In early December of 2024, The Witcher author Andrzej Sapkowski released his first new book in the series in more than a decade: Rozdroże Kruków, which translates to Crossroads of Ravens. The book only came out in Poland at the time, but there was never any doubt that it would eventually make its way to the rest of the world. Now, we finally know when it'll be hitting shelves in the United States, the UK, and beyond: September 30, 2025.
Fantasy publisher Orbit announced today in a press release that they had acquired the rights to publish Crossroads of Ravens in the U.S. while Gollancz will print it in the UK. Along with these two English editions, which will release in print and ebook, 19 other international publishers will release the novel in various translations across the globe. Sapkowski landed a seven-figure deal for this wider release of his latest Witcher book, and it sounds like the publishers are going to pull out all the stops to make it a big deal.
As for what we can expect in Crossroads of Ravens, the book is set during the early days of Geralt's monster hunting career, before he's developed the grizzled exterior we all know and love. Here's the official description from the press release:
"CROSSROADS OF RAVENS (ROZDROŻE KRUKÓW) is a perfect entry point for new readers, and an unmissable must-read for longtime fans. This standalone novel follows an eighteen-year-old Geralt of Rivia, the iconic Witcher who has captivated audiences across 8 books, numerous short stories, the record-breaking video games by CD Projekt Red, and Netflix’s hit series—all called The Witcher. On his first mission from the Witcher stronghold of Kaer Morhen, Geralt will discover monsters, traitors, some new friends and some familiar faces, and just how deeply feared and despised Witchers can be. This landmark publication, the first new Witcher novel published in English in 7 years, will be supported by a coordinated global release. Hachette will be working with the PPLA and its other international publishing partners to make it a global publishing event."
Crossroads of Ravens is about Geralt's first mission as a witcher
The overall Witcher Saga concluded back in The Lady of the Lake, which was published in Poland in 1999 and the U.S. in 2017. That wrapped up Geralt's story in a fairly conclusive way. Since then, Sapkowski has been dipping his toes into "sidequels" or other stories which are set during different eras of the witcher's life, such as Season of Storms, which hit shelves in Poland in 2013 and the U.S. in 2018. That novel was set in the middle of all The Witcher short stories, but this new book Crossroads of Ravens will go back even further, to Geralt's very first mission.
“In Rozdroże Kruków, 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," Sapkowski said in a statement. "Imagine Geralt, but younger, with fewer scars and a bit more haughtiness. 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 being translated into English by David French, who translated six of the original eight books in the series. French is also working on brand new translations for The Last Wish and Blood of Elves, the first Witcher short story collection and novel, respectively. Those two books were originally translated by Danusia Stok, and there are some linguistic differences between the two translators' works, such as the spelling of certain names. Presumably, this will bring all current English Witcher translations into a more unified form, especially since The Last Wish had some of the most obvious translation issues.
Details for the re-releases of Blood of Elves and The Last Wish are slim right now, but I'd guess they'll factor in somehow to the marketing push for Crossroads of Ravens, since all three of those books are feasible entry points into Sapkowski's fantasy world. Given that Netflix is also releasing season 4 of its Witcher television show at some point later this year, I'd wager we're going to be seeing quite a lot of Geralt of Rivia in late 2025.
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