Blood of Elves

The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski (1993)

The first book in Sapkowski’s The Witcher saga is a collection of short stories that introduce two of the series’ main characters, Geralt of Rivia and Yennefer of Vengerberg, as well as secondary characters Dandelion and Mother Nenneke. The Last Wish collection introduces many of the major themes that Blood of Elves elaborates, especially the Nature of Monstrosity and the Racial Tensions Between Humans and Nonhumans. Though the collection has firmer stylistic roots in folklore and fairytale, Blood of Elves expands upon that foundation as the saga ventures further into the fantasy genre. The stories in The Last Wish primarily explore Geralt’s relationship with himself—how he understands himself and his place in the world as a witcher—but they also prepare the reader for meeting Cirilla. In “A Question of Price,” Geralt attends the wedding feast for Pavetta, Ciri’s mother, and inadvertently claims the unborn girl via the Law of Surprise. “A Question of Price” also introduces the distinction between destiny and choice, suggesting that a person has to choose, freely and independently, the path or person set before them by destiny.

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Sword of Destiny by Andrzej Sapkowski (1992)

Although published in Polish in 1992 (one year before The Last Wish), these stories take place after those in The Last Wish. The stories in Sword of Destiny introduce a number of significant characters and establish foundations for many prominent relationships in the series’ other works. The first story, “The Bounds of Reason,” details Geralt’s first meeting with Yarpen Zigrin during a dragon hunt. The second story, “A Shard of Ice,” explores Geralt and Yennefer’s tumultuous relationship and reveals the reasons for their separation in Blood of Elves. “The Sword of Destiny” shows Geralt and Ciri’s first meeting in Brokilon Forest, while their reunion after the Battle of Sodden Hill is the centerpiece of the closing story, “Something More.” Sword of Destiny also explores the interplay of destiny and choice, which develops into one of the saga’s most significant themes.