Sylvia Engdahl

Children of the Star Sylvia Engdahl

An omnibus edition containing the complete trilogy This Star Shall Abide, Beyond the Tomorrow Mountains, and The Doors of the Universe."This is much more than an adventure story . . . it haunts the reader long after it is finished." --Journal of Reading

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 the more he learned of the grim truth about his people's deprivations, the less possible it seemed that their world could ever be changed. It would take more drastic steps than anyone imagined to restore their rightful heritage.

"What happens to the hero Noren when he forces admission to the inner city makes for fascinating reading." --Chicago Daily News

Winner of a Christopher Award, given to the first novel, This Star Shall Abide, for "affirmation of the highest values of the human spirit."

"Both logically and consistently suspenseful . . . This Star will Abide a good deal longer than most here today, gone tomorrow sci-fi." --Kirkus Reviews

"One cannot fail to be affected by reading it." --Maine State Library

This Star Shall Abide was published in the UK under the title Heritage of the Star. The Junior Bookshelf of London called it "an allegory which poses one of the most heart-searching dilemmas of the human race."

Although originally published in hardcover as Young Adult books, the second and third novels of this trilogy are primarily of interest to older teens and adults. The omnibus was issued as adult science fiction. "There is nothing juvenile about them," said the San Jose Mercury News. "Engdahl tells an important and pertinent story."