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The Road With No Return
A Fan Translation.
In the heart of the Amell mountains, in the pass of Klamat, lives a monstrosity which terrorizes the surrounding villages: the Kotchei. Visenna, druidess of the Circle of Mayen and magician, is the only one who can defeat this dreadful creature. On the way, she helps Korin, a fearless warrior who ends up accompanying him on his mission. Together, they venture on a perilous road, a road from which no one ever returns.
In this new novel, discover the meeting between Visenna, Geralt's mother, and Korin, whom some believe to be the father of the witcher.
In the heart of the Amell mountains, in the pass of Klamat, lives a monstrosity which terrorizes the surrounding villages: the Kotchei. Visenna, druidess of the Circle of Mayen and magician, is the only one who can defeat this dreadful creature. On the way, she helps Korin, a fearless warrior who ends up accompanying him on his mission. Together, they venture on a perilous road, a road from which no one ever returns.
In this new novel, discover the meeting between Visenna, Geralt's mother, and Korin, whom some believe to be the father of the witcher.
43 pages, ebook
Published January 1, 2015
11 people are currently reading
678 people want to read
About the author
Andrzej Sapkowski
208 books19k followersAndrzej Sapkowski, born June 21, 1948 in Łódź, is a Polish fantasy and science fiction writer. Sapkowski studied economics, and before turning to writing, he had worked as a senior sales representative for a foreign trade company. His first short story, The Witcher (Wiedźmin), was published in Fantastyka, Poland's leading fantasy literary magazine, in 1986 and was enormously successful both with readers and critics. Sapkowski has created a cycle of tales based on the world of The Witcher, comprising three collections of short stories and five novels. This cycle and his many other works have made him one of the best-known fantasy authors in Poland in the 1990s.
The main character of The Witcher (alternative translation: The Hexer) is Geralt, a mutant assassin who has been trained since childhood to hunt down and destroy monsters. Geralt exists in an ambiguous moral universe, yet manages to maintain his own coherent code of ethics. At the same time cynical and noble, Geralt has been compared to Raymond Chandler's signature character Philip Marlowe. The world in which these adventures take place is heavily influenced by Slavic mythology.
Sapkowski has won five Zajdel Awards, including three for short stories "Mniejsze zło" (Lesser Evil) (1990), "Miecz przeznaczenia" (Sword of Destiny) (1992) and "W leju po bombie" (In a Bomb Crater) (1993), and two for the novels "Krew elfów" (Blood of Elves) (1994) and "Narrenturm" (2002). He also won the Spanish Ignotus Award, best anthology, for The Last Wish in 2003, and for "Muzykanci" (The Musicians), best foreign short story, same year.
In 1997, Sapkowski won the prestigious Polityka's Passport award, which is awarded annually to artists who have strong prospects for international success.
In 2001, a Television Series based on the Witcher cycle was released in Poland and internationally, entitled Wiedźmin (The Hexer). A film by the same title was compiled from excerpts of the television series but both have been critical and box office failures.
Sapkowski's books have been translated into Czech, Russian, Lithuanian, German, Spanish, French, Ukrainian, and Portuguese. An English translation of The Last Wish short story collection was published by Gollancz in 2007.
The Polish game publisher, CD Projekt, created a role-playing PC game based on this universe, called The Witcher, which was released in October 2007. There is also a mobile version of the game which has been created by Breakpoint Games and is being published by Hands-On Mobile in Western Europe,Latin America and Asia Pacific.
The English translation of Sapkowski's novel Blood of Elves won the David Gemmell Legends Award in 2009.
The main character of The Witcher (alternative translation: The Hexer) is Geralt, a mutant assassin who has been trained since childhood to hunt down and destroy monsters. Geralt exists in an ambiguous moral universe, yet manages to maintain his own coherent code of ethics. At the same time cynical and noble, Geralt has been compared to Raymond Chandler's signature character Philip Marlowe. The world in which these adventures take place is heavily influenced by Slavic mythology.
Sapkowski has won five Zajdel Awards, including three for short stories "Mniejsze zło" (Lesser Evil) (1990), "Miecz przeznaczenia" (Sword of Destiny) (1992) and "W leju po bombie" (In a Bomb Crater) (1993), and two for the novels "Krew elfów" (Blood of Elves) (1994) and "Narrenturm" (2002). He also won the Spanish Ignotus Award, best anthology, for The Last Wish in 2003, and for "Muzykanci" (The Musicians), best foreign short story, same year.
