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The Founders of Maclairn #1
Stewards of the Flame
Crime is considered illness, untreated illness is crime; ambulance crews are the only police. Dead bodies stay on "life support" forever. Can anyone gain freedom?
When burned-out starship captain Jesse Sanders is seized by a dictatorial medical regime and detained on the colony planet Undine, he has no idea that he is about to be plunged into a bewildering new life that will involve ordeals and joys beyond anything he has ever imagined, as well as the love of a woman with powers that seem superhuman. Still less does he suspect that he must soon take responsibility for the lives of people he has come to care about and the preservation of their hopes for the future of humankind.
Winner of a bronze medal in the Independent Publisher (IPPY) Book Awards, this controversial novel deals with government-imposed health care, end-of-life issues, and the so-called paranormal powers of the human mind. Despite being set in the distant future on another world, it appeals not only to science fiction readers but to others who question the dominant medical philosophy of today's society, or who value personal freedom of choice.
This is the first book of the Hidden Flame series and is followed by Promise of the Flame. They precede the Rising Flame series, consisting of Defender of the Flame and Herald of the Flame. Unlike Sylvia Engdahl's previous novels, these two series are not Young Adult books and are not appropriate for middle-school readers.
When burned-out starship captain Jesse Sanders is seized by a dictatorial medical regime and detained on the colony planet Undine, he has no idea that he is about to be plunged into a bewildering new life that will involve ordeals and joys beyond anything he has ever imagined, as well as the love of a woman with powers that seem superhuman. Still less does he suspect that he must soon take responsibility for the lives of people he has come to care about and the preservation of their hopes for the future of humankind.
Winner of a bronze medal in the Independent Publisher (IPPY) Book Awards, this controversial novel deals with government-imposed health care, end-of-life issues, and the so-called paranormal powers of the human mind. Despite being set in the distant future on another world, it appeals not only to science fiction readers but to others who question the dominant medical philosophy of today's society, or who value personal freedom of choice.
This is the first book of the Hidden Flame series and is followed by Promise of the Flame. They precede the Rising Flame series, consisting of Defender of the Flame and Herald of the Flame. Unlike Sylvia Engdahl's previous novels, these two series are not Young Adult books and are not appropriate for middle-school readers.
497 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2007
18 people are currently reading
362 people want to read
About the author
Sylvia Engdahl
92 books268 followersSylvia Engdahl is the author of eleven science fiction novels, six of which, including the Newbery Honor book Enchantress from the Stars, are YA books also enjoyed by many adults. Although she is best known as an author for Young Adults, her most recent novels, the Founders of Maclairn duology (Stewards of the Flame and Promise of the Flame) and the Captain of Estel trilogy (Defender of the Flame, Herald of the Flame, and Envoy of the Flame) are adult science fiction and are not appropriate for readers below high school age. For FAQs about them and more, visit her website.
She has also written a nonfiction book, The Planet-Girded Suns: Our Forebears' Firm Belief in Inhabited Exoplanets, of which updated and expanded paperback and ebook editions were published in 2012, and three collections of her essays. Most of the nonfiction books listed under her name were edited, rather than written, by her as a freelance editor of anthologies for high schools.
Engdahl says, "I never listed more than a few of the books I read here and now the list is so outdated that i have removed all but a very few that are still among my favorites, plus ebooks I produced for my mother and for my friend Shirley Rousseau Murphy. For current lists of good books on the subjects I care about, please visit the Opinion section of my website."
She has also written a nonfiction book, The Planet-Girded Suns: Our Forebears' Firm Belief in Inhabited Exoplanets, of which updated and expanded paperback and ebook editions were published in 2012, and three collections of her essays. Most of the nonfiction books listed under her name were edited, rather than written, by her as a freelance editor of anthologies for high schools.
Engdahl says, "I never listed more than a few of the books I read here and now the list is so outdated that i have removed all but a very few that are still among my favorites, plus ebooks I produced for my mother and for my friend Shirley Rousseau Murphy. For current lists of good books on the subjects I care about, please visit the Opinion section of my website."
