The War Shelf
Find your next book

Books Like The Witcher

6 books to read after The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski, sorted by what you loved about it.

6 books By Sandro Andreatta, historian Updated

You loved

The Last Wish

Andrzej Sapkowski

Geralt of Rivia, a professional monster hunter. A folklore-inflected secondary world shaped by humans, monsters and political conflict.

Official English starting point for The Witcher books; an interconnected short-story collection.

Get your personal match

If you loved: dark humour and dangerous fantasy travel

Cover of The Blacktongue ThiefThe Blacktongue Thief

The Blacktongue Thief

Christopher Buehlman Start with Blacktongue, volume 1.

Editorial match

What it is
Kinch, a male thief; Galva is a prominent female veteran companion, not the narrator. Secondary-world journey through a landscape shaped by goblin wars.
Why it fits
An irreverent voice moves through a violent secondary world filled with monsters and war.
The difference
Kinch is a thief on a continuous journey; The Last Wish is episodic and centred on Geralt.

On the shelfSee who recommends it

If you loved: cynical fantasy and moral compromise

The First Law — original trilogy

Joe Abercrombie Start with The Blade Itself; trilogy continues with Before They Are Hanged and Last Argument of Kings.

Recommended by book creators or readers

What it is
Ensemble, prominently male veterans/officers and an inquisitor; not a single-protagonist story. Secondary-world kingdoms, warfare and government intrigue; exact historical-period label not assigned.
Why it fits
Both treat violence, power and compromised choices with dark humour.
The difference
Abercrombie’s novel is a multi-character continuous plot rather than linked monster stories.

If you loved: soldiers and morally compromised worlds

Cover of The Black CompanyThe Black Company

The Black Company

Glen Cook Start with Start with The Black Company; the early sequence continues with Shadows Linger and The White Rose.

Editorial match

What it is
Croaker, male physician and annalist of a mercenary company. Secondary-world conflict involving a mercenary company and powerful sorcerous rulers.
Why it fits
Supernatural conflict is filtered through people doing dangerous work for uncertain powers.
The difference
Croaker’s mercenary chronicle is more military and less folkloric.

On the shelfSee who recommends it

If you loved: fantasy from the supposed monsters’ perspective

Cover of Orcs: First BloodOrcs: First Blood

Orcs: First Blood

Stan Nicholls Start with English omnibus of the First Blood trilogy; individual opening volume is Bodyguard of Lightning.

Editorial match

What it is
Stryke leads the Wolverines, an orc warband including Coilla, Haskeer, Jup and Alfray. Maras-Dantia, a secondary world populated by humans, orcs, elves, dwarves and other peoples.
Why it fits
Both complicate familiar fantasy creatures and moral categories.
The difference
Nicholls follows an orc warband; Sapkowski’s focus is one professional hunter.

If you loved: investigation in a world shaped by gods

Cover of City of StairsCity of Stairs

City of Stairs

Robert Jackson Bennett Start with First Divine Cities novel.

Editorial match

What it is
Shara Thivani, a spy working under diplomatic cover. Bulikov, a city living under the power that defeated its gods.
Why it fits
A protagonist confronts strange cases whose stakes reach into history and power.
The difference
Political murder and divine aftermath replace monster contracts and folklore.

On the shelfSee who recommends it

If you loved: a fantastical investigation

Cover of The Tainted CupThe Tainted Cup

The Tainted Cup

Robert Jackson Bennett Start with First Ana and Din novel.

Recommended by book creators or readers

What it is
Investigator Ana Dolabra and her assistant Din. An empire threatened by leviathans.
Why it fits
Both can appeal to readers who want unusual threats investigated through a capable protagonist.
The difference
The Tainted Cup is a secondary-world murder mystery with a detective partnership, not episodic folklore.

FAQ

What should I read after The Last Wish?

It depends on what you loved about it. For dark humour and dangerous fantasy travel: The Blacktongue Thief by Christopher Buehlman. For cynical fantasy and moral compromise: The First Law — original trilogy by Joe Abercrombie. For soldiers and morally compromised worlds: The Black Company by Glen Cook.

How many books like The Witcher are on this page?

6 books, grouped by what readers loved about The Last Wish. Each one says why it fits, what is different and who backs the recommendation.

How this list is made: every match comes from Sandro's research catalog, which records who recommends what (book creators, readers, book sites) and an editorial comparison of what each book offers. Matches marked "Editorial match" are his own comparison. Recommendations cannot be bought.