In 1997, Sapkowski won the prestigious Polityka's Passport award, which is awarded annually to artists who have strong prospects for international success.
In 2001, a Television Series based on the Witcher cycle was released in Poland and internationally, entitled Wiedźmin (The Hexer). A film by the same title was compiled from excerpts of the television series but both have been critical and box office failures.
Sapkowski's books have been translated into Czech, Russian, Lithuanian, German, Spanish, French, Ukrainian, and Portuguese. An English translation of The Last Wish short story collection was published by Gollancz in 2007.
The Polish game publisher, CD Projekt, created a role-playing PC game based on this universe, called The Witcher, which was released in October 2007. There is also a mobile version of the game which has been created by Breakpoint Games and is being published by Hands-On Mobile in Western Europe,Latin America and Asia Pacific.
The English translation of Sapkowski's novel Blood of Elves won the David Gemmell Legends Award in 2009.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
March 12, 2020
Tracked this down... Not bad, not a bad way to start reading this author or series, by any means, though as the only sample I have read I can't say if it's truly representative.
This wasn't pure gold but it wasn't bad. I'm eager to see more and my library has me wait listed for the next 6 months. 🙄
This wasn't pure gold but it wasn't bad. I'm eager to see more and my library has me wait listed for the next 6 months. 🙄
December 10, 2021
I liked it!
Fun read, even though if you're like me going blind into it you'll have some questions, if you're going chronologically and reading this in order. Mainly because I rarely read the plot on books, and I had no idea that the main character was Geralt's mother (which it states in the plot/description of the story) and also disappointed that I read that after too, I'd rather be surprised when I learned about that in the future books, although I WAS expecting for Gerald to make an appearance without knowing that I'm reading about the past and he hasn't even been born yet.
The story is solid, about a magician that finds a mercenary in the middle of nowhere and they go on an adventure together on a road that no one has ever came back alive, and it's got some nice plot twists and some interesting characters along the way.
Recommended if you want more out of your Witcher stories!
Fun read, even though if you're like me going blind into it you'll have some questions, if you're going chronologically and reading this in order. Mainly because I rarely read the plot on books, and I had no idea that the main character was Geralt's mother (which it states in the plot/description of the story) and also disappointed that I read that after too, I'd rather be surprised when I learned about that in the future books, although I WAS expecting for Gerald to make an appearance without knowing that I'm reading about the past and he hasn't even been born yet.
The story is solid, about a magician that finds a mercenary in the middle of nowhere and they go on an adventure together on a road that no one has ever came back alive, and it's got some nice plot twists and some interesting characters along the way.
Recommended if you want more out of your Witcher stories!
September 2, 2020
**** note this is a fan translation ****
I only became aware of this short story when reading Blood of Elves. Even though it is marked as the "first" instalment in the series, it wasn't actually a bad moment to read it since the background provided so far in the other books allowed me to appreciate this a lot more.
This follows Visenia, , as she goes about on a monster-killing quest with a companion she encounters, and saves, along the way. I see it mostly as a romantic story, though it does have the typical elements of the Witcher - the horror, the mystery.
Besides learning a few more insights into these two characters, especially Visenia, as we see things from her perspective, I don't feel like I gained anything from the story. It was engaging, well-written (the translation was not too bad), and it was good to be back in this world from such an interesting and fresh perspective. However, I would just as easily say that you can definitely skip this story.
I only became aware of this short story when reading Blood of Elves. Even though it is marked as the "first" instalment in the series, it wasn't actually a bad moment to read it since the background provided so far in the other books allowed me to appreciate this a lot more.
This follows Visenia, , as she goes about on a monster-killing quest with a companion she encounters, and saves, along the way. I see it mostly as a romantic story, though it does have the typical elements of the Witcher - the horror, the mystery.
Besides learning a few more insights into these two characters, especially Visenia, as we see things from her perspective, I don't feel like I gained anything from the story. It was engaging, well-written (the translation was not too bad), and it was good to be back in this world from such an interesting and fresh perspective. However, I would just as easily say that you can definitely skip this story.
November 23, 2020
When I found out that there is another Witcher related short story I had to find it. It was a bit unexpected because it's about Gelralt's mother and presumed father. I had already known about her after reading the two first short story collections, but it would have been interesting if it had been the other way around and I had started with this one. As with every Sapkowski short story that I read, the title always has a meaning in the story.
November 2, 2020
This is a short story - a 30 pages long.
Since the originally written story has not yet been officially translated into English, I read a Fan Translation of it.
