Defender of the Flame

by Sylvia Engdahl

The Captain of Estel trilogy, Book One

An adult novel unsuitable for middle-school readers

Starship pilot Terry Radnor is elated to be among those chosen to defend the secret colony Maclairn against enemies who pose a threat to the spread of paranormal human mind powers. He commits himself wholly to the goal of that world, not guessing how far his effort to safeguard it will take him from everything else he cares about--his promising career as a Fleet officer, contact with people who share his newly-discovered psi capability, his wife and unborn child. Torn away against his will after learning a secret too deep for its disclosure to be risked, he is forced into exile from all that matters to him, and must build a new life grounded far from Maclairn. There seems little hope that he can fulfill his pledge to protect the world whose safety is crucial--more crucial than anyone else knows--to the future of humankind. Yet an extraordinary destiny has been predicted for Terry, and fate puts him in place to confront the colony’s greatest peril.

While this novel follows the Founders of Maclairn duology consisting of Stewards of the Flame and Promise of the Flame, it is a completely separate story set two hundred years later that does not depend on having read them. Though intended for adults, the trilogy will also be of interest to older teens who have enjoyed Enchantress from the Stars and The Far Side of Evil, since its second and third books deal in part with the Service that appears in those novels.

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"The book profits from Engdahl’s long experience as a professional writer, assuring an engaging read." --Brenncke's Review Blog

"Fun reading about a starship captain facing many tough choices." --Sonderbooks

"Reaches back to the brio and speculation of Engdahl's classic books of the Seventies." --Literary critic Nicholas Birns

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Read the FAQ about the Captain of Estel trilogy trilogy.

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