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3.58 AVERAGE
3.58 AVERAGE
Orson Scott Card's SHADOWS IN FLIGHT was surprisingly good -- witty and occasionally moving, it provides an interesting look into the complexities of the human (and alien) mind, family and civilization, and warfare and enemies as Bean and his children hurtle into deep space. Most fascinating was Card's intricate unveiling of the true inner workings of Formic ("Bugger") biology, technology, psychology, and society. In the end, I detected what may be a hint of Card's unfortunately descending social and political views; what he reveals about the Formics is intriguing, but one might argue (without revealing spoilers here!) that it also serves to downplay the significance of the ending of his classic ENDER'S GAME, which is what made that novel such a powerful anti-war story in the first place. 4 stars.
4 Stars! I really enjoyed this one. Almost slightly better than the previous 3 in the shadow series but ended up about the same overall. A solid 4 stars. I liked the simplicity of it and thought it had a great conclusion. Enjoy!
slow-paced
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Truthfully, this should've been more of a novella. It is very short and they type is very big. I often felt as if the book was padded (even though the story itself was interesting). It is often hard for me to remember that the main characters are genius six year olds, because COME ON!! But it is the nature of this universe and their banter is always a joy to read. (OSC is great at banter.)
The POVs from Bean were moving and I identified with those much more as I am a parent now and the ending wrecked me. :( I also liked the fleshed out view of the Buggers and their societies. Plus, I found it good that they were not idealized!
Anyhow, I enjoyed this latest installment, but I might've enjoyed it more had it been double in length (even if it meant that I would have to wait longer). At times, I felt that this was being tacked on just to cynically make money. *sigh*
The POVs from Bean were moving and I identified with those much more as I am a parent now and the ending wrecked me. :( I also liked the fleshed out view of the Buggers and their societies. Plus, I found it good that they were not idealized!
Anyhow, I enjoyed this latest installment, but I might've enjoyed it more had it been double in length (even if it meant that I would have to wait longer). At times, I felt that this was being tacked on just to cynically make money. *sigh*
Oh, how I wanted to love this book. I love Bean. I love the Shadow series. But much as it pains me to say it, this latest installment felt a bit…lacking.
First off, it’s very short, almost closer to a novella than a full-length novel. Although the Enderverse is expanded and explained a bit more, as is the case with every book in the series, not much really happens. There’s barely a hint of the action, suspense and strategic thinking under fire that are peppered nicely throughout the rest of the series.
Then we get to the characters. I still love Bean. His scenes were my favorite of the book, mostly because he is still true to the Bean we have come to know throughout the rest of the series, but as with every book in the Shadow series, he has grown (no pun intended). I am a big fan of every time we learn something new about Bean, and in this book, we get to see him as a disabled father. How he handles it is touching and very true to his character.
However, Bean is not the focus of the book. The majority of the book focuses on the children, Ender, Carlotta and Cincinnatus. And here’s my problem with them: they’re essentially Ender, Valentine and Peter.
I love the dynamic between the siblings of the Wiggin family. Always have, and came to love it even more as we got to know them all throughout both the Ender and Shadow series. But I’ve already read about that family dynamic. And this is basically the same one. Yes, they’re smarter than even the Wiggin siblings because of their genetic altering, but their personalities are basically the same. Cincinnatus is basically Peter (the more mellow, adult version of Peter). Carlotta = Valentine. And Ender = Ender.
And when you take that group of personalities and genders and explore the sibling relationship between them for 8 books, and then introduce basically the same thing but with different, new characters and explore it for only one book…it’s bound to come up short. And it did.
It’s not that it wasn’t well-written. It’s not that the characters weren’t interesting, and it’s not that the story wasn’t good. It’s that it felt like a lesser version of its prequels. Maybe if we had learned something monumentally new (there is new information given in this book, but it wasn’t earth-shattering like some of the revelations in previous books), or if there had been some heart-stopping action, or if the stakes had been higher, I could have overlooked the obvious similarities to the Wiggins. But alas, it was not meant to be.
I’d still recommend this book for die-hard Enderverse fans. It’s not a bad book, and if you are itching to find out what happens next in Bean’s story, this answers your questions. But for me, I think I’ll be content with Shadow of the Giant as the last Ender book on my shelf.
First off, it’s very short, almost closer to a novella than a full-length novel. Although the Enderverse is expanded and explained a bit more, as is the case with every book in the series, not much really happens. There’s barely a hint of the action, suspense and strategic thinking under fire that are peppered nicely throughout the rest of the series.
Then we get to the characters. I still love Bean. His scenes were my favorite of the book, mostly because he is still true to the Bean we have come to know throughout the rest of the series, but as with every book in the Shadow series, he has grown (no pun intended). I am a big fan of every time we learn something new about Bean, and in this book, we get to see him as a disabled father. How he handles it is touching and very true to his character.
