The son of a librarian, Chris M. Arnone's love of books was as inevitable as gravity. He holds an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Missouri - Kansas City. His cyberpunk series, The Jayu City Chronicles, is available everywhere books are sold. My Name Was Baby: An Intersex Memoir, is forthcoming in 2026 from Plainspoken Books. You can find him writing more books, poetry, and acting in Kansas City. You can also follow him on social media (Facebook, Goodreads, Instagram, Bluesky, TikTok, website).
Orbit, publishers of Andrzej Sapkowski’s Witcher series
This fall, Andrzej Sapkowski returned to the world of The Witcher with Crossroads of Ravens, a new novel following a young Geralt of Rivia—and the perfect entry point for anyone curious about the series. For holiday gifting, Orbit’s premium hardcover editions of the Witcher books offer a gorgeous way to experience the saga, including illustrated editions of The Last Wish and Sword of Destiny. Whether you’re shopping for a devoted fantasy reader or someone who loved the show or games, these hardcovers bring Sapkowski’s world to life on the shelf. The complete set makes a standout gift for any fantasy fan.
The Witcher is back on Netflix. Granted, Geralt has a new face and voice courtesy of Liam Hemsworth replacing Henry Cavill in the titular role, but all the grunts, magic, nudity, and monster-slaying are back. With that, there’s always renewed interest in the source material, the book series from Andrzej Sapkowski.
But of course, that’s not enough for any fantasy reader. Yes, you should totally read Sapkowski’s books. But you want more. More monsters. More magic. More sexy good fantasy times. More of the political intrigue and kingdom-spanning wars that makes that series so good.
Fortunately, I’m here to bring you eight other books to bring The Witcher vibes into your reading life. Let’s dive in.
The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie
This epic fantasy is dark, twisted, and full of horrible characters. So, pretty much just like The Witcher. This novel shifts between several fascinating points of view. Glokta is an inquisitor and torturer. Bayaz is an old wizard with a pathetic assistant. Captain Luthar is more selfish than brave. Logen Ninefingers is a barbarian of unparalleled infamy, though right now, he’s just trying to survive. These four are on a collision course that is certain to be bloody and treacherous.
The Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe
This is a classic that doesn’t bring the monster vibes so much as the lone, reluctant, and stoic hero who finds himself in over his head. Severian is an apprentice in the torturer’s guild until one day, he commits the greatest crime his guild knows: showing mercy. Cast out with a limited and specific set of skills, Severian wanders the countryside, soon finding himself pulled into the political machinations of the land and finding that war is as good a place as any to ply his trade.
Brighter than Scale, Swifter than Flame by Neon Yang
This recent novella is bringing one of the hallmarks of The Witcher: monsters in all their forms, including surprising ways. Yeva is a legendary dragon hunter, gifted and well trained. She hasn’t removed her armor in public since her first kill. Now, she’s dispatched to Quanbao, a reclusive kingdom rumored to revere dragons rather than fear them. Yeva has a dragon to kill, though Quanbao’s queen, Lady Sookhee, may have a problem with that. As the two grow closer, Yeva’s quarry comes into focus. Who can survive?
Claymore by Norihiro Yagi
How could I make this list and not include at least one manga, particularly one that is frequently described as “the lady Witcher?” In the fictional world of Yoma, monsters shaped like humans wander and beleaguer the land. Humanity’s only defense is Claymores, women with superhuman powers and enormous swords. Clare is one such woman, the lowest-ranked of them all, but she might be the key to saving all of Yoma.
The First Binding by R.R. Virdi
While Geralt certainly grows into a hero over the course of The Witcher books, he feels more like an agent of chaos or even anti-hero early on. Sometimes, those are the best characters, like in this book. Ari is the destroyer of villages and killer of gods, he is quick-tempered and obsessed with knowledge. This narrative flips back and forth between past and present, slowly unfurling the method to Ari’s madness, and how very justified he is in his Machiavellian quest.
Monstress by Marjorie Lui, Sana Takeda
Oh, does this book have monsters in spades. Just look at that title! It’s also an absolutely gorgeous comic book series. Maika is a teen with an incredible link to a powerful monster. In the matriarchal society in which she lives, the Arcanics and Federation have been at war for ages. Maika is torn between these two worlds, an Arcanic who looks human. Maika’s strange appearance and power is just part of a bigger secret, one that will keep Maika in the middle of a massive power struggle.
Uprooted by Naomi Novik
This book may seem like an unusual choice, but a major theme of The Witcher is looking at who and what the real monsters are. This book hits that theme perfectly. A dark and powerful entity constantly threatens the valley, held back only by a local wizard known only as Dragon for defense. But every decade, the Dragon demands a sacrificial woman. As the day approaches, Agnieszka is afraid that her best friend will be chosen, but Agnieszka has it all wrong.
Witch King by Martha Wells
Morally gray characters? Big magic? Monsters? This book checks all The Witcher boxes. Kai-Enna was murdered. He did get better, but he’s mad about it. His consciousness sleeping, he’s suddenly awakened from his water trap when a lesser mage is trying to take Kai’s vast magic. Kai is the Witch King, after all. Now that Kai is awake, he’s trying to wrap his mind around the vastly changed world. He also wants to know who murdered him.
What are some of your favorite monstrous books? You in for monster slaying? Monster sexy times? Monsters of questionable intention? I think they’re all great.
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