Rating: 
Summary: What is there not to understand?
Review: First of all, the entire series is based on the fact that humanity would trust a brilliant child to lead them in warfare. The reviewer above who thought that these children coming back to lead nations was a ridiculous concept obviously does not understand the first book which he/she claims to have liked. Secondly, the issue of religious beliefs being entered in to this book which were never there before is also ridiculous. Read Ender's Game over again and you'll find very clearly there are references to religion in there...... Card's craftsmenship is flawless in this series, and his skill at dealing with human beings placed in moral situations--no matter how young or old is unrivaled. The best sci-fi author alive today period! Shadow of the Hegemon is a fine novel and continues in the excellent tradition of this series.
Rating: 
Summary: No closure to this book.
Review: The book is wonderful most of the way through (for those who enjoy books like the other novels in the series); however, there was very little closure. The main plot of the book details the post-formic wars, Bean's continuing relationship with Achilles, and Peter Wiggin's path to Hegemony.
Rating:
Summary: A Sexy Classic Love Triangle with Bean, Petra & Achillies
Review: This book is a direct sequel to "Ender's Shadow," but can be read once you read "Ender's Game." That is, one does not have to read "Ender's Shadow" to read this book as the book makes sense and can stand alone provided one has already read "Ender's Game." The gist of the plot, without giving everything away: The Formic War is over, won by Andrew "Ender" Wiggin and his team of brilliant child warriors (members of what is called Ender's jeez). Since Battle School has disbanded, the war vets have no place else to go but back to Earth and home, afterall, the vets are still minors, most between 12 to 15 years of age. So, back to whence they came, they go: i.e., to Armenia (Petra), to China (Hot Soup), to Japan (Shen), and to Greece (Bean), etc.. Since aliens are no longer a threat to humanity, humanity once again conspires to start a war within. Afterall, isn't that in our nature? Anyway, a mysterious country, seeking to start a war for dominance against its enemy or enemies (will not tell you which countries are involved so as not to spoil the fun of reading), kidnaps the Battle School children. Written in a classic thriller genre with a hero, protagonist Julian Delphiki, AKA Bean, the anti-hero, the homicidal Achilles, and the object of both men's obessesions, damsel in distress, Petra (who is the most prized kidnap victim for she is the most brilliant of all of Ender's jeez), this is better written and more intelligent than the dribble that comes out from Clancy's camp. Along the lines of well done movie love triangle hooks like "Mission Impossible, II", "No Way Out", and "Against all Odds," this is a darn sexy classic thrillers. Yes, I said sexy, which this book is. Where "Ender's Game" only hints at the possibilities for more complex plot and anti-heros, and where "Speaker for the Dead" deviates into Ender's post Battle School life, this book will more than fulfill expectations of thrills, chills and sheer exhilleration of it all. As in "Ender's Shadow" (the prequel which you don't have to read to follow this book) in Bean, you will find a hero parallel to Ender in character, complexity, intelligence, and angst.
Rating:
Summary: Satisfying
Review: How do I review this book? Do I review it on the basis of the craftmanship of the storytelling? In that case, five stars without question. Do I review it on the basis of the fact that I stayed up five hours past my normal bedtime to finish it because I was so involved in the story? Again, five stars without question. You'll notice, though, that I gave it four stars. Without giving too much away, here is why: 1) In reading the scene with Bean and Ender's mother, there was a point at which I no longer heard Ender's mother, but heard Orson Scott Card. Normally, he does not do this... I think that his passion for that particular belief was so strong that it overwhelmed the character. I may be wrong, of course, but that is how I percieved it. 2) As another reviewer has mentioned, the plot relies heavily on the notion that a nation would follow Achilles in a situation where it is highly unbelievable that that nation would do so. 3) There is a major continuity flaw in the book with the other ones. When Peter reveals to the world that he was Locke and Valentine was Demosthenes, it breaks the confidentiality that Demosthenes appears to enjoy in the Speaker for the Dead trilogy. That could be explained by Jane cleaning up the references as she does later, but unless I misremember there is a point where Ender and Valentine are travelling, Valentine is writing as the "unknown" Demosthenes, and Jane had not yet been introduced. If you have read and enjoyed the earlier books, of course you should read this one regardless of the minor flaws. If you haven't read Ender's Game, though, do not read this one yet. Go, now, and buy that book. You will not regret it.
Rating: 
Summary: A Major Disappointment
Review: I'm a great fan of Card's "Ender" series, but this chapter falls far short of the standards he has established. Seems to me that Card is simply trying to beat a dead horse and write as many books as he can about the world of "Ender's Game", rather than expanding his scope and exploring fresh avenues. The premise of the novel - that the Battle School graduates would be kidnapped to help others plot military strategies - is 100% ridiculous. From this flaw, everything else goes downhill, and one can only hope that Card can do some serious CPR in order to revive the dead horse with what he says will be two more novels in the series.
