For over a century, humans, dwarves, gnomes, and elves have lived together in relative peace. But times have changed, the uneasy peace is over, and now the races are fighting once again. The only good elf, it seems, is a dead elf.

Geralt of Rivia, the cunning assassin known as The Witcher, has been waiting for the birth of a prophesied child. This child 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 hunted for her extraordinary powers, it will become Geralt's responsibility to protect them all - and the Witcher never accepts defeat.

Following The Last Wish, Blood of Elves is the new novel starring Geralt of Rivia, the inspiration for the critically acclaimed videogame The Witcher.

Listening Length

10 hours and 55 minutes
Author

Andrzej Sapkowski
Narrator

Peter Kenny
Audible release date

June 2, 2015
Language

English
Publisher

Hachette Audio
ASIN

B00XV0VZV4
Version

Unabridged
Program Type

Audiobook
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Product details

Listening Length	10 hours and 55 minutes
Author	Andrzej Sapkowski
Narrator	Peter Kenny
Whispersync for Voice	Ready
Audible.com Release Date	June 02, 2015
Publisher	Hachette Audio
Program Type	Audiobook
Version	Unabridged
Language	English
ASIN	B00XV0VZV4
Best Sellers Rank	#364 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals) #28 in Action & Adventure Fantasy (Audible Books & Originals) #49 in Epic Fantasy (Audible Books & Originals) #194 in Fantasy Action & Adventure

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4.6 out of 5

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Alicia C. Smock

A stunning beginning to a fantasy series destined for greatness

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on August 11, 2017

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Humans, elves, dwarves, and gnomes have lived and worked together for centuries; however, those centuries of peace are nearing an end as these races begin to fight amongst themselves. War is rapidly approaching and the Child Surprise is wanted by many for the power she houses within her to turn the tide of the impending battle. The Child Surprise, a young princess name Cirilla, has the power to change the world or destroy it. But she is not alone, for she was destined to meet the famous witcher Geralt of Rivia and Geralt was destined to protect her from the many who so desperately want her power.

And thus officially begins the story of the witcher in Andrzej Sapkowski’s first book of his 'Witcher' series, 'Blood of Elves'. The story “A Question of Price” told by Geralt in The Last Wish had the Queen of Cintra, Calanthe, promising her granddaughter, the Child Surprise, to Geralt. The very end of The Last Wish left readers with Geralt leaving Nenneke and Melitele’s Temple in search of the Child Surprise, for he had been waiting for her to be born. After a siege on her home in Cintra, the Child Surprise, Princess Cirilla, is found by Geralt. Young, alone, and afraid, Geralt takes Ciri under his protection and destiny begins to work its magic.

What a way to begin a fantasy series. With the plot being about a child of destiny and this child being destined to someone else and that someone else being said child’s protector, one would think the story is a typical, cliché, and predictable fantasy story. On the contrary, 'Blood of Elves' is incredibly unique and is in no way predictable. The first in the 'Witcher' series is, like its predecessor: well-written, action-packed, and humorous.

With the premise stating that Geralt and Ciri were destined to be together, it is great to begin with the witcher and the princess. Their relationship is not that of lovers, but rather as a father and daughter and it works beautifully! Because of destiny, Geralt is thrust into the role of not only protector, but of father and it is one he never thought he would have. Same goes for Ciri: she was very young when she lost her parents and Geralt is not only her guardian, but a father she doesn’t remember having. One would think before reading that, due to Geralt’s personality in 'The Last Wish', he may find Ciri a nuisance; however, the scenes with them together are wonderful to read. They get along very well, joke around with each other, and Geralt has taught Ciri to defend herself, though he still keeps a sharp eye on her. This is a pleasant surprise for readers who assumed the aforementioned.

