Are the Books from Netflix?

The Witcher books are really quite different from the Netflix show. Earlier, I described the show as an ‘attempt to adapt,’ since it really does do its own thing most of the time. Yes, there are some faithful parts, especially when it comes to some of the short stories. But personally, I did not recognize most of Blood of Elves (the first main saga novel) when watching season 2 of the Witcher on Netflix. Many, but not all of the characters that appear on Netflix also appear in the Witcher books, though I must admit that motivations and backstories have been changed and shuffled around a lot.

The main premise, however, is the same: Geralt and Ciri connect, and the entire world wants something to do with Ciri. The biggest victim of the changes is Yennefer, whose warm bond with Ciri did not truly come to fruition in the Netflix show (yet, hopefully). In general, most of the things that the Witcher on Netflix tries to do – believable characters, meaningful relationships – the Witcher books just do better. I assume that if you’re reading this article, you enjoyed the show quite a bit. My only advice to you, then, is that you absolutely must read the books!

What Netflix Fans Will Recognize vs. What’s Completely New

For your convenience, I gathered up the biggest differences between the Witcher on Netflix and the Witcher books. Keep in mind, I’m not saying it’s bad that Netflix made these changes – they simplified the story and characters in order to make it more appealing to a larger audience. It’s a different story, same(ish) characters type of deal. That being said, here are the biggest changes:

• The different timelines in season 1 are not in the books; Ciri and Yennefer just appear later, when their and Geralt’s paths first cross. In the books, he is the main character in the beginning, and we only start getting other POVs from Blood of Elves onward.
• A consequence of this is that the fall of Cintra happens in the first episode of the series, while in the books this only happens at the end of the short story collections in Sword of Destiny. We also only hear about it through Jaskier’s stories.
• Ciri’s journey in season 1 (meeting Dara, conflict with the doppler) is a complete show invention. In the books, she only really enters the main story once Geralt finds her after she escaped Cintra.
• In general, they made Ciri more tough and likable in the show, while in the books, she’s really just a child. Expect a more annoying Ciri (but also adorable, at times) in the Witcher books!
• Yennefer’s full origin story is covered by the Witcher on Netflix, while it’s only hinted at in the books. I assume they did this in order to make her a bigger character from the start.
• The Battle of Sodden Hill gets a full episode treatment by Netflix, while it’s only referenced in the books after it’s already happened.
• We meet Triss much earlier in the show than in the books, appearing in season 1 as an advisor to King Foltest. In the books, she’s only mentioned as Yennefer’s friend until she appears in Blood of Elves.
• The Voleth Meir (Deathless Mother) and Eskel’s death storylines in season 2 are complete show inventions. The Voleth Meir storyline, in particular, completely altered Yennefer’s character, making the mother-daughter relationship between her and Ciri way less believable.
• The Witcher on Netflix has more monster fights. In the books, monsters are dying out, providing Geralt with some existential questions to philosophize about. Yes, he loves doing this: book Geralt is much more of a philosopher than show Geralt, talking quite a bit more than the occasional ‘hmm’ and ‘fuck.’

Your Biggest Witcher Reading Concerns, Answered

When I started to consider reading the Witcher books, I hadn’t read much of anything for almost the entirety of high school. As a child, I was an avid reader, but I lost my passion for it as the years went by. Logically, when I decided I wanted to consume more of Geralt’s story, I had some concerns. Here, I hope to ease your nerves and answer all the concerns you may have, as someone who went through most of them as well!

Are Witcher Books Hard to Read? (Honest Answer: Nope!)

I was very worried about the Witcher books being too difficult. After reading some more fantasy, I think it’s honestly quite a beginner friendly series to get into after not reading for a while. The books are way shorter than other popular fantasy series – looking at you, Stormlight Archive – and the series itself is also just way shorter in total. The short story collections are great to space out over time without forgetting the narrative, since each story is a narrative on its own. Furthermore, if reading really isn’t your thing, you can take the specific path I took: the audiobooks.

