The Witcher Reading Order: Books, Short Stories, and How the Netflix Show Fits In
November 4, 2025
If you’ve watched the Netflix series and want to read the books, you’re in for a surprise: the show and the books are very different animals. And if you just want to read the books cold, there’s a specific order you need to follow — because Andrzej Sapkowski published short stories before the novels, and they matter.
The Correct Reading Order
The Witcher saga begins with two collections of short stories, not a novel. This trips up almost every new reader who grabs the first novel (Blood of Elves) off the shelf.
The correct order is:
- The Last Wish — short story collection, the true beginning
- Sword of Destiny — second short story collection
- Blood of Elves — Novel 1, the saga proper begins
- Time of Contempt — Novel 2
- Baptism of Fire — Novel 3
- The Tower of the Swallow — Novel 4
- The Lady of the Lake — Novel 5, the conclusion
- Season of Storms — standalone prequel (best read after the main saga)
The complete Witcher reading order is on the series page.
Why the Short Stories Come First
The Last Wish and Sword of Destiny introduce Geralt of Rivia and Ciri separately, establish the world’s tone, and contain several stories that are directly referenced in the novels. The relationship between Geralt and Yennefer, for instance, is established in The Last Wish — by the time the novels begin, Sapkowski assumes you know it.
Reading Blood of Elves without the short stories is like starting a film in the second act. You’ll be confused about who people are and why you should care about them.
How the Netflix Show Compares
Netflix’s The Witcher draws heavily from the short story collections for its non-linear Season 1 structure — but reshuffles events, changes character motivations, and invents entire plotlines. Season 2 and beyond diverge dramatically from the books.
Key differences:
- Yennefer’s backstory is expanded significantly for TV; in the books it’s minimal
- Nilfgaard is presented very differently in tone and ambition
- Ciri’s path in the show splits from the books by Season 2
- Several major book characters are missing entirely from the show; others are invented for it
If you love the show, the books will feel denser and stranger. Sapkowski’s prose is more literary than the show suggests, and his Geralt is quieter and more ambivalent.
The Video Games
CD Projekt Red’s Witcher games (The Witcher 1-3) are set after the novels and treat the books as canon backstory. They’re an excellent complement to reading the books, but they are not a substitute — the games invent a new story, they don’t adapt the novels.
Where to Start If You’ve Only Played the Games
If you’ve played Witcher 3 and want to read the books: start with The Last Wish. Many of the short stories will feel like meeting old friends — the djinn story, the dragon story, the cursed knight story — because the game references them repeatedly. It’s a great re-entry point.
The Translation Question
The English translations of the Witcher books vary in quality. The David French translations (from Blood of Elves onwards, published by Orbit) are generally preferred by fans over the older Danusia Stok translations. If you’re buying the books new, you’ll get the French translations automatically.