There is a wonderful blend of serious action and witty comedy throughout the story. Sapkowski improved on writing his battle scenes, making it easier for the reader to imagine how Geralt and the others are fighting. Dandelion is still as humorous as ever and a new character is introduced that is just as funny: Triss Merigold. Triss is a sorceress like Yennefer and met Geralt through her as well. When she travels to find Geralt at Kaer Morhen, the home and training grounds of the witchers, she is able to meet Ciri there. Geralt and a handful of other witchers have been training the young princess on how to fight and defend herself; however, these men have forgotten a very important fact about Ciri that Triss was not shy to remind them about: that she is a teenage girl blossoming into womanhood. The exchange of dialog between Triss and the witchers during this explanation is clever and a crack up for readers to read.

The only true downside about 'Blood of Elves' is the length of the chapters. There are only seven chapters, but each one spans roughly about 50 pages each. This makes it difficult to pick a stopping point, whether a reader wants to stop or not; however, there are gaps between the events that happen where readers can stop if they need to, which Sapkowski probably strategically placed knowing how long he would make each chapter. And, if readers ever forget while reading what the title of the book is, do not fear. Sapkowski refers to the title many times. The first time it is mentioned is in the first 20 pages, for of the different names given to Ciri (child of destiny, the Child Surprise), she is also called a child of Elder Blood, the blood of elves. Also within these first few pages, much is explained about destiny, Ciri, and how Geralt and Ciri were destined to be together, so anyone who has not read The Last Wish will be caught up on what is happening and those who have read it will be reminded.

'Blood of Elves' is a beautifully written book and a wonderful way to officially begin the 'Witcher' Series. Every turn of the page offers events and happenings that will make it difficult to put the book down, disregarding the long chapters and the difficulty in finding a stopping point. Readers will admire Geralt more as a hero than he was in The Last Wish and will fall in love with his father-daughter relationship with Ciri. It is a book that one can start with if one is curious about the series, but the series would be much more enjoyable and easier to follow if one has read the prequel first. Due to its well-written prose and the large world Sapkowski created, one will immediately want to pick up the sequel, 'The Time of Contempt', shortly after finishing.

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C.T.

A powerful mood-centric piece of fantasy set in the aftermath of a war

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on June 20, 2015

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Blood of Elves is the first full-length novel of the Witcher franchise. Strangely, it was translated into English as the second novel despite the second anthology, Sword of Destiny, having a huge role in setting up this novel's events. How huge? Well, about sixty-percent of the story deals with the aftermath of the Nilfgaard invasion of the North. The Nilfgaard invasion of the North happens in Sword of Destiny. The rest of the novel deals with Geralt's adoption of Ciri, which is kind of important since she gets adopted in the Sword of Destiny too.

Yikes.

Seriously, I pity the fool who attempted to read this novel after The Last Wish, since it must have been nonsensical. Anyway, Sword of Destiny is now available in English and there's nothing preventing readers from reading the book in its proper order. Blood of Elves follows the events of Sword of Destiny by recapping the previous book's events as a story told by Dandelion. We, immediately, get a sense that this is going to be a different kind of tale than the short-stories. Much focus is given on the politics, interrelationships, history, and culture of the North over the short stories being about Geralt's comedic monster-slaying.

Nilfgaard invaded the country of Cintra, destroyed its capital city, and was promptly driven back due to the outrage from the North. Nilfgaard has switched tactics, however, and now are undermining the North by covertly funding an elven terrorist group called the Scoia'tael. The Scoia'tael has popular support from nonhumans but is too few in number to do anything but cause civil war and economic collapse. Which Nilfgaard is counting on. The Southern Empire is also using a combination of religious prophecy and economic warfare to divide the North. As a result, the monarchs are debating whether a first strike against Nilfgaard may be their only chance to avoid defeat by their foes without a war.

Meanwhile, Geralt of Rivia has taken the sole surviving member of the Cintran Royal Family, Ciri, under his wing. Training her as a witcher despite the fact it was never meant for unmutated girls, let alone princesses, they discover Ciri has immense potential as a Sorceress and invite Geralt's old flame Triss Merrigold to join them. Events conspire to set them on the road, though, as both Nilfgaard and the Northern monarch's plans do not tolerate a loose end as big as Ciri.

