Blood of Elves

The Blood of Elves is filled with all the “usual suspects” one would expect to see in a fantasy novel: the dwarves, the elves, the halflings, the sorceresses. There is an other-worldly menace. There is a hero who is, by turns, taciturn and practical and idealistic. A world living through the Middle Ages with a good dose of fantasy thrown in. So what sets this work apart from all others?

The short answer, I think, is its humanity. There is a real sense that the lives of the main (and the peripheral) characters in this book matter. More, there is a sense that they have lives outside these pages. And the world they live in is (all too often) not a pretty place by any means. There are plots and counter-plots and counter-counter-plots. And people can’t seem to stop behaving cruelly to one another. But somehow their world is not a cheerless place. For in the midst of it all, there is also the triumph of the human spirit. The characters are all compromised by their experiences but often they find the courage to love. And that makes their world and their lives so much better.

It also makes reading this book a wonderful experience. I can’t recommend it enough.

If you like the witcher series these will be great books for you. If you don't play the games though that's okay since the game is based of this book series. In bleed of elves it sets up all the characters we know and love from the games but gives us more background information on how everything started.

If you love fantasy novels, don't hesitate to buy this book. Would it be beneficial to read "The Last Wish" and "The Sword of Destiny" first? Yes, however it is not required, and is still quite an enjoyable read left to its own devices. Highly recommended.

Great read. I would definitely recommend to anyone who is a fan of Game of Thrones or Lord of the Rings.

Let me lend some clarity on the series and chronology...Blood of Elves is Book 1 in the Witcher Saga. Book 2 is "The Time of Contempt", Book 3 "Baptism of Fire", Book 4 "The Swallows Tower", Book 5 "Lady of the Lake", Book 6 is actually a prequel to Blood of Elves.
Since Book 3 wasn't published in English till May 2014, I am assuming that books 4,5, and 6 are going to have to be on the wish list.

Sapkowski's writing style is sometimes hard to follow because he ends the narrative unexpectedly and refers back to other things that have happened in the story but were not explicitly told to the reader. Very tarantino.

Great read. I would definitely recommend to anyone who is a fan of Game of Thrones or Lord of the Rings.

Let me lend some clarity on the series and chronology...Blood of Elves is Book 1 in the Witcher Saga. Book 2 is "The Time of Contempt", Book 3 "Baptism of Fire", Book 4 "The Swallows Tower", Book 5 "Lady of the Lake", Book 6 is actually a prequel to Blood of Elves.
Since Book 3 wasn't published in English till May 2014, I am assuming that books 4,5, and 6 are going to have to be on the wish list.

Sapkowski's writing style is sometimes hard to follow because he ends the narrative unexpectedly and refers back to other things that have happened in the story but were not explicitly told to the reader. Very tarantino.

Incredible continuation of the Witcher series. Now that The Sword of Destiny is out, I HIGHLY recommend reading that book (as well as The Last Wish) before this, as it introduces Ciri and the political events preceding this book. The english translation is surprisingly great, and well written. A great work of literature on top of the interesting fantasy setting.

These books are great. They are the books that the game The Witcher were based off of and both the books and the game are awesome. Very intense and graphic on both accounts. All the key elements to make a great book, Drama, fighting, monsters, heroes, sex, and violence are perfectly captured by the book and ultimately the video game. Highly recommend both.

I haven't finished this yet, but it's substantially better than The Last Wish, the previous book about the Witcher. That book was a loose collection of stories tied together by something that felt incomplete. The whole book felt incomplete--maybe something was lost in translation. This book is an actual story, where things are happening. There is a little less humor, which was probably my favorite thing about The Last Wish.

Both books could use a good primer on what a Witcher is. But this is a good fantasy story, suitable for anyone that likes D&D type books, and great for readers that played the Witcher game.

As a standalone novel, Blood of Elves would not fare well.

But if you've read The Last Wish, and want to read more of the adventures of Geralt, Blood of Elves will satisfy your thirst.

The story is in no way resolved, so I assume there's more on the way.

Good book. The action and intrigue are built for others in the series. The anthology books should be read before this for understanding the characters and relations.
Good read and enjoyable while I am still reading the second book.

