Product Description
Now back in print, the award-winning first book of the Children of the Star trilogy. Noren knew that his world was not as it should be -- it was wrong that only the Scholars, and their representatives the Technicians, could use metal tools and Machines. It was wrong that only they had access to the mysterious City, which he had always longed to enter. Above all, it was wrong for the Scholars to have sole power over the distribution of knowledge. The High Law imposed these restrictions and many others, though the Prophecy promised that someday knowledge and Machines would be available to everyone. Noren was a heretic. He defied the High Law and had no faith in the Prophecy's fulfillment.But was defiance enough, or could some way be found to make it come true? ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Courtesy of Teens Read Too
The future is never written in stone, or so the saying goes. The sands of time may fall, but what stops someone from building a dam?

In the future, knowledge, and therefore thought, is totally controlled. Noren is one of the few who decides that thought and knowledge are important, and that everyone should be able to exhibit both freely. He knows the difference from what is right and completely unfair, even when his world tells him differently.

The only problem is, can he stop the Scholars, who are the only ones who can give the power of knowledge, on his own, or will he fail in the worst way? Running from the law, Noren is almost helpless, but the Scholars and Technicians can't take away his one power - hope.

Sylvia Engdahl weaves her story in a beautiful way. Not only does she create a totally different world from the one we live in, but also changes the roles of humankind. Her characters are both ones seen on the street and ones locked behind steel doors. Readers will be changed by the abrupt outlook on this amazing world and the surprises the plot presents as a whole.

THIS STAR SHALL ABIDE is a thoroughly enjoyable science fiction novel.

Reviewed by:AdrienneBe

A science fiction triumph
Why is all of my very favorite science fiction out of print?

Ah, well, do whatever you have to to dig up a copy of This Star Shall Abide.It's an amazing otherworldly tale of a society wherein superstition and traditionare followed as rigidly as possible, for survival's sake, and how thatsociety deals with a man who is driven to question even at the risk of allhis dreams.

Like The Giver, this story is sophisticated enough for anadult audience, but nothing is barring intelligent kids from reading it(except perhaps that their parents might not want them thinking too hardabout some of the ideas about the nature of authority and the nobility ofindependence.)

Wonderful, Compelling
BEing an avid Science-fiction lover, I was gleeful when I found this book. I first read Enchantress from the Stars, then the Far Side of Evil. Then I moved into the Star triology. I can't say what happened in the 2nd bookbecause my library didn't have it. This book is captivating and wonderfuland delicious in everyway. I recommend it to any person who calls themselfa true science fiction fan like myself.

Simply the best
This is probably the best novel I have ever read (out of several thousand) - not just the best SF novel or best young adult novel, but simply the best.It weaves philisophical points about the nature of truth and scientific method into a thrilling adventure of defiance to a represive regeme, with many surprise plot twists.I have a copy that I have saved for over 4 years and will save for another 6 to be able to give it to my niece at the appropriate age. ... Read more

Product Description
Elana, a member of an interstellar civilization on a mission to a medieval planet, becomes the key to a dangerous plan to turn back an invasion. How can she help the Andrecians, who still believe in magic and superstition, without revealing her own alien powers? At the same time, Georyn, the son of an Andrecian woodcutter, knows only that there is a dragon in the enchanted forest, and he must defeat it.He sees Elana as the Enchantress from the Stars who has come to test him, to prove he is worthy.One of the few science fiction books to win a Newbery Honor, this novel will enthrall teenage and adult readers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (37)

Skillful science-fiction
Enchantress from the Stars proves one of the very best books of the genre. Combining mythic fantasy-like events with science fiction, Sylvia Engdahl weaves an incredible story that involves the reader on every level. The characters are fascinating, multifaceted, and engaging, and the events seize the reader and whirl them along on a desperate "What happens next??" ride.
Best of all is the subtle theme the story provides, giving the reader a sense of hope and betterment of human civilization. This book expands the mind in ways previously never considered, and is a great read for anyone who picks it up.

Light, fun, and very well written
This book is a surprising gem.

The one line review that I've been passing on to friends is "This is what Ursula K. Le Guin would write, if she did something light."

On the surface, it's light but well-written storylines woven together in a sci-fi/fantasy twist.

But the book forces you to shift perspective, to move between different points of view, and to think.

I picked it up because I figured anything that got a Newberry Honor medal was probably worth reading, and I wasn't disappointed.

What a classic
This is a re-read from my youth and I am glad that it has been reissued. I love all of Engdahl's work and I only wish that she would write more after her long dry period. A well-writte intelligent and charming female protagonist learns and grows within a setting much like early (good) Andre Norton- reminiscent ofIce Crown, in fact.

Interesting book
This is an interesting book.I like the three different voices she uses to narrate the three different worlds, and the way the most advanced world, being the most self-aware, is done in first person.

