Enchantress from the Stars, Sylvia Engdahl

At the edge of the Enchanted Forest there lived a poor woodcutter who had four sons, the youngest of whom was named Georyn. 


This is a really amazing book, which, though it started out kind of slow, quickly picked up and was quite interesting. I'd say that Enchantress from the Stars is three parts science fiction, one part fantasy. It centers around three people on the planet Andrecia. One is Elana, a member of a very advanced interstellar civilization. She is on a mission to the "primitive" Andrecia to save it from a "Youngling" attack. Then there's Apprentice Medical Officer Jarel, a Youngling, who starts to have doubts about whether what his people are doing is right. And Georyn, the son of an Andrecian woodcutter. He only knows that there is a dragon on the other side of the Enchanted Forest, and he must defeat it. He believes that Elana is an enchantress from the stars who has come test him. That is sort of the fantasy element.

The style of the book is really interesting. Jarel and Elana's sections are obviously science fiction, and are told in a science fiction style. But Georyn believes in magic, and his chapters are told in a style similar to an old fantasy tale.

This was a very engaging book, and I loved it.

Read Enchantress from the Stars:

• if you like science fiction
• if you like fantasy
• if you like fairy tales
• if you like adventures and quests

286 pages.

 

Outstanding Book That Will Stay On My Bookshelf For Rereading (jf I own it)!