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
June 17, 2013
If Ayn Rand was a Scientologist, this is the book you'd get. It's not so much a dystopian novel as an extended libertarian lecture on the evils of socialised health care, preventative medicine, medical treatment involving any form of drugs and, above all, psychiatry and psychoactive treatment. All illness, you see, is caused by stress, and if you so much as try to eat healthily or go to a doctor for a checkup, your body will kill you. People get sick because doctors and Big Pharma tell them to. And antidepressants and antipsychotic drugs cause brain damage.
All we need is the Power of the Mind. And our hero falls in with a beautiful cult who teach him so. The writing is so lacking in shades of grey that it is never in doubt that the cult is 100% right.
The book mostly consists of the hero being lectured by cult members and saying "I never thought of it that way, but you're right!" Truly abysmal.
All we need is the Power of the Mind. And our hero falls in with a beautiful cult who teach him so. The writing is so lacking in shades of grey that it is never in doubt that the cult is 100% right.
The book mostly consists of the hero being lectured by cult members and saying "I never thought of it that way, but you're right!" Truly abysmal.
April 15, 2008
Undine is a planet not so very different from our own. People care about their health. Like us, they endeavor to extend the natural human lifespan by curing all types of disease (including mental and social illnesses). Undine has just taken the initiative to insure universal good health and long life.
Free health care, the annihilation of all forms of disease, virtual immortality, Undine might seem like a perfect world. However, Jesse Sanders, a starship captain, quickly finds out the hard way that looks can be deceiving. Jesse is arrested for alcoholism after having a few drinks while on leave. Part of his treatment involves extreme aversion therapy. Fortunately, he's one of the lucky ones, a secret faction of those who appose the government's methods rescues him and bring him into their group.
Stewards of the Flame combines contemporary concerns about health, social issues, and privacy with science fiction and parapsychology to create a powerful story. Are we really headed towards a world like Undine? Are there better alternatives to medications and suspended animation? Both the questions and the potential answers are fascinating.
Free health care, the annihilation of all forms of disease, virtual immortality, Undine might seem like a perfect world. However, Jesse Sanders, a starship captain, quickly finds out the hard way that looks can be deceiving. Jesse is arrested for alcoholism after having a few drinks while on leave. Part of his treatment involves extreme aversion therapy. Fortunately, he's one of the lucky ones, a secret faction of those who appose the government's methods rescues him and bring him into their group.
Stewards of the Flame combines contemporary concerns about health, social issues, and privacy with science fiction and parapsychology to create a powerful story. Are we really headed towards a world like Undine? Are there better alternatives to medications and suspended animation? Both the questions and the potential answers are fascinating.
September 23, 2009
Fleet Captain Jesse Saunders wakes up in a hospital without any memory of how or why he is there. So begins Sylvia Engdahl’s science fiction novel, Stewards of the Flame, centered on a small colony world where everyone is wealthy and healthy…or else. Jesse quickly learns that the medical community on this planet is the only authority, acting as both judge and jury in the lives of everyone. Crimes and illness are considered one in the same and they are very aggressively diagnosed and treated with mind-altering drugs. Even death is illegal. Bodies are kept alive in stasis forever by a society that believes the body is the essence of existence. However, not everyone agrees, and Jesse’s new friends – Peter and Carla – have dedicated themselves to creating a much different kind of life for their covert dissident group. When his new companions manage to engineer his ‘legal’ escape, Jesse is confronted with a life both frightening and intriguing – a life where the human mind’s potential is revealed and relationships he has never experienced become possible. However, the future is uncertain, as discovery of any one member of the group could mean a certain end for them all.
