Geralt of Rivia, the saga

The Witcher is a fantasy series of novels and short stories written by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski. The series revolves around the titular "witcher", Geralt of Rivia. In Sapkowski's works, "witchers" are beast hunters who develop supernatural abilities at a young age to battle wild beasts and monsters. The books have been adapted into a film (The Hexer), two television series (The Hexer and The Witcher), a trilogy of video games (The Witcher, Assassins of Kings and Wild Hunt), and a graphic novel series.

The series of novels is known as the Witcher Saga. The short stories and novels have been translated into numerous languages, including English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Russian and Chinese. The books have been described as having a cult following in Poland and in Central and Eastern European countries. the video games have been very successful; as of 28 May 2020, The Witcher series have sold over 50 million copies worldwide. The books are...

1. The Last Wish - 1993

2. Sword of Destiny - 1992

3. Blood of Elves - 1994

4. Time of Contempt - 1995

5.  Baptism of Fire - 1996

6. The Tower of the Swallow - 1997

7. The Lady of the Lake - 1999

8. Season of Storms - 2013

The Witcher short stories by the author Andrzej Sapkowski were first published in Polish science fiction and fantasy magazine Fantastyka, beginning in the mid-1980s. The first short story, "Wiedzmin" (1986), was written for a contest held by the magazine and won third place. The first four stories dealing with the witcher Geralt of Rivia were originally featured in a 1990 short story collection titled Wiedzmin (The Witcher), now out of print, with "The Road with no return", which is set before the Witcher stories and features Geralt's mother-to-be.

The second published short story collection was "Sword of Destiny" (Miecz przeznaczenia). Although "The Last Wish", was published after "Sword of Destiny", it replaced "The Witcher" as the first book since it included all the stories in "The Witcher", except "The Road with No Return" (the only story without Geralt). Although new short stories were added to "The Last Wish", they took place before those in "Sword of Destiny". 

Although "The road with no return" and "Something ends, something begins", an alternative ending of the Witcher saga about Geralt and Yennefer's wedding written as a wedding gift for Sapkowki's friends, were later published in 2000 in "Something Ends, Something Begins" and in 2012 in "Maladie and Other Stories" collections, the other stories in those books are unconnected to the Witcher series. In some Polish editions, "The road with no return" and "Something ends, Something Begins" are added to "The Last Wish" or "Sword of Destiny".

Toss a coin to your witcher

Brothers Grimm

Jacob (1785-1863) and Wilhelm (1786-1859) Grimm  were German academics, philologists, cultural researchers, lexicographers and authors who together collected and published folklore during the 19th century. They were among the best-known storytellers of folk tales, and popularized stories such as "Cinderella", "The Frog Prince", "The Goose-Girl", "Hansel and Gretel", "Rapunzel", "Sleeping Beauty", and "Snow White". Their first collection of folk tales. Children's and Housefold Tales (Kinder und Hausmärchen), was published in 1812.

The brothers spent their formative years in the German town of Hanau. Their father's death in 1796 impoverished the family and affected the brothers for many years after. They attended the University of Marburg where they developed a curiosity about German folklore, which grew into a lifelong dedication to collecting German folk tales. The rise of Romanticism during the 19th century revived interest in traditional folk stories, which to the brothers represented a pure form of national literature and culture. 

With the goal of researching a scholarly treatise on folk tales, they established a methodology for collecting and recording folk stories that became the basis for folklore studies. Between 1812 and 1857, their first collection was revised and republished many times, growing from 86 stories to more than 200. In addition to writing and modifying folk tales, the brothers wrote collections of well-respected German and Scandinavian mythologies, and in 1838 they began writing a definitive German dictionary (Deutsches Wörterbuch), which they were unable to finish during their lifetimes.

Many of the Grimm's folk tales have enjoyed enduring popularity. The tales are available in more than 100 languages and have been adapted by filmmakers including Lotte Reiniger and Walt Disney, with films such as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Sleeping Beauty. During the 1930s and 40s, the tales were used as propaganda by the Third Reich: later in the 20th century psychologists such as Bruno Bettelheim reaffirmed the value of the work, in spite of the cruelty and violence in original versions of some of the tales, which the Grimms eventually sanitized.

