Starshield: Sentinels

Starshield #1

by Margaret Weis, Tracy Hickman

Created by the bestselling team of Weis & Hickman, Starshield introduces their newest fantastic universe with an unforgettable, magical, grand adventure!

Rebellion threatens to rock the very foundation of civilization.  If the wrong side wins, the people will be at the mercy of minds with no conscience or humanity.  The only hope for freedom lies with the Mantle of Kendis-dai, a relic reputed to hold the power of absolute Truth.  But the Mantle of Kendis-dai is long lost in the mists of myth and time...if it ever really existed at all.

Merinda Neskat, dedicated to the pursuit of Truth above all, is determined to find the legendary Mantle.  The key to her quest is a group of lost Earthpeople, led by the feckless Jeremy Griffiths, who holds knowledge he shouldn't have--and doesn't understand.  Together, Merinda, Jeremy, and his companions set off on a dangerous race against time and deadly enemy forces, seeking a mysterious world that holds the secret that can save them--or destroy the path of civilization forever.

Genres: Fantasy, Science Fiction, Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy, Dragonlance, Space Opera

421 pages, Hardcover

First published November 12, 1996

About the author

Margaret Edith Weis is an American fantasy and science fiction author of dozens of novels and short stories. At TSR, Inc., she teamed with Tracy Hickman to create the Dragonlance role-playing game (RPG) world. She is founding CEO and owner of Sovereign Press, Inc and Margaret Weis Productions, licensing several popular television and movie franchises to make RPG series in addition to their own.
In 1999, Pyramid magazine named Weis one of The Millennium's Most Influential Persons, saying she and Hickman are "basically responsible for the entire gaming fiction genre". In 2002, she was inducted into the Origins Hall of Fame in part for Dragonlance.

Reviews

[Hector Sosa]

This book was completely unreadable. Just as bad as Grass from Sheri Tepper. It was so painful reading this, that I couldn't bear to finish it. Ugh!

[Bill Meehan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Going on 20 years now since it was first published, the novel opens what was to be a whole new genre for Weis and Hickman (authors of the Dragonlance series). This was to be the first of a trilogy, but, according to Wikipedia, never made it beyond the second book as sales and contractual issues doomed this sci-fi/fantasy series.
I enjoyed the book, a sci-fi fantasy where physics as we know it on earth is not the same universally. Where propulsion systems may need to be replaced by wizards, depending on the shifting 'weather'. There is a quest for an ancient mythical item (The Mantle of Kendis-Dai) needed to stop 'synths', or computers as we would know them better, from taking control of a large portion of some distant universe and the key to successfully concluding the quest is an unlikely earthling.

[David Davies · Rating 4 out of 5]

The idea is a good one, different regions of the galaxy are under different rules, such as technology or magic. This is the reason given for myths about magic in human history, earth passed through the magic region ages ago. Spaceships require both engines of technology and magic to traverse the different regions, switching over when they enter them.
A ship from earth not knowing about the magic regions becomes stranded when it encounters the magic field...

[Tavish · Rating 3 out of 5]

The idea behind this book is an interesting idea, and the story is also interesting (that the laws of physics that we consider constant are not truly constant throughout the universe, but change from region to region). I did have a hard time getting into this book though.

[Chet · Rating 3 out of 5]

A couple of intriguing ideas: laws of physics vary across the Universe (so some places support magic, etc.) and, one that I really liked, which is synthetic intelligence that works temporally where the query is sent back in time up to the point that the synthetic mind was created so it has all kinds of time to work out the answer and, effectively, they get smarter over time as they can send questions back further in time. I also liked the idea that an “idea” that synthetic minds have free will was “infecting” them and causing them to act irrationally. However some of these ideas were clumsily executed. And the book ended so quickly after the final action scene. It felt like a very rushed wrap-up for the characters. One of the weaker Weis/Hickman efforts. Still giving it a bit of a higher rating than otherwise due to the intriguing ideas.

[Brock Books · Rating 1 out of 5]

True Science-Fantasy books are rare. However, I don't care for the viewpoint. I'm not sure if the penetration is deep or cinematic, but either way it rings false: the authors are cheating, don't know, or couldn't commit. The naming conventions seem a bit pompous without adding much. Book one of an unfinished trilogy doesn't sound promising, so I abandoned this. On a long enough timeline, I'd try it again.

[Charles Mitchell · Rating 3 out of 5]

It had its moments, but ultimately, I didn't warm to any of the characters, or the plot for that matter, until very late in the book. It was a nice attempt at science fiction, but even then, they had to include some fantasy elements.

[Scott · Rating 1 out of 5]

too slow, never got invested.

[Sky Thibedeau · Rating 4 out of 5]

Starsheild Sentinals also known as "The Mantle of Kendais Dai" was the first part of a proposed Weis-Hickman Sci-Fi trilogy of which two volumes were published. It was remarkable for having an interactive fan-fic and roleplaying site in the late 90's starshield dot com . Alas this was before its time and never got off the ground despite Tracy Hickman's best efforts.

A archive can be found at www.mendax.org/starshield



The book is set in a furture time when the Major and Minor Empires of the greater galaxy are oppressed by the Darkness. A force that is causing their Artificial intelligences to revolt. The only thing that can save life in the galaxy is the mantle of Kendais Dai the knowledge of the location of which has been given to a lost explorer Jeremy Griffiths from a backwater planet called Earth. Brave Omnet Spy Marinda Neskat must keep Griffiths and his crew of astronauts safe as they search for the artifact and the forces of Darkness close in.

[Mindy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Having fallen in love with Weis/Hickman's Death Gate Cycle series, I started this book hoping to love it as well. I was disappointed. I didn't like the characters nearly as well and the plot seemed simplistic. This was the only one out of the Starshield series I read.

[K. Axel · Rating 1 out of 5]

These books are not badly written, they are just not for me. Fusing Sci-fi and fantasy is a bad combination, at least...for me.

[Jake Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't remember much about it, but I remember liking it.

[Jeremy · Rating 2 out of 5]

When they focus on the specifics of the fantasy world they created instead of some overarching moral point the books become very dull.

[Nicole Baratta]

Starshield sentinels by Margaret Weis (1996), 1st ed

[Lynda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. Not having read anything of theirs before I got caught up in it. I look forward to reading other books of theirs.

[Steve]

Starshield

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would put it closer to 3.5 stars.