George R. R. Martin’s Game of Thrones and Andrzej Sapowski’s The Witcher are both highly accomplished, epic sagas within the fantasy genre. Both of these fictional stories have been influential enough to warrant video games, spin-offs, and major on-screen adaptations throughout their tenures.
However, as a whole, Game of Thrones has been the more recognized of the two in terms of overall media success, and although The Witcher is better known for its video game and television appeal, its literary source material is no slouch compared to its Westerosi comrade. So, here are a few places The Witcher shines and also a few where Game of Thrones still has its number.
BETTER: Core Group Of Characters
The first and arguably most important area that The Witcher books do better than Martin’s Game of Thrones is to wrap its audience tightly around a very core group of characters from the very beginning of the saga. As it occurs in most stories, these characters do get separated from one another, but Sapowski does a fantastic job of balancing each of their personalities and lives consistently and emotionally. On the other hand, Game of Thrones can become rather distant from its long list of characters given the sheer number of spaced-out individual chapters that each one has, which can lessen the effect of a connection to the reader.
WORSE: World-Building
Game of Thrones is relatively unopposed in terms of Martin’s ability to describe the immersive and mythical world of Westeros. The benefit of his large cast of characters is that the audience frequently experiences a wide spectrum of places that they individually reside within. From places like Dorne to Winterfell to King’s Landing, it is hard to match even the sheer scope of the world the story takes place within, but Martin does it to perfection. Of course, The Witcher has its own extensive list of countries and areas, but they are typically less explored and less developed than the places of Martin’s design.
BETTER: Less Gruesome
Martin’s Game of Thrones can be a very heavy and difficult series to read due to the large amount of fighting and death that occurs in countless different areas over the course of its story. Most of these occurrences serve as places for Martin to drive his plot forward, but sometimes they are too much.
The Witcher books do a much better job of building a story off of good deeds from unlikely characters rather than pure violence, which allows it to have a much more feel-good experience that doesn’t have the reader bracing for impact in every chapter.
WORSE: Political Story
Game of Thrones is renowned for Martin’s ability to craft a story that is heavily based upon the idea of who is best fit to rule an entire kingdom. Despite it being a rather straightforward idea, all five of Martin’s epics are filled with characters who deviously plan political plots aimed at the goal of claiming the Iron Throne. Although politics may bore some readers, Martin formulates the political aspects of his stories with an unpredictability that demands constant attention from his audience. The Witcher also contains its share of war-time politics as Sapowski zooms in on various kings and queens throughout, but he does not do it within the same captivating and detailed touch that Martin does.
BETTER: Monsters And Creatures
While Game of Thrones prefers to focus on human interactions, The Witcher does an incredible job of letting reader imagination run wild with images of its various mythical monsters and creatures. The Witcher has the benefit of its main character being a famed monster hunter, but even without that, Sapowski materializes new species and animals almost with each chapter. Having this array of creatures truly lets the reader indulge in the fantasy nature of the story’s roots and provides enjoyable breaks and entertainment. Game of Thrones may have dragons and White Walkers, but The Witcher wins from a variety standpoint every time.
WORSE: Portrayal Of Humanity
As stated briefly above, Game of Thrones prides many of its major plot lines simply off of interactions between humans, but what Martin does such an amazing job of is exploring the innate nature of humanity and its ability to go to great lengths based on good or evil motivations.
He threads themes of deception, love, and so many others through every page, and each character is analyzed in terms of their own morals. The Witcher also has occasions where humanity is delved into, but it is hardly comparable to the frequency and beauty of Game of Thrones.
BETTER: Embracing The Supernatural
Not only does The Witcher deal heavily in areas of unknown creatures and monsters, but it also puts an extremely large emphasis on the importance of magic and supernatural forces. This addition helps The Witcher’s case because it adds another level of depth and creativity to specific characters within the story, and once again, it really embodies the fantasy of the world Sapowski creates. Game of Thrones occasionally dabbles in magic and its consequences, but it rarely does it to the extent that The Witcher books do, and for that reason the series becomes all that more fascinating.
WORSE: Explaining World History
Hand in hand with Martin’s ability to construct his fictional world are the historical ties that he puts within it as well. Since a large part of the Game of Thrones plot is based on the repercussions and rulers of the past, the vast history of Westeros becomes an important factor in terms of character motivations and interactions. Although The Witcher gives detail on historical aspects of characters, like the Witchers themselves, Martin does a better job of using history for the purpose of developing the plot as a whole.
BETTER: Story Pacing
One common issue that many people have with the Game of Thrones epics is that they are an incredibly dense collection of books which struggle with balancing the wide range of characters they present. The continuous jumping around creates problems with the story’s pace and can make it feel very slow in particular areas. Sapowski’s novels do a much better job of keeping the story focused on a small group of characters that experience conflict frequently, which provides a well tuned pace that keeps the reader interested.
WORSE: Lack Of Surprises
One area where Sapowski’s novels struggle is that they have a somewhat predictable path in terms of the overall plot, and there are rarely any astonishing moments that leave readers stunned. While it is good to have security for the well liked characters, readers do love a shocking reveal or turn of events for their characters, and without doubt, Martin does a terrific job of keeping readers on their toes with numerous twists and turns that never let you think anyone is that safe.
