Ender's Shadow

Rating:
Summary: He's done it again
Review: OSC seems to have done it again. He has reinvented Enders world and with great results. I remember after finishing the first four books of the series being amazed at how Card had turned the story end over end again and again and now after reading Ender's shadow I am impressed again... Something about Card's characters really makes you care about them and only guess where there lives will go.... I hope he continues this Saga..

Rating:
Summary: Be cautioned if you loved the original.
Review: Had I never read "Ender's Game," I would have high praise to give to this novel, but I caution those who have a strong attachment to that original to approach "Ender's Shadow" with full knowledge of what you may find. Not only was I ultimately disappointed, but I almost wish I could un-read this book because of the diminishing light it cast upon the original for me.

The first third (or so) of the book, before Bean meets Ender, is a fine story and well-done. The plot of Bean's story is much the same as Ender's Game, and at times I found it a bit repetitive -- seeming sometimes to be merely a re-telling of Ender's early days with different names and places. Still, it was compelling and invoked enough of the original feel of "Ender's Game" for those very reasons that I enjoyed it considerably that far and was optimistic.

Thereafter, however, my impression changed sharply. From this point, the story builds itself by diminishing the original. Although I have read reviews by others who found it a wonderful tale of how Bean and Ender complimented each other, I found it a story of the true hero of the Formic War (the new politically-corrected name) -- Bean -- and the figurehead who was Ender Wiggin. This is, to an extent, and exaggeration, but I felt cheated out of the original story that I enjoyed so much, as if it had been torn down by this new re-telling and its magic forever tarnished. Be forewarned of this, if you cherise the original, and approach "Ender's Shadow" with caution. I, for one, wish now that I had never read this book and fear that "Ender's Game" will no longer hold for me the same magic it once did.

Rating:
Summary: Pure Excellence
Review: I thought this book totally lived up to all expectations and exceeded them. Orson Scott Card never fails to impress me. Even his less heard of books such as "Lovelock" were favorites of mine. I can very easily relate to Bean in this book. I think he represents characteristics in many of us, only exaggerated because of exaggerated circumstances and environments. OSC is the king of the thinking man's sci-fi.

Rating:
Summary: Great, but lacking.
Review: I think a lot of us can agree that _Ender's Game_ was awesome. Nothing can possibly compare. Upon hearing about _Ender's Shadow_ I got very excited..but I should have known that it would not have been what EG is. ES is as most of Card's works are very well written. I enjoyed it more than _Xenocide_ and I think it's at the level that _Speaker for the Dead_ is. I wish that I could say that this book is as gripping as EG, but it isn't. The momentum is not there.

Rating:
Summary: While nothing can compare to Ender's Game this almost does
Review: Ender's Shadow does nothing to drop Ender but add depth. When one hears it makes him "look bad" what is being missed is you are seeing Ender through Bean, it is colored by a child who is naturally supicious of leaders. Here we see as Bean does, not as Ender, which is cause for problems, but just as a story will be different if two different people told it. Ender's Game was the superior novel, but this may be because of the very love that the characters have for Ender we ourselves developed. This novel shows Bean and Ender sharing the burden. Ender could never have done it all, Bean was his right arm. Bean does not shrink Ender but add to him. I did wonder with Ender's Game how such a small no matter how strong child could do it alone. He was to much like Valentine, and with Mazer, how? Bean. The problems being listed for this novel are very near the reasons that in the book Bean couldn't have taken over easily. We all love Ender, and while we admit Bean could do it, Ender is the chosen. When we read this we are Shem Alai and Petra. If you read the novel before EG than you are Bean. Both books are so well written we become the characters. I read Ender's Game first, I suggest that you do, because you will see Ender's Shadow with more knowledge. Both books were great, Ender's Game was better. But I love Ender, so really is it? Someone who read Ender's Shadow then Ender's Game is really the person to say. [e-mail]

Rating:
Summary: Enders Game Light
Review: Not as good as Ender's Game but close enough. If you have read, or re-read, Ender's Game recently you will certainly find Ender's Shadow enjoyable. If you have not, I do not think you will understand a lot of the excitement this book offers.

Also, while Ender's Shadow certainly has its own excitement it does not match that of the original.

Rating:
Summary: this book is the ultimate companion to enders game
Review: enders game has but one book which rivals in comparison, that book would be the recently written companion novel, enders shadow. bringing a new view to science fiction writing, orson scott card, has created another masterpiece in the saga which started with a youth named ender.

Rating:
Summary: Card Scores Again!
Review: Everyone science fiction reader has no doubt heard of Cards flawless novel "Ender's Game," which is by far the best science fiction novel ever written. Card enhances the story even more with his newest novel, "Ender's Shadow," which features the small but highly intellengent Bean. I have always loved Bean as a character and found him even more enjoyable after reading this book.

It isn't any "Ender's Game" but it's still very very good. If you loved "Ender's Game" you will love this one as well. Although Bean seems to be much like Ender, I found that it wasn't entirly true upon reading this book.

There are twists and turns in this book, as in all of Card's books. And in the end you of course want to read it again. I really liked this book and I would call it my favorite science fiction if "Ender's Game" had never been written.

"Ender's Game" is a book which one cannot reproduce, however, "Ender's Shadow" comes very close.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent...Card does not disappoint!
Review: I admit that I was a little wary of Ender's Shadow, but Card has once again produced a masterpiece of SF. Returning to the roots of the Ender saga, this novel is most certainly on par with Ender's Game (do I smell Hugo?). I _highly_ recommend the book!

Rating:
Summary: Absolutely Wonderful!
Review: I could not put this book down. After reading all of the "Ender" books, I thought a "parallel" novel could not be as entertaining as the original series. But I was wrong! Bring on the next book, and quickly! There is obviously much more of this story to tell!