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 mediocre Nov 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!
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
 Great Read! Oct 30, 2009
I didn't start with Sylvia's YA books, my husband turned me onto the current books because he had read the books when he was younger. What a treat. I don't want to give to much away, as the other reviewers do, but it's a great read and it kept me up at night! Thanks Sylvia!
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
 Thought-provoking and compelling Jan 01, 2009
Stewards of the Flame is a smart, intricately-plotted novel that's extremely realistic and relatable despite being science fiction. When Jesse Sanders ends up stuck on the planet Undine, he discovers how health-centric it is when he's forced to endure extreme treatment for supposedly being an alcoholic. The planet has such dictorial health laws that even though their efforts to keep people healthy are genuine, they are taken much too far. Jesse may be an outsider on this planet, but he isn't the only one aware of how distorted these people's views of preserving life are. While a bit slow-paced at times, learning more about the world and the group that likes to call itself Stewards of the Flame is enough to keep you reading further. The idea of a medical-based world isn't at all far-fetched, the implications of such a system making this book appealing to a wide scope of readers. You can't help but root for the low-key rebellion, even if it seems to be a hopeless cause at times. The end felt somewhat unfinished to me, but promises for a sequel make it bearable. Thought-provoking and compelling, Stewards of the Flame is an excellent novel that even non-science fiction fans would enjoy.
2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
Escape from Tyranny! Oct 23, 2008
Lately, I've been thinking about how "universal health care" or socialized medicine could conceivably lead to the complete loss of personal liberty. Bear with me for just this paragraph and consider my reasoning. When taxpayers are paying for everyone's health care, how long will it be before "the majority" start to resent having to pay for the health problems of cigarette smokers? Can you see where this might lead to the outlawing of cigarette smoking for everyone? Sure, we'd be better off without cigarettes, but this loss of personal liberty would set a precedent for further restrictions on your choices. Won't my liberal hippie friends be dismayed when "the majority" also decide pot smokers shouldn't be eligible for universal health care when a little THC is found in their bloodstream? I can easily imagine, in a world of universal health care, these lifestyle choices disappearing over time. There's evidence that your mental outlook also affects your physical health, so I can imagine that to continue receiving "free" health care, a "depressed" person will be forced onto psychological drugs. And who would define conditions such as depression? Not you and your doctor, but some government health care bureaucracy that will eventually be controlled by the big-money in health care, namely the pharmaceutical industry. Treatments will all be drug based rather than alternative treatments that target the source of illness rather than just the symptoms. Won't my compassionate natural-healing friends who support universal health care be surprised then?
OK, so what does this have to do with "Stewards of the Flame"? In this novel, author Sylvia Engdahl imagines a society that has taken medical well-being to the extreme; where it has become the highest priority of government and, thus, government and the orthodox medical community are one and the same. She describes such a world with much less political soap-boxing than I have written above, you might be relieved to know. In this world of medical tyranny there is a group of people who have non-orthodox ideas about how to be healthy and what makes a vibrant life worth living, with risks and self-responsibility. Of course, these people are criminals and have to live a life of secrecy and subterfuge to survive, pursue their own interests, and hopefully win their freedom. And that is the setting for the characters and the plot of this book.
I thoroughly enjoyed "Stewards of the Flame". In addition to medical tyranny, it delves heavily into subjects such as psi powers, civil disobedience, overcoming fear, and even some intergalactic space travel and planet colonization! Without being religious in any way, the novel might make you think about spiritual or religious questions, such as when does your spirit or consciousness leave your body (if at all) if you are brain dead but kept physically alive on life support. I also found one of the characters (Ian) to be kind of a religious figure; which really isn't important except that, to me, it added even more depth to the book especially at the end where his mysterious actions earlier in the story became explained in some very heavy revelations!
I highly recommend "Stewards of the Flame" and I'm hopeful a sequel will be published soon!
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
Gripping Medical Sci-Fi May 14, 2008
Reviewed by Robin Witte for RebeccasReads (5/08)
Sylvia Engdahl is an acclaimed writer of juvenile fiction who terminated a long hiatus from writing to publish the masterpiece "Stewards of the Flame." This science fiction novel follows a starship captain, Jesse Sanders, as he is stranded on a planet run by a dictatorial medical establishment that takes health to the extreme. Jesse becomes imprisoned in a hospital were medical personnel force treatment on him for alcoholism after he gets a little intoxicated at a local bar while on leave from his ship. Jesse manages to escape the grueling treatment of this hospital with help from some new-found friends. These friends however, have a lot of secrets and the reader sees Jesse transform as he begins to understand an underground movement on this planet that involves parapsychological and the freedom to die.
Engdahl does a fantastic and thorough job of researching the theory behind this novel and the detail that is revealed in paranormal states and higher consciousness is truly astounding. The explanations and dialogue lean heavily towards scientific theory and tend to be a little dry at times with the plot taking a backseat to the descriptions of how these characters can manipulate their own minds. This novel is concise enough to be an academic thesis on paranormal states and the training that reaching these states requires. Engdahl does provide enough of a futuristic love story between Jesse and one of his new friends to keep the reader interested in what will happen next and we do see that there is a lot more mystery surrounding what a mysterious organization means to do on this planet. Jesse is a revealed to be someone more than a stranded stranger on a planet and becomes someone with the possibilities of being a savior.
This novel is a unique look into a world that has too many similarities to our own world and does a fantastic job of making the reader think about how much power our government should really have over our health and medical decisions. Engdahl has taken an idea that is rarely written about and managed to create a suspenseful and thought provoking novel that seems so plausible that it sends chills up my spine. I highly recommend this science fiction masterpiece to individuals that enjoy fully delving into the realm of other possibilities and want to fully realize Engdahl's perceptions into the human mind. "Stewards of the Flame" is truly a masterpiece of parapsychological science fiction and manages to entertain the reader as it informs.
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