The brothers were inspired by their law professor Friedrich von Savigny, who awakened in them an interest in history and philology, and they turned to studying medieval German lierature. They shared Savigny's desire to see unification of the 200 German principalities into a single state. Through Savigny and his circle of friends - German romantics such as Clemens Brentano and Ludwig Achim von Arnim - the Grimm were introduced to the ideas of Johann Gottfried Herder, who thought that German literature should revert to simpler forms, which he defined as Volkspoesie (natural poetry) as opposed to Kunstpoesie (artistic poetry). 

The brothers dedicated themselves with great enthusiasm to their studies, about which Wilhelm wrote in his autobiography, "the ardor with which we studied Old German helped us overcome the spiritual depression of those days". Jacob was still financially responsible for his mother, brother, and younger siblings in 1805, so he accepted a post in Paris as research assistant to von Savigny. On his return to Marburg, he was forced to abandon his studies to support the family, whose poverty was so extreme that food was often scarce. He took a job with the Hessian War Commission. In a letter written to his aunt at this time, Wilhelm wrote of their circumstances, "we five people eat only three portions and only once a day".

Jacob found full-time employment in 1808 when he was appointed court librarian to the King of Westphalia and went on to become librarian in Kassel. After their mother's death that year, he became fully resonsible for his younger siblings. He arranged and paid for his brother Ludwig's studies at art school and for Wilhelm's extended visit to Halle to seek treatment for heart and respiratory ailments, following which Wilhelm joined Jacob as librarian in Kassel. The brothers also began collecting folk tales about this time, in a cursory manner and on Brentano's request. According to Jack Zipes, at this point "the Grimms were unable to devote all their energies to their research and did not have a clear idea about the significance of collecting folk tales in this initial phase".

During their employment as librarians - which paid little but afforded them ample time for research - the brothers experienced a productive period of scholarship, publishing a number of books between 1812 and 1830. In 1812, they published their first volume of 86 folk tales, Kinder und Hausmärchen, followed quickly by two volumes of German legends and a volume or early literary history. They went on to publish works about Danish and Irish folk tales and Norse mythology, while continuing to edit the German folk tale collection. These works became so widely recognized that the brothers received honorary doctorates from universities in Marburg, Berlin, and Breslau (now Wroclaw).

Harry Potter

Harry Potter is a series of fantasy novels written by British author J.K. Rowling. The novels chronicle the life of a young wizard, Harry Potter, and his friends Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, all of whom are students at Hogwarts School of Withcraft and Wizardry. The main story arc concerns Harry's struggle against Lord Voldemort, a dark wizard who intends to become immortal, overthrow the wizard governing body known as the Ministry of Magic, and subjugate all wizards and muggles, a reference term that means non-magical people.

Since the release of the first novel, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, on 26 June 1997, the boods have found immense popularity, critical acclaim and commercial success worldwide. They have attracted a wide adult audience as well as younger readers, and are often considered cornerstones of modern young adult literature. The series has also had its share of criticism, incluing concern about the increasingly dark tone as the series progressed, as well as the often gruesome and graphic violence it depicts.

As of May 2013, the books have sold more than 500 million copies worldwide, making them the best-selling book series in history, and have been translated into seventy-three languages. The las four books consecutively set records as the fastest-selling books in history, with the final instalment selling roughly eleven million copies in the US within twenty-four hours or its release.

The series was originally published in English by two major publishers, Bloomsbury in the UK and Scholastic Press in the US. A play, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, based on a story co-written by Rowling, premiered in London on 30 July 2016 at the Palace Theatre, and its script was published by Little, Brown as the eighth book in the series. The original seven books were adapted into an eight-part film series by Warner Bros.

Titles of the Harry Potter books:

1997 - HP and the Philosopher's Stone.

1998 - HP and the Camber of Secrets.

1999 - HP and the Prisioner of Azkaban.