While unofficial, the story was a quick and easy read about Visenna. I enjoyed it and recommend it to all the fans who want/need to read all things related to The Witcher.
Happy Reading and Enjoy.
Since the originally written story has not yet been officially translated into English, I read a Fan Translation of it.
While unofficial, the story was a quick and easy read about Visenna. I enjoyed it and recommend it to all the fans who want/need to read all things related to The Witcher.
Happy Reading and Enjoy.
September 13, 2021
This was a very entertaining novella, the author's sense of humour shone quite brightly in this one, and I do love a Geralt and Yennifer story.
May 22, 2020
Well, I made the mistake of starting the Witcher series with a fan translation of a short story that was never released in English, I guess because I hate myself? Really, I just have an odd compulsion to read fantasy series chronologically unless I am strongly and specifically advised not to, and this appeared to be the earliest story in the canon.
Honestly, I cannot yet pass judgement on the quality of the translation, as I have no experience with Sapkowski's writing as translated by the official translators. But maybe this review can serve as a premonition for those considering going this same route through the series.
I found this story to be rather pointless and lacking in the kind of clever character work that I have come to expect from the Witcher game and Netflix series, (my only exposure to the property up to this point). The author's way of writing dialogue was intriguing, however, and I can't say it was a bad story, just an underwhelming one. On to The Last Wish!
Honestly, I cannot yet pass judgement on the quality of the translation, as I have no experience with Sapkowski's writing as translated by the official translators. But maybe this review can serve as a premonition for those considering going this same route through the series.
I found this story to be rather pointless and lacking in the kind of clever character work that I have come to expect from the Witcher game and Netflix series, (my only exposure to the property up to this point). The author's way of writing dialogue was intriguing, however, and I can't say it was a bad story, just an underwhelming one. On to The Last Wish!
January 31, 2020
** 5 Not enough, I want more Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ **
When I realised the English book reading order and the recommended reading order were different and I had mistaken Season of Storms as being the one that came first instead of The Road With No Return I was devastated. However, it turned out it was just the perfect order for me. I simply loved Geralt's mom and dad's love story. It showed perfectly why Geralt was so brave, noble, clever, erudite [hehe] and other traits that he shared with his parents. Since I started read these books I was curious about Visenna and how Geralt was sired. Although, I thought this story could be longer and show also how Geralt ended up being a Child of Surprise himself and became a Witcher.
When I realised the English book reading order and the recommended reading order were different and I had mistaken Season of Storms as being the one that came first instead of The Road With No Return I was devastated. However, it turned out it was just the perfect order for me. I simply loved Geralt's mom and dad's love story. It showed perfectly why Geralt was so brave, noble, clever, erudite [hehe] and other traits that he shared with his parents. Since I started read these books I was curious about Visenna and how Geralt was sired. Although, I thought this story could be longer and show also how Geralt ended up being a Child of Surprise himself and became a Witcher.
December 1, 2020
What a nice little story!
I've just now discovered that this short should have been read as the first one in the Witcher Universum as it depicts Geralt's mother, Visenna and his (probable) father, Korin ;)
So I took a short break from The Time of Contempt and dived in!
The Road With No Return has all the Sapkowski's features: strange, fantastical creatures, a druid healer and a seemingly-arrogant mercenary, a brave blacksmith and a crazy adventure! :)
I loved it!
I've just now discovered that this short should have been read as the first one in the Witcher Universum as it depicts Geralt's mother, Visenna and his (probable) father, Korin ;)
So I took a short break from The Time of Contempt and dived in!
The Road With No Return has all the Sapkowski's features: strange, fantastical creatures, a druid healer and a seemingly-arrogant mercenary, a brave blacksmith and a crazy adventure! :)
I loved it!
December 28, 2020
If you’re wondering, yes. I would definitely recommend tracking down the fan translation if you are planning on, or currently, reading the Witcher series. Quite an entertaining story on its own even if it has very little to do with the Witcher series (it has no recognizable landmarks from the Witcher‘s world and feels like an entirely different fictional universe [which it originally was, before later being tied into the Witcher books during the writing of TSOD])
Without spoiling anything, this story helps with the comprehension of one of the fantastically hallucinatory episodes in SOMETHING MORE from TSOD, as well as being (I believe) Sapowski’s finest short story.
Without spoiling anything, this story helps with the comprehension of one of the fantastically hallucinatory episodes in SOMETHING MORE from TSOD, as well as being (I believe) Sapowski’s finest short story.
October 13, 2020
Definitely reads like a side story. Kudos to Tina B. for translating this one into English, was nice to meet this particular character and find out who she is as a person. And also that Witchers are certainly not the only ones able to defend people.
