The clever and decisive Rialto, just like the entire motley association of magicians of which he is a member, pursues two goals: to obtain as many magical artifacts for himself as possible and to put on a show for his colleagues. That is what causes the entertaining and funny adventures that rain down on them like from a cornucopia.
The book consists of three parts. In the first, the magicians get into a fight with an ancient witch. In the second, Rialto finds himself at the center of vicious intrigues arranged by a jealous rival. In the third, the magicians set off to the edge of the universe in search of the legendary hero of antiquity.
The genre of the book can be described as adventurous humorous fantasy with elements of a detective story and the grotesque.