Interesting questions are raised and about truth, right/wrong, etc.I do not agree with everything the author seems to believe, but this book would be a good springboard for discussion of questions like, "What is truth?" and "What/who is God?" and "Is there anything beyond what we can see and study with traditional science?"

There are a lot of other interesting questions that can be pondered that the book raises but does not answer.For instance, was Alana's father exploiting her young heart and propensity to fall in love in order to save the world of Andrecia and, if so, is that a morally defensible thing?

Not the absolute best book I have ever read, but worth reading, and probably worth reading more than once.

A Different Sort of Fantasy
Having read Sylvia Engdahl's excellent novel, The Far Side of Evil, several years ago, I approached this book with a positive outlook that it would be just as thought-provoking and well told.I wasn't disappointed, though this novel is indeed different in tone.

The Enchantress of the title is Elana, whose exact age is never given but can be assumed to be in her late teens or early twenties.Elana, looking for adventure and real life experience, stows away on board a starship that is sent to Andrecia, a medieval planet that is currently being colonized by a more advanced society.Once her presence is known, her father and boyfriend decide that Elana can indeed help with the plan to oust the invaders, which will allow Andrecia to continue to develop at its own pace.Elana becomes the "Enchantress"; she befriends two locals who are off to fight the "Dragon" (a massive rock-chewing machine), and helps them by awakening their own skills so that their quest will be successful.In the process, Elana finds herself falling for the local known as Georgyn, and in her inexperience, putting them both in grave danger.

This book moves seamlessly between points of view, which gives it a much more universal feel than had we only known Elana's side of the story.When Georyn's voice takes over, the story almost becomes a fairy tale; indeed, that is how he sees Elana and the invaders who have come to his world.Elana is, of course, young and inexperienced but desperate to do the right thing; and Jarel is the lone voice of the invaders, unsure of his world's plans but unable to do anything to stop them.

I enjoyed this novel but did feel that at times it was a bit on the fantastic side.I felt the plans Elana's father made to dupe the invaders weren't necessarily believable, but I was able to keep in mind that this is indeed a fantasy.Elana could be infuriating in her lack of knowledge and her headstrong ways, and her poor boyfriend Evrek is relegated to the background while Elana forges ahead with a relationship with Georyn.Overall, however, this is a well-written novel and Engdahl has a gift for telling a tale that will pull you in from the first pages.Over thirty years since its debut, this thought-provoking novel holds up well and is just as relevant today.Recommended for lovers of fantasy. ... Read more

Product Description
When burned-out starship captain Jesse Sanders is seized by a dictatorial medical regime and detained on the colony planet Undine, he has no idea that he is about to be plunged into a bewildering new life that will involve ordeals and joys beyond anything he has ever imagined, as well as the love of a woman with powers that seem superhuman. Still less does he suspect that he must soon take responsibility for the lives of people he has come to care about and preservation of their hopes for the future of humankind.This controversial novel, winner of a bronze medal in the 2008 Independent Publisher (IPPY) Book Awards, deals with the so-called paranormal powers of the human mind and appeals to a wide range of readers who question the dominant medical philosophy of today's society.Unlike Engdahl's earlier novels, it is not appropriate for Young Adult audiences.This edition is formatted to match the sequel, Promise of the Flame. The text is unchanged from the 2007 edition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (17)

Stewards of the Flame
Jesse, a fleet captain who spends most of his life in space, is off duty on a small colony called Undine. Like usual, while he is grounded he decides to have a drink, no harm in that right? Well, unfortunately Undine considers drinking an illness. It could lead to alcoholism, and anyone who subjects themselves to such things surely must be mentally unstable. This is Undine's way of thinking, health care is valued above everything, even to the point where the police (who are actually healthcare workers who drive ambulances) will arrest anyone doing anything that could cause potential harm to themselves, to be carted away to the hospital for 'treatment,' where they will be detained against their will until the hospital decides they are 'well,' even if the dangerous activity was sailing a boat and their treatment invoves taking drugs that cause brain damage. (But atleast they won't endanger their health anymore, right?)

As scary and extreme as Undine sounds, the more and more I read, the more and more I began to realize...Undine isn't so unrealistic after all. I started making connections with the real world, and it dawned at me that Undine could very well be the future of our own planet. Worse, after I finished the book, I discovered that some of the things that I thought far too horrific to ever be true, were not only plausible, but actually practiced today! The potential of an Undine-like Earth is quite scary, and I found this aspect of the book to be an eye opener.

The plot was very good once it got started, but for me, I had a very hard time connecting with the characters in the beginning. Perhaps at first I was too distracted by the authors descriptions of Undine and its practices, but I realized during Jesse's first stay at the lodge that I had no connection and cared very little about the main characters. In fact, at that point in the book I found myself more frustrated with Jesse than anything, with his constant mood switching and indecisiveness on whether or not he belonged on Undine, with Carla and her group, or not. I got a little bored during this period, but fortunately it was only a brief section, and afterwards I began to enjoy the book immensely.