The Witcher audiobooks are narrated by Peter Kenny and are fantastic. The only reason I ended up reading The Lady of the Lake as a physical book was because I could not find the English audiobook anywhere yet at the time! What I ended up doing for a large portion of the earlier books was listening to the audiobook while having the ebook in front of me as well, in order to better keep track of where I was. But really, now that I came back to the Witcher after branching out to other fantasy series, I think it’s safe to say that the Witcher books aren’t really that hard to read.

Are They Worth Reading If I’ve Already Seen Netflix?

You may have seen the Netflix show, read my descriptions of the books at the beginning of this article, and wonder: I’ve already seen most of this! Why would I even still read them? I cannot stress enough that, if you enjoyed what the Netflix show had to offer in terms of characters and worldbuilding, you need to read these books! It’s broadly agreed upon in the Witcher fanbase that Netflix dropped a number of balls while making the show, so it can only be concluded that the books are even better for Witcher enjoyers!

Characters are more fleshed out, relationships that might have been confusing in the show make so much more sense, and the political maneuverings consist of way better setups and payoffs. Where the Witcher on Netflix walks, the Witcher books fly. The books are definitely worth reading, especially if you enjoyed the Netflix show!

Do I Really Need to Read ALL of Them?

Now this is a tricky question for me to answer, as I obviously adore these books. Nine books may seem daunting, especially if you’re coming from a similar situation like I did. Heck, even I haven’t read the ninth book yet (still waiting for that translation!). To give you an honest answer: no, you do not need to read all of them. I actually managed to get my mother to read these books, presenting each as the next step. The short story collections are perfectly bite sized, allowing for relatively light reading. Once she finished those, and was excited for more, she took each book as it came, making her way through to the final main saga book.

Attentive readers will notice that this means she still hasn’t read Season of Storms. When it came to that book, I had a tougher time selling it to her – what most spoke to her about the series was the character and relationship work, mainly between Geralt, Ciri, Yennefer, and of course the many people they meet. As a ‘sidequel,’ Season of Storms basically has none of that, being more of a loose adventure story. I feel like this will also be the case for Crossroads of Ravens, seeing as that is set when Geralt is only 18 years old.

So, my advice is as follows: if you like both Geralt the father figure and Geralt the monster hunter, then yes, you need to read all books! But if you’re mainly interested in Geralt the father figure, and mainly skip over the monster slaying parts, then you’ve got my permission to stop after finishing Lady of the Lake.

How Steamy Are the Witcher Books? (Content Guide for Parents/Partners)

When I started playing the Witcher games, 16-year-old me was pleasantly surprised by the… let’s call it steaminess, included in the games. The Netflix show, too, has some very explicit moments – looking at you and your brainwashed harem, Yennefer! If you’re considering getting the first book for a child or a partner, you may wonder if the books are as steamy as the Netflix show and games. In short, not really! There are some sex scenes, definitely, but they’re certainly not as graphically described as similar scenes in books by George R. R. Martin and Joe Abercrombie. They’re the type of scene that, as a child, I would just not really have understood and moved on.

I understand that this may still be too much for some parents to allow their children to read, but I encourage you: read them yourself first, and then decide! An added bonus is that then you can discuss some fantastic books with your kid, and who wouldn’t want that?

Practical Reading Tips for Netflix Fans & Gamers

During my journey through the Witcher books, I picked up some habits that will be helpful to you as you travel the same path. In this section I will explain these practical reading tips, useful for both Netflix fans and gamers!

Character Tracking: Who You’ll Recognize from Netflix

If you’ve watched the show or played the games, you will know who the major characters are: Geralt, Ciri, and Yennefer. These three form the heart of the series, so keeping track of where they are and how their relationships evolve over time will provide you with the best reading experience. Many other characters appear – think of Jaskier (although he’s called Dandelion in the English translation), Vesemir, Dijkstra, Triss, Cahir, Fringilla, and many more – but you should be able to enjoy the story with just keeping track of the main three.

