A talking tigress. A wandering yogi. A young woman's journey through an ancient land where chaos threatens gods and mortals alike. A tigress speaks to the outcaste girl Mala, and as she flees in terror she encounters an old yogi. She offers him hospitality, and the stories he tells awaken her hunger for forbidden spiritual knowledge. Thus begins her quest for freedom, on which she meets gods and goddesses, outlaws and kings, and the young prince prophesied to become the Buddha. With the help of the Goddess, Mala escapes slavery and finds happiness but it is short-lived. When she loses everything, she must choose between bloody vengeance or transcendence through the power of yoga. This book transports the reader to a vivid mythical world filled with characters who are archetypal and real. It examines the longing for spiritual transformation and inner peace, and the ways in which the search for wisdom and compassion can go terribly wrong.