The book hooked me with it's setting and kept my attention with a story that was both addicting and thought provoking, and while the ending left the story hanging a bit, I was very excited to see in the author description that a sequel may be in the works. I will look forward to a continuation of the story. In the meantime, I'll try to decide if I should label this as science fiction now or wait a few years and call it a historical fiction novel...

mediocre
First and foremost, I am not a fan of science fiction. Those who like that genre will love this book. I found it long-winded and it did not capture my interests. It took everything in me just to read it. I don't mean to be a stick in the mud about it & I know everybody else loved it, not me!

Great Read!
I didn't start with Sylvia's YA books, my husband turned me onto the current books because he had read the books when he was younger.What a treat.I don't want to give to much away, as the other reviewers do, but it's a great read and it kept me up at night!Thanks Sylvia!

Thought-provoking and compelling
Stewards of the Flame is a smart, intricately-plotted novel that's extremely realistic and relatable despite being science fiction. When Jesse Sanders ends up stuck on the planet Undine, he discovers how health-centric it is when he's forced to endure extreme treatment for supposedly being an alcoholic. The planet has such dictorial health laws that even though their efforts to keep people healthy are genuine, they are taken much too far. Jesse may be an outsider on this planet, but he isn't the only one aware of how distorted these people's views of preserving life are. While a bit slow-paced at times, learning more about the world and the group that likes to call itself Stewards of the Flame is enough to keep you reading further. The idea of a medical-based world isn't at all far-fetched, the implications of such a system making this book appealing to a wide scope of readers. You can't help but root for the low-key rebellion, even if it seems to be a hopeless cause at times. The end felt somewhat unfinished to me, but promises for a sequel make it bearable. Thought-provoking and compelling, Stewards of the Flame is an excellent novel that even non-science fiction fans would enjoy.

Escape from Tyranny!
Lately, I've been thinking about how "universal health care" or socialized medicine could conceivably lead to the complete loss of personal liberty.Bear with me for just this paragraph and consider my reasoning. When taxpayers are paying for everyone's health care, how long will it be before "the majority" start to resent having to pay for the health problems of cigarette smokers?Can you see where this might lead to the outlawing of cigarette smoking for everyone?Sure, we'd be better off without cigarettes, but this loss of personal liberty would set a precedent for further restrictions on your choices.Won't my liberal hippie friends be dismayed when "the majority" also decide pot smokers shouldn't be eligible for universal health care when a little THC is found in their bloodstream?I can easily imagine, in a world of universal health care, these lifestyle choices disappearing over time. There's evidence that your mental outlook also affects your physical health, so I can imagine that to continue receiving "free" health care, a "depressed" person will be forced onto psychological drugs.And who would define conditions such as depression?Not you and your doctor, but some government health care bureaucracy that will eventually be controlled by the big-money in health care, namely the pharmaceutical industry. Treatments will all be drug based rather than alternative treatments that target the source of illness rather than just the symptoms.Won't my compassionate natural-healing friends who support universal health care be surprised then?

OK, so what does this have to do with "Stewards of the Flame"?In this novel, author Sylvia Engdahl imagines a society that has taken medical well-being to the extreme; where it has become the highest priority of government and, thus, government and the orthodox medical community are one and the same. She describes such a world with much less political soap-boxing than I have written above, you might be relieved to know.In this world of medical tyranny there is a group of people who have non-orthodox ideas about how to be healthy and what makes a vibrant life worth living, with risks and self-responsibility.Of course, these people are criminals and have to live a life of secrecy and subterfuge to survive, pursue their own interests, and hopefully win their freedom.And that is the setting for the characters and the plot of this book.

I thoroughly enjoyed "Stewards of the Flame".In addition to medical tyranny, it delves heavily into subjects such as psi powers, civil disobedience, overcoming fear, and even some intergalactic space travel and planet colonization!Without being religious in any way, the novel might make you think about spiritual or religious questions, such as when does your spirit or consciousness leave your body (if at all) if you are brain dead but kept physically alive on life support.I also found one of the characters (Ian) to be kind of a religious figure; which really isn't important except that, to me, it added even more depth to the book especially at the end where his mysterious actions earlier in the story became explained in some very heavy revelations!

I highly recommend "Stewards of the Flame" and I'm hopeful a sequel will be published soon!

