Starfinder

by John Marco

Book Overview

A thrilling young adult fantasy adventure Young, orphaned Moth is obsessed with the airships around his mountain home and dreams of taking to the air one day like his heroes, the Skyknights. With his... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0756406102
• ISBN13: 9780756406103
• Release Date: April 2010
• Publisher: Daw Books
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 4.2" x 6.7"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

Searching for Merceron

Starfinder (2009) is the first Fantasy novel in the Skylords series. On a world far away in spacetime, humans live in scattered cities. The city of Calio sits on a high mountain overlooking the Reach -- a mist filled land stretching northward -- from which no traveler has ever returned. At the aerodrome in Calio, the great airships land and take off. From there, Skyknights also fly armed patrols along the edges of the Reach in aircraft much like dragonflies. In this novel, Moth is a thirteen year old orphan who works as a cleaning boy at the aerodrome. He really wants to be a pilot. Moth lives with Leroux and Lady Esme. Leroux is a retired Eldrin Knight. He is old and sick, with a very persistent cough. He tells Moth stories of the other side of the Reach. He is extremely dedicated to Lady Esme. Lady Esme is a kestrel, but once she had been more. She has a nest on the balcony of the apartment. Fiona is a friend of Moth, although she is a year older than him. She lives with her grandfather. Skyhigh Coralin is a Skyknight and the best pilot at the aerodrome. He is Moth's friend and give him rides in the dragonfly now and then. Rendor is the grandfather of Fiona and the governor of Calio. He also invented aviation on this world. The airships, dragonflies and the various aircraft components are his designs. But he is anxious about the Skylords, who apparently rule the other side of the Reach. In this story, Moth is flying a kite when he sees a dragonfly crash. He runs to the site and tries to free the pilot from the cockpit, but the frame is too hot. Skyhigh lands his dragonfly and uses his gloved hands to wrench open the canopy and pull the pilot to safety. After the rescue, Skyhigh give Moth a ride in the dragonfly to the hangers. Moth returns home that evening filled with excitement. He tells Leroux about the happenings and Leroux says that he has a story to tell him. That evening after supper, Moth's friends gather for a birthday party. Moth has just turned thirteen. Leroux has decorated the apartment and his friends bring a cake and presents. Fiona comes to the party and afterward Moth walks her back to the Governor's mansion. They sit on the outside wall and look over the city and the Reach. Fiona tells him about her problems with her grandfather and Moth tells her about Leroux and Esme. Then Fiona gives him a knife like those the Skyknights wear. Later that night, Leroux wakes Moth to tell him the story. He says that Esme had been a Skylord, but had been transformed into a bird. He asks Moth to take her back through the Reach and search for the wizard Merceron. Moth sleepily agrees and goes back to sleep. The next morning, Leroux is silently lying in his bed. His body is room temperature and Moth cannot find a pulse. Moth fetches a doctor and Leroux is declared dead. Later, Moth finds Rendor and his men searching the apartment. Rendor says that Moth's home has reverted to the city. He asks where Esme

First Novel in the Skylords Trilogy

Thirteen year old Moth has always dreamed of flying. And Rendor, his friend Fiona's grandfather, also had the same dream and created flying ships to allow humans to take to the skies. Rendor has also been spouting on about the dangerous Skylords. Though, no one has ever seen them. And when Moth's old friend passes along a secret, Moth must embark on the adventure of a lifetime. While Moth's world is similar to our own, he travels past the barrier that his people are forbidden to cross into a world of mermaids, dragons, centaurs, and magic. This world is ruled by the Skylords, a jealous race that doesn't allow any other creatures to fly free. As a coming of age story, this is a wonderful fantasy novel for all ages. The excitement and wonder is continuous. Following the adventures of Moth and Fiona, both must learn about long-kept secrets and friendship. The characters are different and fun; and though Fiona's complaining got annoying quickly, she stayed true to form. Everything about this creative world is exciting and full of suspense. A fantastic beginning to a unique and fresh story, I'll be waiting impatiently for the next installment!

A wonderful place to retreat.

A great story with charming characters, Starfinder will let you escape the humdrum normalcy of everyday life to enter a new world filled with beings you've always wanted to meet. The narrative flows smoothly and sucks you right into the lives of Moth and Fiona as they embark upon a much bigger adventure than they ever thought possible. I eagerly await the next book.

Fantasy Revisited

As a teenager, I used to read a lot of fantasy, but as an adult I spend most of my time on memoirs and biographies. Reading Starfinder reminded me of how much I really enjoy the fantasy genre. I was so captivated by Marco's book, I read it in a few days while I was supposed to be working. The plot moves along briskly, and always keeps you eager to find out what happens next. The protagonists, two lonely children named Moth and Fiona, are very believable and sympathetic, while even the villains (i.e. Rendor and Alisaundra) have their redeeming qualities, making it impossible to truly dislike anyone in the story. Although this novel is targeted at young adults and has some important lessons for youngsters about believing in oneself, I think adults will find Starfinder equally enchanting because of the world it creates and its exploration of the themes like free will and faith. The conclusion of the story is left open-ended, all but guaranteeing that there will be a sequel, which is something I'm greatly looking forward to.

From Jimmy at J. Kaye's Book Blog

As a little boy, Moth's adopted father Leroux tells Moth strange stories the Reach, a sea of fog north of Calio. The strangest thing of all was Leroux's kestrel, Lady Esme, who has eyes of two different colors. The day after Moth's thirteenth birthday, Leroux dies, shortly after ordering Moth to find a dragon called Merceron. The mayor, Rendor, starts acting very strangely towards Moth, and ransacks Moth's house. Having no where else to go, Moth and Rendor's neglected daughter Fiona flee into the Reach, hoping to find the dragon Merceron. Guided by a mysterious trinket, the Starfinder, Moth and Fiona start the quest that will open their imaginations, and test their will to believe. STARFINDER book is one of the Skylords series. This book was amazing - a real page turner to the end. Moth's and Fiona's adventures will have you wanting more at the end.