When the powerfully psionic Karma Baraka first saw the sand dunes of Planet Rathira, little did she know that this apparently peaceful world with a civilization strangely like that of Ancient Egypt was under attack by demons from another dimension, that the strange-looking cross recently given to her was the Ti-Ank, a magical talisman of unbelievable power, or that her possession of the Ti-Ank and her paranormal ability to speak to the dead marked her as the long-prophesied Techu, whom the Rathirians believed would come to save their world.

Accompanied by Nikura, a panther-sized gray and silver tabby cat of unknown age and origin who talks only to Karma but appears to know far more than he is telling, Karma sets out across the desert with a royal caravan on The Quest of the Orbs, a journey to find three mysterious Orbs of Power necessary to prevent Rathira from being overrun by escapees from the demons' world. To make things even more complicated, not only does Karma have to deal with palace intrigue and scheming courtiers, as well as repeated attacks by demons bent on killing her and stealing the Ti-Ank, she also must face off against the distant and forbidding, but undeniably gorgeous, Warrior Prince Zakiel, son of King Rhobar, who leads the caravan. His high handed manner puts her off, but there is something about him--maybe his startlingly blue eyes, not to mention the sight of him in those tight, black riding leathers--that stirs her as no other man ever has. The friction between Karma and Zakiel soon leads to sparks and, as those sparks ignite flames of passion, there are hints that Zakiel might be more than just a man, as signs of a bloodline both as a Tigren shifter and as the rebirth of the Vatra, a phoenix-like magical entity that helped save Rathira a thousand years before.

Review

This is decent Science Fiction Fantasy style romance. The world building is very good. For me the romance is a bit too slow and I am not thrilled with the conflict of demons.

But it is a nice spin off from the Soul Link series overall.