The book begins well, building tension and providing plenty of twist and turns as Jesse tries to understand what is going on around him and who he can trust. When he becomes free of the Meds – Jesse begins to learn about the powers of his mind and the abilities of the people he has quickly come to trust, even while he recognizes that they are keeping something from him. This is where this clipper of a story – which had been zipping right along – suddenly lost all its wind and parked in the doldrums. The nature of the story required a certain amount of setup along the way, but the dialog felt like I was reading a transcript of a graduate school parapsychology class – for 300 hundred pages! It became a long-winded, back-and-forth conversation that laid out everything you could have ever wanted to know about what the mind may or may not be capable of. If there was anything left for the reader to figure out themselves, I don’t know what it could have been. In the meantime, the plot languished. Even as the action picked up in the final scenes of the story, it still took a backseat to the ongoing moral and theoretical conversations of the characters.
However, the story is not all bad. Engdahl’s writing is simple and engaging. The characters are well developed and the romance between Jesse and Carla feels real and is quite well done. Also, the question of when medical decision-making should belong to the patient or to the state makes for an interesting and timely debate. Unfortunately, the story itself offers little tension and the ending is predictable long before the last page.
If you have a keen interest in parapsychology and medical ethics, you may find this an interesting addition to the discussion. But if you are looking for an engaging story from beginning to end, you will probably be disappointed.
The book begins well, building tension and providing plenty of twist and turns as Jesse tries to understand what is going on around him and who he can trust. When he becomes free of the Meds – Jesse begins to learn about the powers of his mind and the abilities of the people he has quickly come to trust, even while he recognizes that they are keeping something from him. This is where this clipper of a story – which had been zipping right along – suddenly lost all its wind and parked in the doldrums. The nature of the story required a certain amount of setup along the way, but the dialog felt like I was reading a transcript of a graduate school parapsychology class – for 300 hundred pages! It became a long-winded, back-and-forth conversation that laid out everything you could have ever wanted to know about what the mind may or may not be capable of. If there was anything left for the reader to figure out themselves, I don’t know what it could have been. In the meantime, the plot languished. Even as the action picked up in the final scenes of the story, it still took a backseat to the ongoing moral and theoretical conversations of the characters.
However, the story is not all bad. Engdahl’s writing is simple and engaging. The characters are well developed and the romance between Jesse and Carla feels real and is quite well done. Also, the question of when medical decision-making should belong to the patient or to the state makes for an interesting and timely debate. Unfortunately, the story itself offers little tension and the ending is predictable long before the last page.
If you have a keen interest in parapsychology and medical ethics, you may find this an interesting addition to the discussion. But if you are looking for an engaging story from beginning to end, you will probably be disappointed.
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November 7, 2017I grew up with Sylvia Louise Engdahl's books, and I loved them, especially "The Far Side of Evil". which I came across at about eleven. They taught me a great deal, especially about the power of the human mind, and more importantly, about the power of the human spirit, that affects me even today.
That said, I had some serious problems with this book -- not with the world view, which to me is part of the story -- I don't expect to fully agree with any author's world view, and here I agree with some things and not with others -- but with something I would never have dreamed I would say about the author's books. I had some serious problems with characterization.
There are a number of things which put me off. Firstly, Jesse seems to react less strongly to what he describes (and I agree with him!) as almost literal rape than he does to the possibility of the paranormal, which he agonizes about for chapters while putting the first out of his mind almost immediately. That was a major flaw for me -- I didn't believe it. He also rather annoyingly kept flip-flopping his views, and while that was part of the process he went through in the story, there was little subtlety to how it was handled, leading me to read Jesse as inconsistent rather than slowly working his was through a process.
Despite that, Jesse read fairly well as a person to me. Almost no one else did. All of the members of the group seem to have perfect good will, never get short tempered, never really have a genuine arguement about anything important (arguements are almost immediately overcome with logic), are perfectly compassionate and brave and so on, until they become charicatures rather than real human beings. What's more, Jesse's trust in them strikes me as less telepathically based than plot based -- I never believe it. He has no prior basis to trust them, he isn't the type of person who just trusts people, and there is absolutely no time between his meeting the group and trusting them. To be honest, I'd love it if the first half of the book contained less of philosophy (which is talked to death, and could have been abbreviated effectively and still gotten the same ideas across) and less training (ditto) and more of Jesse meeting the group and having a real conflict about his desire to trust them.
