Noren knew that his world was not as it should be -- it was wrong that only the Scholars, and their representatives the Technicians, could use metal tools and Machines. It was wrong that only they had access to the mysterious City, which he had always longed to enter. Above all, it was wrong for the Scholars to have sole power over the distribution of knowledge. The High Law imposed these restrictions and many others, though the Prophecy promised that someday knowledge and Machines would be available to everyone. Noren was a heretic. He defied the High Law and had no faith in the Prophecy's fulfillment. But was defiance enough, or could some way be found to make it come true?

This book was originally published in hardcover by Atheneum in the US as Young Adult fiction, and by Gollancz in the UK (the UK edition appeared under the title Heritage of the Star). In 2000 the entire trilogy Children of the Star was republished as adult science fiction in one volume, in both hardcover and softcover editions, by Meisha Merlin.