Rating: Summary: Great novel! Review: This is probably my favorite novel of the series. It is, in a lot of ways, the "Empire Stikes Back" of the series. Bad things happen to good people and the overall mood of the book is one of mystery and impending doom.
Rating: Summary: Truly astounding. Review: This book, Speaker for the Dead, is a beautiful piece of literature and an incredible sequel to the popular Ender's Game. I was very skeptical about reading this book, especially when I tried to read it directly after Ender's Game. I picked it up a little later on and I must say that this book is one of the best that I have ever read. Don't read it until you've read Ender's Game, but don't expect the non-stop action that Ender's Game had. This book is genius in it's own right, but the pace is much slower and rightfully so. Don't miss this...
Rating: Summary: The dead find a voice in OSC's book Review: Amazingly, Orson Scott Card has improved on the perfection of Ender's Game. Ender's story continues in the far future, where Ender still lives through the miracle of relativity. Ender has become one of many speakers for the dead, and goes to speak for a death on a planet where humans have found their second chance after the destruction of the buggers, another race, this one less advanced than the humans, in a position of weakness. This race, the humans decide, should be "protected". Speaker for the Dead conveys many ironies, one of which is humanities' loathing for the the horrible genocide, Ender. And their love for the emotional genious, the Speaker for the dead, both of them Andrew Wiggin. Another is their irrational fear of the unknowable, the new alien race they have discovered. If the humans fear a race they could easily destroy, then they have learned nothing. The folly of humans and the wisdom, combined, make Speaker for the Dead a work of art. And so I must say again, as others have said, praise for Orson Scott Card.
Rating: Summary: Ender's Return Review: As a book in it's own right, Speaker for the Dead clearly deserves all five stars. As a sequel to Ender's Game, however, it both fulfils us and disappoints us. We know at the end of Ender's Game that Ender regrets his acts towards the buggers and has consequentially written their story to show humanity how wrong they were. Ironically, we find, the implement of their destruction also will serve as their savior. Speaker for the Dead does tackle many moral issues: religion vs. truth, multi-species contact & non-interference; however, it is not as "deep" of a book as Ender's game was and I found myself more drawn to it because the relationship that I had formed with Ender in Ender's Game then because of the plot events in this book. If you've read Ender's Game, I doubt you'll be able to stay away from this book. If you haven't yet: pick Ender's Game up first. This book would spoil it for you and Ender's Game is clearly the better of the two! But have no doubt, after reading Ender's Game, you'll be back!
Rating: Summary: Different, but still good! Review: Speaker for the Dead is the second book in the "Ender" series by Orson Scott Card. It is very different in style from the much acclaimed "Ender's Game", but is still an excellent story in its own right. SFTD is at its core, a mystery. Why do the pequeninos butcher themselves in such a horrific manner? Why do they plant saplings where the body is? Pipo discovered the secret early on, but it is never revealed until the very end of the book. Why does Novinha act the way she does? SFTD introduces new characters to the story. They are interesting people, flawed, which makes them more human. Ender interacts with these people and becomes an integral part of their lives, even though they try to reject him. Jane is also an interesting character, and I look forward to learning more about her. This is a much "talkier" and more philosophical book than "Ender's Game". If you want another "Star Wars" battle type of book, don't get this, but instead check out "Ender's Shadow". If you would like explore questions about xenophobia, racism, science and relationships, then pick up "Speaker for the Dead". You won't be sorry. I should add that the end of the story more or less wraps up everything, but does set the stage for the final 4 books. Furthermore, the first 50 pages of the book are quite slow. It takes awhile to get going, but trudge through them. Once I hit page 50 or so, I couldn't put it down.
Rating: Summary: Speaker For the Dead Review: I am currently reading Speaker For The Dead by Orson Scot Card. I am disapointed in the way the book is reading. I was hoping that the book Speaker For The Dead would pick up right were Ender's game left off. But instead the book starts off talking about new characters and personally it is very hard and is not reading very fast. after a few chapters into the book Ender finally comes into the book but does not have the charisma he had in Ender's Game. In Ender's Game Ender was a very tough and brave young man. By the end of Ender's Game Ender was a war hero and had a very good military mind. now Ender seems like he has become a woosie.
Rating: Summary: Speaker For The Dead (slow start) Review: I am now reading Speaker, and right now it is very hard reading. Other reviews that i have heard is that the book picks up in the middle of the book. In the very beging of the book there are characters that were not in Ender's Game and it has me a little confussed.
Rating: Summary: Great book written in same tradition as other Ender books Review: In this book, you are priveleged enough to be able to follow once again the famous Ender Wiggin, aka Andrew, the Xenocide, The original Speaker for the Dead. This book blends well with the wonderful Ender's game. Ender has learned a lot from his "adventures" in that book, lessons that have not been forgotten in this great tale. The characters are as interesting and varied as in Ender's Game. Ender, freed from his military life, is now an extremely compassionate and admirable grown-up. The effect of his early life on him is shown clearly through his actions and reactions to the suspenseful plot. Ender's message of love for all creatures is clearly seen and shown in this heart-warming, though by no means docile or peaceful, tale of courage, hard love, and trust. The end, I must say at least this: It leaves you with that feeling of Hope-For-the-Future, just as in Ender's game, and is touching. You are also left with anxiety, with another newly arisen problem, a reprocussion (sp?) from the actions of the colony, spurred on by Ender. This book, unlike Ender's Game, follows the hopes, dreams, problems, and joys of more than just Ender, and how these feelings relate to Ender and his mission, not just as a speaker but as the Original one, wanting to erase the hate of others, namely the Buggers, placed in the universe by the Xenocide. This is all done through the discovery of a new species of sentient being, the piggies. Learning about their culture, the Lucitanians and Ender have experiences similar to Juna in the Color of Distance, and her struggles to fathom the Tendu. Definitely an A+ read!
Rating: Summary: The best of Ender Review: Ender's Game is an excellent book. Speaker for the Dead is a great book. Card continues the Ender story in a mature and sophisticated way, while keeping his fundamental ideas clear. Interestingly, while Ender's Game can be read and appreciated by fairly young children, Speaker for the Dead is intended for older readers. The only thing I did not like about this book was it's detailed and generally irrelevant description of an imaginary Catholic sect.
Rating: Summary: Good followup to Ender's Game Review: Although this book was not as good as Ender's Game, it is still a great read. For a long while I could not put this book down because of the suspense and mystery. The book starts out with the planet Lusitania, a colonist planet settled Portegeuse Catholics, where the only other intelligent race, the Pequininos or piggies for short, live. At first the piggies are regarded as an animal and not a real race. The people study them and are fascinated with their culture. But they cannot ask the piggies a direct question. Meanwhile Ender lives on the ice planet known as Trondheim. He is a speaker for the dead, but not the Speaker for the Dead because this book takes place over 3 thousand years in the future.
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