Rating: 
Summary: Should have left these ideas alone.
Review: I loved Ender's Shadow, and I just purchased Hegemon last evening and finished it today. Although I hate to say it, I think Card should have left these idea's alone, thus ending it at Ender's Shadow. Everyone just seemed to big for this story, and with that I mean, with every distraction and problem there were complicated situations and resolutions that were pulled out of thin air. I usually have a hard time seeing into the future of Card's books. He always kept me on my toes, but with this I could almost smell what was going to happen, and I hoped that my conclusions wouldn't actually come, but they did. I just wasn't fullfilled with this one. Everyone that was once complex and interesting just seemed, for lack of a better work, basic. It was like a really big budget Hollywood movie where there are so many flags dropped in the first ten minutes, that you know what's going to happen. Sorry Mr. Card, you're my favorite author, but please leave Bean and the Wiggin's alone now--their auia's can't handle anymore.
Rating: 
Summary: fantanstic
Review: I love this book because coming from a historic prespective, it allows for a bird's eye view of the world that Orson Scott Card created. This sort of uncanny, impartial, yet involving observation is something that is probably impossible in our world since we, living in our time, are influenced by our enviornment. This book is not only beautifully written, but is also some what of an inspiration.
Rating:
Summary: Yippy for Bean
Review: The end of the PLOT of any book( that is.. when the story stops happening and all that's left is to write the conclusion chapter, and that is of any GOOD book) there are two options. Either, everyone dies and it's really rather depressing, or... everyone lives and everyone is still depressed for deep reasons unto themselves, or the book does not REACH an end and you realize that there's going to be another book where you find OUT who died. With Orson Scott Card, all of these are very possible endings. Which one does Shadow of the Hegemon end with? That's the surprise. and i WAS surprised, not to mention a bit shocked, It didn't seem to fit with the rest of the plot. But that's not the point. The point is, this is yet another GREAT Bean book. The actual concluding chapter is also exeedingly good. Plus, being surprised is always fun.
Rating: 
Summary: Another excellent episode in the Ender/Bean saga
Review: SHADOW OF THE HEGEMON is yet another worthy episode in Orson Scott Card's excellent series about the Formic War and its consequences. While this book is not as good as ENDER'S GAME or even its immediate predecessor ENDER'S SHADOW, it is still a great read.Bean, otherwise known as Julian Delphiki, has now returned to Earth after being discharged from Battle School. When several of his classmates are kidnapped, Bean must figure out who is doing it, why, and how he can help. Eventually, Bean's adversary Achilles surfaces as the major antagonist, and Bean must deal with his own history as he attempts to figure out how to rescue Petra Arkanian, his closest friend at Battle School. Card has woven an intricate plot, with international themes and some religious undertones, though SHADOW OF THE HEGEMON is not nearly as religious as the last three Ender novels XENOCIDE, SPEAKER FOR THE DEAD, and CHILDREN OF THE MIND. Bean is still the arrogant, confident mastermind who was responsible for many of the innovative plans Ender used to conquer the Buggers in the Formic War, only this time he is working to save his friends. Peter Wiggin, Ender's older brother, is working to put himself in a position to assume the title of Hegemon and lead Earth to worldwide peace, and Bean must assist him, fully knowing that the difference between Peter Wiggin and Achilles is less than one would desire but enough to make a world of difference. Card has again written a book with an almost impossible premise (children so brilliant that they hold the future of the human race in their hands), but he writes it so well that one barely notices the improbable aspects of the plot. SHADOW OF THE HEGEMON continues the Ender/Bean saga very well, drawing ethical and theological concerns into the narrative seamlessly and effortlessly. This book is worth your time, especially if you enjoyed any of the other books dealing with these characters.
Rating:
Summary: Card never disappoints
Review: Wonderful sequel to Ender's Shadow - can't wait for the next 2 books in the series.
Rating:
Summary: pretty good book!