Peter becomes somewhat more human in the second half of the book, making him a more sympathetic character, but Carla never does. She is perfectly beautiful, perfectly competent (including being able to hack anything in the universe), is perfectly loving, perfectly supportive, perfectly understanding, and frankly, puts me off because she is perfectly perfect. She's not a human, she's an ideal, and as such, I can never actually empathize with her. To be honest, I would have thought this book was written by a man if I didn't know better -- Carla strikes me as the kind of flawless being that some men put into their stories, unaware that women are complex people. That surprised me a _lot_. Again, it's not really what I would ever have expected from Engdahl.
The book picked up during the last half, and it became a much more enjoyable read once the plot began to advance. At that point I again became genuinely interested, and it again became engrossed in the story, and stayed interested through the end of the book. I've just picked up the second, and am hoping that, having essentially spent half the first book setting the scene, the second book will include more character-centered plot. On the whole, she's a better writer at her worst than many at their best, and I'm certainly willing to give more books a shot.
That said, I had some serious problems with this book -- not with the world view, which to me is part of the story -- I don't expect to fully agree with any author's world view, and here I agree with some things and not with others -- but with something I would never have dreamed I would say about the author's books. I had some serious problems with characterization.
There are a number of things which put me off. Firstly, Jesse seems to react less strongly to what he describes (and I agree with him!) as almost literal rape than he does to the possibility of the paranormal, which he agonizes about for chapters while putting the first out of his mind almost immediately. That was a major flaw for me -- I didn't believe it. He also rather annoyingly kept flip-flopping his views, and while that was part of the process he went through in the story, there was little subtlety to how it was handled, leading me to read Jesse as inconsistent rather than slowly working his was through a process.
Despite that, Jesse read fairly well as a person to me. Almost no one else did. All of the members of the group seem to have perfect good will, never get short tempered, never really have a genuine arguement about anything important (arguements are almost immediately overcome with logic), are perfectly compassionate and brave and so on, until they become charicatures rather than real human beings. What's more, Jesse's trust in them strikes me as less telepathically based than plot based -- I never believe it. He has no prior basis to trust them, he isn't the type of person who just trusts people, and there is absolutely no time between his meeting the group and trusting them. To be honest, I'd love it if the first half of the book contained less of philosophy (which is talked to death, and could have been abbreviated effectively and still gotten the same ideas across) and less training (ditto) and more of Jesse meeting the group and having a real conflict about his desire to trust them.
Peter becomes somewhat more human in the second half of the book, making him a more sympathetic character, but Carla never does. She is perfectly beautiful, perfectly competent (including being able to hack anything in the universe), is perfectly loving, perfectly supportive, perfectly understanding, and frankly, puts me off because she is perfectly perfect. She's not a human, she's an ideal, and as such, I can never actually empathize with her. To be honest, I would have thought this book was written by a man if I didn't know better -- Carla strikes me as the kind of flawless being that some men put into their stories, unaware that women are complex people. That surprised me a _lot_. Again, it's not really what I would ever have expected from Engdahl.
The book picked up during the last half, and it became a much more enjoyable read once the plot began to advance. At that point I again became genuinely interested, and it again became engrossed in the story, and stayed interested through the end of the book. I've just picked up the second, and am hoping that, having essentially spent half the first book setting the scene, the second book will include more character-centered plot. On the whole, she's a better writer at her worst than many at their best, and I'm certainly willing to give more books a shot.