... Read more

Product Description

Noren knew that his world was not as it should be -- it was wrong that only the Scholars, and their representatives the Technicians, could use metal tools and Machines. It was wrong that only they had access to the mysterious City, which even in boyhood he had longed to enter. Above all, it was wrong for the Scholars to have sole power over the distribution of knowledge. The High Law imposed these restrictions and many others, though the Prophecy declared that someday knowledge and Machines would be available to everyone. Noren was a heretic. He had now come to believe in the Prophecy's fulfillment, yet the more he learned of the grim truth about his people's deprivations, the less possible it seemed that their world could ever be changed. Was it right to keep on promising them a brighter future?

Customer Reviews (3)

Atheists need faith too
"Beyond the Tomorrow Mountains" by Sylvia Engdahl is the sequel to one of my high school favorite reads "This Star Shall Abide".In the first book we are introduced to Noren who values truth above all things. He's born in a village on a world with a strict caste system. Education is limited for those born in his caste. At the top of the heap are the "Scholars" who "know everything" and then there are the Technicians who can use machines....which are holy.

Noren is a heretic for believing that there's nothing special about Technicians and Scholars that he couldn't be himself, if only he had access to the knowledge. The first book is all about Noren's journey as a heretic who values the truth -- who comes to learn that the Prophecy is essentially true and that the Scholars have a very good reason for the way things are -- culminating in Noren becoming a Scholar himself.

The problem is that mankind's sun went nova destroying the six worlds of humanity. The world they are living on has no metals, no trees -- nothing that can be used to maintain society.Even the soil and water are poisonous. All they have is the technology they brought with them and it has to last for generations until they can figure out how to create metal from nuclear fusion. In order to preserve the technology, and yet grow the population -- they created a caste system. It's a horrible thing, and all the Scholars feel it's horrible, but the alternative is the extinction of the human race.

It's a book that filled my mind as a high schooler with the thoughts of truth and whether or not it's better to know and face pain or be happy and ignorant.

This second book could have been subtitled "Atheists need faith too". It lacks all the charm of the first book. Noren, now a scientist, is faced with the fact that creating metal is impossible by all known theories.Not just "we don't know how", but "we know it can't be done". He is paralyzed by this realization and is stripped of all the faith that he had (not faith in God, but faith that the Scholars would succeed). Sylvia is does a wonderful job of putting you into Noren's mind of despair.So good a job, that the reader is filled despair.And it goes on and on and on.If you like despair, you'll like this book. There is a payoff for those who don't slit their throats by the end of the book. Noren does find faith. Not faith in any type of god or religion, but just faith enough that it's better to try to live and die than just to give up and die.

I will be pressing on to read the third and final book just because Sylvia learned after writing the first two that she overlooked a possible solution to the no-metal delimma. Let's hope that the theme of the third book isn't "everyone should endure a time of great despair" :) The first book I'd recommend. It would (and did) stand alone fine as a single book.This second one -- I'm not sure who I'd recommend the book to.Atheists looking for a reason to live, perhaps.

Lee

Contents...
Noren had accepted the fact that the society on the planet on which she lived had to have three distinct groups: villagers who know little and farmed; Technicians who worked the complicated machines that kept the land fertile and the water safe; and Scholars who alone knew that existence on the Machines, brought with them from elsewhere and irreplaceable until specific scientific advances were made. Noren, once a villager, was now a Scholar because he had proved his right to be one. He knew the secrets kept by scholars and he had dedicated himself to helping achieve the scientific advances that would allow machines and learning to come to all people. But he still had doubts about his society and himself. Confronted with questions about the universe that seemed to have no answer; and problems on his own planet that seemed equally unanswerable, despair overcame hope. And when his depression was further fed by a series of incidents that seemed to herald the final disaster for his people, he gave up entirely. Yet that was not the end, for Noren learned at last the secret of surviving evn the most desolate crisis. Noren's world is not our world, but his problems are unmistakenly the problems of all living creatures. 257 pages.

This book isvery provoative
This book is really the first I've encountered that's really dealt with matters that are important,what is the reason for life, and why must we die.If you're not interested in that, that's fine.After all, the trauma the main character goes through is written with beautifull language, and the story of this civilazation is enough to endure the deep thinking.This is not your average science fiction thriller; if you're looking for a shallow book with green aliens with stalks and tentacles, you had better move on.This book is a thrilling reading experience, that kept me up till one on a school day reading it.Please, find out the joy for yourself! ... Read more

Product Description
Eighteen-year-old Melinda Ashley never wanted to go to Mars.she had her life all planned out—marry ross and become ateacher. but when her estranged father convinces her to take aninterplanetary vacation, she finds herself tempted to leave behindher comfortable existence on earth. Mars isn’t at all what sheexpected, and when she meets Alex preston, a second-generationMartian colonist, she finds herself on a surprising new path. sylviaengdahl’s classic novel has been revised and updated by theauthor to reflect new discoveries and research about Mars. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Less impressive than Engdahl's other books
Forget shiny new cars or lump sums of money -- for her high school graduation, Melinda's father gives her a roundtrip ticket to Mars. In this near-future setting, space travel is possible but prohibitively expensive: this is the opportunity of a lifetime.

