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Shadow of the Hegemon

Shadow of the Hegemon

List Price: $7.99
Your Price: $7.19
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: all I can say is :GREAT
Review: when I first found out about the shadow trilogy, I was excited: the ender's books were great, and although I read them many times They never got boring. so I bought Ender's shadow, and although it was a great book it had some problems: there were this long sections where bean thinks about himself, and quite frankly - those parts were boring. so when I got to the Shadow of the hegemon book, I was afraid of the same repetition... I WAS WRONG!!!!!!

This is one of the greatest book I have read. it combines all the style of Orson scot card, with the character of Bean. Unlike Ender's shadow, this book does not contain any boring parts - every chapter, every page, every word makes you want 2 keep on reading. I started reading it for the first time, and didn't stop until I finished it... and still I wanted more. this book is full of suprises, twists, and changes, from commando warfare to political debates... and all writen in Orson's great style, viewed by Bean special perception of the world. What I loved the most is the meeting between Bean and Peter - those two great characters clashed from the begining, and I can't wait 2 c how this will develop... as well as the special bond between Bean and Petra (I admit - I never saw this coming).

If you have any doubt about this book - lose them, you won't regret it... All that is left 2 say is that I hope that the third book of this trilogy will be as interesting as this one.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Orson Scott Card does it again-with another great book!
Review: I really like the books about Ender and his "Jeesh."(Companions)These books are great becasue they show all of these charecters at their finest. They are all pushed to the limits-and some of them break under the presure! They are like real humans. They are all believable! I loved this book and can't wait for the next two in the Shadow series!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: a worthy sequall
Review: I have to say that I loved this new book. It was interesting and indeed a book I would recommend. I think this new series is a much-needed addition to the Ender's Game universe. Its new perspective is not just the same old stuff again, but, in fact, a very new story that fills in holes with the old series and brings to the spotlight a new hero.

I really like Bean. His supernatural intellect makes him more interesting. Some people say that this book is less good because of the unbelievable characters, but I think it strengthens its story. Makes it more fun to read. I don't want to read a story about everyday kids that happen to get lucky and save the world. That style of story telling grows old. This plot is new and refreshing. The world is divided into a gigantic chess bored and these super-genius children use people and countries like pieces in a grand battle for domination.

The Battle School grads are back from their space station and find their homelands in chaos. Talk of war spreads like wildfire among the people of Earth. The world powers are in a state of unrest, just waiting for a reason to lash out at their neighbors. This sets the scene of a story that only Card could tell. World politics, stunning military tactics and a mind-crunching plot are all wonderfully put by Card. I couldn't have hoped for a better book. This is a must read, folks, the best book of the year. You'll want to stay up reading and stay up even more nights just waiting for the next book. That's how good this was, Shadow of the Hegemon, a wonderful read.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Not just a shadow, but a new object completely
Review: Card returns to the world he created in a very new style. The characters we fell in love with in Ender's Game, and those we commiserated with in Ender's Shadow, are in a new environment. And on the world scene,those characters seem to lose much of their charm. Whereas before they were geniuses among geniuses, outwitting each other through intellectual battles, here many "stupid" characters come into play. Personally, I was hoping for a biography of Peter Wiggin, playing cruelty and generosity off each other as situations provided to gain power. However, this is more a story of Bean and Petra, much like the old novels yet very different and somewhat "uncomforatable" in their new surroundings.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: CARD
Review: I have read all Ender's books, I liked all of them with the same passion. This book is half of a book as Scott explains at the end of the book, I was some what disappointed by that. Another sad thing is that he spend too much time on too little things, making you feel a urgent need to finish the book sometimes. That's why I took one star away.

Yet, I admire the book greatly, it teaches you a lot about how to manage people, and also has great suspense for most of the time. It has that special Scotty taste to it--the way characters think make you feel you are them and they are you, not like some other SFs that totally run off the ground; the intelligence, the philosophical depth to it that make you think constantly; and the drop from sudden high to low at the end that makes the book both loud and quiet; the solving of all the puzzels; also the kids power.

Overall, it is great, but the world scemes that Scott set up is more like kids playing than reality, and makes the book a kind of stupid.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Great, but not as outstanding as other Card novels
Review: Although this book definitely did not dissappoint me, it did not resonate with me quite as much as the four books in the Ender Series or Ender's Shadow. Like many of Orson Scott Card's other books (i.e. the Homecoming, Alvin Maker, and Ender books), this novel deals with the problems of near-perfect characters in Bean and Peter. Unlike the other books, Shadow of the Hegemon does not deal as much with metaphysical themes or moral dilemmas but instead describes the struggles of the two smartest people on Earth as they attempt to take over the world and save a friend kidnapped by a power-hungry lunatic. The reader is continually reminded of Ender's perfection, and OSC seems too careful not ever to debase his deified character. Don't get me wrong, I'm really grasping at straws to find flaws in the book, but OSC had raised the bar so high in his previous novels that I could not help but become a little greedy for more genius. I look forward to the next two novels in the series and the continued stories of Bean and Peter.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Uncle Orson continues the story of Bean and Achilles
Review: While "Ender's Shadow" was a parallel to Orson Scott Card's classic "Ender's Game," this next novel in a projected quartet deals with the aftermath of the Bugger War on Earth. All we really knew from Card's future history was that Peter Wiggin became the Hegemon. In "Shadow of the Hegemon" we not only find out how that came to be, but also the involvement of Bean, the "Shadow" in both books, who acts behind the scenes while others take the world stage. The main story arc involves the kidnapping of Petra Arkanian and other Battle School graduates from Ender's group by Achilles, Bean's nemesis from "Ender's Shadow." This is merely the opening gambit in Achilles move to rule the world.

