The Tower of Fools

By: Andrzej Sapkowski, David French - Translator

Narrated by: Peter Kenny

"A fantastic novel that any fan of The Witcher will instantly appreciate." (The Gamer)

Andrzej Sapkowski's Witcher series has become a fantasy phenomenon, finding millions of fans worldwide and inspiring the hit Netflix show and video games. Now the best-selling author introduces listeners to a new hero on an epic journey in The Tower of Fools, the first book of the Hussite Trilogy.

Reinmar of Bielawa, sometimes known as Reynevan, is a healer, a magician, and according to some, a charlatan. When a thoughtless indiscretion forces him to flee his home, he finds himself pursued not only by brothers bent on vengeance but by the Holy Inquisition.

In a time when tensions between Hussite and Catholic countries are threatening to turn into war and mystical forces are gathering in the shadows, Reynevan's journey will lead him to the Narrenturm — the Tower of Fools.

The Tower is an asylum for the mad...or for those who dare to think differently and challenge the prevailing order. And escaping it, avoiding the conflict around him, and keeping his own sanity will prove more difficult than he ever imagined

"A ripping yarn delivered with world-weary wit, bursting at the seams with sex, death, magic and madness." (Joe Abercrombie)

"This is historical fantasy done right." (Publishers Weekly, starred review)

"A highly enjoyable historical fantasy." (Booklist)

The Tower of Fools is an historical novel set during the Hussite Wars in Bohemia during the 1400s, a period of religious conflict and persecution. Characters in the novel may express views that some listeners might find offensive.

Also by Andrzej Sapkowski:

Witcher collections

The Last Wish

Sword of Destiny

Witcher novels

Blood of Elves

The Time of Contempt

Baptism of Fire

The Tower of Swallows

Lady of the Lake

Season of Storms

The Malady and Other Stories: An Andrzej Sapkowski Sampler (e-only)

Translated by David French

©2020 Andrzej Sapkowski (P)2020 Orbit

Critic reviews

"Sapkowski's energetic and satirical prose as well as the unconventional setting makes this a highly enjoyable historical fantasy. Recommended for Sapkowksi's many existing fans." (Booklist)

"Sapkowski's love for the period is clear as he touches on notorious historical events and figures.... The carefully painted landscapes and intricate politics effortlessly draw readers into Reinmar's life and times. This is historical fantasy done right." (Publishers Weekly, starred review)

Good story, just couldn't get into it

Giving this less than 3 stars would simply be rude. It's not a bad book. Nor is the narration bad. The narration is quite good. The book also had some great moments.

Overall I just couldn't get into it.

What an amazing work and performance

About an era and area i knew nothing about other than WWII and the cold war. which are now much more clear. Now eager to visit and see first hand the rural towns of Silesia not just Prague.
Using the time till the third audiobook is released to listen again, the good thing about audio is no reading glasses, but you can miss things.

Wild journey of Reynevan

Reynevan is caught with another man's wife. Vengeful brothers are hot on the trail and so the story of the trials of Reynevan begin. Our main character is an absolute fool that everyone tries to help along the way, which he repeatedly ignores following a fools course, thus The Tower of Fools is aptly named. Set somewhere between the Czech Republic and Poland, he finds himself caught up in the war of the Hussites and the Catholics, with neither side trusting his motives.
A lot of this story isn't translated, and I'm not very familiar with that part of European history, so much was hard to follow.
I had fun with the first half of the book, but Reynevan was a character that I soon grew tired of, because of his constant stupidity. A couple of his supporting characters saved the day, as far as keeping my interest in the story with humor and common sense. I think if I could have read the original version and have known something of the historical characters and time period, I would have enjoyed this book more. Peter Kenny was spot on brilliant with his narration, as usual.

Peter Kenny nails it again

This work of fiction centers around the history of the emerging Christian reformation while adding comedic touches and magic. One issue I had was difficulty with Czech and Polish names and places. plus, not translating Latin , which is used repeatedly left me in the dark.
To help me better appreciate the novel, researching Medieval terms and the names for clothing. military weapons and armor was helpful. I also found it helpful to study maps of Bohemia in the mid 1400's.

Historicity

I enjoyed the story. The depth and length of his works are incredible. My only “dislike” was my own ability in keeping all of the characters and their names in order. I love the aspect of using historical events and this tumultuous time period for the setting.

