In most Witcher media, Geralt is portrayed as a slightly older man, albeit one that has been able to age much more slowly thanks to his mutations. However, the next Witcher book will recount the character’s earliest adventures. The Witcher: Crossroads of Ravens is a prequel written by creator Andrzej Sapkowski. The book was released in Poland last December, and it will be translated into English on September 30th. That still leaves fans with a few months left to wait, but the cover has now been shared online, and it features young Geralt front and center.
The version of Geralt that appears on the cover of The Witcher: Crossroads of Ravens still bears a close resemblance to the character fans know and love. Notably, his hair is still just as white as it appears throughout the series. It’s been established that the color has nothing to do with Geralt’s age in the present, but rather the mutagens that have been injected into his body. There’s always a challenge in depicting a younger take on a familiar character, as the artist has to make them look familiar, yet distinctly different. The cover for Crossroads of Ravens does an excellent job of just that.
The Witcher: Crossroads of Ravens takes place in the year 1229, when Geralt is an 18-year-old graduate from Kaer Morhen. The book’s story sees Geralt taken under the wing of a Witcher named Preston Holt, and tells how the character grew into his role. Interestingly enough, the book’s release last year helped settle a long standing debate among the fan community. There had been speculation for years about Geralt’s actual age, with the show and video games both implying that the character was over 100. However, Crossroads of Ravens establishes that Geralt is just 57 by the time that the last book concludes. That doesn’t change much, but it does offer an interesting perspective on the character’s history throughout Sapkowski’s other Witcher works.
It’s unclear whether The Witcher: Crossroads of Ravens will have any kind of impact on other media connected to the series. Given that the Netflix show is winding down, and The Witcher 4 video game is still pretty far away, it’s hard to say. For the time being, if you want to learn about Geralt’s earliest adventures, Crossroads of Ravens is the only place to do so.
Regardless, fans should be pretty excited to have this book finally translated into English. It’s been a long wait, and there have been plenty of spoilers online over the last few months. However, if you’ve managed to stay spoiler free and are eager to check out the book for yourself, preorders for The Witcher: Crossroads of Ravens are available on Amazon right here.
Are you planning to check out The Witcher: Crossroads of Ravens later this year? What do you think of this take on a younger Geralt? Share your thoughts with me directly on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!
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