Blood of Elves

Blood of Elves is the first novel in the Witcher saga written by Andrzej Sapkowski. It is a sequel to the Witcher short stories collected in the books The Last Wish and Sword of Destiny and is continued by Time of Contempt. It was first translated into English in 2008. The cover art for the Gollancz edition from October 16, 2008, was created by the artist Stewart Larking ("Sonar Graphics"). Gollancz re-released the novel 2012 with a cover created by Alejandro Colucci. For the edition of Orbit/Hachette Book Group (US), 2009, the cover was designed and illustrated by Dorota Grześkiewicz. Orbit also released the novel with a new cover in May 2018, this cover already has a notice for the "Netflix Original Series". This version was translated by David A French.

Audible UK, in conjunction with Orion Books & Gollancz released Blood Of Elves on audio, February 27, 2014, only a few short weeks after it was announced. Blood Of Elves is read by Peter Kenny.

UK ISBNs are as follows: ISBN 0575084847, ISBN 978-0575084841

Plot summary
The Empire of Nilfgaard attacks the Kingdom of Cintra. Queen Calanthe commits suicide and her granddaughter, Cirilla, called Ciri and nicknamed the "Lion Cub of Cintra" manages to flee from the burning capital city. Emhyr var Emreis, Imperator of Nilfgaard, sends his spies to find her. He knows that this young girl has great importance, not only because of her royal blood, but also because of her magical potential and elven blood in her veins.

The girl is being protected by Geralt of Rivia, a witcher - a magically and genetically mutated monster slayer for hire, who takes her to the witchers' keep - Kaer Morhen. There Ciri is being taught by other witchers, including old Vesemir, Coën, Eskel and Lambert. She learns about monsters and how to fight them. She is taught to fight with a sword in the witcher style. But during her "education", the sorceress Triss Merigold comes to Kaer Morhen. She is called by Geralt to help with occasional strange and abnormal behavior he has seen in Ciri. Triss realises that Ciri is a Source. She acknowledges that she does not have the power to control Ciri's talent, and advises Geralt to swallow his pride and seek help with Yennefer, a more experienced sorceress and his former lover.

At the same time, a mysterious wizard called Rience is looking for the girl. He is a servant of a more powerful mage, who remains unknown. He captures Geralt's friend, Dandelion the bard, and tortures him for information about Ciri. Dandelion is saved by the timely arrival of Yennefer, who engages in a short magic combat with Rience. Rience manages to escape through a portal opened by his master, but left with a prominent facial scar from Yennefer's spell.

In the spring, Geralt leaves Kaer Morhen with Triss and Ciri, intending to deliver Ciri to the Temple School in Ellander where she would receive a "normal" education from Nenneke. On the way, Triss falls ill, and they join Yarpen Zigrin's dwarven company who is guarding a caravan for King Henselt. Geralt tells Ciri about the roses of Aelirenn, an elf who died leading the elven youths to fight the humans. The caravan is attacked by the Scoia'tael, and it is revealed that the escort mission was a trap set by the kings who doubted Yarpen's loyalty.

Ciri's stay in Ellander is still haunted by disturbing dreams until the arrival of Yennefer, who starts educating her in the ways of magic. From an initial antagonism, their relationship develops into a strong and deep bond, like that of a mother and daughter.

Meanwhile, Geralt does his best to track Rience and his mysterious employer. With the help of Dandelion and Shani, he forces a confrontation with Rience, during which both are injured. Rience's master intervenes again, opening a portal for him, and Geralt is prevented from pursuing the mage by Filippa Eilhart, who also kills the last surviving of the Michelet brothers so as not to provide Geralt any source of information which might eventually reveal the mysterious mage. Leaving Geralt gravely wounded.

Yennefer became Ciri's mentor and teacher. As they are about to leave the Temple School in Ellander, Yennefer asks Ciri whether she didn't like her at first, leading to a series of flashbacks detailing Ciri's studies with Yennfer from the day they were introduced and back to the present as they are about to leave the Temple. And Ciri responds by admitting the she didn't like her, afterwards they leave.

Translations

 * Flag czech.png Czech: Zaklínač III. Krev elfů, (Leonardo, Ostrava 1995)
 * Flag russia.png Russian: Кровь эльфов, translated by Yevgeny Vaysbrot (АСТ, 2000)
 * Flag Lithuania.png Lithuanian: Elfų Kraujas, (Eridanas, 2006)
 * Flag france.png French: Le Sang des Elfes, translated by Lydia Waleryszak (Bragelonne, 2008)
 * Flag spain.png Spanish: La Sangre de los Elfos, (Alamut, 2008)
 * Flag uk.png Flag USA.jpg English: Blood of Elves, translated by Danusia Stok (UK – Gollancz, 2008, US – Orbit, 2009)
 * Flag bulgaria.png Bulgarian: Вещерът: Кръвта на елфите, translated by Vasil Velchev (ИнфоДар, 2009)
 * Flag germany.png German: Das Erbe der Elfen, translated by Erik Simon (dtv, 2009)
 * Flag italy.png Italian: Il Sangue degli Elfi, (Nord, 2010)
 * Flag finland.png Finnish: Haltiain verta, translated by Tapani Kärkkäinen (WSOY, 2011)
 * Flag sweden.svg Swedish: Ödets svärd, (Coltso, 2011)
 * Flag netherlands.png Dutch: Het bloed van de elfen, (Luitingh-Sijthoff B.V., 2014)
 * Flag serbia.png Serbian: Krv vilenjaka - Saga o vešcu 3, translated by Milica Markić (Čarobna knjiga, 2012)
 * Flag hungary.png Hungarian: Tündevér, (PlayOn, 2013)
 * Flag Brazil.png Brazilian Portuguese: O Sangue dos Elfos, translated by Tomasz Barcinsky (WMF Martins Fontes, 2013)
 * Flag Japan.jpg Japanese: ウィッチャーI エルフの血脈, translated by Reiko Kawano (川野靖子) and Haruki Amanuma (天沼春樹) (Hayakawa Publishing) (2017/8/24) and エルフの血脈 (魔法剣士ゲラルト), translated by Reiko Kawano (川野靖子) and Haruki Amanuma (天沼春樹), with art by Airi Yoshioka (吉岡愛理), (Hayakawa Publishing) (2010/5/30)

Quotes on this wiki

 * UK edition quotes in this wiki are taken from this edition: ISBN 978-0-575-08318-9
 * US edition quotes in this wiki are taken from this edition: ISBN 978-0-316-02919-3

Gallery
Das Erbe der Elfen Το Αίμα των Ξωτικών Le Sang des Elfes Il Sangue degli Elfi Krew elfów