The success of Andrzej Sapkowski’s Witcher novels is a pretty unlikely story. First appearing in short story form in the mid-1980s, they inspired a series of increasingly popular video games from CD Projekt Red starring the titular Witcher, Geralt of Rivia. And now we’re getting a Netflix streaming series as well. This made us wonder what other European fantasy books are out there waiting for their turn in the sun, so we cracked out the library card and reached out to fantasy experts to assemble a winter reading list of other Euro sword & sorcery novels for Witcher fans.
Kosingas: Order Of The Dragon
If you’re into military fantasy, Aleksandar Tesic’s Kosingas is going to hit you right in the sweet spot. Set in an alternate universe 14th century, the protagonist is Marko Kraljevic, who discovers that he is prophesied to lead an international army against the forces of Hell itself. Needless to say, that’s a pretty heavy burden for one man to shoulder, and the book – the first in a trilogy – deals with some remarkably deep themes including the conflict of Christianity and ancient religions in medieval Europe. It also manages to be a fun, bloody, and engaging adventure along the way.
Shadow Prowler
Russian author Alexey Pehov tapped into some of the most reliable tropes in the genre for his Chronicles of Siala series. A terrifying army is massing outside of the walls of Avendoom, and the only person who can beat them back is the thief Shadow Harold, accompanied by a crew of cohorts including an elf princess and a court jester. They must travel to the forbidding Palaces of the Bones to find the source of the evil and save the people they care about. Drawing comparisons to Michael Moorcock’s classic Elric novels, these books were bestsellers in Russia.
Nihal of the Land of the Wind
This international bestseller by Italian writer Licia Troisi took a while to make it to English translation, but fans of classic fantasy say it was worth the wait. Nihal is a motivated young woman who strives to become the greatest swordswoman who has ever lived. After a duel with a magician strips her of her blade, she realizes that she needs to expand her skills as a warrior. After bonding with a dragon and discovering her true heritage, the book takes an unusual turn as Nihal must leave the fury that motivated her behind to move on with her life and grow as a person.
Eternal War
Italian author Livio Gambarini gives us exactly what we want from translated Euro fantasy: something set in a historical era we know next to nothing about. The book takes the reader back to 13th century Florence, where warring families clash for dominance as their guides from the spirit world attempt to manipulate them to their own ends. The translation for this one is so great, with Gambarini’s brisk, witty dialogue really giving you perspective into each of the book’s many characters. The battle rages on two fronts, and even St. Peter gets in on the action. Just a lot of fun that left us wanting more.
Tainaron: Mail From Another City
This fascinating epistolary novel by Finnish author Leena Krohn is unlike anything else on this list, but you’ll be better for reading it. Consisting of thirty letters written by a human visitor of a city of man-sized insects, it’s a phantasmagoric journey that captivates you with Krohn’s relentless imagination. Light on plot, the wonder of this slim volume is how the author uses the strange surroundings to deliver an enigmatic meditation on love, life, death. and rebirth. The translation by Hildi Hawkins is top-notch.
The Queen’s Adept
Spanish author Rodolfo Martínez translated his own book into English, and the results are a gripping story that borrows from spy fiction and classic fantasy to create a real page-turner. The world of Érvinder has been blessed with magical technologies by the mysterious “messengers,” but that hasn’t brought peace. Instead, two competing religions – God’s Hammer and the People’s Covenant – struggle for dominance. When a payload of bombs that will kill Messengers are stolen, adept Yáxtor Brandan takes the case to track them down. This is a rich, exciting book with some top-flight worldbuilding that will leave you craving more.
The Devil’s Apprentice
Danish author Kenneth B. Andersen has written six novels in his Great Devil War series, and they’re all compulsive page-turners that have won legions of fans. There has been buzz for a while that the first installment might be in line for a movie adaptation, so get in on the ground floor while you can. In The Devil’s Apprentice, a good kid named Phillip is killed but due to a supernatural snafu ends up accidentally in Hell, standing in for the big red guy’s hand-picked successor. He needs to learn the ways of demons and fend off a threat from outside the realm. It’s fun stuff that even saw a stage adaptation in Denmark.
The Secret Of Ji
Pierre Grimbert is one of France’s most lauded fantasy authors, having won multiple awards in his home country. His Story of Ji series has captured readers with incredible worldbuilding and a plot that constantly changes direction. The basic premise is that, long ago, nine sages were summoned to a mysterious island. They return with incredible knowledge, but generations later a mysterious force starts killing off their heirs. A motley crew of survivors and allies try to get to the bottom of things in this brisk, well-written trilogy that has been completely translated into English.
The Shamer’s Daughter
Copenhagen-born Lene Kaaberbøl is one of Denmark’s most successful fantasy and thriller writers, and her Shamer series is popular enough to get made into a pretty decent movie. The first book in the saga introduces readers to Dina, a young girl who has inherited a power she definitely does not cherish. Dina, like her mother, has the ability to elicit a confession of a person’s darkest secrets simply by looking into their eyes, but it happens whether she wants it to or not. Translated by the author, this is ostensibly a YA book but has more than enough cool stuff going on to captivate an adult reader as well.
The Scar
Prolific Russian couple Sergey and Marina Dyachenko saw an English translation of their hit book in 2012, and deep fantasy heads have been raving about it ever since. The main character of The Scar is a louche rogue named Egert Soll, who kills a girl’s fiance and finds himself in way over his head. Scarred for life, cursed with cowardice and spiraling downward, he must travel the world to find redemption. This is a classic Russian morality play, with the arbitrary nature of an uncaring universe put on bold display, but it’s also a rich and exciting character study with some high-end worldbuilding. If you dig it, a number of their other books are available in translation.
The Cardinal’s Blades
French author Pierre Pevel drinks deeply of his country’s history to create this engaging and action-packed tale set in 17th-century Paris. A group of old soldiers in the service of Cardinal Richelieu uncover a conspiracy to invade France with the aid of resurrected dragons, previously considered to be mythical creatures. It’s a deliberate homage to Dumas’s The Three Musketeers, and hits the same sweet spot of lots of swordplay, memorable leads and political intrigue. There are two other volumes in the series, and business really starts to pick up in them, but you need to read the first one to know who’s who.
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