Blood of Elves isn't a typical fantasy novel as very little of it is about actual events but, more, exploring the aftermath of a war. If I were to liken it to another series, I'd say it's similar to the scenes where Arya and the Hound explore the Riverlands in the aftermath of the War of Kings. It's more a mood piece than anything else. The characterization is particularly strong with Geralt, Ciri, Yennefer, and Dandelion all having very strong scenes. I'm also impressed with new characters Triss Merrigold and Yarpen, who have smaller but still essential roles. Ciri, in particular, is an impressive bit of characterization because she's one of the very few children in fiction I don't find annoying.

I like the depiction of Nilfgaard inside the book as they back away from the Nazi-analogues from the previous novel. Instead, Nilfgaard is a ruthless and aggressive dictatorship which has many horrific qualities--but the North isn't much better. More than anything, the Nilfgaard is extremely good at conquering and if they can't get you through one method, they'll try another more subtle one. We also get an introduction to Emperor Emhyr, the secret mastermind behind the invasion, and he is an effective character defined entirely by other's interactions with him. Not since Sauron or the Galactic Empire have I gotten such a strong character feel from someone off-camera.

The Scoia'tael and their role in the book is also well-handled. Sapkowski created a group which has all the hallmarks of a plucky resistance against a racist set of governments but the truth is more complex. They're killing large numbers of innocent people for dubious gains. In the North, peaceful cooperation between the races is a pearl without price and the conflict between them only creates more bodies which does no one any good. Still, you understand where they're coming from and why they believe what they do. Yarpen's scene where he explains his motivations, also, is a real gut-punch for how some people are sacrificing everything in the name of peace (and won't be appreciated for it).

I've mentioned before I'm not a huge fan of the Yennefer and Geralt romance. I think Sapkowski means for them to be a flawed but noble couple but, honestly, I just think they're toxic for one another and would be happier with other people. I, pretty much, prefer ever single other romance for Geralt to her (especially Triss). Despite this, I love Yennefer as a character and enjoyed her scenes with Ciri a great deal. Yennefer is a terrible mother-figure, mostly because she didn't go into it intending to be one at all, but her gradual warming to Ciri reminded me of Angelina Jolie's performance in Maleficent. Who, honestly, wouldn't be a bad pick for playing Yennefer in the imaginary super-big-budget adaptation of the series. Yennefer is a fun, engaging, and witty character I would love to see in future works with or without Geralt.

But I could be talking about this stuff all day. It's a deep-deep book.

In conclusion, Blood of Elves is a great novel. I very much enjoyed it and recommend it to everyone who is a fan of the Witcher series plus fantasy in general. It's not something you'll be able to read, however, without having read the previous two volumes. Likewise, it's a very slow and characterization-driven piece versus event-driven.

10/10

7 people found this helpful

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Kindle Customer

Amazing

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 29, 2023

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Fantastic story. The world he paints with words is such an amazing place I can't get enough of it. I recommend this book and series to anyone and every one. One of my favorite. One of the only series I have started reading over

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Stacy St. Clair

Here starts the real story...

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on December 23, 2022

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...which is so much more compelling than the first two books, wonderful collections of non-sequential short Witcher stories.

Read this!

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FallenGrace

Great start to The Witcher Saga.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on August 1, 2017

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Blood of Elves is the first of five books in The Witcher Saga by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski. Originally written in the mid to late nineties, all five books as of this year are finally released in English so it seemed like a good time to read them all back to back. This series was originally created as part of an entry to a short story competition for a magazine with many short stories published from that. There are two short story collections gathering them with additions I recommend reading first as they provide a lot of background information into the characters and Witcher world. (The first collection is The Last Wish and the second being Sword of Destiny )

The story focuses largely on two characters, Geralt of Rivia, a Witcher (enhanced mercenaries who fight monsters for money) and Princess Cirilla of Cintra, known as Ciri. She has the blood of elves flowing through her and has been destined to be Geralts ward. This blood gives her surprising powers the Witchers don't know how to deal with and have turned to outside help from sorceresses to train her all the while some people are searching for her with seemingly sinister intentions...