It’s also useful to note down any variances on their names: think, for instance, the Lion Cub of Cintra (Ciri) or the White Wolf (Geralt). These are especially useful when reading scenes that cover political maneuvering between kings, queens, mages, sorceresses, spies, and other powerful players in the world of the Witcher. With just these tactics, you’ll already do an excellent job absorbing the story!

When You Get Confused (It’s Normal!)

When reading the Witcher books, it’s very normal to get confused from time to time. Despite the relatively short length of each book (compared to other modern fantasy), the chapters are actually quite long, with a lot of things happening, often in many separate places.

When I picked up The Last Wish after sinking more than 200 hours of my life into The Witcher 3, I did so by using the audiobook, causing me to lose track quite often and having to go back to the start of a chapter in order to fully understand and appreciate what had transpired. So, if this happens to you, do not worry! It’s part of the experience and, since the books aren’t that long, it won’t make the reading experience take an unbearable amount of time.

Furthermore, I believe that if you read the physical book (or the ebook), it should be much easier to follow along, especially if you’re already familiar with the character’s names. Maybe consider saving the audiobooks for a reread, because like I said before, they are fantastic. Coming from the Witcher on Netflix or the video games by CD Projekt Red, you’re actually very much set up for success! Give it an honest chance and once you’re deep enough into the story, I assure you that the curiosity about what will happen next will motivate you to finish it.

Reading Schedule That Actually Works

Everyone reads at a different pace, so I won’t provide you with a detailed schedule with a word count per day. What I can provide is some tips on how you can make sure you’ll make it to the end!

• The short stories can be spaced out over time since they’re fairly fragmented anyway. Just make sure you don’t space them out over too much time, because then you might forget important pieces of backstory!
• The main saga novels each cover an important part of the story, but each one tells an excellent story on its own as well. They’re not standalone novels by any means, but you should be fine with having a bit of time in between reading each main saga novel. You might even want to read a so-called ‘palate cleanser’ (like a romance or a thriller, or even some non-fiction) in order to not get burnt out on fantasy!
• Like I said before, Season of Storms and Crossroads of Ravens do not fit into the main saga, but can be seen as narrative add-ons to the story. The difference is that while the short story collections provide context needed before the main saga, these two books provide context needed after finishing the main saga. Thus, you should be fine reading these whenever you feel like once you finish Lady of the Lake.

Why You Should Give Witcher Books a Chance

I’ve said many times now that you should definitely read the books. I will make a final case here, trying to convince you if you weren’t already.

What Netflix and Games Can’t Show You

In the Netflix show, Geralt is extremely stoic, being iconically silent for most of the episodes, save for a ‘hmm’ and ‘fuck’ now and then. In the games, the player gets to decide what Geralt does and says – a lot of the possible decisions are in line with the books, yes, but certainly not all of them. But in the Witcher books, Geralt is quite a yapper, oftentimes even getting called out for acting like a philosopher when he should be slaying monsters.

Reading the books gives you the chance to meet the Geralt that so many Polish people grew up and fell in love with, the Geralt that inspired the video games and then the Netflix show. I assure you: you’ll love him!

The Personal Journey: From Intimidated to Obsessed

You opened this article because you want more Geralt, more of the world of the Witcher. Based on my own experience, I genuinely believe that the only reason you won’t read the books is that you’re intimidated by them like I was. Don’t let this intimidation stop you. Feed into that obsession you’re cultivating for this world of monster slaying. There’s so much more to discover, especially if you’ve only watched the Witcher on Netflix. It gets so much better, and once you’re at the end of the Path, you’ll thank me for pushing you onto it!

What’s Next After You Start?

Let’s say this reading guide has convinced you, and you decide to pick up The Last Wish from the bookstore tomorrow. What’s next? Aside from my practical reading tips, a beginner friendly guide like this one should offer more than mere arguments to read the books. Here, I hope to offer those final tips to help you along your journey on the Path!

