In the time-lost world of prehistory, a girl was born to the Dictatress. Was she a goddess? Cija herself believed that she was. For seventeen years her mother had kept her imprisoned in a tower. She released her with one object in view; as a tool to seduce Zerd, the half-man, half-serpent lord of an invading army.

Cija goes off with Zerd to attempt the conquest of fabled Atlantis... and enters upon a series of startling adventures that forces her into many roles: princess and camp follower, scullion and empress, slave, cook, and heroine warrior...