The Ka (Paperback)

~ Mary Deal (Author)
Key Phrases: tech shack, inventory tent, pyramid ceiling, First Chamber, Offering Chamber, Queen Tyi (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

California archaeology student Chione Ini-Herit has vivid dreams about the discovery of an opulent tomb. After learning that Chione’s dreams are playing out in Egypt, the founder of the California Institute of Archaeology accepts an offer to examine a mysterious site in Valley of the Queens. When they discover a tomb, things begin to unravel.

Magical spells encoded into the hieroglyphs on the tomb’s walls transport Chione and her former boyfriend, fellow archaeologist Aaron Ashby, back 3,500 years to ancient Egypt. Even stranger, Aaron and Chione begin to morph into Tutankhamon and Tauret, a priestess in Pharaoh’s Court, after learning that Tauret coded the magical spells into the hieroglyphs to keep her and Pharaoh irrevocably joined in the afterlife.

When other team members speak the spells aloud, they, too, are affected in unfathomable ways by the Ka, the spirit of the entombed person. Chione and Aaron learn that Tauret has conjured powerful spells to provide Tutankhamon with a living heir, and Tauret has chosen Chione and Aaron to complete her destiny…

About the Author

Mary Deal spent four years researching 3,500 years of Egyptian dynasties before writing The Ka. She lives in Kapa`a, Hawaii, and is presently writing another historical fantasy set in the Hawaiian Islands.

Product Details

• Paperback: 410 pages
• Publisher: iUniverse, Inc. (May 10, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0595388876
• ISBN-13: 978-0595388875
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,697,856 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The KA -- Mary Deal has done it again! Get ready for a fantastic ride!!!, June 5, 2006

By	Mary Porter "IndianWolfSpirit" (Grass Lake, MI -- USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I knew this book would be a great read coming from such a talented writer but nothing could have prepared me for the fantastic voyage through Egypt's rich and colorful mysteries (both historical and modern) that Mary somehow magically manages to provide through her extremely enjoyable, knowledgeable and unmatchable writing style!

Mary has the ability to transport you from modern day to ancient Egypt and back again over and over throughout the entirety of the book. She not only helps you to visualize each scene with impeccable detail, but also to feel each character's emotions throughout.

This wonderful creation has only left me yearning for more from this writer and once again, I find myself asking myself why the entire world has not yet discovered such a wonderful talent.

Treat yourself to this book. Let yourself be transported through a truly magical experience. You honestly won't be sorry!

Mary C. Porter -- Grass Lake, MI

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Writing! Outstanding Book!, February 19, 2007

By	Elizabeth Crabtree (Battle Creek, MI) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

After reading many of her short stories and her first book, The Tropics, I became permanently hooked on author, Mary Deal. Having waited for months for her new book, The Ka, to be published, I was thrilled to get my hands on it and start reading!

The Ka is a masterful blend of fantasy, mystery and suspense, with liberal dashes of humor, and generous pinches of wit, bound together by a stirring romance that not only transcends time, but forever binds present to past. Using the backdrop of both ancient and modern day Egypt, each page grabs you and propels you to the next. Brimming with rich, historically accurate details, Ms. Deal's vibrant characters, spontaneous dialog, and vivid scenery makes this a book you will not be able to put down!

Follow the premonitions of archaeology student, Chione Ini-Herit, as she and her former love interest, Aaron Ashby, along with the California Institute of Archaeology team, travel through this spellbinding novel toward destiny and providence; transformation and fulfillment to the exciting conclusion that will leave you both satisfied and wanting more.

Bravo Mary! I'm looking forward to your next book!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Storytelling, September 12, 2006

By	Ronald Holte - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I read this story in its first draft form, but that did not prepare me for the final composition. The author took the time to add details for the readers benefit. The primary characters are listed up front, as well, there's a list of secondary characters. The few words that define each character set me up to more deeply understand who these many people are when the story jumps into their lives. Similarly, the seventeen-page Glossary at the back defines terms and other information that couldn't and shouldn't be included in the body of the story, but which rounds out information for the reader's understanding.


Then there's the story itself. After having read the book a second time, I find myself perusing the story, amazed at how each of the characters' lives is strangely entwined with the others, and how they evolve and blend into the flow of the main plot. The amount of research this author has done comes through in the telling. True history is included, tightly woven with threads of fantasy...right down to the Gotcha! ending. Truly an entertaining and informative read that stays with me.