Sylvia Louise Engdahl

Surprisingly nuanced and surprisingly surprising, I read this after R had borrowed it. Like him, I'd read the first book in this trilogy - originally that was the only one published in the UK, and in fact I hadn't ever known there were more.

The first book (published in the UK as [b:Heritage of the Star|715920|This Star Shall Abide|Sylvia Engdahl|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1198115292s/715920.jpg|2357897]) was very definitely a YA book: a good basic SF story about individual differences show more and strength of belief, in a quasi-mediaeval yet futuristic setting. The other two are much stronger fare - the second one is an extended disquisition about faith, theism, and atheism and the third is a story of real struggle that staggers the reader in its intensity and lack of compromise.

I kept on being surprised by the fact that [a:Sylvia Engdahl|3145|Sylvia Engdahl|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1198025800p2/3145.jpg] didn't take the easy way out - at various points it looked like she was either destroying an established relationship just in order to supply exciting new love interest, or bringing in a deus ex machina. In fact she works very hard to avoid the ending of the trilogy from being such, which I admired.

Overall, a very strong and engaging read, reaching levels I never expected and repaying close attention.

(borrowed from Ian and Ruth) show less

I first read this book when I was in the sixth grade, and it changed my life. Not only was this the first science fiction story I'd ever read, it was my introduction to the idea that where you come from shapes how you see and interpret the world.

The story is presented as an intersection of fairy tale and sci-fi adventure, with the medieval residents of the planet Andrecia interpreting the high tech tools of an advanced civilization as a "dragon".

Elana, the story's heroine, is a somewhat show more rash but deeply principled young woman who accepts the consequences for all her actions and who faces the conflicts between heart and duty with a clear vision. The two other two p.o.v. characters share her idealistic qualities, each expressing them through the lense of his own unique background. show less

Enchantress to the Stars first appeared in 1970, won a Newbury Honor in 1971, and is today still considered to be a shining jewel in the crown of juvenile science fiction--so it's odd that I'd never heard of this book until just last year. Me, a child of the late-seventies/early-eighties who devoured any book in our public library with a blue spaceship sticker on the spine. Me, an author in the field of speculative fiction for children, who continues to read as many genre books as time will show more allow. Me, who apparently still has a whole lot of classic literature left to discover.

Arthur C. Clarke famously observed that any sufficiently developed technology is indistinguishable from magic. EftS is a graphic example of this principle in action. To the medieval natives on Planet Andrecia, spacesuited scouts from the expanding interstellar Empire are demons and their groundmoving equipment is a dragon to be slain. But to the science-minded Imperials, the New Age psychic abilities of the Federationites (Federationalists? Federationians?) are equally beyond their understanding. In fact, the mere disclosure of the Federation's existence would permanently impair the development of the entire Empire, which means that the benevolent and highly ethical Federation agents are obliged to die rather than divulge their secrets.

This makes their society the ultimate high-tech conspiracy theory!

Engdahl uses three points of view to present the intersection of three planetary cultures--a clever device marred slightly by the framing explanation that one character, Elana of the Federation, is enhancing her own narrative with imagined accounts of the events from two other points of view in a book-length missive to a younger relative. As a reader I constantly found myself jarred out of the story with questions like: How does she know that? Why would she think that? And is this something she'd really be telling to someone other than the judges at her upcoming mission inquest?

But if the frame is ignored--perhaps with the use of "Start reading here" and "Stop reading here" tape flags--the three intertwining story strands represent the best traditions of epic fantasy, space cowboy heroics, and sentimental coming-of-age romance. Okay, so maybe I'm not the world's biggest fan of coming-of-age romance, but even I can appreciate a well-done interplanetary love triangle gone wrong. In this case, it goes something like this…



INTERIOR - STONE HUT FURNISHED IN SPARSE MEDIEVAL STYLE

Elana and Georyn stand gazing deeply into each other's eyes.

ELANA: Oh, Georyn!

GEORYN: Oh, Lady of the Enchanted Realms, I have placed you upon such a pedestal in my mind that no mere mortal of flesh and bone, such as myself, could ever dare to deem himself worthy of your notice, let alone your interest, and each word you speak thrills me with a million unspoken desires, such that I can hardly maintain any semblance of control--however I know that I must because it would be improper to even think such thoughts in your pristine presence and if you were to but suspect me of such blasphemy there would surely be no reason for you to continue the charade of pretending to care for me at all.

ELANA (giggles): Oh, Georyn!

EVREK (peering in through a window): How strange that Elana seems to enjoy spending so much time with that Youngling. I might be jealous if not for the security of being Elana's fiancee and having a psychic bond that allows us to share our deepest thoughts and emotions on a level that immature cultures could never imagine.

ELANA (with a deep sigh): Oh, Georyn!

review theater>

EftS was first published soon after the original "Star Trek" series went off the air, at the height of the Space Race, just as mankind was still putting its first bootprints on the Moon. The book reflects the optimism and sense of wonder of its time, when it seemed inevitable that humans would march forward across the Solar System and out into the Galaxy. In the fashion of 50's and 60's sci-fi, the universe of EftS is crammed with inhabitable worlds with each planet inexplicably featuring Earthlike plants, Earthlike animals, and people who look and act just like us but maybe a tiny bit different. It made me wonder if, perhaps, some hidden force even above the Federation were seeding the planets with humanoid life, which of course there was and it's called an author.

Otherwise, the story has stood the test of time and continues to provide ethical thought-food on the natural course of societal development, the power of belief, and the value of allowing aboriginal cultures to find their own paths. It's also notable that the most intelligent and intuitive character in the story by far is a member of the least developed society, and that the Andrecians and Imperials are both on their way to someday becoming the equals of the Federation, whose only advantage over the others is that "they got there first."

Bottom line: Readers 9 and up will appreciate the blending of familiar fantasy and science fiction tropes, and might widen their own worlds in the process. Older readers who have somehow missed this book should make an effort to go back and look for it. show less

I've had "This Star Shall Abide" on my bookshelves since the mid 1970's, when I was in junior high, and I was delighted to find out that Engdahl had continued the series and done so in so satisfying a way. In this book (the third in the series), former heretic Noren continues his journey of questioning and seeking, and brings his story to an unexpected, compelling conclusion.

It's hard to say more than that without spoilers. While this book could stand alone, it will be much more enjoyable show more if you read the first two volumes before you start this one. show less