Review: I have read almost all of five of the books in the Ender series and by far this is the best of them all. Ender's Game was a very good book and when I partly read the next two books I was seriously disappointed. They just had no imagination! Orson Scott Card makes up for this in a big way in the story line of Ender's Shadow and especially Shadow of the Hegemon. They bring back the true spirit of the series. This most recent one has to be one of the best science-fiction books as well as an overall war story that is futuristic but very believeable. Its only low point is the fact that as I have found with the entire series, it is really slow going, but once it starts it doesn't stop till the last page. This book is great! The letter near the end written by a nun to Bean is one of the most personally realistic few pages ever written in a book. Read Ender's Game, skip the next three and read the Shadow books. The next two books should make it a complete series.
Rating:
Summary: The ties that bind
Review: I think Orson covers the development of the charectors very well. The reader learns more about the charectors as the charectors learn more about themselves. He also keeps you guessing on the gray area of light and dark. In the writing he also proves the point that no matter how smart you think you are there are people out there that are most likely as smart as you. Most important of all it pushes forward the idea that hearts are what binds people together not countries, not birth right, not family, not even religion. The greatest bind is the bind of the heart.
Rating:
Summary: More about Bean and Peter Wiggin
Review: We continute the tale of Bean aka Julian Delphiki in Shadow of the Hegemon, as we know from the Ender timeline, this would be the point where Ender has headed off to the world with the pig people and is searching for a home for the larvae of the new Formics queen. However, all is not well on Earth. Bean's nemesis Achelles is out there, and he's gaining most of the top kids from the Battle School to begin his plot to control the world. Bean's solution....make Peter Wiggin go public with his writer personae, and make his move to become the Hegemon, and save the world from the chaos that Achelles would bring. In this book, the author definitely went for an approach that would further humanize Bean, from the cold calculating whiz we knew from Ender's Game and Ender's Shadow. His primary motivation for stopping Achilles is to save Petra Arkanian, the one whom he considers probably his only 'friend' from the Battle School, and the one graduate that was not released by the Russians when it was made clear what type of person Achilles was. This story also gives you a slight bit of insight into Peter Wiggin, older brother of Ender and the eventual Hegemon of Earth. At this point Peter is still a teenager, but behind his writing personae he's built up a huge network of contacts and informants, so that his political base is solidifying. All in all, the plot was fairly good, the storytelling while at times left something to be desired, was well thought out, and the book overall was enjoyable. Definitely an effort worthy of the whole 'Ender' universe.
Rating:
Summary: Bean becoming more human.
Review: Not bad. I didn't read for 5 years (due to college junks). And I read Ender's Game cause my friend got it for my bday. Guess what? I read all 4 in the series, and read the two of the shadow series too. Pretty great stuff. I like how Bean becomes more and more like a human. He's too smart and that makes him sound like a robot or something. But his character builds up and it's fun to see that. I'm glad there are two more books to the series. Can't wait. :)
Rating:
Summary: I think I know why some don't like this
Review: "Shadow of the Hegemon", like its predecessor, "Ender's Shadow" is not really a continuation of the Ender saga. Card very nicely wrote that story across four excellent novels. These stories are about Bean, the smallest and most intelligent of all the kids Ender trained with at the Battle School. The fact that they all contain the word "shadow" implies that Bean belongs in the periphery, when in fact he deserves a spotlight just as much as Ender, or does he? This is where one main source of dissatisfaction may lie. One of the huge differences between Ender and Bean is that Bean does not for one moment doubt his brilliance or ability. This grows tiresome after two novels. In "Hegemon" he is not alone either. Peter, Bean, and Achilles all believe that they have the patent on always being right. There is a constant interplay between them trying to one-up each other's ability to be right. With no other motive, this is extremely tedious, plus it seems insufficient that a human being would not know doubt. Ender as a character was interesting partly because he struggled painfully to do the right thing and overcome his guilt and doubt. Bean proclaims to care only for his own survival, until the end when he is overcome with shame. By the final chapter of this book, Bean has come to terms with truths about himself and the people he has grown to love. In a final scene he tells Petra that he is "not human". Until this chapter, those words are believable. In my eyes, Bean becomes fully human in the closing section of this book. Although a lot of this novel reads more like an animated game of RISK, its conclusion sets up the two sequels to examine Bean's fate and the recreation of the Hegemony under Peter Wiggin. Who knows, there may even be romance budding..."Hegemon" on its own is not terribly impressive, but it opens the way for two exciting novels to come. It's time for Bean to step out of the Shadow, but please Mr. Card, no more shadow titles.
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