There's just one problem: she doesn't want to go. Melinda may be a 21st century girl, but she just wants to become a teacher and marry her boyfriend Ross. It is only after an unexpected quarrel with Ross that Melinda finds herself setting off for this brave new world. En route, she meets a young man named Alex Preston, who is on his way back to Mars, the red planet of his birth -- a chance encounter that has the power to change everything that Melinda thought she wanted.

Don't expect much more plot than that. Sylvia Louise Engdahl's unusual SF novels are idea and character driven, and Journey Between Worlds is no exception. Apart from a number of attitude adjustments, not a whole lot actually happens in Melinda's retrospective account of her time on Mars.

There may not be much action, but Engdahl's well-realized vision of Mars is a compelling reason to read the book. Details about New Terran architecture, Martian politics, and even Christmas on a planet with few material commodities paint a thoughtful picture of human civilization on Mars. Because technology is never emphasized, more than three decades after its original publication, Engdahl's Mars still seems relevant.

To get to the descriptions of Mars, however, you'll have to put up with Melinda. Journey Between Worlds has the misfortune of being a character-driven novel with unlikable characters. Melinda spends a good deal of her time on Mars in her hotel room, complaining of boredom and homesickness. When not thus engaged, her second favorite pastime seems to be getting pushed around by older men who are patronizing, manipulative, and forever correcting her admittedly ill-informed notions. Melinda never gets a good rejoinder in, and she doesn't even mind. Mars may have aged gracefully, but the book's gender politics have not: sexism is intrinsic to the plot and legitimized by the romance. Engdahl notes in her afterword that she revised the book to deal with this issue, but my usually well-behaved inner feminist remains appalled.

Of course, this won't bother all readers, and Engdahl's vision of the red planet may be worth tolerating Melinda and maybe even Alex. However, her other books are so much better -- try Enchantress from the Stars and the trilogy Children of the Star for blazingly intelligent, deeply thoughtful YA SF -- that Journey Between Worlds should be read last, if at all.

Wish I'd read it sooner
I've read Science Fiction for a long time but haven't encountered much YA SF until recently. This book is now one of my favorites. It does explain some science: gravity, spaceflight, Mars conditions etc. But it mostly deals with how people live, act and react in these different future conditions and locations. I loved how the story showed that our point of view and preferences are largely based on what we've been exposed to so far in our life. Melinda has to deal with new things, ideas, people and places that are different and hard for her. As she comes to understand, accept and even like the alien things and people of Mars we also are taught to be more open minded. Melinda is a great character. It was good to read a Martian novel again - it seems like there has not been many recently.

Bookwrym Chrysalis Review
Melinda should be happy to get to travel to Mars with her dad.Everyone wants to go to space, don't they? But not 18-year-old Melinda.She had her life all planned out with her earthbound boyfriend, and she's not happy when dad springs this graduation trip on her.Still, it's for less than a year, she can start college when she gets back, and her boyfriend will still be waiting.

Once she arrives on Mars, she's surprised at how, well... civilized the colonies are. Of course, she makes a few enemies when she inadvertently insults colonists she meets by calling them the equivalent of savages. Still, she manages to make friends with a second-generation colonist named Alex and is soon torn between new love and old prejudices.

Wow did I love this book.I grew up on old sci-fi young adult books, especially those of Robert A. Heinlein. The moment I first saw this book on the shelf in hardcover, I wanted to read it.The cover just reminded me of Podkayne of Mars (by Heinlein), which was one of my teenage favorites. As it turned out, both books were originally published about seven years apart. I did hesitate to buy Journey Between Worlds, because I had a couple of other books by the author, and neither book had really caught my interest, but I was in love with this one from the first page.

The author, Sylvia Engdahl, writes after the story about how when she re-released this book, all she did was update some facts about Mars, but in essence, this is the same book that she published in 1970. And the book still holds a lot of truth. Journey Between Worlds is about the unknown and shaking your life up. Melinda expects Mars to be cold and dome life to be a sterilized bore. True, there are some differences, meat is synthetic and everyone lives in apartments due to space issues, but she finds that people adapt and can love this life just as much as the one back on Earth. She simply can't comprehend why someone would choose to leave Earth for Mars or if they were born on Mars, not move back to Earth. Alex, her new Mars born friend, especially puzzles her, because he spent a few years in college on Earth and actually wanted to return to Mars to live out his life. His choice to live on Mars makes no sense to Melinda.