September 6, 2019
Captain Jesse Saunders finds himself 'arrested' by the Meds after getting drunk in an off world bar on the planet Undine. The Meds are not police but they have all the power of police and set out to 'cure' him by rigorously and painfully testing him with all sorts of medical testing. While he is in the hospital he meets Carla a programmer and member of a secret society called Stewards of the Flame who arranges to get him out of the hospital. Through her he meets her friends and feels instantly comfortable with them although he does not know why. He is drawn to these people and since he cannot leave Undine decides to join these Stewards in their quest to allow people to die natural deaths in hospices rather than being kept in brain dead stasis for eternity by the Meds.
This is one of the most well thought out novels on the future of our actual American medical health situation right now and beyond. And it's about a lot more than that, telepathy, mind control, pain control etc. Extremely thought provoking. Recommended.
This is one of the most well thought out novels on the future of our actual American medical health situation right now and beyond. And it's about a lot more than that, telepathy, mind control, pain control etc. Extremely thought provoking. Recommended.
June 18, 2017
Not the greatest book, but it was interesting story. The layout just had problems. It was very repetitive, and I felt like the author was trying too hard to get a point across.
January 15, 2018
Stunning... best book(s) I've read for a long time (and I read a lot).
September 21, 2021
Wow!
Not only was this a great SF story, filled with future speculation, it was also complete with a discussion guide. Definitely a contender for book club lists!
Not only was this a great SF story, filled with future speculation, it was also complete with a discussion guide. Definitely a contender for book club lists!
March 13, 2017
Good sci-fi story set in a distance future, but people are still people. Or at least some are different based on their beliefs against the medical establishment of their planet.
August 6, 2025
Awesome Indies Book Awards is pleased to include STEWARDS OF THE FLAME (The Hidden Flame: Book 1) by SYLVIA ENGDAHL in the library of Awesome Indies'
Badge of Approval
recipients.
AIBA Book of the Week: 14 May, 2023: 096/41713
Original Awesome Indies' Assessment (4 stars):
ABOUT THE BOOK:
“Crime is considered illness, untreated illness is crime; ambulance crews are the only police. Dead bodies stay on “life support” forever. Can anyone gain freedom?
When burned-out star-ship captain Jesse Sanders is seized by a dictatorial medical regime and detained on the colony planet Undine, he has no idea that he is about to be plunged into a bewildering new life that will involve ordeals and joys beyond anything he has ever imagined, as well as the love of a woman with powers that seem superhuman. Still less does he suspect that he must soon take responsibility for the lives of people he has come to care about and preservation of their hopes for the future of humankind.”
MY THOUGHTS:
This book is of the futuristic dystopian variety, yet with a situation that resonates strongly with where we might find our current technology taking us here in the 21st century on earth. The plot begins well, and is engaging and interesting. Unfortunately it peters out from the point at which the main character begins his mind training. There is a lot of dialogue, and it feels like sitting in a heavy duty psychology/parapsychology class. Everything else that happens later in the book is predictable, and the ending is very abrupt. Which rather than inspiring me to go on to purchase the next book in the trilogy, just leaves me feeling a bit cheated. Yes, we want to be lead into asking what happens next, but no – we don’t want to finish this story with so much unresolved.
THE STRUCTURE:
This book is approximately 460 pages in length, and is told from various points of view, usually indicated by a paragraph break and easy enough to follow. There is a lot of detailed dialogue for roughly 300 of the 460 pages, with bits of action interspersed briefly in between. The copy editing and proof reading has been done to a good standard, but the plot does suffer from pacing issues. The ending is abrupt and feels unfinished.
SUMMARY:
If you enjoy dystopian novels, or are interested in paranormal psychology then you might well enjoy this book. Although it is set in an off world location in the future, I would not really class it as Science Fiction, it has elements of that to be sure, but not enough to plant it firmly in that Genre. The narrative raises valid questions for where we find ourselves in this day and age with all of our medical and technological advances and abilities, and the many issues that are arising with regard to individual rights of privacy – especially in relation to the internet and all that that entails. However, the voice in the story is strongly one sided, and doesn’t furnish us with any alternative viewpoints at all. So in many ways, it can feel a bit like the reader is being told what to think. Whilst there are no major structural issues, or editing/proofing mistakes, I do feel that the plot pacing has problems. It is for this reason I do not feel able to give this book any more than 4 out of 5 stars.