Setting Realistic Timeline Expectations

I’ve said multiple times now that the Witcher book series is relatively short, especially when compared to other fantasy series. This is true, but it is a little like comparing a warehouse to a skyscraper (the skyscraper being Malazan, for example). By no means will it take you only an afternoon to finish these books, and to fully appreciate them you obviously need to take some time to ruminate about them. You’re looking at about 300 to 400 pages per book, with the final two novels of the main saga being a bit bigger. Though, by then, you’ll be so invested that the extra length won’t matter anymore; it might even excite you!

Joining the Witcher Reading Community

Reading the Witcher book series unlocks a whole new level of the community to interact with on the internet! With CD Projekt Red’s The Witcher 4 coming up in a few years, the fanbase is more alive than ever, and to fully engage with other fans, having read the books is a must. Although many fans on r/witcher are mainly focused on the games (Netflix fans have their own subreddit, r/netflixwitcher), many post fan art and cosplay based on the book series and only the book series. And with the English translation of Andrzej Sapkowski’s most recent entry in the series coming out very soon, I’m sure book discussions will flare up more than ever!

Your Next Fantasy Series Adventure

This final part is, of course, very personal. I have not read all books and most likely never will (not even all fantasy). I do, however, feel like I have become fairly well versed in the modern fantasy genre over the past few years, especially since starting The Last Wish. So below, you can find the biggest book series I read in the years after finishing the Witcher, in order of completion. Hopefully, there’s something in there that you like!

• The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan (and Brandon Sanderson) – way different tone than the Witcher, also much, much longer! I loved these so much that I gathered all the hardcover editions to display in my living room.
• The Cosmere book universe by Brandon Sanderson – consists of many different interconnected book series and standalone novels, like Mistborn, the Stormlight Archive, Warbreaker, Elantris, and more.
• Malazan: Book of the Fallen by Steven Erikson – probably the best fantasy I’ve read to date, but also the most complex. Took some work to get into, but I believe that if you make your way through and enjoy the Witcher book series, you should be able to appreciate Malazan!

In Short: Quick Answers

Should I read the Witcher books if I only watched the show?

Absolutely. The Netflix show simplified characters and storylines for broader appeal. The books give you the complete version – deeper Yennefer relationship, actual Geralt personality, and the political complexity the show couldn’t capture. If you enjoyed three seasons, you’ll love eight books.

What’s the Witcher reading order?

Start with The Last Wish, then Sword of Destiny (both short story collections). Then read the five-book saga: Blood of Elves, Time of Contempt, Baptism of Fire, The Tower of the Swallow, and Lady of the Lake. Read Season of Storms and Crossroads of Ravens after finishing the saga – it spoils the ending otherwise.

Are the Witcher books hard to read?

No. Sapkowski uses fairly simple language and short chapters. The short story collections are perfect for spacing out reading since each story stands alone. If you survived high school English class, you can handle the Witcher books without struggling.

How does the book connect to the games?

The Witcher games are essentially fan fiction sequels that pick up after Lady of the Lake. The Witcher 3 assumes you know Geralt’s backstory, the Wild Hunt’s significance, and characters like Yennefer and Ciri. Reading the books adds massive depth to everything happening in the games.

How different are the books from Netflix?

The short stories are mostly faithful, but Blood of Elves (Season 2) got heavily changed. Yennefer’s origin gets way more screen time than book time, Ciri’s journey in Season 1 is show invention, and the Voleth Meir storyline doesn’t exist. The books do better what Netflix tries to do.

In conclusion

Well, this article turned out to be quite a bit bigger than I was anticipating! Remember when I assured you that reading the Witcher books would be easier than you might think? I hope that you, after reading all of this, are finally convinced to give these wonderful books a chance! If you actually read this entire article, you definitely have the attention span for it – and I promise, you’ll probably enjoy the Witcher book series much more than anything I share here. Feel free to let me know if I convinced you, or if you already read them, let me know if you love them as much as I do!