While the book has science fiction elements, it's more of the pioneering western sci-fi.A sub-category all of its own, it's one that I personally love. There's something so human about adapting to a new environment, the give and take of living and molding the land into what we want. Humanity has never been happy with where it is, and the stars are simply the next great unknown. I think a lot of 50s, 60s, and 70s era sci-fi really captures that wonderment in a unique way, because at the time, humanity hadn't yet put its footprint on the Moon and there was still so much unknown. (Yes, I know, the first moon landing was 1969 and the book was published in 1970, but you have to allow a year or so for publishing.) And after we did land on the Moon, it was suddenly all possible, and we could begin to imagine that our children's children might really live in colonies on the surfaces of other planets.

Another great aspect of this book is the pioneer spirit.As I touched on before, Melinda can't understand why people would want to live away from Earth, just like others have wondered why someone would want to cross the deadly ocean from England or make the trek to Oregon. For as long as pioneers have made the journey, there have also been those wondering why someone would want to leave. Sure, space might be getting cramped, but why risk the dangers of the unknown? Engdahl does an excellent job of showing the journey of Melinda's thoughts and giving us a very believable conclusion to her story. I really felt like Melinda was growing and changing, that she was a real person telling me a story.

Courtesy of Teens Read Too
Melinda doesn't want to go to Mars.Why leave Earth when everything humans are meant to enjoy is there?But when her father, whom she's only seen sporadically over the last ten years, asks her to join him on a business trip to one of the Mars colonies after she graduates from high school, she can't bring herself to refuse him.Little does she know her months on Mars will change the way she thinks about life, love, and humanity.

With JOURNEY BETWEEN WORLDS, Sylvia Louise Engdahl has written a science-fiction story that will appeal to a variety of teens.Melinda faces many of the same problems today's young adults do, only in an otherworldly location.The first person narrative puts readers right inside Melinda's head and allows them to see through her eyes.Her struggle to overcome her fear of change and to examine her feelings and beliefs honestly should resonate with anyone uncertain of exactly who they are and want to be.

The story, of course, is not only about Melinda, but also Mars.The descriptions of Mars and its colonies are fascinating in their detail and realism, providing an exciting setting for Melinda's personal conflicts.The colonists, with their pride and passion, will make readers wonder if they, too, would have the pioneer spirit.

I would recommend JOURNEY BETWEEN WORLDS to any teen looking for a thought-provoking read.Unlike many science-fiction novels, this is not a story of action and technology, but rather of wonder. I'll admit, at times I wished there was more excitement, but overall it was a satisfying read.Both Melinda's problems and the issues raised by the colonization of another planet will give readers much to ponder long after they've finished reading.

Reviewed by:Lynn Crow

One More Great Book!
Lessons on growing up are often unpalatable for teens, but this one tastes great! I can still remember the first time I read it upon its original publication.It stresses that sacrifice for the greater good of all humanity is one of the highest qualities a person can strive to have.Great science facts are also included. ... Read more

Product Description
Single-volume edition of the trilogy consisting of This Star Shall Abide, Beyond the Tomorrow Mountains, and The Doors of the Universe. Now out of print -- when Amazon's stock is gone no more copies of this edition will be available, but there is a new print edition of This Star Shall Abide and Kindle editions of all three books.

Noren knew that his world was not as it should be--it was wrong that only the Scholars, and their representatives the Technicians, could use metal tools and Machines. It was wrong that only they had access to the mysterious City, which he had always longed to enter. Above all, it was wrong for the Scholars to have sole power over the distribution of knowledge. The High Law imposed these restrictions and many others, though the Prophecy promised that someday knowledge and Machines would be available to everyone. Noren was a heretic. He defied the High Law and had no faith in the Prophecy's fulfillment. But the more he learned of the grim truth about his people's deprivations, the less possible it seemed that their world could ever be changed. It would take more drastic steps than anyone imagined to restore their rightful heritage. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (21)

My Favorite Books of all Time
Today is SF/Fantasy writer recognition day and I decided to honor some of my favorite books of all time.This was one of them.I loved the whole series and read them countless times throughout high school.I recently rediscovered them on the internet and found that I like them just as much as an adult.It's just a great premise with great characters and great writing.I hope that a whole new generation discovers them and takes the time to think about the issues that the book brings up.

A rare treasure
This was one of the most capitvating books I've ever read.Though Noren's world initially seems far removed from our own, his struggle is profoundly relevant.What is faith, is it positive or negative, and why?If these questions interest you, I strongly urge you to read this book.It helped me find a resolution to such questions after struggling with them most of my life.

When I originally read the first book (on its own; this volume is a collection of all three books in the trilogy), the revelation at the end had me opening the book again the moment I finished it to read it over again.Another point left me feeling so betrayed and angry that it was like it had actually happened to me in the real world.The stakes were set so high that I wondered how it could all possibly come together, but then it comes to a masterful conclusion.

It's a shame that this book did not get more attention.I certainly will tell everyone I can about it.It's true that it's not an action-packed book, but if you enjoy thought-provoking stories of great moral and emotional complexity, definitely give this one a try.