Rating:
Summary: Card does it again
Review: If I had been told that Orson Scott Card could write a political thriller on par with Tom Clancy, I would have thought it impossible. Shadow of the Hegemon proves me wrong with an effortless mastery. Of all the books about Ender Wiggin, this one contains perhaps some of Card's most brilliant writing. He truly deserves the title of Master Storyteller.
Rating:
Summary: Card does it again.
Review: Lovers of the Enders series will not be disappointed, although this installment has far less of the physical battles and intrigue that mark Ender's Game and Ender's Shadow. I read it in one day. The ending is a bit disappointing, but that's partly because Card is setting up several additional sequels (can we spell m-o-o-l-a-h?) Also, while some people say Card added to Peter's depth here, I disagree. I wanted a lot more of Peter in the book, since he is the Hegemon, and because he's probably the second most interesting character that Card has ever created. Unfortunately, in this book, Card backs away from the sadism that we all know from previous books which lurks under the surface for Peter. Peter goes from a fascinating enigma to just a supersmart superdriven Geek who wants to rule the world. However, the growth of Bean is what this book is all about, in more ways than one. Bean starts to develop a personality beyond being an ultrabrilliant young Napoleon. Card also uses too many contrivances to move the plot along and to construct additional sequels...In some ways I liked it better when he spent years between these books and came out with something completely different. Also felt Card vastly oversimplified and stereotyped various countries, but perhaps it was the only way to write this story. I also never quite got why Achilles was so successful. Achilles' great plans seem so implausible, and yet they occur. Card says it is Achilles incredible, weird force of personality. Maybe, but I wasn't convinced the way I was about Ender's force of personality. (And maybe, just maybe people in India would read the reports that Achilles is a psychopathic killer and not turn their country over to him? D'ya think?) Okay, so it's a flawed book. I still loved every minute of it. Keep pumping them out, Card, and I'll keep buying.
Rating:
Summary: another solid book from Card.
Review: Orson Scott Card is quickly, writing himself into becoming one of the great sci-fi masters. He agian proves that he can write a book that combines action, with in this case political ideas in a way that only a few others have managed to do. Of the authors that I have read most of thier works, only Niven rivals his storytelling, and Only Asmov rivals his scope of ideas. These novels about bean are more than just another attempt to make money of of the success of Enders game. Card contiues to delovop new ideas in politics and theology. This is what real sci-fi is all about. While the ideas in this book are not quite as well integrated than some of his other books, it still succeded within its scope.
Rating:
Summary: Card's best since PASTWATCH
Review: For fans of ENDER'S GAME, this book is a must. As a sequel to ENDER'S SHADOW, this book explores the possibilities of the genius Battle School alumni entering the world military and political scenes. It deftly blends Card's quick-paced, more political style (e.g. ENDER'S GAME) with his more thoughtful and philosphical style (e.g. SEAKER FOR THE DEAD). Like ENDER'S GAME showed us human behavior through young and innocent eyes, SHADOW OF THE HEGEMON shows us vast societies from the same perspective.
Rating:
Summary: A Solid Effort by Card
Review: When he's at the top of his game (Pastwatch, Speaker for the Dead, etc.), Orson Scott Card is one of the most interesting authors in Science Fiction. Card's better works rise somehow from his anchors in science fiction nerdiness and in religion, and combine subtle moral dilemmas with old-fashioned action SF. The Shadow . . . series seems to fall in the second tier. The books share some of Card's best elements, but have a fair share of his less admirable tropes, including endless conversations about morality and characters with the weird need to remind the other characters and the readers of just how superhumanly cool they are. Shadow of the Hegemon follows Bean, Ender Wiggins' youngest officer, after his return to Earth, together with the stories of Petra Arkanian, another of Ender's child soldiers, and Peter, Ender's brother and the future leader of the world. Bean, Petra and Peter attempt to manuever as the world collapses into chaos, and all of them spend a fair amount of time thinking and talking about how to live an ethical life in difficult circumstances. I will confess that Bean has never worked for me as a character. In Ender's Game, he is presented as an unusually smart kid who relates to Ender somewhat as Ender originally did to the older students, and lets Ender explore whether he wants to be cruel to those weaker than him, kind to them, or find some third way to act. In the Shadow books, Bean has been retconned to be the smartest person in history, with all kinds of tragic backstory, and somehow I can't get interested. I would love to read a book about Peter, or Petra, or Surly, or really anyone else, but Bean ends up as the least interesting, and least believable, character in the books.
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