August 25, 2020
Nice, short story.
August 26, 2020
Nice, short story, maybe it gets me on the mood to return to the witcher again!
November 21, 2020
Much to my surprise, I discovered this short story in an old anthology collection in my home library, and this find made me both excited and skeptical. I love ‘The Witcher’ series, so I was excited to read one more story set in Geralt’s world, but at the same time I was wary. After all, Geralt isn’t defined by the identity of his mother or father, and he made his own story, so I didn’t think that the prequel about his parents was really necessary.
However, Visenna and Korin really stood out as their own characters for me, with their own distinct voices and personalities. They seem to be very different people at first, a sorceress that can raise the dead just as well as she can heal and a rough warrior fighting for money and the excitement of battle, but in the end, they are both lonely people brought together by the road. Korin appears to be a more flawed character, as he admits himself that he’s not a noble knight, but a mercenary who doesn’t care much about common people – yet he’s also the one who gave his last meal to a total stranger and then risked his life for Visenna. Compared to him, Visenna is a more noble person, and even though the villain implies that she has interior motives for helping the villagers, it’s clear that she sincerely cares about people and not the rewards. However, Visenna has a harsh side as well to balance her softness, and that makes her a pleasant character to follow.
The main plotline of the story itself wasn’t complicated, but it was pretty engaging, and should I mention the atmosphere? The story’s beginning is marked with the crossing of four roads with the direction sign that says, ‘You that comes from the west; if you go forward, you will not return’, as well as a murderous old witch and rumors of a monstrous Kaschei guarding the mountain pass ahead. All of that reminds me so much of classical Russian folk tales, and it gives me all the feels.
So, what is my final verdict after reading ‘The Road With No Return’? Did it awe me like ‘Grain of Truth’ or ‘Lesser Evil’? Nope. Did it contribute significantly to the history and worldbuilding of the series? Not exactly. However, it was a solid story that stood out on its own merit, having vivid characters in Visenna and Korin, as well as believable chemistry between them and exciting action, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
However, Visenna and Korin really stood out as their own characters for me, with their own distinct voices and personalities. They seem to be very different people at first, a sorceress that can raise the dead just as well as she can heal and a rough warrior fighting for money and the excitement of battle, but in the end, they are both lonely people brought together by the road. Korin appears to be a more flawed character, as he admits himself that he’s not a noble knight, but a mercenary who doesn’t care much about common people – yet he’s also the one who gave his last meal to a total stranger and then risked his life for Visenna. Compared to him, Visenna is a more noble person, and even though the villain implies that she has interior motives for helping the villagers, it’s clear that she sincerely cares about people and not the rewards. However, Visenna has a harsh side as well to balance her softness, and that makes her a pleasant character to follow.
The main plotline of the story itself wasn’t complicated, but it was pretty engaging, and should I mention the atmosphere? The story’s beginning is marked with the crossing of four roads with the direction sign that says, ‘You that comes from the west; if you go forward, you will not return’, as well as a murderous old witch and rumors of a monstrous Kaschei guarding the mountain pass ahead. All of that reminds me so much of classical Russian folk tales, and it gives me all the feels.
So, what is my final verdict after reading ‘The Road With No Return’? Did it awe me like ‘Grain of Truth’ or ‘Lesser Evil’? Nope. Did it contribute significantly to the history and worldbuilding of the series? Not exactly. However, it was a solid story that stood out on its own merit, having vivid characters in Visenna and Korin, as well as believable chemistry between them and exciting action, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
February 22, 2020
Una de esas famosas "precuelas" que, en forma de novela corta, cuenta cómo se conocieron quienes presuponemos que son los padres de Geralt de Rivia, aka The Witcher.
Es una historia clásica del universo que creó Sapkowski, que podría ser del propio Geralt cambiando los nombres. Entretiene y se deja leer. Es curioso cómo todos los caracteres son más bien secos y taciturnos por defecto, muy al estilo del estereotipo polaco, como el autor. El único personaje de la serie que muestra un poco de alegría por la vida así en abstracto es el juglar, Dandelion (que no sale en esta precuela, claro).
En general aprobado, como paso precio para las novelas, a las que llegaremos en breve.
Es una historia clásica del universo que creó Sapkowski, que podría ser del propio Geralt cambiando los nombres. Entretiene y se deja leer. Es curioso cómo todos los caracteres son más bien secos y taciturnos por defecto, muy al estilo del estereotipo polaco, como el autor. El único personaje de la serie que muestra un poco de alegría por la vida así en abstracto es el juglar, Dandelion (que no sale en esta precuela, claro).