AIBA Book of the Week: 14 May, 2023: 096/41713
Original Awesome Indies' Assessment (4 stars):
ABOUT THE BOOK:
“Crime is considered illness, untreated illness is crime; ambulance crews are the only police. Dead bodies stay on “life support” forever. Can anyone gain freedom?
When burned-out star-ship captain Jesse Sanders is seized by a dictatorial medical regime and detained on the colony planet Undine, he has no idea that he is about to be plunged into a bewildering new life that will involve ordeals and joys beyond anything he has ever imagined, as well as the love of a woman with powers that seem superhuman. Still less does he suspect that he must soon take responsibility for the lives of people he has come to care about and preservation of their hopes for the future of humankind.”
MY THOUGHTS:
This book is of the futuristic dystopian variety, yet with a situation that resonates strongly with where we might find our current technology taking us here in the 21st century on earth. The plot begins well, and is engaging and interesting. Unfortunately it peters out from the point at which the main character begins his mind training. There is a lot of dialogue, and it feels like sitting in a heavy duty psychology/parapsychology class. Everything else that happens later in the book is predictable, and the ending is very abrupt. Which rather than inspiring me to go on to purchase the next book in the trilogy, just leaves me feeling a bit cheated. Yes, we want to be lead into asking what happens next, but no – we don’t want to finish this story with so much unresolved.
THE STRUCTURE:
This book is approximately 460 pages in length, and is told from various points of view, usually indicated by a paragraph break and easy enough to follow. There is a lot of detailed dialogue for roughly 300 of the 460 pages, with bits of action interspersed briefly in between. The copy editing and proof reading has been done to a good standard, but the plot does suffer from pacing issues. The ending is abrupt and feels unfinished.
SUMMARY:
If you enjoy dystopian novels, or are interested in paranormal psychology then you might well enjoy this book. Although it is set in an off world location in the future, I would not really class it as Science Fiction, it has elements of that to be sure, but not enough to plant it firmly in that Genre. The narrative raises valid questions for where we find ourselves in this day and age with all of our medical and technological advances and abilities, and the many issues that are arising with regard to individual rights of privacy – especially in relation to the internet and all that that entails. However, the voice in the story is strongly one sided, and doesn’t furnish us with any alternative viewpoints at all. So in many ways, it can feel a bit like the reader is being told what to think. Whilst there are no major structural issues, or editing/proofing mistakes, I do feel that the plot pacing has problems. It is for this reason I do not feel able to give this book any more than 4 out of 5 stars.
November 15, 2013
By Harmony Kent
4 out of 5 Stars
(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review on behalf of Awesome Indies)
ABOUT THE BOOK:
“Crime is considered illness, untreated illness is crime; ambulance crews are the only police. Dead bodies stay on "life support" forever. Can anyone gain freedom?
When burned-out star-ship captain Jesse Sanders is seized by a dictatorial medical regime and detained on the colony planet Undine, he has no idea that he is about to be plunged into a bewildering new life that will involve ordeals and joys beyond anything he has ever imagined, as well as the love of a woman with powers that seem superhuman. Still less does he suspect that he must soon take responsibility for the lives of people he has come to care about and preservation of their hopes for the future of humankind.”
MY THOUGHTS:
This book is of the futuristic dystopian variety, yet with a situation that resonates strongly with where we might find our current technology taking us here in the 21st century on earth. The plot begins well, and is engaging and interesting. Unfortunately it peters out from the point at which the main character begins his mind training. There is a lot of dialogue, and it feels like sitting in a heavy duty psychology/parapsychology class. Everything else that happens later in the book is predictable, and the ending is very abrupt. Which rather than inspiring me to go on to purchase the next book in the trilogy, just leaves me feeling a bit cheated. Yes, we want to be lead into asking what happens next, but no – we don’t want to finish this story with so much unresolved.
