Ender's Shadow

Rating:
Summary: Great book
Review: If there was a 4.5 rating thats what i would have given it but unfortunatly there isn't. I thought this was a really well thought out book. The obvious problems when writing a prequel is trying to connect each of the books, which Mr.Card managed to do really well. This is definetly a good read, but not as good as the original, Ender's game which should definetly be read first, much better that way. It makes it a lot easier to understand that way. I figured that this is more of a teenager book and not one for adults seeing as they focus on intelligent kids and how they handle incredible situations. Definetly a good read for anyone, just an all around good book.

This next part is my thoughts on the ending and probably all wrong but who knows. Its about the ending, i dont know if there will be a sequel to Ender's Shadow because it ends itself. It said that bean would grow until he is 25 then die...but thats because he smart and he either has a choice of being smart and dying young or being stupid and living old. Well its not that he gets a lot dumber and all, just that he shows emotions which to him is a sign of weakness in the beginning. So i think that he cured himself in the end by remaining smart but not so incredibly that he has to die young....but then again maybe i screwed up reading this book and i'm just an idiot or this ending was clear to everyone else they didn't bother mentioning it.

Rating:
Summary: Bean is a genius!
Review: The novel Ender's Game is my all time favorite book. When I saw that Ender's Shadow was a parallel novel I became excited. I was not disappointed.

This is not just a repeat of Ender's Game. Sure, some of the same things are talked about, but it is not just repetition. This is the story of Bean, a 4 year old orphan found in the streets of Rotterdam and his rise to Command School.

The courage and strength that Bean has is admirable. Orson Scott Card is a great storyteller and this is a story worth telling.

Rating:
Summary: Surprisingly not bad
Review: I loved both Ender's Game and Speaker for the Dead (though in different ways), but Xenocide and Children of the Mind greatly disappointed me. When I heard that Orson Scott Card was returning to Ender's saga to retell the first book from another point of view, I was skeptical. However, upon reading Ender's Shadow I found that I enjoyed Card's new treatment of the original story.

To my pleasure, I didn't find any obvious continuity errors vis a vis Ender's Game (no, I didn't give Card that much credit). In fact, rereading Ender's Game immediately after reading Ender's Shadow left me with the impression that the author wrote some of the events of the original to coincide with the new book. The only discord between the two books comes in Bean's interactions with Ender. Making Bean such a brilliant kid in Ender's Shadow led to Bean saying certain lines of dialogue (to match what was said in the original) only to think immediately thereafter "what a dumb thing to say."

Despite Bean's different heritage, he does resemble Ender in many respects. Making the character so similar is unfortunate (to perhaps a larger degree than Card realizes he is telling the same story again). It does however have the advantage of allowing us to watch how a child just as brilliant as Ender reacts to coming to the Battle School only to find himself preceded by the handpicked savior of humanity.

Despite a few awkward moments, Ender's Shadow succeeds in giving us a fresh look at an old favorite. It is even spared the kludgy ending of the original, meant to segue Ender's Game into Speaker for the Dead. I would, however, like to see Card return to his original idea of allowing other authors access to the characters of Ender's Game and Ender's shadow. I'd like to see what another author could do with Bean after the events of this novel, or with Petra or Peter. Ender's saga seems to have room for growth after all.

Rating:
Summary: Not Ender's Game
Review: When I picked up this book I thought it was going to be a repeat of Ender's Game - same events, same characters with a few slightly different scenes thrown in for variety. The high quality of Ender's Game and a friend's recommendation were the only reasons I picked it up at all. What I discovered is that, while the timeline is the same, the events are completely different, even when they're the same events. When Ender is struggling to cope with the teachers breaking all the rules in Game, Bean is coming up with new ways to break the teachers in Shadow. Even the characters come out different - Card does an excellent job of creating one character and showing the reader how different that character can seem from two different perspectives. A definite must read.

Rating:
Summary: AMAZING!
Review: Wow!

When I checked out "Ender's Shadow" I expected a good story about Bean and his experiences. I was blown out of the water! "Ender's Shadow" is equal to (if not, dare I say it, better than "Ender's Game".) Orson Scott Card has scored a number one hit again! (How does he keep doing it?)

Card is one of the most powerful writers I know. When Bean hurt I hurt, when Bean cried I cried, when Bean hated I hated. I can think of no more powerful praise for an author than that. While some may laugh at me for such a bold statement, in my mind Orson Scott Card is the epitomy of what an author should be (any author, not just a writer of science fiction.) Card allows you to see into, no, rather he grabs you with an iron hook and pulls you into Bean's psyche. Rarely have I entered the mind of a character so in depth (the only books I can compare it to are OSC "Ender's Game" and [to a lesser degree] Robert Jordan's "The Wheel of Time".) I KNEW Bean to the core of his soul after reading this book.

Not only does Card provide an extremely powerful and engaging psychological study of a gifted child, a soldier, and humanity in general, but he has many important things to say about the nature of humanity. While still based on his philosophy from other books, he manages to put forth many new and powerful ideas.

Just as "Ender's Game" appealed to many younger readers I think "Ender's Shadow" will also. (There is more action, and it is about a kid.) The master himself wrote how "Ender's Game" was more popular to younger readers for this reason, and the other books appealed to older readers because they were more idea and philosophy oriented. However, adult readers will still have much to learn from reading this novel (just as many younger readers will enjoy reading the other Ender's Saga books.)

