King Arthur's knight Sir Galahad stumbles upon Ciri bathing by a lake in ancient Britain.

In the Northern Kingdoms centuries after the main story, the sorceress Condwiramurs is apprenticed to Nimue, the Lady of the Lake, to study the legend of Geralt and Ciri.

Through the events of The Tower of the Swallow, Ciri portalled to the world of the Aen Elle elves, who have clashes with unicorns.

Stefan Skellen, the coroner of Nilfgaard, along with bounty hunter Leo Bonhart, join the sorcerer Vilgefortz in Stygga Castle in Ebbing where he has tortured and manipulated the sorceress Yennefer for information.

Then Geralt overhears a meeting between Skellen and Nilfgaardian nobles plotting to overthrow Emperor Emhyr that mentions Vilgefortz's location and that Yennefer is his victim-prisoner.

Throughout, the decisive battle of Brenna between the allied Northern Kingdoms and the invading army of Nilfgaard is narrated from various points of view, primarily by Jarre, a scribe from Melitele's temple, and "Rusty", a halfling field surgeon.

Ciri reaches Stygga Castle to save Yennefer, but Vilgefortz imprisons her since he plans to inseminate her to claim the prophesied magic user.

Geralt and Ciri fight the last of Skellen's mercenaries until a Nilfgaardian force led by Emhyr suddenly arrives.

To produce Ciri's prophesied child and save the world, Emhyr plans to make her Empress and impregnate her.

Since Geralt recognizes him and Yennefer knows the genealogy, Emhyr means to execute them to keep the incest secret, but grants them the option of committing suicide together.

While Geralt is in Rivia meeting his friends Yarpen Zigren and Zoltan Chivay, a riot and pogrom erupts with humans killing non-humans.

Yennefer and Triss Merigold conjure a storm to disperse the rioters, but they and Ciri find Geralt on the verge of death.