If, like me, you’ve replayed The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt greater than half a dozen occasions already, you already know that there’s solely a lot Geralt of Rivia can do to quench your thirst for fantastical fictional worlds and epic dragon-slaying protagonists.

The apparent alternative at that time is to select up The Witcher books by Andrzej Sapkowski. These had been, in any case, what launched the world to Geralt and his unforgettable companions. You start with The Final Want and proceed that journey with Sword of Future, two collections of brief tales detailing Geralt’s earlier years as a feared monster hunter. 

Then it’s off to the principle saga, consisting of 5 novels revolving round Ciri’s trials because the Woman of Area and Time. Solely then do you understand you’re again in the beginning and need to play the CD Projekt trilogy once more to see the “correct” ending to the story.

It’s a vicious cycle, and it at all times ends with you wanting extra. So, what for those who did the unorthodox factor and determined as a substitute to learn different fantasy novels that give off the identical common feeling and vibe? In that case, these are one of the best books like The Witcher collection.

10. Murderer’s Apprentice

The primary ebook within the acclaimed Farseer trilogy, Murderer’s Apprentice takes readers to the world of the Six Duchies and introduces them to the royal line of Farseers. Our foremost character is a bastard named FitChivalry Farseer, who will get entangled in a deep internet of political intrigue and has to combat to the final ounce of his being for the very proper to exist. Murderer’s Apprentice is intimate, brutal, and unforgiving, making it the proper story for followers who love the darker points of The Witcher novels. Similar to Ciri, Fitz is the wild card within the schemes of nobles and politicians, and identical to Ciri, Fitz has to maneuver his method via untold risks and treacheries to outlive.

9. The Lies of Locke Lamora

This ebook tells the story of Locke Lamora, a charismatic con artist who varieties and leads a bunch of thieves known as the Gents Bastards. The story takes place in a fictional metropolis known as Camorr, harking back to Venice in Italy with its canals. There may be additionally a legal underworld, and a lot of the ebook offers with Locke Lamora’s intricate heists. The Lies of Locke Lamora has sensible prose, witty dialogue, and nice twists. And in addition to, who amongst us wouldn’t need to relive the time when Geralt orchestrated a heist within the Hearts of Stone DLC?

8. The Crimson Knight

The Crimson Knight takes place in a fictional Medieval world the place monstrous creatures roam the land, leaving the widespread folks at their mercy. Except, after all, you’ve gotten sufficient coin to rent the companies of the Crimson Knight, an expert fighter who makes a residing out of killing these monsters, a few of whom occur to be wyverns, ogres, and manticorns. Want I say extra? When you love the Witcher-y facet of Geralt’s life on the Continent, then selecting up The Crimson Knight would possibly simply scratch that individual itch.

7. Graceling

The story of Graceling takes place in a world the place sure individuals are born with Graces; innate particular talents that make them stand out from the remainder of the folks. However a Grace can simply as simply be a curse, particularly if it makes you a freak of nature. Sound acquainted? Graceling facilities across the story of Katsa, who’s born with the Grace of killing, and thus manipulated by her uncle the king to do his bidding. Graceling is a narrative about accountability, identification, and social justice, and its standalone nature is usually a large benefit for those who don’t want to get into one other lengthy fantasy collection.

6. Prince of Thorns

When he was 9, Prince Jorg watched the deaths of his mom and brother, which left him traumatized and chilly, bent on a path of revenge and destruction. Jorg now leads a band of ruthless mercenaries and has to meander his method via a post-apocalyptic world the place civilization has regressed to a Medieval state, and the place solely remnants of a technologically superior race function a memoir of humanity’s superb previous. Prince of Thorns is gritty, violent, and real looking, being the primary ebook in a trilogy of acclaimed and common darkish fantasy novels by Mark Lawrence known as The Damaged Empire.

5. The Final Kingdom

This is perhaps a controversial inclusion, however there are a number of surprising similarities between Uhtred and Geralt’s respective tales. Positive, The Final Kingdom is generally historic fiction and takes place in pre-Medieval England, however the place do you assume the inspiration for Andrej Sapkowski’s Continent got here from? Uhtred and Geralt are each glorious warriors whose involvement in any political plot, any skirmish, and any battle may also help flip the tide.

They’re additionally very reluctant to get entangled in issues that don’t curiosity them, even when they inadvertently do each time. Geralt struggles with the that means of future, whereas Uhtred is obsessive about it each step of the way in which. However most significantly of all, The Final Kingdom and The Witcher are each books that supply character-centric research of their protagonists.

4. The Gunslinger

The Gunslinger is the primary novel in an eight-book darkish fantasy collection by Stephen King. It tells the story of Roland Deschain, the final of a bunch of knightly gunslingers hailing from the fictional world’s analogous King Arthur. Roland is on an unclear mission that takes him nearer and nearer to the Darkish Tower, a mysterious constructing assumed to be the nexus of all creation. It’s unclear what Roland is taking care of, however because the story progresses, we be taught extra in regards to the protagonist and what his quest entails. The Darkish Tower combines components of darkish fantasy, horror, and science fantasy to inform a deeply advanced story about humanity, morality, and the destiny of the world. We’re not saying the Darkish Tower is strictly just like the Tower of the Swallow in The Witcher books, however you possibly can’t ignore the coincidental similarities.

3. The Black Firm

The Black Firm by Glen Cook dinner is usually cited as one of the inspiring works of gritty darkish fantasy, and a ebook that, in time, outlined a lot of the tropes normally related to darkish fantasy and navy fantasy. The story follows a legendary mercenary group known as the Black Firm and chronicles their story as they go up in opposition to highly effective forces of their fictional world. The Black Firm contains a host of morally ambiguous characters and boasts a really real looking story, each of that are the bread-and-butter of the followers of The Witcher.

2. The Tower of Fools

How higher to relive the expertise of studying The Witcher books than selecting up one other novel by Andrej Sapkowski himself? The Tower of Fools is the primary entry within the Hussite Trilogy, detailing the story of a protagonist known as Reinmar of Bielau. The story takes place within the fifteenth century, throughout the Hussite Wars, within the Kingdom of Bohemia, and incorporates components of fantasy (like legendary creatures and paranormal occurrences) right into a well-rounded historic story. When you beloved Geralt’s celebration (or Hansa) in The Witcher books, you’re positively going to like The Tower of Fools and the dynamic it introduces between its characters.

1. The Mists of Avalon

Like many different fantasy tales on the market, The Witcher has taken many inspirations from the Arthurian Legend, going as far as to even characteristic one of many Knights of the Spherical Desk, Sir Galahad, within the last ebook, The Woman of the Lake. (The title itself refers to Ciri, who embodies points of the Woman of the Lake from the Matter of Britain.)

As such, The Mists of Avalon may additionally show to be an awesome learn, because it retells the Arthurian legend from the angle of Morgan le Fey — or Morgaine — who’s Arthur’s half-sister and a priestess of Avalon. Writer Marion Zimmer Bradley deftly combines her lyrical prose with a deep understanding of mythology to provide you a style of the Arthurian romance not like something that has come earlier than it.