Wonderful Book!
Overall, I was really impressed with this book. At times it goes a little slow, but Engdahl made up for it in the wonderful plot of the book. The surprising things, is that Noran, the main character, would actually be considered a static character, which is not typical of an engaging main character. His views do not change, nor does his personality or goals throughout the entire book. What keeps the reading turning the pages is the strangeness, and the fact that this sci-fi book could in fact be based on events that could happen one day. Another aspect of the book that was really engaging was the originality of the ideas used. It was not the typical sci-fi book that included space-crafts, aliens and the like. The ideas were extremely original, and fact-based. The other reason I enjoyed the book so much was that throughout the entire thing there was a mixture of sci-fi writing, and science. Sections of the book were devoted to explaining the concept of genetic engineering, which if you are interested in, is used very well in this book. The fact that a good book can incorporate aspects of reality, in the form of genetic engineering, is amazing, and makes the novel that much more notable.

I would recommend this book for people who won't get frustrated with the sections that are very slow-paced, but who are dedicated to reading each and every page, because they all add to the entire meaning of the book as a whole. It is not a typical sci-fi book, so don't expect lots of space-ships and people from different planets, but instead look forward to a well written novel about a culture struggling to re-build its self. You will follow Noran as he struggles to find his place in a world that he feels is wrong, and corrupt. Be open to twists in plot, and strange themes brought up again and again throughout the book, and you may enjoy it as much as I did.

This Star Shall Abide -- Welcome back to a long out of print book!
Noren is a young man who is frustrated about the class stratified society that he lives in.When he decides to challenge the system, he finds himself on a perilous journey . . . facing truth as he has never imagined.When I read this story many years ago in junior high, I realized for the first time that it was possible to have a perspective on life that did not encompass a large enough view of the truth.This story challenged my views on the limitations of my own perspectives.It is science fiction at its best. This book is a compilation of the trilogy that begins with "This Star Shall Abide".

leaves an impression - a simple review
I first read these books (now book) over 10 years ago.They have remained among my favorite books.The book is appealing to people young and old.Ms Engdahl's writings have a way of staying with one always.

This trilogy serves as a thought provoking journey through the relationship between society, religion, and science.It starts out with one man challenging the foundation of his society, to him embracing it, and back to him challenging it yet again, but for a completely different and selfless reason.Ms. Engdahl paints a wonderful picture of a futuristic and simultaneously primitive world whose advances and way pique the imagination.

Ms. Engdahl throws a taste of her intergalactic society into the final installment, but no one recognizable from Enchantress from the Stars or The Far Side of Evil. ... Read more

Product Description
Three hundred people, isolated on a raw new planet in the hope that their psi powers will become the foundation of a culture that can someday shape the future of humankind. If they don't starve first. If they don't lose heart in the face of hardships beyond any they imagined. And if their kids can be reared to believe in the dream and keep it alive from one generation to the next.Starship Captain Jesse Sanders hasn't expected to be responsible for the settlement. Peter is the leader, the visionary on whose inspiration they all depend. But Peter has his hands full, not only with maintaining morale but with grueling ordeals of his own. So the job of ensuring the colony's survival falls on Jesse. And in the end, he must stake his life in a desperate attempt to prevent the loss of all they have gained.This is a sequel to Stewards of the Flame, but it can be read independently. Unlike Engdahl's other earlier novels, it is not appropriate for Young Adult audiences. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Engrossing sequel to "Stewards of the Flame"
This book fulfills the promise of the psi society of the earlier book who called themselves the "stewards of the flame". This group had escaped from an Orwellian planet where every aspect of a person's health is monitored, to create their own psi civilization on an uninhabited planet. They realized that a culture of emerging mind powers would not reach its true potential as a subset of an archetypal technological society modeled after Earth, where psi powers were disbelieved or treated as mental aberrations. Their plan was to develop their culture for two hundred years in isolation before regaining contact with others. Their founder's vision was also contingent upon the advancement of technology along with psychic powers so that their civilization would be seen as a culture to be emulated, not as a backward society to be studied by anthropologists. In many ways, the technological advancement is even more difficult to achieve than either the development of a viable society or of their mind powers but as Peter, their charismatic leader, points out, "Evolution means moving forward on all fronts."

"The long-range goal has always been to demonstrate that psi and volitional mind control can improve people's lives without lowering their standard of living."

Because of their need for secrecy and haste, the new planet is not a terraformed paradise prepared for normal colonization. The pioneer group must work hard, with many setbacks, to create a comfortable living out of an undeveloped planet. Some of the most enlightening scenes occur in the footsteps of a disaster that is used to further understanding and progress. These surprising twists are well done, embracing the good while dealing with the bad. There is a lot of introspective analysis, understandable as we're dealing with powers of the mind and creating a culture with no precedent, so some parts might be considered slow to people who are used to reading a fast-paced adventure story. This edition also needed a better editor. However, the story is thought provoking and well-worth reading more than once.