THE STRUCTURE:
This book is approximately 460 pages in length, and is told from various points of view, usually indicated by a paragraph break and easy enough to follow. There is a lot of detailed dialogue for roughly 300 of the 460 pages, with bits of action interspersed briefly in between. The copy editing and proof reading has been done to a good standard, but the plot does suffer from pacing issues. The ending is abrupt and feels unfinished.
SUMMARY:
If you enjoy dystopian novels, or are interested in paranormal psychology then you might well enjoy this book. Although it is set in an off world location in the future, I would not really class it as Science Fiction, it has elements of that to be sure, but not enough to plant it firmly in that Genre. The narrative raises valid questions for where we find ourselves in this day and age with all of our medical and technological advances and abilities, and the many issues that are arising with regard to individual rights of privacy – especially in relation to the internet and all that that entails. However, the voice in the story is strongly one sided, and doesn’t furnish us with any alternative viewpoints at all. So in many ways, it can feel a bit like the reader is being told what to think. Whilst there are no major structural issues, or editing/proofing mistakes, I do feel that the plot pacing has problems. It is for this reason I do not feel able to give this book any more than 4 out of 5 stars.
4 out of 5 Stars
(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review on behalf of Awesome Indies)
ABOUT THE BOOK:
“Crime is considered illness, untreated illness is crime; ambulance crews are the only police. Dead bodies stay on "life support" forever. Can anyone gain freedom?
When burned-out star-ship captain Jesse Sanders is seized by a dictatorial medical regime and detained on the colony planet Undine, he has no idea that he is about to be plunged into a bewildering new life that will involve ordeals and joys beyond anything he has ever imagined, as well as the love of a woman with powers that seem superhuman. Still less does he suspect that he must soon take responsibility for the lives of people he has come to care about and preservation of their hopes for the future of humankind.”
MY THOUGHTS:
This book is of the futuristic dystopian variety, yet with a situation that resonates strongly with where we might find our current technology taking us here in the 21st century on earth. The plot begins well, and is engaging and interesting. Unfortunately it peters out from the point at which the main character begins his mind training. There is a lot of dialogue, and it feels like sitting in a heavy duty psychology/parapsychology class. Everything else that happens later in the book is predictable, and the ending is very abrupt. Which rather than inspiring me to go on to purchase the next book in the trilogy, just leaves me feeling a bit cheated. Yes, we want to be lead into asking what happens next, but no – we don’t want to finish this story with so much unresolved.
THE STRUCTURE:
This book is approximately 460 pages in length, and is told from various points of view, usually indicated by a paragraph break and easy enough to follow. There is a lot of detailed dialogue for roughly 300 of the 460 pages, with bits of action interspersed briefly in between. The copy editing and proof reading has been done to a good standard, but the plot does suffer from pacing issues. The ending is abrupt and feels unfinished.
SUMMARY:
If you enjoy dystopian novels, or are interested in paranormal psychology then you might well enjoy this book. Although it is set in an off world location in the future, I would not really class it as Science Fiction, it has elements of that to be sure, but not enough to plant it firmly in that Genre. The narrative raises valid questions for where we find ourselves in this day and age with all of our medical and technological advances and abilities, and the many issues that are arising with regard to individual rights of privacy – especially in relation to the internet and all that that entails. However, the voice in the story is strongly one sided, and doesn’t furnish us with any alternative viewpoints at all. So in many ways, it can feel a bit like the reader is being told what to think. Whilst there are no major structural issues, or editing/proofing mistakes, I do feel that the plot pacing has problems. It is for this reason I do not feel able to give this book any more than 4 out of 5 stars.
July 5, 2010
This is a recent release from an author I devoured as a middle schooler. This book had some great commentary on the progression of modern medicine into culture that gives up the freedom of death and personal choice in healthcare in exchange for all illnesses being treatable under government control (including some illnesses you'd like to think are in the realm of free will) .
