Customer Reviews

CHILDREN OF THE STAR - This Star Shall Abide, Beyond theTomorrow Mountains, The Doors of the Universe

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I first read "This Star Shall Abide" while in high school, and was stirred by the powerful and profound questions posed by this book, its psychological and moral depth, and its ability to create a consistent world that's very different from our own. I found out a few years ago that there were more books in the series, but wasn't able to track them down, as they were out of print. But finally I've been able to read Ms. Engdahl's full series, and the wait was worth it. The second and third books in this volume surpass the first -- they raise issues of faith and perseverance, self-sacrifice, vision and hope. This new omnibus edition is essential reading not only for science-fiction fans, but for anyone who's thought seriously about ecological issues, the future of humanity, hope, faith or courage. Most highly recommended!

As evidenced by masters such as Patricia McKillip, often worthy and original fantasies slip out of print under the wave of Tolkien ripoffs. Sylvia Engdahl's books are in that class, and thank God Meisha Merlin is reprinting them! May they keep on doing so.

The main character is Noren, a guy who knows that the world is unjust. The Scholars and Technicians are the only people allowed to use machinery and metals, and enter the City (which, of course, he also craves to enter). They also control the knowledge meted out to the lower caste systems, into which you are born and can never hope to rise from.

The High Law is why these rules are there, but a prophecy promises that knowledge and machinery will be accessible to everyone, not just the Scholars. Noren, however, doesn't care about High Law or the Prophecy, believing that High Law is simply oppression and the Prophecy untrue. But freeing his people to equality will be a strange and hard task...

Once again, Engdahl creates a believable and thought-provoking piece of SF/fantasy that doesn't fall to the usual ray-guns-or-dragons cliches. The questions raised about freedom in this book kept making me pause in the middle of a page, thinking deeply about what was being shown in the story. For fans of action: There isn't much. For fans of originality/intelligence: There's plenty.

Noren, the idealistic rebel, is a particularly endearing character. Like the characters in "Enchantress from the Stars" he is complex and multifaceted, and grows as characters should through his trials. His relentless search for truth is fascinating to the reader, and there are entire pages where you may forget you are reading a story.

Faith, truth, and knowledge are the cornerstones of this book, in my eyes. Yet they are not heavy-handed in their presentation, rather they are subtlely woven into the plot. Engdahl's writing style is, if possible, even more captivating than in "Enchantress," descriptive without getting too overwordy.

I'm not certain if this will appeal to the younger readers of "Enchantress," as this has topics in it that may bore them. (If your kids have read Tolkien, though, they will like this). I recommend it to fans of Tolkien, Lewis, McKillip, and readers of "Enchantress" who can appreciate this multilayered tale.

I first read "This Star Shall Abide" when I was 11 or 12, but it wasn't until I was 26 that I managed to locate and read "Beyond the Tomorrow Mountains" and "The Doors of the Universe." The rerelease of all three books in a single omnibus edition is fantastic news for anyone interested in intelligent science fiction. The narrative follows one enormously sympathetic character who is notable for his overriding, unflinching honesty. As a young man, he gradually comes to resist the limitations of the caste system into which he has been born-- but this is just the beginning of a long and tortuous road to maturity. The other characters whom he encounters along the way, while rather modest in number, are also memorably and movingly drawn. Ms. Engdahl's work does not rely on flashy technology, kooky aliens, or gory battles to keep her reader's interest. Instead, she has conceived a world where abstract issues of faith, truth, knowledge, love, loyalty, and obligation have uniformly concrete consequences for its people's continued existence. To have such high stakes riding on individuals' morality and resourcefulness is what makes this such a gripping read.

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".

I first read this as three books from the library, in the 1980's. Since then I've tried multiple times to purchase them but found they were out of print. Imagine my delight to learn of this newly printed omnibus edition! In my opinion, this is one of the most important works of fiction ever written, though not many are familiar with Ms. Engdahl or her stories. She is one of the few to emphasize the importance of our space program in a way that should touch everyone interested in the future of humankind. I think that everyone should take it upon themselves to read this deeply intriguing and wonderfully crafted story.

The first book in this trilogy, This Star Shall Abide, literally helped determine the course of my life. It took years before I realized I was following a similar course to that of its main character, a course I first read of when I was in about fifth grade. The main character, Noren, is unflinching in his search for Truth with a capital T, a search that demands that he face the hardest of questions and challenge the heirarchical status quo of the world he was born into.

You don't have to like or even be interested in science fiction to love this story. It's about the highest strivings of the best of humans. It's a terrific model in many ways for the right way of approaching the world. It's smart, it's cleverly constructed, and it's challenging.

The second book I find a little thinner in its reverberations in my life, although my personal struggles -- which on the second book's subject also mirror the main character's -- have led me to essentially the same conclusions. The story grows richer each time I reread it.

I only found out today that there WAS a third installment in the saga. I look forward to reading it.

Like most fans of this book, I first read the trilogy when I was in my teens. I was awed-- it's amazing the way that the author was able to construct such a completely unjust society, and then turn around and make such a compellingly strong case in its favor. (Saying any more would completely give away the ending to the first book!). A must read. The truly amazing thing is that, after searching for this book for literally eighteen years, I have found it to be every bit as powerful and provoking a read as it was all those years ago... it's lost absolutely NOTHING over the years, unusual for a science fiction book to seem fresh and relevant after so many years. I hope this review helps you, if you're wavering then just go ahead and make the purchase. You won't regret it!

Sylvia Engdahl's intelligence, thoughfulness and care in weaving this story have brought about a book unlike anything else I've read. The hero is never allowed the easy way out, the reader is never treated with condescension. If you enjoy grappling with big chunky issues of politics, philosophy and theology all rolled together, rites of passage, technological challenges, and a delicious flavour of ultimate conspiracy... do yourself a favour and read it!!

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.

I bought "Heritage of the Star" (UK title) when I was 11, more or less at random from the Puffin Book Club, and it remained my favourite book for years and was lent to everyone I know. It was one of the first science fiction books I had ever read that made me THINK (and wasn't just Boys Stuff in Space), and its outcome surprised and amazed me. It had never occurred to me that there could be sequels, so I was delighted to find this trilogy at Amazon and finally read the rest of the story. Science (and Science Fiction) may have moved on, but this remains one of the best stories for teenagers (and everyone else) I've ever read; it deserves a much higher profile - buy it for yourself and every young person you know who likes to daydream and think about the bigger things in life.