Star Dancer
Encyclopedia
Star Dancer is the first novel in the Star Dancer Tetralogy
, written by the British author Beth Webb
and published in 2006 by Macmillan Publishers
.
Star Dancer is a mixture of history and fantasy, suitable for teenagers and adults, based in the late Iron Age
when the Romans
were just beginning to invade Britain and change history forever.
Instead there is one baby girl, Tegen, born at the right time, and a boy, Griff, who has Down’s Syndrome, who is born just as the stars were fading.
The book explores how these two children grow up together, discovering their individual destinies, but it also shows how much they need each other to become who they were meant to be in a harsh and unforgiving world.
Tegen is the Star Dancer, but she needs Griff’s honesty and kindness to stand against the druids who aren’t evil, but are set in their ways.
Griff needs Tegen to stand against his cruel mother who abandoned him at birth.
As the story unfolds, Derowen, an evil-minded ‘wise-woman’ connives with a young handsome druid who believes he should be the Star Dancer. They plot to destroy Tegen by stealing her magic, and setting her up to fail so together they can seize power.
With dark spells they disturb a demon from the depths of funeral caves under the Mendip Hills
and Tegen has to face her nemesis at last.
landscape and re-creates what life must have been like for Iron Age
people. It also considers how the druids might have viewed the world and struggled to cope as the Roman
threat became more real. The author uses real places such as the Wookey Hole Caves and the ‘Winter Seas’ as the Somerset Levels
as they used to be – flooded in winter and dry in summer.
(A Wizard of Earthsea
books) than Harry Potter
.
lives in Somerset
and is fascinated by myths and legends. She studied Sociology and Psychology for her first degree and has worked with adults with learning disabilities for several years.
Tetralogy
A tetralogy is a compound work that is made up of four distinct works, just as a trilogy is made up of three works....
, written by the British author Beth Webb
Beth Webb
Beth Webb is a British children's author. Her books include the popular Fleabag Trilogy and her novel for young adults Star Dancer, published by Macmillan Publishers....
and published in 2006 by Macmillan Publishers
Macmillan Publishers
Macmillan Publishers Ltd, also known as The Macmillan Group, is a privately held international publishing company owned by Georg von Holtzbrinck Publishing Group. It has offices in 41 countries worldwide and operates in more than thirty others.-History:...
.
Star Dancer is a mixture of history and fantasy, suitable for teenagers and adults, based in the late Iron Age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
when the Romans
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
were just beginning to invade Britain and change history forever.
The plot
The druids have prophesied that the one born in the middle of an untimely meteorite shower will avert a great evil, but they are looking for a boy who will grow into a mixture of war hero and super-magician.Instead there is one baby girl, Tegen, born at the right time, and a boy, Griff, who has Down’s Syndrome, who is born just as the stars were fading.
The book explores how these two children grow up together, discovering their individual destinies, but it also shows how much they need each other to become who they were meant to be in a harsh and unforgiving world.
Tegen is the Star Dancer, but she needs Griff’s honesty and kindness to stand against the druids who aren’t evil, but are set in their ways.
Griff needs Tegen to stand against his cruel mother who abandoned him at birth.
As the story unfolds, Derowen, an evil-minded ‘wise-woman’ connives with a young handsome druid who believes he should be the Star Dancer. They plot to destroy Tegen by stealing her magic, and setting her up to fail so together they can seize power.
With dark spells they disturb a demon from the depths of funeral caves under the Mendip Hills
Mendip Hills
The Mendip Hills is a range of limestone hills to the south of Bristol and Bath in Somerset, England. Running east to west between Weston-super-Mare and Frome, the hills overlook the Somerset Levels to the south and the Avon Valley to the north...
and Tegen has to face her nemesis at last.
Setting
This book is set in the ancient SomersetSomerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
landscape and re-creates what life must have been like for Iron Age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
people. It also considers how the druids might have viewed the world and struggled to cope as the Roman
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
threat became more real. The author uses real places such as the Wookey Hole Caves and the ‘Winter Seas’ as the Somerset Levels
Somerset Levels
The Somerset Levels, or the Somerset Levels and Moors as they are less commonly but more correctly known, is a sparsely populated coastal plain and wetland area of central Somerset, South West England, between the Quantock and Mendip Hills...
as they used to be – flooded in winter and dry in summer.
Magic
The concept of ‘magic’ in this book is largely based on the psychology of perception and belief rather than wand-waving and things ‘happening’ as a result. In this respect, the author was more influenced by Ursula K. Le GuinUrsula K. Le Guin
Ursula Kroeber Le Guin is an American author. She has written novels, poetry, children's books, essays, and short stories, notably in fantasy and science fiction...
(A Wizard of Earthsea
A Wizard of Earthsea
A Wizard of Earthsea, first published in 1968, is the first of a series of books written by Ursula K. Le Guin and set in the fantasy world archipelago of Earthsea depicting the adventures of a budding young wizard named Ged...
books) than Harry Potter
Harry Potter
Harry Potter is a series of seven fantasy novels written by the British author J. K. Rowling. The books chronicle the adventures of the adolescent wizard Harry Potter and his best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, all of whom are students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry...
.
The author
Beth WebbBeth Webb
Beth Webb is a British children's author. Her books include the popular Fleabag Trilogy and her novel for young adults Star Dancer, published by Macmillan Publishers....
lives in Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
and is fascinated by myths and legends. She studied Sociology and Psychology for her first degree and has worked with adults with learning disabilities for several years.