Lord Kushal, maharajah’s envoy, is selecting twelve virgins for training, making them fit to serve as mistresses to the maharajah and his nobles at court in the city of Melukhha. Ishvari is chosen to train at the temple of Rudralaya after her mother tells the envoy of her special birth and a sign from the gods. With other girls, the temple becomes her home for the next seven years, and her past is slowly forgotten. She grows beautiful and intelligent under the tutelage of the monks.

At end her studies, Ishvari is named high tantrika and consort to the maharajah. Her tutor warns her about being vengeful, prideful, to control her haughty ego, and not to forget her training. Arriving at the capital, Ishvari meets the maharajah. That night, he consummates their union. She would be his for the next seven years, living in unimaginable luxury—provided she can survive palace politics. The demons of her pride and ego slowly take over her spirit and she descends into taking drugs and having an illicit affair with a mendicant boy. As rumors spread about her loose morals, enraged, the maharajah orders that she participate in a group orgy with selected court nobles. Surviving the ordeal, her friends smuggle her out of the city.

In the years that follow, Ishvari communes with the gods, learning how to heal her spirit and banish her demons, becoming a renowned healer. The maharajah and his kingdom descend into wickedness. Mortally ill, he visits her, but her attempt to heal him fails; the demons possessing him are far too powerful. Escaping his vengeance, she retreats into a sacred valley where…but I will leave that for readers to find out.

‘Whip of the Wild God’ is a journey into India’s mystical past and its pantheon of very real gods. The book is well written, but some readers will find the cultural nuances difficult to understand. Mira Prabhu has a mastery of Indian lore and she weaves her tale with skill. The book is far reaching, but in some respects, it fails to fulfill its potential. While in Melukhha, Ishvari forgets her training and discipline, behaving like any young girl suddenly thrust into sophisticated society. Overwhelmed with her high status and power, she allows material luxury and pleasures of the flesh to darken her spirit. However, the section of the book dealing with her spiritual rebirth is well done and the reader is transported into the lap of Indian gods.

For readers who are prepared to be patient, Whip of the Wild God will be a rewarding journey.

The book is available on Amazon and Smashwords.