When burned-out starship captain Jesse Sanders is seized by a dictatorial medical regime and detained on the colony planet Undine, he has no idea that he is about to be plunged into a bewildering new life that will involve ordeals and joys beyond anything he has ever imagined, as well as the love of a woman with powers that seem superhuman. Still less does he suspect that he must soon take responsibility for the lives of people he has come to care about and preservation of their hopes for the future of humankind. This controversial novel, winner of a bronze medal in the 2008 Independent Publisher (IPPY) Book Awards, deals with the so-called paranormal powers of the human mind and appeals to a wide range of readers who question the dominant medical philosophy of today's society. Unlike Engdahl's earlier novels, it is not appropriate for Young Adult audiences.This edition is formatted to match the sequel, Promise of the Flame. The text is unchanged from the 2007 edition.