Good Enough I'll Continue the Trilogy

Andrzej Sapkowski's The Tower of Fools won't necessarily appeal to fans of his far more popular The Witcher series. While elements of his distinctive writing style carry over to this first book of the Hussite Trilogy, the story itself is a major departure from what readers might expect.
The Tower of Fools is more akin to Neal Stephenson's Quicksilver (the first book of The Baroque Cycle) or Susanna Clarke's Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, in that it's a dense fantasy tale firmly embedded within true European historical context. Whereas The Baroque Cycle transpired in a fictionalized version of the late 1600s to early 1700s, and Clarke's novel took place in the 1800s, Sapkowski's trilogy inserts itself into Eastern Europe of the 1400s.
We are introduced to Reinmar of Bielawa, an unlikely and peculiar hero, as unwanted adventure is thrust upon him by virtue of Reinmar caught in the process of a different sort of thrusting--with the wife of a member of a wealthy and powerful family. On the run from vengeful aristocrats (and those working on their behalf), the inquisition (for being a magician and heretic), and sinister forces with unknown motives, Reinmar finds himself on a meandering scramble across the Eastern Europe of the late Middle Ages.
Populated by an almost intimidating cast of additional characters, while not as bad as Pynchon's Gravity's Rainbow--a book I've never been able to finish--it becomes challenging at times to keep track of precisely who is who. Strange acquaintances along the way become friends, friends become enemies, and enemies become victims of the peculiar sort of charmed life Reinmar seems to live. With the familiar wit and subtle comedic writing Sapkowski brings to the narrative, we witness an extreme example of fortune favoring the fool. As Reinmar stumbles from one bit of trouble to another, dragging unfortunate allies with him as he careens from frying pan to fire and back again.
Densely packed with historical events and figures of the Hussite Revolutionary period, The Tower of Fools is as much a history lesson as a tale of fantasy. Though Sapkowski's novel incorporates elements of magic, witches/sorcerers, and supernatural beings aplenty, the narrative is so deeply fixed in a foundation of historical veracity that it all feels more textured and real than it might otherwise. Of course, those familiar with The Witcher are well aware that the author is capable of fleshing out a fictional world without the benefit of drawing the fine details from real-world history. It's a nice touch, though, being able to explore a historical period many of us aren't familiar with.
The titular Tower of Fools--though referenced at numerous points throughout the story--makes an appearance in Chapter 26, at almost the end of the book. It could be argued that the wider world we witness in the book is the real Narrenturm, and the whole of Eastern Europe and the Holy Roman Empire makes up the real Tower of Fools.
Though the story is not one that I can praise in more than peculiarly specific ways, the narration provided by Petter Kenny is spectacular. This narrator is impressive, to put it mildly. He successfully tackles various accents, dozens of characters, as well as songs and chants performed in Latin and other languages, all with a clarity and quality that almost astounded me.

Decent

Not as good as The Witcher books, but still a decent story. I look forward to the next two books in the series

Great Writing as Always, but its not the Witcher.

Andrzej Sapkowski wrote one of my favorite book series, so I figured I would give his new series a listen. Peter Kenny brings the story to life and could make the blandest of stories interesting. I am not saying this story is weak, but it doesn't have the grit that the witcher series had. The writing is phenomenal as always (pretty streamline through all his work); maybe this isn't the type of book I was hoping it would be. I have with the story that after I finished the book, I don't even really know what it was even about. On the bright side, though, I would still give it a listen because the characters are not too bad, and there are some pretty great scenes. Despite my mixed review, I await book two, I hope it elaborates more on what the series plot is supposed to be.

perfection.

This book is of a genre I don't normally read, but seeing as how it was Peter kenny's narration. I decided to give it a chance and his voice both highlights and completes the masterwork that this novel is. I cannot recommend it enough.

Thoroughly enjoyable

Peter Kenny is a god. He can make any story enjoyable. For that alone, I recommend this book. For anyone who enjoyed the Witcher series this book is eerily familiar the entire way through and I think you’ll enjoy it. My only cons are the over use of Latin at times and the abundance of named superfluous characters that are non English but the narrator does a good job of helping you manage. Worth a read if you enjoyed the Witcher.