The story is excellent and had me pretty hooked from start to finish, the translation feels very well paced and well written with several moments especially with Dandilion the bard really made me laugh. The book isn't especially action heavy (which may disappoint those who have played the computer games based on the series) but takes a pretty in depth look into Ciri's training at the Witcher's Keep of Kaer Morhen as well as introducing the political state of the world as well as several characters from previous short stories like Yarpen and Yennifer.

My one complaint, if you could call it that, is that it still feels like several short stories tied together rather than a full novel, the book is practically in sections and the ending was pretty abrupt but the actual content is excellent and feels like it's building up for the next book which I shall be reading straight away, Time of Contempt .

Recommended.

+ Well written.
+ Good pacing.
+ Great characters.

- Ends pretty abrubtly.

92 people found this helpful

Ben W

Just a bit dull really

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on June 25, 2019

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I read lots of fantasy and sci-fi, although had never read the Witcher books before. I did play a bit of Witcher 3 which provoked me into buying this book and finally reading it. To be honest, I thought it was spectacularly mediocre - so much so that I’ve actually walked away about 2/3 of the way through, and I’m a reader who tries hard not to do that!

Why? Well, it lacks any real narrative thread at all. The construct of short stories joined together doesn’t work as a novel. There is a semblance of investment in world building, but in the main I thought there was lots of unwieldy dialogue masquerading as character-building, whilst manifestly failing to actually do so. No pace, no momentum, no real sense of threat or engagement in the characters, no standout sections to interrupt the tedium.

Just dull, like I say. I never expected to say this, but the game is vastly superior in every respect.

32 people found this helpful

Alexa

What's the hype about?

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on March 5, 2019

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I ordered this book on the recommendation of a friend, and because of the fact that it won the David Gemmell award but I have to say that I am missing what's so great about the book. The idea is good, if a little tired, and the story starts off well - I thought I would enjoy it. But it didn't really go anywhere from there.

There are pages and pages and pages of unnecessary dialogue - literally entire chapters. This seems to be the authors way of filling the reader in on the history and background of the story. But it got to the point where I was just skimming over these bits because they were so long, and the dialogue was between characters that weren't even part of the story. There is so much going on in the background of the story that this seem a clunky way of imparting it to the reader and just left me feeling confused.

Then onto the characters. By the end of the book I didn't feel like I knew or understood any of them. I had no understanding of their history, their motivations or their feelings. I don't really feel like I even know what's going on.

I am honestly baffled by the hundreds of good reviews. There are so many better fantasy books out there.

24 people found this helpful

Luke

Love the characters, plot and even the politics

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on September 11, 2019

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That last point is the biggest winner for this book in my opinion. I'm not one for politics in books, it's why I never finished the Game of Thrones series. Usually I find it relies on too many geographical places, people's names, their titles and who deserves what. However, this book has be intrigued and the author has cleverly explained the politics and the oncoming war (I presume) in layman's terms.

On top of this, I've grown to love the characters ever more and want to know more than ever about them. However, I am hoping for more monsters in the ext book, but I understand this was setting up for a much larger tale to be told.

17 people found this helpful

Uncle Fester

Frustrating read

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on July 13, 2022

Verified Purchase

Having watched and enjoyed the 2 seasons of the Witcher on Netflix I decided to buy the "first" book in the series. This book is definitely NOT the first in the series. In three characters' story arcs there are large chunks missing. How did Ciri flee the city of Cintra? How did she meet with Geralt? What's the link between Geralt and Ciri? And what's with this love/hate relationship between Geralt and Yennefer? This book is book 2 or maybe even 3 of the Witcher series, based on the television series! I found this really frustrating but was thankful I had watched the Netflix serialisation beforehand.

As for the author's style, that too is frustrating! This book feels like half a dozen short stories thrown together with a roughly common thread to form a book!! And then there's the format of the chapters too. One chapter is comprised almost totally of dialogue between a group of characters who have very vaguely been mentioned earlier. This is a mechanism the author uses to move the story forward or explain events. I really didn't like it! Small elements of dialogue you expect, but close to an entire chapter, come on!

The concept behind the Witcher is very clever, and I will certainly watch another season on Netflix. I certainly won't be reading another book in the series.

3 people found this helpful

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