This was a cute fun YA fantasy. I liked the premise of the book a lot, it made me think about the progression of humanity in a way I don’t often do. The characters were all really fun to learn about, even when they were a little bit childish. Very fun story to read. Definitely written like a YA novel!

This book is gorgeous.I didn't have a clue what to expect when I started it,and I wished it wasn't over when I finished it. The plot was pure genius,as was the cast.I can't wait to read it again!

4.5 stars

This story is about a girl names Elana who travels with her father and her betrothed to Andrecia, which is a planet far behind their own civilization. Elana is on a mission to prevent an empire from colonizing the planet without fully interfering with the progress of the Andrecian race. Elana acts as an anthropologist in pursuit of protecting the Andrecian younglings.

This book is told from three different perspectives. Elana who is apart of an advanced species that uses science to bring about telekinesis and cytokinesis in its people. Georyn, who is a native to Andrecia and the son of a poor turnip farmer. Then there is Jared, who is an imperial doctor that is against the horrible treatment his people have inflicted upon the Andrecian natives.

This book felt like a science fiction when told from Elana's perspective, and a fantasy when told from Georyn's. Georyn's perspective was even written with an older English tone that offset the tone of Elana's perspective and gave it an older and more historical air to it. This was a brilliant device used by the author to bring home the fact the Andrecians were a much younger race.

Jared's perspective felt closest to present day progress as this narrative really had nothing to make it feel dated one way or another.

This book had romance and intrigue and I truly loved how it bent my mind. What was science for Elana was magic for Georyn in his lack of understanding of more high tech factors implemented throughout the book. For Georyn, the empire's machine that was clearing trees was a mystical dragon that needed to be defeated. This whole book felt truly timeless and I loved how different it was from so many of the other things that I read.

Having been written originally in the 1970s, there is something in it the resonates with me.

My only minor complaint is that it felt slightly slower paced that I would have like to have seen. It was a book that I could put down and walk away from, but that dosen't mean I could stop thinking about it.

My first re-read since high school. This is such a great sci fi that wrestles with very interesting questions, but the ethical dilemmas can feel overly expositional at times. Then I have to remind myself that this was published in the early days of Star Trek and the general sci fi era and the average teen reader probably had limited exposure to tropes such as the Prime Directive that are now sci fi mainstays. It's also a very hopeful, very human version of the future. If there had to be aliens, it's a nice idea to think of them benevolently watching from space and waiting for us to outgrow our conflicts and warring ideologies like children with growing pains before introducing themselves.

On the flip side, I never really warmed to Georyn even when I was a teenager myself. Elana is a great protagonist, but maybe it's the fairy-taleish writing style from Georyn's perspective - he never really jumps out, or comes across as the competent dragon-slayer he's meant to be. Still a great book though

It's mere coincidence that I read this on the heels of the first four of Ursula Le Guin's Hainish novels. The similarity in the initial premise floored me. Both deal with an advanced civilization, spread over many planets, which observes and studies less advanced ("Youngling") worlds. In this case, the agents are sworn by the Oath to never disclose anything about their civilization or technology to a Youngling for fear of derailing their potential to develop into a mature society.

So.... when one Youngling culture tries to take over the planet of another (deeming them inferior to the point of near-animals), what can these agents do to stop this invasion - when weapons, tech and their civilization's very existence must be kept secret?

This book addresses a lot of issues about civilization, technology vs. magic, faith and belief, and people's potential to grow and progress. I loved the story and the characters. You get to experience multiple characters' viewpoints which was a great move by the author. I just loved Georyn and especially Jarel.

I just found out there is a sequel (or at least another book about Elana), so I'll have to hunt that down.

I read it in book form a very long time ago and have been searching for it ever since. Finding it on Audible made my day.

I adore the concept of different beings that have undergone the stages of development discussed in the novel and how each stage is just as competent as the other. I enjoyed the different perspectives (although each perspective is an alteration from the main character.)

I'm not sure why other than the narration style matches at some points, but "Daughter of the Forest" by Juliet Mailler comes to mind. Although it's purely fantasy (no science fiction here) it still deals with the inner struggle of a young woman maturing through intense circumstances.

This is a good novel I come back to after a few years. I was fifteen when I first read it, and I thought I understood it to a T. But ten years, now fifteen later, I had a whole new revelation and was ashamed of younger self's thoughts. This is definitely a re-read/listen novel!

