The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt marked its tenth anniversary on May 19, and publisher CD Projekt celebrated this milestone with a special anniversary stream featuring Doug Cockle, the voice actor of Geralt. The event showcased a breathtaking new trailer and announced price reductions for The Witcher 3 across platforms, making it more accessible for those who haven’t yet joined the 50 million players who have already bought the game. While many might feel inclined to start another adventure in The Witcher 3, consider instead immersing yourself in the original books that inspired CD Projekt Red’s acclaimed games.
I purchased The Witcher 3 five years ago, but to prevent a repeat of the Game of Thrones experience (where I foolishly watched the series before reading the novels), I dedicated myself to reading the entire book series before diving into the game. I’m incredibly thankful I did! Andrzej Sapkowski’s two collections of short stories and six novels weave a rich narrative that adds context and depth to the events of The Witcher 3.
Approaching The Witcher 3 without having read the books could diminish the emotional resonance of many characters and quests throughout the game. Take Geralt and Yennefer, for example. Their destinies are intertwined as a result of the short story “The Last Wish,” where Geralt’s wish binds them closely. The quest in The Witcher 3 under the same name explores the wish’s implications from Yennefer’s perspective, leaving her with uncertainties about their true relationship. This leads to one of the game’s most compelling quests — an experience that would lose much of its emotional weight for players who haven’t followed their journey from the beginning. Their love story, marked by both joy and pain, is meant to be profound, regardless of any magical intervention.
Delving into the short stories and novels also introduces you to some of the most memorable supporting characters in the Witcher universe. The later books focus on Geralt’s quest to locate the elusive Ciri, accompanied by his Hansa, a band reminiscent of the Fellowship of the Ring, featuring an array of fascinating characters. While Dandelion is well-known from the games, the Hansa also includes the brave Nilfgaardian soldier Cahir and my personal favorite, Milva, a human ally of the primarily elvish guerilla group Scoia’tael. Each character within Geralt’s Hansa is richly developed, making the books worthwhile for them alone.
With The Witcher 4 still a long way off, now is the ideal time to explore Sapkowski’s eight-book series (with a ninth one on the horizon!). Not only will reading these books enhance your experience of The Witcher 3, but they also clarify why Ciri’s story is central to this saga. Although the narrative is mainly from Geralt’s point of view and you play as him in the games, his role in the novels serves to advance Ciri’s storyline, rescuing her from the designs of evil figures like Emhyr and Vilgefortz, who seek to exploit her Elder Blood for their personal agendas.