Outsoars its predecessor
Sometimes one needs to read the entirety of a multi-book series to see its full accomplishment; Sylvia Engdahl's diptych, here concluded with PROMISE OF THE FLAME, is just one example. The gripping drama of the first volume, STEWARDS OF THE FLAME, continues; the standard science-fiction template of a band of rebels seeking out new terrain in outer space as a response to injustice at home is depicted with unusual realism (what happens to the dead bodies in the first chapter). Much like Ursula K. Le Guin's THE DISPOSESSED, this is a book written by somebody at once holding firm convictions as to the potential human life can have but with enough political intelligence to note that even a society far improved over its predecessor will have its own problems, will be only a half-utopia. But even a half-utopia equipped with freedom and the possibility for optimal human interconnection is better than a society that disciplines and denies these. For Engdahl, there is such a thing as a fairer and wiser sense of life, which can be at least partially realized by thoughtful cognition and spirited hope.Engdahl embodies this dynamic in characters that we care about and whose different individual temperaments and abilities contribute to the suspense of the story. An added pleasure is the clear resemblance of the quest of the colonies to the history of the United States; Engdahl's measured patriotism sounds an apt tone at a time of national reconsideration, and shows that space exploration is not a budgetary frippery, as so many have recently cast it. As with all of Engdahl's work, science-fiction fans will recognize the tropes she uses, but it is not just `for' them, no more than the work of a great artist who happens to work in, say, ceramics is just for adepts of that medium. Engdahl has produced high-quality work over a forty-year period, but this is one of her finest achievements.

Everything I Want in a Great Read!
I just finished "Promise of the Flame" and all I can feel right now is "wow!"What a great story with thought-provoking themes and heroic characters.The suspense is so much fun, I couldn't put the book down through the last couple of hundred pages when the action and pacing really picked up!

What a pleasure it is to read science fiction that doesn't deal with dark and depressing subjects like warfare and end-of-the-world scenarios, like most SF.In this book, characters strive to create a new world and a new society, overcoming tremendous odds and demanding the best of human thinking and action.Evil and enemies also exist, and must be dealt with for the survival of the new civilization, and these conflicts raise interesting moral questions.

Although I suppose you could read this book without reading the prequel first, I think you would regret doing so. I'm sure you'll enjoy "Promise of the Flame" so much that you'll surely want to read the prequel "Stewards of the Flame", so why not start out right and read them in the correct sequence?

Highly recommended!

She's returned at last!
I am more than pleased that Sylvia Louise Engdahl has returned to fiction with a new series.I have her earlier books and have read and re-read them.

Promise of the Flame
What makes a civilization successful? Is it just about reproduction of genes or specific characteristics? Is it about technological advances? What about social stability?

Promise of the Flame is the sequel to Stewards of the Flame. In the first book, we were introduced to a planet where no one died and even the slightest illness or deficiency was dealt with immediately. Although it might sound like utopia, it was all an illusion. It is for this reason that the Stewards of the Flame dreamed of a new life.

Promise of the Flame begins as the new colonists are about to reach their promised land. Things are not exactly as they had expected. The land is rocky and harsh. Just providing food for the population is an ongoing challenge. Moreover, trying to build a sustainable society requires a solid foundation base that is tricky to negotiate.

I think I actually like Promise of the Flame even more than Stewards of the Flame. In the first book, the idealist philosophy was created in opposition to the bounds of their society. However, in the sequel, the characters have to balance survival (short and long term) with these ideals. Definitely not an easy task.
... Read more

Product Description
Introduces the earth, sun, solar system, and outer space. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

captivating, imaginative, and irresistably thought-provoking
Embarassingly enough, I'd not even heard of Ms. Engdahl before my wife introduced me to her works (the star trilogy, etc.).This book, along with its sequels, has proven to be one of the most thought-provoking andcaptivating works that I've read in years... and that's saying quite a bit. Not only were the setting and plot creative, the characters were veryaccessible, personally... and I found special empathy with Noren's questfor meaning while blessed/cursed with a questioning mind that doesn'teasily settle comfortably in one place.This book was stirring, touching,and hopeful in a very wise, subtle, and engaging way.I'm only sorry thatthe trilogy is ended!(Any change of a sequel...?:))

Same as "This Star Shall Abide"
This is the title that "This Star Shall Abide" was published under in UK and comonwealth. ... Read more

Product Description
Discusses genetic engineering and its applications, including counseling of expectant parents, better utilization of world resources, and improvement of medical care. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Ugh! Do NOT mistake this for science fiction!
I got this because I liked 'Enchantress from the Stars'. Do not be misled; this is not science fiction!This is a book on NON-FICTION!1 ... Read more