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A collection of interlinked stories, The Last Wish details the life of Geralt of Rivia. Geralt is a witcher, someone who has undergone an intensive process to become capable of fighting monsters. Each chapter alternates between a story from Geralt’s past and his present stay at the temple of Melitele. At the temple, Geralt is recovering from an injury under the care of his old friend, Nenneke, the high priestess. Nenneke tries to convince him to sit for a trance because she senses that there’s something wrong with him. Geralt refuses because Iola, who would conduct the trance, is clairvoyant and he doesn’t want to know his future.
In “The Witcher,” Geralt travels to the city of Wyzim to free a princess who was cursed to become a striga, a monster that hunts people at night. To fix the princess, Geralt needs to trap her outside of her sarcophagus through the entire night. After a ferocious fight, Geralt uses his magic to stun her. A few hours later, he finds her unconscious outside her sarcophagus. She slashes Geralt’s throat just as morning arrives, and the curse breaks. In “A Grain of Truth,” Geralt helps to break another curse. He finds a decrepit building in the forest where a humanoid monster lives. When Geralt doesn’t flinch, the creature introduces himself as Nivellen and invites him inside. Nivellen tells Geralt that he was cursed to look like a monster and that women stay at his estate in exchange for riches. Nivellen fell in love with one of them, Vereena, who Geralt recognizes as a type of vampire. Geralt attempts fight her and Nivellen stabs her. When Vereena dies, Nivellen is transformed back into a human.
In “The Lesser Evil,” Geralt meets the wizard Stregobor, who is being hunted by a princess named Renfri. Stregobor explains that a prophesy claims that Renfri is a bloodthirsty monster and begs Geralt to kill her. When Geralt meets Renfri, she explains Stregobor’s story was wrong. Her cruel stepmother and Stregobor forced her to live a violent life on the run. She tries to convince Geralt to help her kill Stregobor. Geralt refuses to help either of them. The following morning, he learns that one of Renfri’s men led a massacre in another town. Fearing that Renfri plans another attack, Geralt kills her, but he is haunted by his decision.
In “A Question of Price,” Geralt is summoned to a banquet being held by the Queen Calanthe, in honor of her daughter, Pavetta. Calanthe wants Geralt to ensure that Pavetta marries a man from Skellig to form a political alliance. The banquet is interrupted by Urcheon of Erenwald, who looks like a monster. Urcheon explains that he and Pavetta are destined to be wed because of an oath. Calanthe leaves the decision to Pavetta, who agrees to marry Urcheon. The other suitors attack Urcheon. During the battle, Pavetta taps into the Force and lashes out telepathically. Geralt and another guest subdue Pavetta. Calanthe allows Pavetta and Urcheon to marry, which breaks the curse that made him look monstrous. Then, Calanthe marries one of the warriors from Skellig and secures the alliance.
In “The Edge of the World,” Geralt and his friend Dandelion travel to Lower Possada to investigate a creature that has been stealing grain. The creature is Torque, an intelligent being with a goat-like appearance, and a local prophetess, Lille, forbids anyone from harming it. When Geralt and Dandelion attempt to corner Torque, they’re captured by a group of elves. Torque had been stealing grain and seeds for the elves because they are facing starvation. The elves once lived in the area but were driven out by humans. The leader of the elves, Filavandrel, prepares to kill Geralt and Dandelion but Lille arrives. She has transformed into a goddess of life and agriculture. The elves free Geralt and Dandelion after Lille and Filavandrel communicate telepathically.
“The Last Wish” begins when Dandelion fishes a djinn’s jar out of the river and attempts to make it grant him wishes. The djinn attacks him, so Geralt rushes him to the nearest city to find a magician to heal him. The only sorceress in the city is a woman named Yennefer. She helps Dandelion then reveals that she plans to use Geralt to settle her scores and knocks him unconscious with a spell. He wakes up in prison for attacking people. Yennefer attempts to capture the djinn, but she cannot because Geralt still has one wish left. He uses it, and the djinn disappears. Yennefer and Geralt are bound to one another by the wish.
After several days at the temple of Melitele, Dandelion, and Geralt are confronted by knights of The White Rose Order. They demand that Geralt fight one of them in a rigged duel. Geralt wins, so he and Dandelion must leave in a hurry. While saying goodbye to Nenneke, Geralt accidentally touches Iola and all three of them see a violent vision of Geralt’s future. Nenneke bids Geralt a tearful farewell.