As the geo-political situation unravels in "Shadow of the Hegemon," I found myself thinking that this was like a real game of "Risk." So, when Card admitted as much in his afterword, I had to laugh. This novel really has more in common with Card's novel "Pastwatch," where he dealt with an alternative reality regarding Christopher Columbus and the "discovery" of the Americas. Both have at their core the idea of remaking the world into a better place, for while the Battle School dealt with inter-galatic video games, Card is now dealing with more traditional war games on Earth and his take on the Asian nations, particularly India and Thailand, is quite interesting. But we have all known for quite some time that Uncle Orson is a thoughtful writer and one of the best writers of serial novels as he has repeatedly proven.

Similar to "Xenocide," Card decided while writing "Shadow of the Hegemon" that he had two books here not one. Consequently, it is hard to judge this novel because there is more of the story to be told and the ending has very much of a "to be continued" feeling. The character of Bean remains as fascinating as Ender Wiggin, albeit without the overwhelming angst. The best parts of the book are when he deals with those who disagree with his proposals; as a rhetorician I admire Card's creation as a model of persuasive efficiency. I read everything Card writes, but I am especially looking forward to the rest of this series (even more than Alvin Maker, believe it or not).

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: eBook Review
Review: I'll defer to the other reviewers regarding the content of the actual book. Basically, if you liked "Ender's Shadow", then you'll like Shadow of the Hegemon. Simple. I actually find myself liking Card's new writing style better than his old. If you're going to buy this book, I suggest you avoid the eBook edition, however. It seems to me that there are a few advantages to the eBook format.. Up to the minute updates, instant purchase gratification, and a lower price due to there not being a physical book to print in the first place. Unfortunately, you'll only encounter one of these benefits with this work. The eBook edition doesn't include the corrections posted at Orson Scott Card's website (http://www.hatrack.com), and, in fact, adds some typographical errors of its own.. Second, the cost is the same as the hardback edition.. Conclusion: Another great book by Orson Scott Card, but grab the hardback, not the eBook.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Has-Bean
Review: I'm afraid after 'Ender's Shadow', this is another descent in quality for the overall Ender series. Besides the inflation (or reflation) of Bean, this tale of war in South-East Asia is pretty stale stuff.

It is strange that a science-fiction author who had us riveted at his tale of interstellar war, becomes so trite when trying to adapt to the confines of one small planet. There is no sense of place or culture among the characters and scenes (ranging from Greece to Russia, South Carolina, India and Thailand), merely stuff that sounds as it it was ripped from history books and travelogues. Card's Afterword suggests he is now trying to write 'future history'. If so, that is a disappointing turn for someone who wrote one of the best science fiction books of the last 20 years.

As well as the overall writing, Bean just fails to hold the attention as Ender did. Ender lived as a tragic figure, scared child and xenocide in one. Bean, despite his problems, does not attract the same sympathy. For example, Bean's comic remark at the start of Ender's last battle against the Buggers is now 'Bean's analysis' that showed Ender how to win the battle. Sure, so Democritus invented Quantum Mechanics, and Malthus should be credited with Evolution.

The novel's main lack is a 'Maguffin' - the expression used by Alfed Hitchcock for the device on which he hung his plots. Card has had some brilliant Maguffins - Earth been saved by child video-gamers, Battle School, Buggers etc. 'Hegemon's' Maguffin is just a tame recycling of what went before in the Ender series - genius kids at war. If you read science fiction to be enthralled by imaginative plots and plot devices, then this book is not for you.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: For die-hard Ender and Card fans only
Review: Probably a book for die-hard Ender/Card fans only. 'Shadow of the Hegemon' takes the reader into territory that Card hasn't previously explored in the ever-growing Ender series. The novel is set back on Earth after Ender has been fled to the stars. Superficially, the story follows Bean as he is forced to confront his nemesis, Achilles, who has kidnapped all the remaining Battle School children. Achilles plans to use the veterans of the Formic War to gain global domination for himself. But in all honesty, I don't think the book is about Bean. It's really about Peter and his equally ambitious ego: he too wants to rule the world. For Bean, an alliance with Peter is the lesser of the two evils.

There are no aliens or spaceships or any other of the standard paraphernalia of Science Fiction. Card seems more subdued here - his trademark philosophical bent is less apparent than usual. The novel is more concerned with the machinations of international politics and war. It's a field Card seems to know well (see his Afterword). While 'Shadow of the Hegemon' is a bit of a departure from the norm for Card, it is a welcome and thoroughly enjoyable departure.


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