The Witcher Author Defends George R.R. Martin’s Winds of Winter Delays

The Witcher creator and author Andrzej Sapkowski will be releasing his newest entry in The Witcher franchise stateside later this year, and he’s certainly no stranger to outside adaptations of his work, as Netflix is currently filming the final seasons of the show and CD Projekt Red is working on The Witcher 4. Another creator and author who is familiar with this process is George R.R. Martin, who has seen his work adapted in Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon, and numerous video and mobile games. Martin has taken a lot of flak for his long-in-development The Winds of Winter, and Sapkowski came to his defense and understands where he might be coming from (via Redanian Intelligence).

Sapkowski spoke at the Opole book festival, and early in the panel, he got ahead of any questions regarding whether he was going to write another book after the recent release of Crossroads of Ravens. Sapkowski assures everyone he will write another book, and that’s when he brings up Martin and the long-delayed project.

Play video

“If anyone in the audience asks that kind of question, I’ll tell you right now: I will write something else. Relax. No need to fear. And unlike George R. R. Martin, whom, by the way, I know personally, when I say I’ll write something, I will,” Sapkowski said.

That’s when Sapkowski talks about Martin’s situation in regards to Winds of Winter, saying that he totally understands him and he would likely feel the same way about finishing a book when a series being adapted from it gets ahead of the core material.

Read Next

The Witcher 3’s Doug Cockle Addresses Ciri Taking Over in Witcher 4 and Geralt’s Future

“And also, listen, just between us I totally understand him. Because if someone had pulled a stunt like that on me, filming a series based on my books, and then getting ahead of what I intended to write, I’d also be wondering whether there’s any point in writing anymore. If it’s already been done, right? Makes no sense. It’s nice when they adapt your work, that’s the author’s bloody right, but to adapt what doesn’t exist yet, to extrapolate like that? That’s just indecent,” Sapkowski said.

The Next Chapter

As for the next Witcher story, that will take place in Crossroads of Ravens, which is actually set in the past. It will feature a younger Geralt during a key time in his life as a Witcher, as this won’t be the White Wolf of legend we’ve come to know over the years. Instead, fans will meet someone still attempting to process who he is and what his destiny will be in a harsh world, and Sapkowski is excited to bring this unrevealed chapter to life.

In the original announcement, Sapkowski said, “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. 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,” Sapkowski said.

Crossroads of Ravens will release in the States on September 30th, and you can pre-order the new book right here.

What do you think of Sapkowski’s comments and how the Game of Thrones adaptation was handled? Let us know in the comments, and you can talk all things Witcher with me on Bluesky @knightofoa!