As captain of his own starship Estel, Terry Steward, born Terry Radnor, is committed to spreading acceptance of psi powers and other advanced mind capabilities throughout the colonies of humankind. Barred from contact with his beloved planet Maclairn, he now journeys from world to world, heralding the hopeful future about which he alone knows the full truth. But the opponents of mind-powers are gaining strength, and on Earth the persecution of people who develop such 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.

This is the second book in the Rising Flame trilogy. Though it is complete in itself and can be read alone, the first, Defender of the Flame, should be read before this one for fuller understanding of the hero’s past experiences. Set two centuries later in tme than the Hidden Flame duology–which tells of the founding of Maclairn–it is an independent and quite different story that in no way depends on having read them. Please note that unlike Engdahl’s YA novels, all five of these are adult science fiction and contain some material inappropriate for middle-school readers.