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3.58 AVERAGE
3.58 AVERAGE
This latest (last?) book in the Shadow series feels like less of a full novel and more of an afterward; it answers some big questions and ties off loose ends. The story fulfillment was very satisfying (despite some inconsistencies with other books in the series? I could be wrong about that) and I really enjoyed the book, but would have appreciated more.
The ending made this book. Also, the information revealed about the Formics was a much-needed explanation on how they live their lives - all the previous info was delivered by a queen so it's nice to see drones being the source here.
Flojito, flojito, hasta ahora la serie paralela centrada en Bean por lo menos era muy entretenida, este libro la verdad es que se queda en novela corta con muy poca chicha.
I'm more than a little bit glad that I borrowed this book before buying it in the full price hardcover edition. Now I can get it in the bargain edition to complete my set and, sadly, probably never read it again. Spoilers ahead for previous books in the series; spoilers for this book marked.
Let's start with the basics. Selling this as a novel is greatly overstating its structure. Without huge margins and large print, this is a novella. It also does not have the plot complexity of a novel, following Bean and his three "leguminote" children into space in a desperate bid to prolong their lives long enough for scientists on Earth to find a cure for their growth problem. The characters are not as deep as those found in the rest of the Shadow Saga, which would have been acceptable in a novella, were this not an entry in an already deep series.
This was very much a story to get us from Point A (Bean & 3 kids rocket into relativistic FTL space) to Point B (starting life on a new planetwith the Formics, a cure for giantism ) and could easily have been the first 2-3 chapters in the next book. The three kids have such similar "voices" that I had to keep double-checking who was speaking, even with Card's shortcut characterizations of military strategist, engineer/mechanic, biologist as substitute for their personalities.
What knocked this to two stars: Card's not-so-veiled poking fun at people who think men and women should be given equal attention and especially at women who are sensitive to others' perceptions of them. It's just plain bad world building to have 3 kids who have spent most of their bright lives isolated in space comment on 21st century social issues as though they're experiencing them. The kids themselves were not well differentiated and often read as a re-hash of Ender/Valentine/Peter. Also, "The Giant" didn't sound like Bean, even in his own point of view sections.
What almost got it to 3 stars: it's probably necessary to read before the 6th (last?) book in the Shadow series is published. And the scene at the endwith Bean's death is reminiscent of Ender's giant slaying desk/ansible game, which we know was controlled by the Formic Queens, who have some indications of understanding non-linear time . So there's something to mull over there, although it's worth it to point out that this is entirely my idea and not anything that was evoked by any actual description in the novella.
Worth it only for those hoping for a decent conclusion to the story of Ender and Bean's children in [b:Shadows Alive|11949135|Shadows Alive (Shadow, #6)|Orson Scott Card|/assets/nocover/60x80.png|16910881].
Let's start with the basics. Selling this as a novel is greatly overstating its structure. Without huge margins and large print, this is a novella. It also does not have the plot complexity of a novel, following Bean and his three "leguminote" children into space in a desperate bid to prolong their lives long enough for scientists on Earth to find a cure for their growth problem. The characters are not as deep as those found in the rest of the Shadow Saga, which would have been acceptable in a novella, were this not an entry in an already deep series.
This was very much a story to get us from Point A (Bean & 3 kids rocket into relativistic FTL space) to Point B (starting life on a new planet
What knocked this to two stars: Card's not-so-veiled poking fun at people who think men and women should be given equal attention and especially at women who are sensitive to others' perceptions of them. It's just plain bad world building to have 3 kids who have spent most of their bright lives isolated in space comment on 21st century social issues as though they're experiencing them. The kids themselves were not well differentiated and often read as a re-hash of Ender/Valentine/Peter. Also, "The Giant" didn't sound like Bean, even in his own point of view sections.
What almost got it to 3 stars: it's probably necessary to read before the 6th (last?) book in the Shadow series is published. And the scene at the end
Worth it only for those hoping for a decent conclusion to the story of Ender and Bean's children in [b:Shadows Alive|11949135|Shadows Alive (Shadow, #6)|Orson Scott Card|/assets/nocover/60x80.png|16910881].
gave it 3 stars because it ended just when I though it was really getting started.
Тотално ме разочарова тази поредица. След едно страхотно начало с "Сянката на Ендър" постепенно започна нивото на книгит да спада, и стигна до тук. Изключително скучна ми беше цялата книга, историята уж добавя информация за извънземните, а всъщност драстично променя характера им, което довежда до много обърквания. Бийн е единственото нещо, което прави романа поносим, за разлика от децата му, които ми се струват като шаблонни персонажи. Всички тези неща ич, ама ич, не ме насърчават да прочета последната от поредицата за Сянката, когато излезне.
I don't know. Orson Scott Card is great at writing a thumping good yarn, and he's good at getting at the real crux of how people think and act, and he's good at pages and pages of mechanical detail and philosophizing. There may have been a TAD too much of the latter here. I liked knowing the end of Bean's story, this just didn't measure up to some of the other books in the series for me.
This was a "shorter" novel by Card, finishing the story of Julian Delphiki, also known as Bean. I expected to love it, but I didn't. It just didn't have the same depth as his other stories, and I think I wanted more from it. Still, Bean is one of my favorite sci/fi characters, and it was nice to know how his life was lived.
It had its moments but in general was typical, masturbatory Carding.
This novella ties up a couple of loose ends, and ostensibly reveals something important about the "Enderverse", but is not nearly as engaging as even many of the other short stories in this universe have been. We get a resolution, of sorts, to Bean and his three children who set out into light speed travel in hopes of being alive long enough to be cured of their giantism without losing their intelligence.
If you have read the other 9 books in the Ender series then this is certainly a welcome enough addition, but hardly necessary or terribly satisfying. Could have easily been done as a short story published in Card's online sci-fi mag instead, and the brevity probably would have been more acceptable in that case.
If you have read the other 9 books in the Ender series then this is certainly a welcome enough addition, but hardly necessary or terribly satisfying. Could have easily been done as a short story published in Card's online sci-fi mag instead, and the brevity probably would have been more acceptable in that case.