The Tower of Fools

By: Andrzej Sapkowski, David French - translator

Narrated by: Peter Kenny

"A fantastic novel that any fan of The Witcher will instantly appreciate." —The Gamer

Andrzej Sapkowski's Witcher series has become a fantasy phenomenon, finding millions of fans worldwide and inspiring the hit Netflix show and video games. Now the bestselling author introduces readers to a new hero on an epic journey in The Tower of Fools, the first book of the Hussite Trilogy.

Reinmar of Bielawa, sometimes known as Reynevan, is a healer, a magician, and according to some, a charlatan. When a thoughtless indiscretion forces him to flee his home, he finds himself pursued
not only by brothers bent on vengeance but by the Holy Inquisition.

In a time when tensions between Hussite and Catholic countries are threatening to turn into war and mystical forces are gathering in the shadows, Reynevan's journey will lead him to the Narrenturm—the Tower of Fools.

The Tower is an asylum for the mad...or for those who dare to think differently and challenge the prevailing order. And escaping it, avoiding the conflict around him, and keeping his own sanity will prove more difficult than he ever imagined

"A ripping yarn delivered with world-weary wit, bursting at the seams with sex, death, magic and madness." —Joe Abercrombie

"This is historical fantasy done right." —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"A highly enjoyable historical fantasy." —Booklist

The Tower of Fools is an historical novel set during the Hussite Wars in Bohemia during the 1400s, a period of religious conflict and persecution. Characters in the novel may express views that some readers might find offensive.

Also by Andrzej Sapkowski:
Witcher 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

The Malady and Other Stories: An Andrzej Sapkowski Sampler (e-only)

Translated by David French

Critic reviews

"Sapkowski's love for the period is clear as he touches on notorious historical events and figures ... The carefully painted landscapes and intricate politics effortlessly draw readers into Reinmar's life and times. This is historical fantasy done right."—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"A ripping yarn delivered with world-weary wit, bursting at the seams with sex, death, magic and madness."—Joe Abercrombie

"Sapkowski's energetic and satirical prose as well as the unconventional setting makes this a highly enjoyable historical fantasy. Recommended for Sapkowksi's many existing fans."—Booklist

Good story, just couldn't get into it

Giving this less than 3 stars would simply be rude. It's not a bad book. Nor is the narration bad. The narration is quite good. The book also had some great moments.

Overall I just couldn't get into it.

What an amazing work and performance

About an era and area i knew nothing about other than WWII and the cold war. which are now much more clear. Now eager to visit and see first hand the rural towns of Silesia not just Prague.
Using the time till the third audiobook is released to listen again, the good thing about audio is no reading glasses, but you can miss things.

Wild journey of Reynevan

Reynevan is caught with another man's wife. Vengeful brothers are hot on the trail and so the story of the trials of Reynevan begin. Our main character is an absolute fool that everyone tries to help along the way, which he repeatedly ignores following a fools course, thus The Tower of Fools is aptly named. Set somewhere between the Czech Republic and Poland, he finds himself caught up in the war of the Hussites and the Catholics, with neither side trusting his motives.
A lot of this story isn't translated, and I'm not very familiar with that part of European history, so much was hard to follow.
I had fun with the first half of the book, but Reynevan was a character that I soon grew tired of, because of his constant stupidity. A couple of his supporting characters saved the day, as far as keeping my interest in the story with humor and common sense. I think if I could have read the original version and have known something of the historical characters and time period, I would have enjoyed this book more. Peter Kenny was spot on brilliant with his narration, as usual.

Historicity

I enjoyed the story. The depth and length of his works are incredible. My only “dislike” was my own ability in keeping all of the characters and their names in order. I love the aspect of using historical events and this tumultuous time period for the setting.

Peter Kenny nails it again

This work of fiction centers around the history of the emerging Christian reformation while adding comedic touches and magic. One issue I had was difficulty with Czech and Polish names and places. plus, not translating Latin , which is used repeatedly left me in the dark.
To help me better appreciate the novel, researching Medieval terms and the names for clothing. military weapons and armor was helpful. I also found it helpful to study maps of Bohemia in the mid 1400's.