The characters and story line aren't incredibly complex, with twists and conflict that, in hindsight, are entirely predictable. But mix in heavily with plenty of credible ESP training techniques, and it was a thought provoking read.
The characters and story line aren't incredibly complex, with twists and conflict that, in hindsight, are entirely predictable. But mix in heavily with plenty of credible ESP training techniques, and it was a thought provoking read.
October 25, 2015
The first book I have ever read on the Kindle and an odd one it was. It was basically an explanation for how an interstellar society would start from a group aimed at psychic abilities. It was set in a dystopian world ruled by enforced medical care. It was at times hard to read to the point of almost being annoying and yet had some interesting ideas and a decent ending. I expect to get the sequel for kindle sometime soon.
March 3, 2012
This is a well-written, thought-provoking book that held my attention. Science fiction has often been defined as "what if..." and Stewards of the Flame fits that description: What if the government and the health care industry was the same entity? What if dying is a crime? What if health care providers find you because of potential health problems rather than you calling the doctor?
I look forward to reading the sequel.
I look forward to reading the sequel.
September 15, 2012
It could have been so much better than it was. l read it mostly because it was free off kindle. The world the author created was interesting, but the characters and plot were weak. A lot of it reads more like an article on the problems with the medical industry and theories on evolution than a novel. Matters aren't helped by so many of the same things being explained to the lead over and over. I really wish the author had spent more time fleshing out the characters and plot.
May 2, 2015
This book begins the back-story behind Elana's civilization in The Far Side of Evil. It also lays out very clearly the author's concerns about current cultural and political trends. My only objection is that there is way more talk than action. The pace is sometimes sacrificed for the sake of explaining everything in detail (about problems with medicine, the potential for ESP, as well as the internal struggles of the characters).
June 20, 2013
1. I need to put the book down for a while because it is irritating me. It talks a lot, not a lot going on except more talk about the ability of the mind to control the physical body, ESP, etc. I keep waiting for something to happen besides Jess falling in love with Carla and having sex for the first time, etc.
August 19, 2013
I struggled to get through the first 1/2 of the book and almost quit a couple of times. There was way too much commentary on psi and health which did not advance the story. When the story finally started moving forward, it was good, and the reason for the 2 star rating. I was disappointed in the ending...I did not realize it was the first of a trilogy, and I will not be continuing on the journey.
October 25, 2008
A thought provoking novel that may make you question the authority and direction of modern Western medical practices. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading genre fiction with some substance to it. http://blogcritics.org/archives/2008/...
November 23, 2009
First and foremost, I am not a fan of science fiction. Those who like that genre will love this book. I found it long-winded and it did not capture my interests. It took everything in me just to read it. I don't mean to be a stick in the mud about it & I know everybody else loved it, not me!
August 11, 2013
I wanted to like this book because I love a few others by this author, but I just couldn't get into it. There were too many details about how the main character was being trained, and not enough character development. I finally gave up.
August 10, 2013
It was a very interesting reading how Engdahl took the ideas and stretched them into a 3 part series. I personally found it disturbing enough to finish reading the first book but probably will not read the rest of the series. I will try out some of her other series.
December 19, 2013
This one, while incredibly well-written, or perhaps because of it, left a very nasty taste in my mouth. Big Brother meets healthcare, with free choice in the matter thrown completely out the window. I look forward to reading the other two in the series.
Want to read
January 2, 2008Adult novel by Engdahl.
January 15, 2008
I really enjoyed this book alot. It had a lot of interesting ideas that pertain to the here and now.
Want to read
October 4, 2012Kindle freebie, 10/4/12
March 15, 2013
I have to give up on this book. I have no idea what this lady is talking about.
June 4, 2013
Book was pretty good. Again, another variation of a sci-fi story that we don't see much of. Can see some political issues and authors opinion in several controversial issues.
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