The Hierarchy problem

Here is Enchantress from the Stars as I see it. Probably the way I see it is not the way you see it, and I am absolutely certain it is not the way that Sylvia Engdahl sees it:

Enchantress from the Stars recounts an encounter among three civilizations: The Andrecians, the Imperialists, and the Federation. The Federation is a culturally advanced interstellar Trekoid thingy, and is represented in this book by three members of the Federation Anthropological Service, Elana (the main narrator), Elana's fiancé Evrek, and her father. The Imperialists are from a planet that recently developed starships and that has landed on Andrecia to colonize it. The Imperialist narrator is Jarel. The Andrecians are a primitive agricultural civilization on Andrecia. The Andrecian narrator is Georyk. If you don't like my use of the derogatory word "primitive", you're going to have a problem with Enchantress, because this is explicitly how the Imperialists view the Andrecians, and also how the Feds view both the Andrecians and the Imperialists, although they substitute the dripping with condescension word "Youngling". The Feds use this word for any civilization that don't have the psychic powers the Feds do.

The Fed team has landed in order to foil the Imperialist invasion. They can't directly intervene because they have sworn an oath that is basically the Prime Directive from Star Trek. (Engdahl even tells us in her FAQ that the Service Oath is meant to be an improved version of the Prime Directive.) So Elana's father has a sneaky plan to get the job done.

To understand the plan, you have to understand that Elana's father is a morally flexible puppet-master who has no scruples against tricking absolutely anyone, up to and including his own daughter, into doing what he has convinced himself is The Right Thing. His plan is to teach a naive Andrecian a magic trick (psychokinesis -- this is something the Feds can do), have him perform it in front of the Imperialists, thus scaring them off the planet. Does this sound like a believable plan to you? It doesn't to me. But on the other hand, if you're a character in a novel and the author is on your side, any plan is a good plan.

So they do it. Georyk gets to be the Andrecian patsy. Of course he and Elana fall in love, because that's just what happens in novels like this. What's more, Elana's father later admits that he manipulated them into falling in love, in order to better motivate poor Georyk. With a small assist from Jarel (remember Jarel?) the implausible plan is implausibly a Complete Success.

Blog review.

This novel also trips over one of my pet peeves. I'm going to bore y'all by ranting about it, but I'm protecting it with spoiler tags so you don't need to see the rant if you don't want to.

I have for many years been unhappy with the treatment of telepathy in Science Fiction. The authors of SF novels never seem to realize that telepathy is real, we have it, and the real thing is a far richer and more interesting phenomenon than the pale imitations they invent. Here's how it works: each of us (well, most of us) has an organ in our head, controlled by the brain, that can transmit waves through the air. These waves encode thoughts. We also have two organs in the head (two for directionality) that can sense these waves and sent them to the brain. There are specific parts of the brain devoted to encoding and decoding thoughts. In this way I can transmit my thoughts to you.

Now, some of you are saying, "Does L really believe this? What are they smoking?". But the others got the con. Here is that explanation again, with gloss:

Each of us (well, most of us) has an organ in our head (the mouth), controlled by the brain, that can transmit waves (sound waves) through the air. These waves encode thoughts (the encoding is called "language"). We also have two organs (ears) in the head (two for directionality) that can sense these waves and sent them to the brain. There are specific parts of the brain (Broca's and Wernicke's areas, mostly) devoted to encoding and decoding thoughts. In this way I can transmit my thoughts to you.

Telepathy is such a fantastically useful thing that it would be astonishing if we did not have it. So, in fact, we do. Now I'm obviously cheating here -- speech is not telepathy. Why not? Because the definition of telepathy specifically excludes it: "the communication of thoughts or ideas by means other than the known senses". In other words, telepathy is, by definition, speech without speech. But in every important functional sense, we humans are telepathic. In fact, you and I are engaging in an act of telepathy right now.

Now, most SF authors who put telepathy in their books realize that they have to make it better than speech somehow, or what would be the point? What really bothers me about these attempts to pump up telepathy is that they are so, so lame. Speech and language are such amazing, fascinatingly versatile parts of human culture, encompassing not just in person vocal communication, but writing, music, ASL, poetry, sound recording technology... No fictional version of telepathy I have ever seen comes even close to the real thing.

There are many great books in the world. Some make you laugh, some make you cry, some make you throw your book down on the ground in rage (figuratively, of course- you would never inflict such harm upon a book). However, the most monumental aspect of this book is that it changes how you think. As you read, it challenges your thoughts about intergalactic exploration and the role that we should play in that exploration. After reading this, I loved looking at Sylvia Engdahl's website, as it helped sort out all my jumbled thoughts and ideas into an organized hope.

