The Witcher series by Andrzej Sapkowski
The Witcher series is a collection of Polish novels and short stories, and unfortunately most of it has not been translated into English. However, what has been translated creates a cohesive narrative with no breaks in continuity, so nothing too important is missing. The Witcher is pure medieval fantasy, but it strays far from being trite or cliché. It infuses typical fantasy tropes with a healthy dose of dark and mature themes, allowing it to tell a sophisticated story without getting out of touch with its genre’s roots. It chronicles the adventures of a stoic witcher, which is a man who passed fatal trials as a child and is sworn to keep wild beasts from terrorizing the populace. His actions have large-scale ramifications, and the plot involves more political subterfuge and melodrama than you might expect, but it comes together quite nicely and the unique ideas always shine through.