However, Bean is not the focus of the book. The majority of the book focuses on the children, Ender, Carlotta and Cincinnatus. And here’s my problem with them: they’re essentially Ender, Valentine and Peter.
I love the dynamic between the siblings of the Wiggin family. Always have, and came to love it even more as we got to know them all throughout both the Ender and Shadow series. But I’ve already read about that family dynamic. And this is basically the same one. Yes, they’re smarter than even the Wiggin siblings because of their genetic altering, but their personalities are basically the same. Cincinnatus is basically Peter (the more mellow, adult version of Peter). Carlotta = Valentine. And Ender = Ender.
And when you take that group of personalities and genders and explore the sibling relationship between them for 8 books, and then introduce basically the same thing but with different, new characters and explore it for only one book…it’s bound to come up short. And it did.
It’s not that it wasn’t well-written. It’s not that the characters weren’t interesting, and it’s not that the story wasn’t good. It’s that it felt like a lesser version of its prequels. Maybe if we had learned something monumentally new (there is new information given in this book, but it wasn’t earth-shattering like some of the revelations in previous books), or if there had been some heart-stopping action, or if the stakes had been higher, I could have overlooked the obvious similarities to the Wiggins. But alas, it was not meant to be.
I’d still recommend this book for die-hard Enderverse fans. It’s not a bad book, and if you are itching to find out what happens next in Bean’s story, this answers your questions. But for me, I think I’ll be content with Shadow of the Giant as the last Ender book on my shelf.
A short novella picking up years after Bean and his 3 'deficient' children have been hurtling through space. The opening was startling for me, but the children's individual personalities become much more fleshed out after the first chapters. There were also some (age-appropriate) space horror vibes from the abandoned alien ship they come across. Overall, whilst adding something new to the Enderverse/ Shadow mythos, I was left wondering where the story goes next whilst also not really feeling emotionally attached.
Spoiler
It was a surprisingly emotional, if not short, ending for Bean. I was immensely dissapointed he wasn't reunited with Ender, particularly after his friend shows up in the Formic hive queen visions.
It’s strange; nothing remarkable happened in this book, but I enjoyed it a lot. It’s nice to get back into Card's works, even if he is a bit of an ass in reality. He has a really engaging style and a wry sense of humor that tickles me every time. It’s a nice bridge between Bean's life on earth and his children's on a new planet. Definitely recommend.
4/5 stars
4/5 stars
Another interesting read in the Ender/Shadow saga, and that opens up what could be a fascinating new series. Not sure it was necessary, but I liked it.
Full disclosure: OSC's Ender books are one of just a few authors/series that I will buy sight unread. I've liked all 9 of them (plus short stories) so far. So you have context. :)
I hate to give this 3 stars, because I really enjoyed reading it, but it was such a letdown compared to all the other books in the series (with the exception of Shadow Puppets). My first clue was when it arrived and it was so small -- only 237 pages, smaller pages than an average hardcover and large print. Compare that to 363 larger pages in Shadow of the Giant and 592 small-print paperback pages in Xenocide, and you can see why I'd be suspicious.
The story is simply too straightforward. (If you haven't read Shadow of the Giant, this will be a spoiler:.) The characters have a problem, and they solve it right away. Something surprises them, but they figure it out right away. Tensions run high, but they work out their differences right away. Granted, it's hard to have a lot of political intrigue with four genius characters stuck in a confined space, but still... the story feels as small as that space.
Now, Card is an excellent writer, so I have to say that this book was neither boring nor emotionally dry -- quite the opposite. I'm fascinated to see where he might go with it, given the tricky proposition of writing sequels in a multi-thousand-year void, where the end has been partially written. But I hope he comes up with a little more for these characters to do and bigger problems for them to face if he writes another sequel.
I hate to give this 3 stars, because I really enjoyed reading it, but it was such a letdown compared to all the other books in the series (with the exception of Shadow Puppets). My first clue was when it arrived and it was so small -- only 237 pages, smaller pages than an average hardcover and large print. Compare that to 363 larger pages in Shadow of the Giant and 592 small-print paperback pages in Xenocide, and you can see why I'd be suspicious.
The story is simply too straightforward. (If you haven't read Shadow of the Giant, this will be a spoiler:
Spoiler
Bean and the three of his and Petra's children who share his genetic anomaly, namely Anton's Key, are traveling at near lightspeed through space, hoping that a cure for their condition will be found in real time while they experience relatively less timeNow, Card is an excellent writer, so I have to say that this book was neither boring nor emotionally dry -- quite the opposite. I'm fascinated to see where he might go with it, given the tricky proposition of writing sequels in a multi-thousand-year void, where the end has been partially written. But I hope he comes up with a little more for these characters to do and bigger problems for them to face if he writes another sequel.