"Blood of Elves" is set in the fantasy world popularized by the Witcher video game series. Unlike many of it's counterparts, the books preceded the video games, thus this series gives a deeper perspective and understanding to the world portrayed in the games.I have enjoyed playing the video games spawned by these books, and was hopeful the books would be even better. To say I was completely underwhelmed would be a massive understatement. Perhaps my expectations were set too high to ever be completely attained.

The book starts out in chaos - disjointed segments and memories from Ciri, the princess Cintra, whose capital had been decimated by the invading Nilfgaardians. Normally, starting a book like this isn't a problem as the gaps are filled in during the course of the novel. Not so in this book. There were questions aroused in the first chapter that were never answered to my satisfaction.. Who was the Black Knight? What did he do to Ciri? How did she end up with Geralt? Why did Geralt think she was the child prophesized to change the world, for good or evil? What is the connection between Dandilion the bard and Geralt?

Also, there is very little action in this offering. The title not withstanding, there is only one small skirmish with the elves. Instead, the book concentrates more on Ciri's training and Triss' providing her the mothers touch she so obviously is lacking, as well as the political machinations of the various factions involved. Still, I think these mundane portions had to be included for a greater overall understanding, but maybe less of these would have sufficed. Also, my copy did not have a map, which would have been especially useful when the differing factions were making their plans I had no idea where these different areas were or what factions were in close proximity of them.

And then there is Geralt. His actions did not disappoint. Possessed of uncanny fighting ability, his quiet demeanor made him seem all the more dangerous. Also, I never realized just how much of a stud he was. It seemed his mere presence would cause many a wench to drop her knickers. Triss, Yennefer, and Shani all succumb, and Ciri is also willing even though she is only 13.

Overall, only an average read in my opinion. Not enough action and too much politics. Also, the ending was so very much unsatisfying for my taste, screaming "sequel" so loud it hurt my ears. I don't mind books in a series so much, but the good ones can be read as stand alone novels if one chooses not to read the whole series. Not so with this book. With the ending and so many unanswered questions, one must definitely read further for the story to be satisfying. I don't think knowledge of the video games is critical to enjoying this novel, but familiarity with the games would certainly add to the enjoyment. I did enjoy the video games, and this book did help somewhat with the background to those games, but I felt it could have been handled much better.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys the fantasy genre. The writing is exceptional throughout, especially during the action scenes. The only dislike I had is that when many new characters are introduced all at once, like when the Chapter meets, it can be a little confusing. Other than that, amazing read.

Great book! Love the entire series! I'm halfway through the last book and am already sad that I won't be able to read anymore :/. However, there's another one coming out next year in the english translation so there's that to look forward to!

Totally great read. I really love to see how Geralt's life and actions end up affecting the entire existence of humanity, all through the hands of a preteen girl. The first female witcher! Just as well written as the first. Very impressed with the translations to English for Blood of Elves and The Last Wish. Even if you're not a game geek, this is a great read.

An excellent example of the fine work done by this polish author. Its a pity more of his work has not been translated. While the video game was inspired by the book, the book(s) are a stand-alone piece of fiction to be enjoyed. I recommend a pairing with dark beer.

This is the novel that started it all - the Witcher. This is NOT a video game tie-in novel - in the case of the Witcher, the books came first.

And if you have never played the game, don't worry - this book predates it by decades. The Witcher Saga (of which this is the first book) has inspired many authors and helped define the genre of "low fantasy" - which now includes such famous book as "A Song of Fire and Ice." If you like the Game of Thrones, you will likely enjoy the Witcher as well (and possibly more - I find Sapkowski's style far more reader friendly).

This novel begins the tale of Ciri, a girl recruited by Geralt of Rivia to become a Witcher (a monster hunter for hire). This novel sets the stage for those that follow. It is a bit slow compared to the other books in the series (such as Times of Contempt) but remains an excellent character piece with plenty of action and adventure.

Kinda left me hanging. To much build up on character story line not enough action. I did buy the next book in the series and started to read it even though I also had the new R.A.Salvator novel next in my reading list. So still good