Summary
- Author Andrzej Sapkowski will release a new standalone Witcher book, Crossroad of Ravens, focusing on young Geralt.
- Netflix hinted at more Witcher spinoffs as the main show’s reception dwindles, sparking excitement for the new book.
- Crossroad of Ravens is set for international release in September 2022, and is poised to be a major fantasy genre event.
The Witcher franchise’s latest video game has left some fans of the Netflix show pining for something new on the streaming end, and the latest addition to the Witcher IP is sure to be an answer to those prayers down the line.
The Witcher is one of the most well-loved fantasy franchises in the world, with Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski’s series of fantasy novels growing into a full-on multimedia empire in no small part thanks to their popularity in the English-speaking market and the highly successful video game series from CD Projekt Red. Thanks to this massive popularity, Netflix would take on the challenge of adapting the book series into live-action with Henry Cavill cast as the show’s lead, Geralt de Rivia. Cavill would eventually exit the project with creative differences cited in reporting on the matter, but the show would go on with Liam Hemsworth in the lead role. Netflix would also release a few spin-offs within the franchise, including using the animated feature Nightmare of the Wolf to explore character origins.
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Despite the show’s dwindling reception, The Witcher’s showrunner teased more possible spinoffs after season five on Netflix, and now there’s a clear winner as to what that next spinoff project should be. Fans of the Polish fantasy masterwork were recently informed that Sapkowski was penning a new book in the iconic franchise titled Crossroad of Ravens, which is set to serve as a standalone companion of sorts to the mainline Witcher books. As per Hachette Book Group, the company that secured the rights for English language publishing in the US, the upcoming book will be “a perfect entry point for new readers, and an unmissable must-read for longtime fans.” Longtime fans will indeed find the book a must-read, as Sapkowski himself revealed in a statement concerning the upcoming project. “In [Crossroad of Ravens], I return to the roots of Geralt’s journey — not the fearless monster slayer we know, but a young Witcher just beginning to understand the burden of his destiny. Imagine Geralt, but younger, with fewer scars and a bit more haughtiness,” the author opined.
This is a story of growth, of idealism meeting harsh reality, and of choices that forge a legend. It’s about finding your place in a world that’s constantly challenging you to be more than you thought you could be. As this new story finds its way to readers across the globe this year, I can’t wait for them to walk alongside a younger Geralt—experiencing the trials that forged him and the journey that set him on the road to his destiny.
Crossroads of Ravens is set to be released by multiple publishers in many different languages across international markets simultaneously in September, which has been forecast to be the year’s biggest event in the fantasy genre. For fans of Netflix’s live-action show and its spin-offs, this also means a whole new, masterfully written adventure for everyone’s favorite Witcher that’s ripe for adaptation. The mainline show lost some of its steam when the lead was recast, and the spin-offs haven’t been runaway successes either. With Netflix’s most recent animated take on The Witcher also proving to be divisive among viewers, the streamer and the fans could both use another story from Sapkowski to sink their teeth into, and Crossroads of Ravens will undoubtedly satisfy both parties.
With the modern content landscape, it’s not a matter of if Crossroad of Ravens will be adapted, but rather when, by whom, and how well the work is done. A lot of fans will agree that Netflix’s The Witcher suffered by ignoring Cavill’s novel-informed sensibilities, but it’ll be a lot easier to toe the line with a standalone project that won’t have to be paced or adjusted to fit into a wider work like the mainline adaptation was. Sapkowski is a world-renowned writer, and if Netflix (or any other interested party) can snag the rights to adapt his latest work and do it justice, it will be an easy win for them in theaters or on streaming.
The Witcher is available to stream on Netflix.
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Source: Hachette Book Group