Although this was written in 1970, this is a pertinent and important classic of today. It teaches us about our past, shows us our present, and glimpses our future.

Enchantress from the Stars is about three different worlds and three different stories. There is Georyn, a wise young man on a quest to save his world, Andrecia, from a dragon, with aid from the Enchantress from the Stars. There is Jarel, a young medical officer who is part of the team of the Imperials who are invading Andrecia, despite his neglected feelings of empathy and hope for the native Andrecians. And then there is Elana, a young girl who stows away on a trip to save Andrecia from the Imperials without either society realizing the existence of her advanced civilization. As the book progresses, each story slowly entwines into the others, until the story is a beautiful tapestry.

This is an absolutely beautiful book, that everyone needs to read. Let this natural beauty enfold on your life.

This is not the best science fiction ever, but I loved the idea of the three levels of development for civilizations and people too: First wonder and believing in the supernatural, second discarding superstition and revering science, and finally the discovery is made that what was termed "supernatural" (or faith) has been perfectly natural all along and is in reality a part of the very science that sought to reject it.

“The human mind is incredible. It can do nothing without belief, yet practically anything with it.”

I picked this book up at a thrift store. Originally I had passed it over, then went back and got it. I'm glad I did. A little fantasy- a lot more sci-fi, posing as fantasy. Definitely strong themes of the power of belief/hope, racism, and classism.

"Your feelings for a person who has come to mean something to you colors all your memories, so that you can't describe them effectively."

—Elana, "Enchantress from the Stars", PP. 68-69

"If we don't approach this with warmth and compassion and faith in these people as human beings, we haven't a chance of succeeding."

—Elana's father, "Enchantress from the Stras", P. 72

I find myself stunned into near disbelief by just how enormously powerful and incredibly good is this book. "Enchantress from the Stars" builds slowly but with sure intent, melding together flawlessly into a taut, suspenseful story that had me leafing forward like crazy, going on for hundreds of pages without even the slightest break in my attention. The plot is completely immersing and fiercely gripping, keeping the reader on edge with almost intolerably suspenseful action and feeling.

"But a light now waxed within him at the knowledge that such wonders as he had been shown could exist."

—Enchantress from the Stars, P. 96

"Must a man then live as his fellows live, and never reach beyond?"

—Georyn, "Enchantress from the Stars", P. 98

The first book I read that really gave me an exceedingly high view of the potentials in the science fiction genre was Nancy Farmer's "The House of the Scorpion", and I am saying an awful lot when I state that I would place "Enchantress from the Stars" in the same company. Sylvia Louise Engdahl broaches complicated and ethically challenging subjects with marvelous accessibility, pointing out very plainly in her writing that while circumstances might change, and with those circumstances the views of people, nevertheless the emotions and mentality and basic needs of people stay the same, which to me is the idea that makes terrific science fiction into what it is. The emotional consequences of the interaction between Elana, Georyn, Jarel, Evrek and still others is wrenching and starkly painful, painting pictures of such powerful resonance that the reader cannot help but be drawn in, and become a part of this future world. It has been a long time since I have read such a soul-stirringly striking novel.

"The human mind is incredible. It can do nothing without belief, yet practically anything with it."

—Elana's father, P. 101

"It would be a poor enchantment indeed that had no price".

—Georyn, P. 105

"No one ever has all the facts. All a person can do is to choose a goal that seems worthwhile and commit himself to it."

—Elana's father, PP. 110-111

"What is it, I wonder, that makes two people suddenly become important to each other? So important that everything else around them just fades away?"

—Elana, P. 121

"Enchantress from the Stars" tackles issues of both ethical and emotional nature with equal skill, entwining the two important concepts into one narrative that flows forth as well as any story that I have ever read. Constructed along very realistic-feeling lines, the story thread weaves and turns unexpectedly and takes the reader into surprising places, never faltering in its drive. The result is one of the most amazing books of any kind that I have ever read, and one that I could not recommend highly enough.
"Enchantress from the Stars" is one of THOSE books, the ones that add another dimension to one's life and affect one's thoughts and personal considerations forever. I cannot say enough good things about this book.

"People who love each other can no more keep from communicating than from breathing".

—Elana, P. 124

"It is the only happiness now possible to me, to know that all is well with you".

—Georyn, P. 270

A great sci-fi book in the same way that "The Giver" by Lois Lowry is. Philosophy, a great boook for pleasure reading or a book report. Some cheesy lines here and there, but it adds to the charm. Its a good book to think about, and dscuss with friends.