"It was easy to see how Zahir had put this document together with the positioning of the regal star and its indication of a birth unlike any the world had seen. A ruler to rule the nations."

I don't know what all I was expecting when I picked up Star of Wonder by author Tracy Higley. That is, I figured The Incense Road trilogy would be the road leading to the birth of Christ, but besides that, my space for expectations was pretty blank.

I was unprepared for the stirring adventure this story on the sands of Arabia becomes, something bringing Aladdin and Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark to my mind. It's a story of heritage and the need for acceptance, of intrigues for power and position, and of a young, first-level mage's quest for "an object of power that could sway the course of nations." Granted, Misha-el, the mage, is more concerned with the object of power for his ailing mother's sake than for the fate of nations.

Now, I didn't get a full grip on the story's pacing. It was a bit difficult for me to make complete sense of some of the earlier action, as certain parts felt rushed or vague, but I also lost a measure of interest in the details during a couple of slow parts. Still, overall, I found this novella to be a pleasant, and rather fascinating, surprise.

I think, for anyone who finishes the first stage of this star-led journey, it'd be nigh on impossible not to want to go on to read the next book on the Incense Road. ( )