The book is called
Rozdroże Kruków (Crows’ Crossroads), and explores the early years of the hero of the series, Geralt of Rivia, a monster-hunter known as a ‘witcher’.
Polish fans can look forward to an early holiday gift, as the novel hits the bookstores on November 29, with the e-book version available from December 1.
A teaser—a three-page excerpt published in Nowa Fantastyka magazine—hints at the book’s focus on the beginnings of Geralt’s journey, directly following his magical training.
Jerzy Rzymowski, editor-in-chief of Nowa Fantastyka, shared the magazine’s longstanding connection with Sapkowski during an interview with TVP World.
“Over 35 years ago, in December, Sapkowski placed third in a competition in Fantastyka. Back then, his Witcher character was pioneering but the fantasy genre was not recognized fully. Since then, the fantasy genre has experienced an explosion in Poland.”
From those beginnings, The Witcher has grown into Poland’s most celebrated literary export.
Spanning five novels and 15 short stories, the series has sold over 15 million copies worldwide and has been translated into 37 languages. Sapkowski’s works have inspired an entire franchise, including graphic novels, a hit Netflix series, and an iconic video game series.
The Witcher’s global fame owes much to CD Projekt, a Polish developer that launched its first Witcher game in 2007.
Its third installment, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, became a monumental success, selling over 50 million copies, cementing its place among the best-selling video games of all time.
For fans of the literary series, Sapkowski’s latest work offers a fresh chapter in the Witcher’s saga—but with a twist.
While the main storyline concluded with the fifth novel, The Lady of the Lake, the author has now turned to Geralt’s origins for inspiration. Sapkowski has hinted that readers should not expect further plot development beyond the original series’ conclusion but should instead embrace an exploration of the character’s past.
While Polish readers will soon have their curiosity sated, international fans of Sapkowski will have to wait, as there’s no word yet on a translation of his new book into other languages.
