Crossroads of Ravens is a prequel novel in Andrzej Sapkowski’s The Witcher book series. Chronologically, the events featured in this entry show the earliest presentation of Geralt, with the UK publisher Gollancz marketing this with the tagline: ‘Every legend has an origin. Geralt of Rivia’s begins here’. 

Having not long left the Witchers’ training school of Kaer Morhen, the young and inexperienced monster hunter Geralt finds himself about to be executed by hanging. The witcher’s crime? On the previous day, he rescued a peasant and his daughter from deserters. The latter was about to be raped. During this altercation, one of the brigands attacked, and in self-defence, Geralt killed him. Luckily, just before Geralt is strung up and left dangling as a warning to other wrongdoers, a mysterious rider named Preston Holt challenges the authority. After a formidable display, a perplexed Geralt leaves the scene with this enigmatic newcomer. From this introduction, the tone is set that this is a dangerous and corrupt environment where power is key. Geralt has much to learn about how this world works and what a witcher’s place in it looks like. 

Crossroads of Ravens is written in the third person with an omniscient narrator. The narrator is thoughtful, candid, and often humorous with comments such as ‘something Geralt also didn’t know’ or ‘He couldn’t know they were the ruins of an ancient shrine’. The effect of this is to illustrate that Geralt is currently a novice and quite oblivious to the intricacies and intrigues that he will understand later in his life. At this time, he will need to adhere to the advice and guidance of his rescuer, Preston Holt. I found Holt to be a fascinating character with an interesting backstory, leaving lots of questions surrounding his behaviour and motives.   

The first half of Crossroads of Ravens reads as a collection of monster-hunting missions, quest-like objectives, and presents excellent insight into the workings of the witcher trade. Holt and Geralt have some training and bonding moments, and, although familiar in origin stories, they are charming and work well. Geralt reflects that some of his first kills were more luck than skill, and we even discover how the banking system works. These elements showcase a raw and vulnerable side to the witcher, creating empathy as we are learning the ropes alongside him. In Crossroads of Ravens, there are more monster-hunting segments than any of the other Witcher novels, and each accomplishment adds respect and renown to Geralt’s reputation. 

Fans of CD Projekt Red’s The Witcher games who have not read one of Sapkowski’s novels before could start with Crossroads of Ravens and find a lot to enjoy. They may feel right at home with the monster hunts, quests, conversations that take the witcher from speaking with peasants to the societal elites, as well as the complex decision-making in this tale. In fact, until about the halfway point, I was unsure where the story was going. Each chapter reads similarly to a mission in the games, but it does work towards an intriguing and enjoyable second half. It is worth noting that there are a large number of characters, and aside from Holt and a handful of others, some of the players were indistinguishable or unremarkable. 

Crossroads of Ravens features some dynamic and memorable set-pieces and many clever easter eggs for long-time series fans. These include foreshadowing that Geralt may have some trouble with sorceresses in the future and revealing where the name Roach comes from. The dialogue in Crossroads of Ravens is excellent. You can almost hear the emotions in interactions with Geralt, whether loathing, distrust, or respect. Geralt builds good favour with some and contempt from others. 

This is a tale worth paying full attention to because, although some parts seem redundant initially, everything contributes towards the novel’s mostly satisfying conclusion. Towards the end, Crossroads of Ravens is gripping and thrilling, and the pacing throughout most of the book is efficient. The ending, however, seemed too abrupt. The finale reads as if a couple of objectives were completed, scores were settled, and then on to the next one. This left me feeling slightly off balance, yet, this could be intentional by Sapkowski, reflecting that this is not a neat world where things go as expected. 

To conclude, I had an enjoyable experience with Crossroads of Ravens, returning to this exquisite dark fantasy world. It was a good standalone reading experience and I enjoyed reading about a young and flawed Geralt in these early adventures. For potential readers who are already familiar with Geralt, either through the TV series or video games, this is a great place to start your reading adventure. If readers are completely unfamiliar with Geralt, I would suggest Sapkowski’s short story collection The Last Wish as better entrance points to this legend of fantasy’s complicated and intriguing exploits. 

I received a review copy of Crossroads of Ravens in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Andrzej Sapkowski and Gollancz.

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