Saturday Snatch: Enchantress From the Stars by Sylvia Engdahl

     Enchantress From the Stars is a stand alone Sci-Fi / Fantasy novel from author Sylvia Louise Engdahl. Here's my review.

       I found this book sitting in the library and instantly fell in love with it. Now it's one of my favorites!

Cover Blurb:
The Federation Anthropological Service would never officially have allowed Elana to be on this mission to the medieval planet Andrecia. If Youngling peoples found out that a supremely advanced and enlightened society like the Federation existed, it would irreparably damage their evolution. Stowing away aboard her father's ship, Elana suddenly becomes the key to a dangerous plan to turn back the invasion of Andrecia by an aggressive, space-faring Youngling civilization. How can she possibly help the Andrecians, who still believe in magic and superstition, against a force armed with advanced technology -- without revealing her alien powers? 
          Apprentice medical officer Jarel wishes that the planet the Imperial Exploration Corps has chosen to colonize didn't have a "humanoid" population already living on it. The invaders don't consider the Andrecians to be human, and Jarel has seen the atrocious treatment the natives get from his people. How can he make a difference, when he alone regrets the destruction that his people bring? 
Georyn, youngest son of a poor Andrecian woodcutter, knows only that there is a terrible dragon on the other side of the enchanted forest, and he is prepared to do whatever it takes to defeat it. In his mind, Elana is the Enchantress from the Stars who has come to test him, to prove he is worthy of defeating the dragon and its powerful minions. Despite both Elana's and Jarel's inner turmoil, Georyn's burden is by far the heaviest. Ultimately, he must pit his innocent faith in the magic of his Enchantress from the Stars against foes who have come from a world beyond his comprehension. 


Hope your enjoy it as much as I did!
Excerpt: Enchantress From the Stars
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Book Review: The Far Side of Evil by Sylvia Engdahl

Cover Blurb:
          Elana, newly graduated from the Federation Anthropological Service Academy, is sent immediately into danger on the planet Toris-a world poised on the brink of nuclear war. She is ordered to merely observe, and must not reveal her alien origin or interfere with the planet's natural course of evolution. But how can she stand by and watch? Her fellow agent, Randil, is not properly trained to work in the field, and his compassion for the Torisians may lead him to intervene. Yet his very actions may bring about the holocaust that he is so desperately trying to prevent. Elana must make a crucial decision: side with a renegade agent, or stop him at any cost. . . .

        "[A] surprising, haunting, poetic book ...full of provocative philosophical and psychological questions as well as tense adventure and romance." -Commonweal
  
           I couldn't have said it better! Mind-blowing book!
                   Elana is such a gorgeous character for me because I can really look up to her. She was everything and more the hero is meant to be. In a few situations, she would have been completely justified in lashing out at others, but she always went for the greater good, and she didn't come across as snooty at all! Though Elana was much older in this book, I could still see the personality that I so loved in The Enchantress From the Stars. Randil and Kari were very well defined and interesting. It was possible to understand where they were coming from, and how their experiences had shaped them.
Characters: 5 Stars
               Can I just say, it took every last ounce of will in my being not to skip ahead and read the end! Riveting from the very first pages, The Far Side of Evil is pure Sci-Fi while still exploring the contours of an oppressed society. Several unexpected twist and turns. To be cliche, I was on the edge of my seat till the last pages! I do wish the ending had been a little stronger, but it tied things up quite nicely while still leaving the reader room for imagination.
Plot: 5 Stars
               This book posed so many philosophical questions that kept my mind working for some time after I finished. It reads more towards an older audience than The Enchantress From the Stars, but could possibly be classified as YA. The Far Side of Evil is written as a diary, in a style that left the future unknown. I loved it!
Style: 5 Stars

Rating: 5 Stars
Source: From Author For Review
Genre: Sci-Fi
YA/Adult Fiction

Author Site: Sylvia Engdahl Where you can learn a ton about her books!
Twitter: @SylviaEngdahl

Subnote: See my review of The Enchantress From the Stars HERE. :)
                                                                

Book Review: Enchantress From the Stars by Sylvia Louise Engdahl

Cover Blurb:
          The Federation Anthropological Service would never officially have allowed Elana to be on this mission to the medieval planet Andrecia. If Youngling peoples found out that a supremely advanced and enlightened society like the Federation existed, it would irreparably damage their evolution. Stowing away aboard her father's ship, Elana suddenly becomes the key to a dangerous plan to turn back the invasion of Andrecia by an aggressive, space-faring Youngling civilization. How can she possibly help the Andrecians, who still believe in magic and superstition, against a force armed with advanced technology -- without revealing her alien powers?
          Apprentice medical officer Jarel wishes that the planet the Imperial Exploration Corps has chosen to colonize didn't have a "humanoid" population already living on it. The invaders don't consider the Andrecians to be human, and Jarel has seen the atrocious treatment the natives get from his people. How can he make a difference, when he alone regrets the destruction that his people bring?
Georyn, youngest son of a poor Andrecian woodcutter, knows only that there is a terrible dragon on the other side of the enchanted forest, and he is prepared to do whatever it takes to defeat it. In his mind, Elana is the Enchantress from the Stars who has come to test him, to prove he is worthy of defeating the dragon and its powerful minions. Despite both Elana's and Jarel's inner turmoil, Georyn's burden is by far the heaviest. Ultimately, he must pit his innocent faith in the magic of his Enchantress from the Stars against foes who have come from a world beyond his comprehension.

          I thought the cover was beautiful, though unassuming, but after reading the blurb above, you see why I had to follow my hunch and pick up this book. Turned out, my hunch was completely right! This isn't really the type of book you rave about (however I may rave--as that is what I do with books )it's more the variety that leaves you thinking and makes a lasting impression.
          The characters were well thought through. And though I felt Elana (main character) acted a little young for her age, by the end I could see clearly how she'd matured to view life in a better way. Georyn came through as the slightly wide-eyed innocent he was meant to be. And the interactions between them felt utterly natural.
Characters: 5 Stars
           And what a wonder-full/mysterious plot! An interesting mix between Sci-Fi and Fantasy that Sylvia Engdahl pulled off marvelously! It was a cohesive story that represented a section in Elana's life. And I recognized that this was only a very small portion of something much bigger. The fate of a world did rest on her shoulders, but it was refreshing to read a story about growing better and fighting for what is right, even in the little things.
Plot: 5 Stars
           Switching between first-person POW with Elana and a classic rendition of Georyn's side of things, it was quite enjoyable to discover how they each viewed different phenomena--such as the giant machine that Georyn sees as a horrendous, fire-breathing dragon. Pushing Elana through difficulties she'd never before considered, and showing how those choices apply to life in general, was extremely thought-provoking and gave more hope for the future.
Style: 5 Stars

Rating: 5 Stars
Source: Library
Genre: Sci-Fi /Fantasy
YA Fiction

Author Site: Sylvia Engdahl