I cannot say enough good things, and praise Orson Scott Card enough. It has just occured to me that I may be boring you, and I now think rather than trying to convince you to read these books through my review I should simply tell you to read "Ender's Shadow" (and all of other Ender's Saga and Orson Scott Card books) and let them speak for themselves.

Rating:
Summary: Very good
Review: Never fear people who are bigger and seem to be smarter than you, because they are not! There is always a way to solve problems, come down, and think a way out!------------Don't ever believe that you really understand anybody, not even the one who you think you know the most. Because there is always something about himthat he is hiding away from you. People always misunderstand each other because of this, the infomations that you collected are not complete, so of course your conclusion is not completely right either! Just beware of that!-----------------There is always someone behide a hero who made him the hero, you never know everything!--------------Those are the things that I have learned from Ender's shadow, it is a book full of personal feelings, touching. But you should read Ender's Game before you read this, if not, the book has little meaning! Card is great!

Rating:
Summary: Audiobook rendition disappoints
Review: First, let me clarify by saying that I have read the book, and enjoyed it tremendously. I felt Card was at the top of his game. The rendition by Michael Gross in audio was, however, disappointing. I'll admit right away that I could listen to no more than a half-hour of it before switching it off in disgust. His treacly rendition of Bean was the final straw - Bean is a tough little survivor, not a "Pweshus cyoot little kid", as Gross' voice suggests. I had picked up the audio on the promise of Harlan Ellison's readings (not a major part, to be sure, but he's a great reader) but never got that far. I _have_ listened to numerous audio books and have found that the reader makes all the difference in the world. In this case, the cuddly father-figure type of reader just didn't match the parent-less society that Card created. Stick with the book.

Rating:
Summary: Superb!
Review: Orson Card does it again! After a bit disappointing Xenocide and Children Of The Mind Orson returns to the incredibly high level of writing that won him both Nebula and Hugo awards two years in a row for Ender's Game and Speaker For The Dead.

Ender's Shadow has it all. It's the story of Bean that the reader might remember from the Ender's Game. The story begins as Bean is a two-year old super smart kid from the streets of Rotterdam. The circumstances bring him to the Battle School at the time when Ender has already established himself as a living legend there - crushing the opponents armies, and leading the ranks in all possible categories. Bean's almost inhuman intelligence starts outshining everyone around him. His analytical capabilities surpass by far even those of Ender. Bean is fascinated with Ender, and wants to learn from him what it takes to be a great commander. Together they will team up to become a juggernaut that will save humanity.

I have heard people say that Ender's Shadow is a mere attempt by Orson Card to cash in on the success of Ender's Game. In my opinion these people haven't read Ender's Shadow! It's a fabulous book, the best sci-fi book I have read in years, and I read A LOT of sci-fi. Even though the reader already knows how the Bugger Was ends, there is still enough suspense and surprising twists in the story line to make it virtually impossible to put the book aside. I finished it in two days staying up until 4:30am both nights - simply had to keep reading! Orson Card used the same style as when he was writing Ender's Game - precise, sharp and logical. Ender's Shadow goes on to explore psychology, especially children's. Card also introduces fascinating strategical ideas, clearly incorporating works of Von Clausewitz and Sun Tzu and many military theoreticians.

Fantastic book! Should be nominated for Nebula and Hugo again, cause it's hard to see how anyone could have beaten it this year!

Rating:
Summary: Complete.
Review: After reading Ender's Game, I thought that Bean was a minor character with little influence on the plot. However, after reading Ender's Shadow, I found that Bean was not a minor character, but a subtle one. So subtle that his actions are hard to follow in Ender's Game. Looking back on the two novels, I see that they complete each other. I see actions and events sparked by the opposite novel when I re-read them. And Bean is a shadow. Not in the sense that he is below or inferior to Ender, but in the sense that he blends in and covers his tracks. He could be right in front of you one minute, and gone the next. I think that this book is a wonderful look into Bean's physcology and character, however seemingly inconsistant it may be. And this book also reveals more of the doings of the ruthless Battle School teachers.

Rating:
Summary: In the shadow of Ender's Game
Review: A welcome return to the story of Ender's Game told from the perspective of the smart, little kid that Ender empathized with in that novel. In this very readable work, Card develops and fleshes out the story of the original book in an entertaining manner that brings with it a delicious sense of dramatic irony to those familiar with the original story. I did find my credulity a little strained by the images of a super-intelligent infant and toddler escaping to and surviving the mean streets of Rotterdam with only minimal assistance. Although the revelations about Bean and his role are somewhat surprising, the greatest insights this book provides are into the thoughts and intentions of the adult characters which remained somewhat nebulous in the original work. I enjoyed the first 95% of this book almost as much as I enjoyed Ender's Game. At the end, however, I was left with a sense of frustration about the unanswered questions facing the main character which had been developed throughout the course of the novel. Additionally, the somewhat sweet ending clearly lacks the powerfully tragic poignancy at the conclusion of Ender's Game. All in all Ender's Shadow is an enjoyable read, yet perhaps its greatest achievement also emphasizes its major shortcoming. By seamlessly weaving itself into the story of Ender Wiggin's early life, this tale ultimately seems somewhat pale compared to the enduring greatness of Ender's Game.