En general aprobado, como paso precio para las novelas, a las que llegaremos en breve.
February 24, 2020
Well, that was an interesting little story. Major props to the people who have worked to translate this to English. I know there are a few different fan translations, and the work is appreciated.
Anyway, this was pretty short - not the most detailed of stories - but it was a nice look at how Visenna met who might have been Geralt's father. I wish it had been a bit longer just to give us more of their interactions, but I'll take what I can get. It was still a fun read.
Anyway, this was pretty short - not the most detailed of stories - but it was a nice look at how Visenna met who might have been Geralt's father. I wish it had been a bit longer just to give us more of their interactions, but I'll take what I can get. It was still a fun read.
May 3, 2020
First I read the official French translation and it didn't make that much sense. Then I read the English fan translation and... it didn't make much sense either. So maybe it's not because my French isn't that good.
I'm not sure it actually adds something to the world of Geralt. Ok, we get a glimpse of what happened just before he was conceived but that's all.
Let's start reading the first novel...
I'm not sure it actually adds something to the world of Geralt. Ok, we get a glimpse of what happened just before he was conceived but that's all.
Let's start reading the first novel...
July 20, 2020
3.5/5 The Road With No Return gives us an interesting glimpse into the Witcher's universe. Its real value is the backstory it provides--of how Geralt's parents met--but otherwise I didn't find it to be the most engaging of Sapkowski's short stories. On its own it is an okay, average story. For that reason I do not recommend it as a starting point for the series.
April 11, 2023
My rating is almost definitely impacted by the fact that the version of this story that I read was a fan translation where the story went from Polish to German to English, and that I'm not a huge fan of fantasy usually. I will say that the plot was intriguing, it's a nice little prequel to the main story of Geralt that I'm looking forward to :]
May 19, 2020
The online translation I read was choppy at best, so I'm sure I missed a lot of nuance. The story was fine, nothing especially groundbreaking. I think the main point of it is to give Geralt's mother a bit of sympathy, she's obviously not all bad. Otherwise pretty ordinary.
June 15, 2020
This was a lot better than I thought it might be, and I'd go so far as to say I enjoyed it. Dialogue-heavy, decent woman characters, interesting world-building. I liked this better than I liked the Netflix series and not as much as the video games, so there you go.
August 2, 2020
I really liked this short story that forms part of the Witcher series. Even though this is a fan translation into English and not as good as the previous translations, I still really enjoyed the story and liked the relationship between Visenna and Korin.
February 4, 2023
One of the things I enjoy most about Sapkowski's Witcher stories is how he incorporates little nods and winks to - or even borrows directly from - various fairy tales. This story is no exception, only this time the tale calls to mind a certain bit of Tolkien's work instead of folklore.
April 4, 2021
i read this immediately after finishing the last wish (idk if that was the right time lol) and even though I didn't feel like it really added anything to the story, I still really enjoyed it and Visenna and Korin's chemistry :)
November 13, 2021
Some backstory on Visenna. It's really not that great. A little better than Sapkowski's other stuff, by and large, but mostly because Visenna's a capable female character who is allowed to stay capable. Is Korin actually Geralt's father? Who knows. Maybe. Can't say I care.
Read
August 4, 2023A trite story about Geralt's mama. No trace of the excellency brimming in the later Witcher stories.
notes:
Visenna
Korin
Topin, alderman in Key
Nicholas, smith
Bung
Radim, wheelwright
General Grosim
Kehl
Fregenal
Manissa
Alzur
notes:
Visenna
Korin
Topin, alderman in Key
Nicholas, smith
Bung
Radim, wheelwright
General Grosim
Kehl
Fregenal
Manissa
Alzur
October 12, 2024
l'unica storia di cui esiste una traduzione inglese di questa raccolta è quella di Visenna e Korin, che a quanto pare poi sono stati confermati essere i genitori di Geralt (the witcher) e l'ho trovata molto carina! (più di molti parti dei libri di the witcher stesso lol)
January 15, 2020
It was ok. Too short though.
February 2, 2020
Un relato corto sobre la madre de Geralt de Rivia. A pesar de que la traducción es “no oficial” está muy bien realizada y con un poco de ayuda para ciertas palabras, se disfruta perfectamente.
February 6, 2020
3,5 ⭐
I actually liked it, for what is was as a short story 🙂
I actually liked it, for what is was as a short story 🙂
Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews