The Rising Flame: Omnibus, Defender of the Flame and Herald of the Flame

Starship pilot Terry Radnor is elated to be among those chosen to defend the secret colony Maclairn against enemies who pose a threat to the spread of paranormal human mind powers. He commits himself wholly to the goal of that world, not guessing how far his effort to protect it will take him from everything else he cares about--his promising career as a Fleet officer, contact with people who share his newly-discovered psi capability, his wife and unborn child. Torn away against his will after learning a secret too deep for its disclosure to be risked, he is forced into exile from all that has previously mattered to him, and must build a new risk-laden life far from Maclairn, grounded without hope of fulfilling his earlier pledge. Yet a mysterious and extraordinary destiny has been predicted for Terry, and fate leads him to an even stranger one than anybody could have imagined. This is the first book in the Captain of Estel trilogy, but is complete in itself and can be read alone. Set two centuries later in tme than the Founders of Maclairn duology--consisting of Stewards of the Flame and Promise of the Flame, it is an independent and quite different story that in no way depends on having read them. Please note that unlike Engdahl'e YA novels, all five of these are adult novels and contain some material inappropriate for readers below high school age. Starship pilot Terry Radnor's life is transformed by the discovery that he possesses psi powers such as E.S.P., and that others are working to spread them throughout the worlds of humankind. But this means danger. Most people don't want to know that "paranormal" powers exist; they have a deep innate fear having to admit that their conception of reality is false. And some will go to any lengths to suppress their emergence. A few will even resort to terrorism. Terry vows to defend the world that is spearheading the spread of new human capabilities, a world where for the first time in his life he has found happiness. He has no idea of how far that aim will take him from everything else he cares about — his promising career as a Fleet officer, his wife and soulmate, his unborn child. Torn away against his will, he is forced into exile from all that has previously mattered to him, seeing no chance to fulfill the commitment he has made. Yet a mysterious and extraordinary destiny has been predicted for Terry, and fate leads him to an even stranger one than anybody could have imagined. This is the first book in the Rising Flame Series. Although it follows the two books in the Hidden Flame Series, it is a new story set 200 years later that doesn't depend on having read them, and can stand alone. Unlike Sylvia Engdahl's Newbery Honor book and many of her earlier novels, this is not a Young Adult novel, and is not appropriate for middle-school readers Starship captain Terry Steward is committed to spreading acceptance of psi powers and other advanced mind capabilities throughout the worlds of humankind. A strange turn of fate has enabled him to overcome terrorists who would have put an end to the colony world Maclairn's plan to achieve this goal. Now with his own ship Estel, he journeys from world to world, heralding the hopeful future about which he alone knows the full truth. But the opponents of mind power still pose a threat and on Earth the persecution of people who develop new abilities is increasing. Soon targeted by bounty hunters, Terry risks everything that matters to him in a desperate attempt to defeat Maclairn's enemies, not guessing that if he lives long enough, he is destined for an even greater role in human history than he has played as a defender of its cause. Though this is a sequel to Defender of the Flame, it can stand alone. Both books can be read independently of the preceding Hidden Flame Series, Stewards of the Flame and Promise of the Flame, which are set more than two centuries earlier. Unlike Sylvia Engdahl's Newbery Honor book and many of her earlier novels, this is not a Young Adult novel, and is not appropriate for middle-school readers Through a strange turn of fate Terry Steward, born Terry Radnor, was in the right place at the right time to save the secret colony Maclairn from terrorists who would have destroyed its plan to spread advanced mind powers to Earth and the other worlds of humankind. Now with his own starship Estel, he sets out to further that plan by journeying from world to world, heralding the hopeful future about which he alone knows the full truth. Yet he is all too aware that Maclairns enemies still pose a threat, and that on Earth the persecution of people who develop such powers is increasing. Soon targeted by bounty hunters, Terry can see no way to combat a planet-wide conspiracynor does he guess that if he lives long enough, he is destined for an even greater role in human history than he has played as a defender of Maclairn's cause. This is the second book in the Captain of Estel trilogy. The first, Defender of the Flame , should be read before this one, but they can be read independently of the preceding Hidden Flame duology, Stewards of the Flame and Promise of the Flame , which are set more than two centuries earlier. After Saving The Secret Colony Maclairn From Terrorists, Terry Steward Sets Out In His Starship To Carry On With The Plan To Spread Advanced Mind Powers To All Humankind. Yet Opponents Of This Plan Still Pose A Threat And Steward Does Not Guess That In His Quest To Find A Way To Defeat The Conspiracy, He Will Play An Even Greater Role In Human History. Though this book is the third in the trilogy it takes place two hundred years later and can be read as a stand alone. Terry Randor, a starship pilot, upholds his pledge to defend the future of humankind despite being torn away from everything he cares about