Blood of Elves

Andrzej Sapkowski

May 2009 · The Witcher Saga Book 3 · Sold by Orbit

About this ebook

Andrzej Sapkowski’s New York Times bestselling Witcher series has inspired the hit Netflix show and multiple blockbuster video games, and has transported millions of fans around the globe to an epic, unforgettable world of magic and adventure.

For over a century, humans, dwarves, gnomes, and elves have lived together in relative peace. But that peace has now come to an end.

Geralt of Rivia, the hunter known as the Witcher, has been waiting for the birth of a prophesied child. The one who has the power to change the world for good—or for evil.

As the threat of war hangs over the land and the child is pursued for her extraordinary powers, it will become Geralt’s responsibility to protect them all. And the Witcher never accepts defeat.

Join Geralt of Rivia; his beloved ward and the child of prophecy, Ciri; and his ally and love, the powerful sorceress Yennefer as they battle monsters, demons, and prejudices alike in Blood of Elves, the first novel of The Witcher Saga.


Witcher story collections
The Last Wish
Sword of Destiny

Witcher novels
Blood of Elves
The Time of Contempt
Baptism of Fire
The Tower of Swallows
Lady of the Lake
Season of Storms (stand alone)

Hussite Trilogy
The Tower of Fools
Warriors of God
Light Perpetual

Translated from original Polish by Danusia Stok

 

Ratings and reviews

The plot is episodic, like the prior two books in the series. The book doesn't quite build to a climax like a typical novel, but sets up the later parts of the series in a way that is best appreciated as a piece of a whole instead of a standalone story. The series has great characters and a soft, implied world-building. You come to understand the world through the context of the story. I'm interested to see where it goes.

The Witcher, Geralt, has taken in a young girl named Ciri. She is the last of her royal line. Her family lay slain by the Nilfgaardians in the battle for Centra. He takes her to Kaer Morhen, the home of the witchers, to protect her and train her in their ways. But she is the first female to be trained by the witchers, and she is more than just a normal girl. Rumors start to spread that she is alive and political powers begin their search for Ciri. Geralt does all he can to protect the girl and prevent her from falling into the wrong hands. There is a power deep within Ciri, one that can be used for good, or evil. Geralt is one of those characters that took a while for me to connect with. Having read The Last Wish, I knew a bit about Geralt’s personality, and I was a bit on the edge whether or not I liked this series. However, this book won me over. Not only does he have a fierce dedication to protecting Ciri, but Geralt lives by his own code. He doesn’t kill if he doesn’t have to. I also love how sarcastic he is to people who try to prove they are smarter than him. He waits for them to prove themselves wrong and isn’t afraid to embellish the fact afterward. Andrzej Sapkowski has created a unique hero in the witcher series. Geralt certainly doesn’t view himself as the hero type and he is a man of few words. He lets his actions speak for themselves and is fierce in his protection of Ciri. His nickname of white wolf shines brightly as he does what he can to defend her. And when he becomes angry, you’ll know because that isn’t something he hides. The world-building done in Blood of Elves is subtle but effective. Andrzej Sapkowski doesn’t bog the reader down with unnecessary details. He gives just enough so readers can form their own connections to keep the plot steadily moving forward. He also cuts off the story abruptly and left me needing to know what happens next! I can officially say I am a fan of this series, and I cannot wait to see what happens with all the characters.

Although not a bad book by any stretch of the imagination, this Witcher novel loses some of the magic that The Last Wish and Sword of Destiny had. By transforming the format from short stories to a more connected novel, Andrzej Sapkowski spends more time moving characters like chess pieces around the Northern Kingdoms, rather than providing intriguing human elements to a traditionally fantasy world. If you're new to the Witcher series, I strongly recommend starting with The Last Wish instead.

About the author

Andrzej Sapkowski was born in 1948 in Poland. He studied economy and business, but the success of his fantasy cycle about the Witcher Geralt of Rivia turned him into a bestselling writer. His work has received Poland’s Janusz A. Zajdel prize five times, as well as Great Britain’s David Gemmell Award for Fantasy, in 2009. In 2016, he received the World Fantasy Award—Life Achievement. The Witcher has been adapted to a successful video-game franchise, and is now a series on Netflix.