Ender's Shadow

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Summary: A whole new way of looking at things
Review: This book was absolutly the best book I have ever read. It is not required that your read Ender's Game first, but if you plan to read Ender's Game and Ender's Shadow, read Ender's Game first. This book can be slightly disturbing, but it is still the best ever. This book is not traditional sci-fi, and it keeps some of the best qualities of Ender's Game that are lost in Speaker for the Dead, Xenocide and Children of the Mind. This book really shows what literature can do to you. At the start of tomorrow, I know I will live life differently because I have read this book. Don't read any more reviews. Don't even go to the bathroom. JUST BUY THIS BOOK!

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Summary: WOW
Review: Ender's Game is one of my favorite books of all time - I read it back when it was new. Awesome adventure story. Speaker for the Dead, the second book of the series, was almost as good, or perhaps even better, but a completely different kind of novel - thoughtful and introspective sci-fi, rather than action and adventure. The rest of the series, while still good, was nowhere near as good as his other books. And after "Children of the Mind" I thought that was the end of the series - I was getting tired of where he was going with the series by then.

Then came Ender's Shadow.

Reading Ender's Shadow was like reading Ender's Game again for the first time. I could NOT put it down, and read it in one day. After I finished, I really wanted to read Ender's Game again, to see how everything tied together. This new book is almost as good as the original.

I am really glad he is going back and fleshing out the world of the first novel and the events that occurred in between the first novel and the second one. I am really looking forward to the continuation of the series: the further adventures of Bean.

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Summary: Great book!
Review: Well, it's no "Ender's Game"... okay, actually, it is almost as good as that book. And don't think that isn't extremely high praise, because of course I'm one of those folks who found "Ender's Game" to be among the very, very, very best books I've ever read.

But "Shadow" is still a fantastic book. You don't have to have read EG previously, although you will certainly WANT to read it after finishing "Shadow".

"Shadow" does get a bit internal at times- lots of views into how the protagonist, Bean, is thinking. Personally I prefer Card's books that have a bit more action in them, because they have more "story" to them; but this book still has more than enough excitement to grip the reader from start to finish.

Not to mention making said reader anxious for the next book in this parallel series!

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Summary: Book review for Ender's Shadow
Review: Bean was taken from the dumps of Rotterdam to Battleschool. The I.F made Bean a commander to kill Buggers. After the Buggers were dead, Bean found out that he has a family. In the end Bean went to his real family for the first time. I agree with the author until the end. I would have written more about what happened to Bean. I recommend it to people who like sci-fi. the beginning is sort of exciting but still boring.

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Summary: Great Sequel
Review: This book was as well written as Ender's Game. It gives a fresh outlook on the same situation Ender was in. It's very interesting to read about when Ender screwed up, according to Bean, his first officer that this book is about. It's also fun finding out more about battle school and how it works. I didn't read this book until after reading all the books about Ender, and after the last books that are a totally different style, I had forgotten the wonderful writing that went into the first of the series, despite the totally different writing style. This book reminded me of how much I enjoyed the first, which I thouroghly did. I recomend this book to anyone who has read Ender's Game. If you haven't read that, I would read that first, because the ending is better if you don't see it coming. But don't forget to come back and read Ender's Shadow!

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Summary: Not bad, but not the original...
Review: I have to say that part of my review is colored by the fact that I absolutly LOVE Ender's Game. The book has been a favorite of mine for years, and I still have a tattered old copy I keep and re-read every year or so. Having said that, it may be easy to understand some of my problems with Ender's Shadow.

The book is written in the same style as the original, and brings back some elements I always enjoyed (such as the verbal fencing between the school administrators at the beginning of each chapter.) However, the biggest problem I have with the book is the way that Bean is portrayed as being TOO intelligent. He figures out all the surprises and mysteries that Ender's Game left until the end very early on, and is never stumped by anything. This makes him less beleivable than Ender, even though they are both incredible children.

The re-writing of scenes from the original and changing the flavor of the scenes seems almost to denigrate Ender, and a small, petty part of me really hates that. Ender is one of my all-time favorite literary characters, and it pains me to see him downgraded so much.

If you enjoyed Ender's Game, I've no doubt you'll enjoy this one. But, be aware that Ender comes out smelling a bit less like a rose in this one...if you REALLY like Ender, you might not like Bean very much after this.

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Summary: As masterful and touching as "Ender's Game"
Review: I had no idea of the plans for this book's existence until I got my monthly packet from the Sci-Fi Book Club, opened it up, and saw the advertisement for it smiling at me. I snatched up the order form and sent it out with big bold letters on it: "RUSH IT TO ME!" They did, and I read it in record time. It is an amazing novel. I never thought that Card could match the kind of magic he achieved in "Game" or "Speaker for the Dead," but he did. "Ender's Shadow" ranks right up there as one of the best in the series. I can't wait for the follow up. I've been waiting for it since I finished this one... over a year now... completely unacceptable to wait this long. But, at least my wait is coming to a close. Less than a month before "Shadow of the Hegemon." Thank goodness.

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Summary: Nowhere near Ender's Game
Review: Perhaps it's unfair to judge the fifth book in a series by the first book, but "Ender's Shadow" falls far short of "Ender's Game" and "Speaker for the Dead". The first two books in this series were both superb stand-alone novels, with radically different plots and themes. Too much of "Ender's Shadow" was obviously geared toward setting the stage for a sequel (which is due to come out in January).

"Ender's Shadow" is also very much dependent on "Ender's Game". If the reader has not read "Ender's Game", they will understand very little of what goes on in the Battle School segment of this book. "Ender's Game" explains the Battle School in great detail, but "Ender's Shadow" never explains the mechanics of the Battle Room or any of the other important details. For the second half of the book, a reader who has read "Ender's Game" will also know almost everything that will happen.

The aspect of "Ender's Shadow" that most disappointed me was the rewriting of established storylines from "Ender's Game". I will admit that I LOVE "Ender's Game", but I would guess that most people considering this book will share that with me. The descriptions of Bean detract from Ender's genius. Ender was a genius AND he was genetically normal, Ender struggled through his time at Battle School, and Ender eventually triumphed against great adversity. For Bean, everything is easy...and Ender seems slow and ponderous next to him. It is obvious that Card struggled with this facet of the book, because according to "Ender's Game", Ender was clearly the right person to fight the buggers!

I'm looking forward to the sequel to this book, because Bean and Peter are both very interesting characters. However, I think Card should have left Ender's story to Ender. The parts of this book that are new and not just another perspective on "Ender's Game" could have been incorporated as background into the upcoming sequel.

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Summary: Parallel of a masterpiece
Review: Real, real good. I found it exceeded my already high expectations. I would say it was as good as Ender's Game but definatly worth your time and money if you enjoyed the first one.

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Summary: Definitely not Ender's Game
Review: Simply put: Ender's Shadow was good only because I enjoyed Ender's Game so thoroughly. It was interesting to get another perspective on this excellent story, but as a stand-alone novel it was mediocre. Read Ender's Game if you have not already and maybe perhaps read this one if you are so inclined.