Welcome to twenty-fifth century Earth, a land lorded over by giant spiders and beetles whose ever-expanding consciousness has supplanted our own ever-diminishing one. From among this now-inferior race rises a hero, a young man named Niall whose powers of mind rival those of the spiders. Soon, Niall leads an assault on the very heart of the spiders' city and strength, and discovers the mysterious source of their power. In his quest to unite the disparate forces of this harsh new world, Niall makes shocking discoveries about both his own people and the rapidly evolving spiders. Niall, in an effort to save his brother's life, sets off through a secret passage under the spiders' city and travels down an underground river through the territory of the chameleon men. Beyond this friendly territory however, danger awaits on his path over the mountains and into Shadowland--the lair of the Magician and his subjects. Along the way, Niall's adventures continue his development to the point that his powers are nearly superhuman. But the Magician's powers are far greater than Niall's, and soon they become engaged in a contest of strength. A contest Niall seems almost certain to lose....