This book is a fictional account of the birth, life and death of two great Zulu kings – King Sgidi the Thousand, famous as King Shaka the Beetle, and King Cetshwayo the Wiled, famous for winning a battle of firearms through spears. In the Zulu tribe, it is believed that a child's life will follow the meaning of the name that is given to them. Sgidi the Thousand is born, and grows to lead thousands of people; he is Shaka the Beetle, the beetle that stings with fatal venom. On the day of his death, a baby is born: Cetshwayo the Wiled, named after the dying king's last words. He grows up and is not recognized as an heir, much like Shaka before him, and he ultimately becomes even greater. Cetshwayo defeats the most civilised White men. But White men strategically lure him overseas, and they subdivide his kingdom into many chieftains in his absence. When he returns, he is no longer the king he once was.