It is many years after the climate change catastrophe. The people that survive on the edge of the Great Basin Desert have adopted many Native American traditions; traditions that allow them to continue to live successfully in an arid and harsh land. Among those traditions is the coming of age journey. Boys, at 15 years of age, travel with Coyote, the Trickster, into the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Vincent, with Trickster, goes on his sojourn and deals with everyday issues of living in the wild. He is set the task of destroying an ancient monster. Vincent defeats an evil Shaman with help from Trickster, Chipmunk, and other creatures. He outsmarts another trickster, Raven, and returns to where his grandfather awaits him, a confident young man.
