This collection is set mainly in Brittany, France, where natural beauty is interwoven with unease and the supernatural to examine the consequences of human choice. Stories featuring the American protagonist Dick Darrel trace how innocent scientific interests in insects evolve into rivalry, obsession, and creeping dread. Priestly curses, ancient beliefs, remote islands, and strange creatures gradually reveal forces beyond rational understanding. Though each tale stands alone, they are unified by a shared atmosphere that highlights desire, fear, and human fragility before nature. The concluding poem offers a quiet counterpoint, drawing the collection toward themes of forgiveness and inner reconciliation.
