One of the greatest fantasy narratives

All fantasy fans got fantastic news this week: Netflix revealed that it was adapting Andrzej Sapkowski’s “Saga of Geralt of Rivia,” a series of books that inspired the video game franchise ‘The Witcher’ (it is its “continuation”), which ended two years ago.

It is intriguing that “Geralt of Rivia” (Saga or wiedźminie in Polish) is one of the best fantasy literature sagas that has not reached widespread popularity, despite a successful entertaining adaptation. Sapkowski’s writings haven’t escaped the “niche” yet, possibly because we fear unknown [and Anglo-Saxon] names.

Fantastyka’s 1986 short story contest created Geralt of Rivia. Andrzej Sapkowski sought to put a new spin on the fairy tale to address the prevailing fantasy, especially Conan and the growing “dragonades” (‘Forgotten Realms’, ‘Dragonlance’…)

A princess in a town is charmed by a wizard or witch. The lowly seventh son of the shoemaker becomes the hero. Knights and warriors fail to kill the monster or witch. The shoemaker marries the princess and inherits the kingdom. How do you create this fantastic fairy tale? You make it real.

Geralt, a witcher who seeks riches as one of the last of “his kind” in a world of perils, magic, and wonders, is created from this idea. Princess Ciri apprentices with him.

Andrzej Sapkowski, a Polish fantasy pioneer, develops “The Continent” a terrible world to drag his hero through. Geralt explores a centuries-old human colony. This dominance forced elves, werewolves, and other non-humans into ghettos or remote places.

Sapkowski believes fantasy and science fiction may depict modern conflicts. He avoids genre cliches, clichés, and binary and normative schemes to show us a variety of grey zones and moral difficulties that will condemn his protagonists.

Geralt is a modern anti-hero: self-serving, caustic, cynical, and willing to make painful decisions to resolve conflicts by considering the “lesser evil”. The protagonists, Geralt of Rivia and Ciri, their experiences, and their moral difficulties made the books stand out among genre lovers yearning for something more “adult”.

Before George RR Martin made “adult fantasy” mainstream with ‘Game of Thrones’, Sapkowski had fertilized, sowed, and produced a series of stories and books that depicted violence, sex, and social issues.

The characters in “The Saga of Geralt of Rivia” are well-developed and written, the world is complex and unlike Middle Earth, Westeros, or The First Law, and the writing is excellent.

If you’re curious, Xataka has put up a guide to Geralt of Rivia’s five novels and a few short stories, all released in Spanish by Alamut:

“The Last Wish” (‘Ostatnie życzenie’) is the second short story collection published, however it is chronologically placed alongside the first. A seventh story connects six, including ‘The Witcher’. Cyberdark sells the paperback for about 12 euros. Some of these stories have been converted into comics by Maciej Parowski and Bogusław Polch.
The Sword of Destiny (‘Miecz przeznaczenia’): first story collection, chronologically following ‘The Last Wish’. Six more stories, mostly in ‘Fantastyka’ like the previous collection. Cyberdark sells it for 18 euros.

Book 1: The Blood of Elves (‘Krew elfów‘). After the stories, Ciri’s training and tutelage take place while a continent-wide battle looms. The series will revolve around this war and Geralt and Ciri’s fates. For 21 euros on Amazon.
Time of Hate (‘Czas Pogardy’): second main series novel. 22 euros on Amazon.

Baptism of Fire (Chrzest ognia). Amazon sells the third section for 21 euros.

‘The Tower of the Swallow’ (‘Wieża jaskółki’). On Amazon, the penultimate section of the saga costs 22 euros.
‘The Lady of the Lake’ (‘Pani jeziora’): the Saga of Geralt of Rivia’s proper ending, where many stories reveal the war’s outcome. 33 euros on Amazon.

Geralt of Rivia’s latest novel, ‘Sezon burz’ (‘Season of Storms’), is chronologically situated in the stories’ chronology. Casa del Libro sells it for 24 euros.

“Road of No Return” combines two stories. The first one explores Geralt’s origin, while the second, ‘Coś się kończy, coś się zaczyna’, offers an alternative finale to the narrative, initially penned for Andrzej’s friends. It costs 18 euros on Amazon.

One of the greatest fantasy narratives

By b0oua

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