Daniel James Grey-DJ to his friends-is a seventeen-year-old genius with an aptitude for chemistry. As a child, he found a book filled with all sorts of alchemical theories and recipes, inspiring his hungry and agile mind and setting him on a path of discovery. His intelligence drives him to want more from his life, but even he couldn't have predicted what fate has in store. His friend and study partner, Sara, is his opposite in so many ways. She doesn't much care for school, isn't terribly interested in the future, and is perfectly happy where she is-but a mysterious creature called Visorow is about to change their lives forever. He whisks them both away to a distant planet called Sho'shicka, for reasons he does not share with them. Once there, DJ puts his considerable mental resources to work to find a way back to Earth. But a malicious, childlike entity named Alex has his own plans for the pair. What price will they have to pay to get home?