2000 - HP and the Goblet of Fire.

2003 - HP and the Order of the Phoenix.

2005 - HP and the Half-Blood Prince.

2007 - HP and the Deathly Hallows.

2016 - Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.

Game of Thrones

A Game of Thrones is the first novel in A song of Ice and Fire, a series of fantasy novels by American author George R.R. Martin. It was first published on August 1, 1996. The novel won the 1997 Locus Award and was nominated for both the 1997 Nebula Award and the 1997 World Fantasy Award. The novella Blood of the Dragon, comprising the Daenerys Targaryen chapters from the novel, won the 1997 Hugo Award for Best Novella. In January 2011 the novel became a New York Times bestseller and reached 1st on the list in July 2011.

In the novel, recounting events from various points of view, Martin introduces the plot-lines of the noble houses of Westeros, the Wall, and the Targaryens. The novel has inspired several pin-off works, including several games. It is also the basis for the first season of Game of Thrones, an HBO television series that premiered in April 2011. A March 2013 paperback TV tie-in re-edition was also title Game of Thrones, excluding the indefinite article "A".

A Game of Thrones follows three principal storylines simultaneously: 

-  In the Seven Kingdoms.

- On the Wall.

-  In the East.

Each chapter concentrates on the third person limited point of view of a single character; the book presents the perspective of eight main characters. Additionally, a minor character provides the prologue. Chapter headings indicate the perspective.

- Prologue: Will, a man of the Night's Watch.

- Lord Eddard "Ned" Stark, Warden of the North and Lord of Winterfell, Hand of the King.

- Lady Catelyn  Stark, of House Tully, wife of Eddard Stark.

- Sansa Stark, elder daugher of Eddard and Catelyn Stark. 

- Arya Stark, younger daughter of Eddard and Catelyn Stark.

- Bran Stark, second-youngest son of Eddard and Catelyn Stark.

- Jon Snow, illegitimate son of Eddard Stark.

- Tyrion Lannister, a dwarf, brother of the twins Queen Cersei and Jaime, son of Lord Tywin Lannister.

- Princess Daenerys Targaryen, Stormborn, the Princess of Dragonstone and heiress to the Targaryen throne after her older brother Viserys Targaryen.

In the later books, certain viewpoint characters are added while others are removed.

The Chronicles of Narnia

The Chronicles of Narnia is a series of seven fantasy novels by C.S. Lewis. It is considered a classic of children's literature and is the author's best-known work, having sold over 100 million copies in 41 languages. Written by Lewis, illustrated by Pauline Baynes, and originally published in London between 1950 and 1956, The Chronicles of Narnia has been adapted several times, complete or in part, for radio, television, the stage, and film.

Set in the fictional realm of Narnia, a fantasy world of magic, mythical beasts, and talking animals, the series narrates the adventures of various children who play central roles in the unfolding history of that world. Except in The Horse and His Boy, the protagonists are all children from the real world, magically transported to Narnia, where they are called upon by the lion Aslan to protect Narnia from evil an restore the throne to its righful line.

The books span the entire history of Narnia, from its creation in The Magician's Nephew to its eventual destruction in The Last Battle. Inspiration for the series was taken from multiple sources; in addition to adapting numerous traditional Christian themes, Lewis freely borrowed characters and ideas from Greek and Roman mythology as well as from traditional British and Irish fairy tales.

The books have profoundly influenced adult and children's fantasy literature since World War II. Lewis's exploration of themes not usually present in children's literature such as religion, as well as the book' perceived treatment of issues including race and gender, has caused some controversy. Although Lewis originally conceived what would become The Chronicles of Narnia in 1939, he did not finish writing the first book The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe until 1949.

The seven books that make up The Chronicles of Narnia are presented here in order of original publication date:

1950. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

1951.  Prince Caspian: The Return to Narnia.

1952.  The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.

1953.  The Silver Chair.

1954.  The Horse and His boy.

1955.  The Magician's Nephew.

1956.  The Last Battle.

TO BE CONTINUED...