Andrzej Sapkowski’s next Witcher book gets weird December 1 release date confirmation

Andrzej Sapkowski's next Witcher book gets weird December 1 release date confirmation

As a long-time fan of the Witcher series and someone who has followed its every move since the early days, I must say that the news about the Polish release date for the next Witcher book has left me both intrigued and a bit skeptical. On one hand, it’s exciting to know that we might be getting new Geralt stories so soon – especially given how much we’ve all been missing the world of the Continent these past few years. But on the other hand, I can’t help but feel a twinge of concern about the timing and lack of information surrounding this release.

2024 has been relatively uneventful for enthusiasts of “The Witcher”, but that’s set to change significantly. Currently, Netflix is wrapping up the filming for the fourth season of its “Witcher” TV series; in this installment, Geralt of Rivia will be portrayed by Liam Hemsworth, and we can’t wait to see how it unfolds. Additionally, an animated spinoff movie titled “The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep” was initially scheduled for release this year but has been pushed back to February 2025. On the gaming side, CD Projekt Red is actively working on their next game, codenamed “Polaris“, which is rumored to be a sequel to “The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt” focusing on a character other than Geralt.

Additionally, we find ourselves delving into the realm of literature, where it all started. The renowned author Andrzej Sapkowski has penned a fresh Witcher novel featuring Geralt of Rivia. While specifics are scarce, Sapkowski has verified that this work won’t serve as a direct sequel to the concluded Witcher Saga, but rather another “side story.” This upcoming novel is expected to delve into an independent adventure or episode in Geralt’s early monster-hunting days, much like the 2018 release titled The Season of Storms.

Andri Sapkowski completed penning his new Witcher book in August. Previously, Sapkowski announced that it would appear on Polish bookshelves towards the end of 2024, with international translations emerging early in 2025. Now we have some additional details regarding its publication: specifically, “in the first days of December,” as stated by Sapkowski himself.

Andrzej Sapkowski's next Witcher book gets weird December 1 release date confirmation

The Witcher author confirms release date of next book

This information stems from the Freedom Games event held in Łódź, Poland, which was Sapkowski’s hometown. During this event on October 18, he participated in a panel. After his presentation, audience members asked Sapkowski some questions, including one from a representative of the Witcherland (Wiedźminlandia) fan page on Facebook who inquired about the title of the next Witcher book and whether Sapkowski needed to revisit his past writings when preparing to write it. Kudos to Gry-online for transcribing this, with supplementary details sourced from Wiedźminlandia.

In his own words, Sapkowski shared that he works swiftly from the end, then mentioned he occasionally revisits his past works technically. He went on to discuss the details of his upcoming book but refrained from disclosing its title. The reason behind this secrecy is due to his publisher’s strict marketing rules, which prevent him from revealing any additional information about the book until the embargo lifts.

It wouldn’t be surprising if publishers had scheduled announcements about novel details such as titles and release dates, particularly for a highly anticipated series like The Witcher. However, what piques curiosity is when Sapkowski mentioned the release date himself.

This is approximately the book’s release date – early December. First days of December, as far as I know. The book should be in bookstores [then]. But this is the only information I can, I am able to provide, because the publisher has influence on me.
Andrzej Sapkowski

As a dedicated Witcher fan, I’ve got some exciting news! The legendary author Andrzej Sapkowski has revealed that the newest Witcher book is set to drop in Poland on the first of December. That’s right, mark your calendars, folks! This tidbit isn’t just any rumor; it’s coming straight from Redanian Intelligence, a trusted source for all things Witcher.

It seems there might be some discrepancy in what Sapkowski actually said, as compared to the transcription we have, which states “the first days of December.” If this translation is accurate (I triple-checked), then it appears New Fantasy Knowledge has information that the rest of us don’t. This could mean there’s some peculiar circumstances at play, so let’s delve a bit deeper to uncover the truth.

Andrzej Sapkowski's next Witcher book gets weird December 1 release date confirmation

Is the Polish release date for the next Witcher book actually December 1 or what?

Upon learning about the release date for the new Witcher book, I was taken aback. Although we were aware that it was supposedly set to come out in Poland around December, given the lack of information available so far and us being nearly in November, I had anticipated a potential delay until 2025. It’s rare for a significant series like The Witcher not to have its title revealed less than two months before the release date in countries such as the United States and the UK. Keep in mind that without a title, release date, or store listing, fans can’t preorder the book, which is an essential factor that many western publishers use to gauge the impact of a new release.

A comparable situation is that of Brandon Sanderson’s fifth novel in the “Stormlight Archive” series, titled “Wind and Truth,” which will be released on December 6. The title was announced a year ago by Tor, with the cover art unveiled in late August. It’s likely that preorders were opened around the same time. All these steps are crucial to give the book a strong marketing campaign, maximizing its reach by the publication day.

In the U.S. and UK, it appears the publishing process is more traditional, taking a longer time. However, the Polish publishing industry seems to be more agile, capable of adapting to quicker turnarounds, as demonstrated by Wiedźminlandia’s discovery that articles about “Season of Storms” were released only 11 days before its Polish publication on November 6, 2013. Given this flexibility, the timeline for Sapkowski’s upcoming “Witcher” book seems reasonable.

However, I will give one other bit of caution for the road: December 1 is a Sunday. I have no idea if Polish bookstores have specific days of the week they typically get in new releases (it’s Tuesdays in the U.S. and Thursdays in the UK), but that seems worth noting. Perhaps, as mentioned, the nimbleness of the Polish publishing industry means they can just roll with whatever day of the week they want. Perhaps The Witcher is a big enough series that they can choose an odd day for the launch, similar to how Brandon Sanderson’s Wind and Truth is releasing on a Friday to align with this year’s Dragonsteel Nexus convention.

It appears there’s some confusing and unusual information about this release date, so I would tentatively mark December 1 as the possible release date in Poland. However, I suggest using a pen with an erasable tip until we receive an official confirmation. I expect to hear something regarding this by November 22nd’s issue of Nowa Fantastyka, though it might be earlier.

Concerning the release of the upcoming “Witcher” novel in other countries, it seems we might be looking at a 2025 launch initially, but given that publishers are already promoting books for early 2025 and there’s been no word about Andrzej Sapkowski’s new “Witcher” book, there’s a possibility of a later release. It could even be during the summer or fall to potentially coincide with the possible premiere date for “The Witcher” season 4 on Netflix. Stay tuned for updates as more details emerge.

2024-10-21 20:42