Herald of the Flame

by Sylvia Engdahl

The Captain of Estel trilogy, Book Two

An adult novel unsuitable for middle-school readers

Starship captain Terry Steward, ne Terry Radnor, is committed to spreading acceptance of psi powers and other advanced mind capabilities throughout the worlds of humankind. A strange turn of fate has enabled him to overcome terrorists who would have put an end to the colony world Maclairn's plan to achieve this goal. Now with his own ship Estel, he journeys from world to world, heralding the hopeful future about which he alone knows the full truth. But the opponents of mind power still pose a threat and on Earth the persecution of people who develop new abilities is increasing. Soon targeted by bounty hunters, Terry risks everything that matters to him in a desperate attempt to defeat Maclairn's enemies, not guessing that if he lives long enough, he is destined for an even greater role in human history than he has played as a defender of its cause.

This is the second book in the Captain of Estel trilogy, and is a sequel to Defender of the Flame, which should be read first because this one contains major spoilers for it. While these novels follow the Founders of Maclairn duology consisting of Stewards of the Flame and Promise of the Flame, they are a completely separate story set two hundred years later that does not depend on having read the earlier books. Though intended for adults, they will also be of interest to older teens who have enjoyed Enchantress from the Stars and The Far Side of Evil, since they deal in part with the Service that appears in those books.

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"A terrific timely futuristic thriller as deniers in charge persecute those with abilities they fear leading to ... loss of power." Alternative Worlds II

"These novels are not so much genre 'Romance' or even 'Science Fiction' as they are Literature. These are novels about life." --Jacqueline Lichtenberg

"A futuristic ride that has many parallels in today’s society. This is a ‘thinking man’s’ science fiction book." --The Feathered Quill

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