Envoy of the Flame
by Sylvia Engdahl
The Captain of Estel trilogy, Book Three
An adult science fiction novel that may also be enjoyed by mature high school age readers.
Ardith Moran is elated by the prospect of contact with extraterrestrial civilizations, elated enough to stake her life on her conviction that they exist after the exploratory expedition's leaders turn back. The last thing she expects is to fall in love with an alien, much less for their love to play a key role in saving Earth from tyranny and eventual ruin. As a member of the Anthropological Service, he is willing to make sacrifices and expects her to do the same. Can she, influenced by the legacy of the now-legendary Captain of Estel, convince Earthborn people that they can't retreat from the universe? Or will Earth's authorities succeed in killing her to suppress the evidence only she and her fellow envoys can provide?
The first two bools in the trilogy, Defender of the Flame and Herald of the Flame, need not be read before this one, as it is complete in itself. However, the backstory it contains includes major spoilers for them.
| "This engrossing book explores the powers of mind. . . . A very good read!" --Amazon reader review | "Furthers the discourse on how the capacity to love defines humanity, regardless of bodily appearance.." --Jacqueline Lichtenberg | "Full of big ideas, strong emotions, and lots of inspiration." --Amazon reader review |
Withdrawn edition
The original edition of Envoy of the Flame has been withdrawn. If you purchased a copy with a woman's face on the cover, please use coupon ZX97X at Smashwords.com for a free copy of the current ebook, which was published in September 2022, and delete all copies of the old one.
The Prologue to this novel was originally published as the story "The Beckoning Trail," co-authored by Sylvia Engdahl and Rick Roberson, in the anthology Universe Ahead: Stories of the Future (Atheneum, 1975) which also appears in the expanded ebook edition of Anywhere, Anywhen: Stories of Tomorrow. It has had a few very minor wording changes for consistency with Defender of the Flame and Herald of the Flame and one name change due to its use elsewhere for an unrelated character. You can reed it here as the excerpt from this book.This trilogy will be of special interest to adults and mature high school age readers who have enjoyed my YA novels Enchantress from the Stars and The Far Side of Evil since it deals in part with the Service that appears in those novels. Book Two and especially Book Three contain considerable defail about it. I haven't said this specifically in past publicity because it is a spoiler for Defender of the Flame and Herald of the Flame, but as a result a lot of the people who would be intereeted in knowing more about the Service haven't read them. So from now on I will mention it. My portrayal of the Service is of course fictional, but I believe its policies represent the real attiude of advanced extraterrestrial civilizations toward younger ones, and that this is the reason why, despite the expectations of SETI enthusiasts, no aliens have yet contacted Earth.
Purchase the ebook edition of Envoy of the Flame for $2.99 at Amazon, Amazon UK, Barnes and Noble Apple, Kobo, Smashwords, or Google Play.
Ad Stellae (pb & eb) - 2021, revised 2022
Ad Stellae (audio) - 2024
In omnibus edition The Captain of Estel (eb) - 2024
In omnibus editions with former series title "The Rising Flame" (eb - 2021, no longer available)
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Read an ecerpt from Envoy of the Flame.