Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.07 AVERAGE
4.07 AVERAGE
Speaker for the Dead is one of those books that hit me hard in all the right ways. It’s so close to perfect that I’d easily put it on my short list of favorite books ever. I liked Ender’s Game a lot, but this one takes everything to a whole new level. The writing, the emotional depth, the way the characters develop—it all feels so much more mature. Ender feels like he grew up along with the story. This book stayed with me long after I finished it.
The worlds and cultures Card creates are so detailed that they feel real, like you could book a flight there if you had the right tech. The alien race in this story was described so vividly that I could easily imagine them. And while the sci-fi elements are super creative, the heart of the book is its people (well, ramen). Card’s known for writing "hard science fiction," but what makes his work special is how completely character-driven it is.
If I had to nitpick, the only thing that pulled me out of the story now and then was how every character seemed ready to spout wisdom like they’d been rehearsing it in front of a mirror. Card wanted to make sure we got the message, and sometimes that made the characters sound a little samey. Still, this is a tiny hiccup in a story that’s otherwise incredible.
Speaker for the Dead is the real deal: a thoughtful, layered story that takes everything Ender’s Game set up and digs much deeper. It sets the bar so high that Xenocide will have a hard time not being disappointing. We'll see.
The worlds and cultures Card creates are so detailed that they feel real, like you could book a flight there if you had the right tech. The alien race in this story was described so vividly that I could easily imagine them. And while the sci-fi elements are super creative, the heart of the book is its people (well, ramen). Card’s known for writing "hard science fiction," but what makes his work special is how completely character-driven it is.
If I had to nitpick, the only thing that pulled me out of the story now and then was how every character seemed ready to spout wisdom like they’d been rehearsing it in front of a mirror. Card wanted to make sure we got the message, and sometimes that made the characters sound a little samey. Still, this is a tiny hiccup in a story that’s otherwise incredible.
Speaker for the Dead is the real deal: a thoughtful, layered story that takes everything Ender’s Game set up and digs much deeper. It sets the bar so high that Xenocide will have a hard time not being disappointing. We'll see.
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
This book is amazing. You will love it if you have a love for anthropology and if you loved the first one.
This was not at all what I expected. I don't mean that in a good or bad way. This story was just so weird and different from Ender's Game or Ender's Shadow. My main takeaway was that I really really liked who Ender grew up to be. I found the story entertaining; however, I did not really care about the characters and what happened to them, I just enjoyed finding out how Ender was going to solve all the problems. It was a good book but not great.
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
challenging
inspiring
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I quite liked Ender's Game and Ender's Shadow and had high hopes for this one. Unfortunately, I found this book incredibly boring and pointless. I forced myself through half of it but it doesn't seem to get any better, so I quit.
I read and LOVED ender’s game and was, of course, interested in following the story. Many friends told me the second book wasn’t as riveting as the first and I have to agree. The plot was interesting and the moral and philosophical dilemmas grabbed my attention but it seemed far too rushed. The characters were undeveloped and the events were too convenient and pat. I believe I will stop here and enjoy the memory of my time with Ender without adding the burdens of the Speaker
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated