Crossroads of Ravens

A brand-new Witcher novel starring Geralt of Rivia – Now a major Netflix show

By: Andrzej Sapkowski, David French - translator

Narrated by: Peter Kenny

Witchers are not born. They are made.

Before he was the White Wolf or the Butcher of Blaviken, Geralt of Rivia was simply a fresh graduate of Kaer Morhen, stepping into a world that neither understands nor welcomes his kind.

And when an act of naïve heroism goes gravely wrong, Geralt is only saved from the noose by Preston Holt, a grizzled witcher with a buried past and an agenda of his own.

Under Holt's guiding hand, Geralt begins to learn what it truly means to walk the Path - to protect a world that fears him, and to survive in it on his own terms. But as the line between right and wrong begins to blur, Geralt must decide to become the monster everyone expects, or something else entirely.

This is the story of how legends are made - and what they cost.

Andrzej Sapkowski's Witcher series is a global phenomenon with over thirty million copies sold, translated into over forty languages worldwide. Crossroads of Ravens is a new standalone novel following fantasy's most beloved monster hunter, Geralt of Rivia, on his first steps towards becoming a legend.

Translated from original Polish by David French©2025 Andrzej Sapkowski

Critic reviews

A wonderful insight into the beginnings of one of fantasy's most beloved and iconic characters, Geralt of Rivia. This is a great read. Immersive, exciting, and emotional. Crossroads of Ravens is not to be missed

Geralt is one of the great characters in all of fantasy. Whether you're coming from the games, TV show, or are simply new to the Witcher universe - these books are absolutely worth the read

Anyone wishing to learn more about Geralt's early years will be pleased to see the Witcher in action again . . . This is a gift for series fans

A book brimming with energy and bleak humour

Fans of the Witcher series (as well as the Netflix adaptation) will enjoy the opportunity to experience Geralt's earlier days, and the stand-alone story will welcome new readers

Crossroads of Ravens offers an engaging story that hits hard thematically and explores how 'monstrosity' is a socially-constructed category. Sapkowski is a true master of fantasy literature, and Crossroads of Ravens is his latest example of his writing prowess

I had an enjoyable experience with Crossroads of Ravens, returning to this exquisite dark fantasy world. It was a good standalone reading experience and I enjoyed reading about a young and flawed Geralt in these early adventures. For potential readers who are already familiar with Geralt, either through the TV series or video games, this is a great place to start your reading adventure

Short, but still good

More of a short story but The Witcher always delivers. So good to read this instead of watching Netflix’s bastardization of the series.

Crossroads of Ravens

The Crossroads of Ravens is an excellent entry point into the Witcher series. This prequel introduces readers to Geralt as he leaves Kaer Morhen and faces the merciless realities of the world. Through tough choices and moral dilemmas, we see how an inexperienced witcher begins his journey toward becoming the legendary figure fans know and love.

Messy and confusing story, lots of posh annoying sounding characters

The book: a miss in my opinion. Stuff is randomly happening. The crossroads and Holt narrative doesn’t really go anywhere interesting. It reads as a fanfic. With a ton of pathos, Latin, and unpleasant characters. Geralt is barely a character at all here.

The narrator: nice voice, very artistic, but tries too much to make aristocrats and bureaucrats sound nasty and posh. Considering like 70% of characters speaking in this book are of that aforementioned kind, you’re spending most of your time listening to the book annoyed at those over the top voices. Geralt’s sort of Northern accent and a rather dumb disposition are not my cup of tea either.

The weakest of the Witcher-books

This book deliberately doesn't add, or retract, anything to the Witcher universe. The story and the characters are therefore, by necessity, utterly mundane and leave no impact what so ever.