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3.73 AVERAGE
3.73 AVERAGE
I was weary to read this "direct sequel" to Ender's Game. Ender's Game was profound, and will always be one of my favorites. This book, however, was not as compelling.
Ender's never ending ability to be empathetic and lead with wisdom was a fun revisit to Ender's Game. I did like that the unrest that soldiers inevitably feel was explored, as well. I can't imagine being displaced with the burden of destroying a species or killing someone, even for the sake of the letter.
The Ganges colony story (Achilles) is where I started to lose interest in the book. I would have rather Card focus more on the Formic queen than on the (what seemed to me) random story of Petra and Bean's son. I think the reason is that we, as readers, already have a deep connection and understanding to the angst that Ender feels with the formic species, and not particularly with the wars that went on on the Earth while Ender was colonizing.
Ender's never ending ability to be empathetic and lead with wisdom was a fun revisit to Ender's Game. I did like that the unrest that soldiers inevitably feel was explored, as well. I can't imagine being displaced with the burden of destroying a species or killing someone, even for the sake of the letter.
The Ganges colony story (Achilles) is where I started to lose interest in the book. I would have rather Card focus more on the Formic queen than on the (what seemed to me) random story of Petra and Bean's son. I think the reason is that we, as readers, already have a deep connection and understanding to the angst that Ender feels with the formic species, and not particularly with the wars that went on on the Earth while Ender was colonizing.
Out of all the Ender related books I have read I rank this one 3rd. (Ender’s Game being first and Ender’s Shadow being second.) There is something about battle school that I love to read about that happens to be missing from the rest of the books. That’s what I want. I want more battle school like my two favorite books by Orson Scott Card. Overall, the book was pretty good. I love reading about Ender. He is one of my favorite characters of all time, if not my favorite. I liked the addition of new characters but it really isn’t the same without Bean, Petra, and the rest of the kids.
reflective
medium-paced
Not as good as the other books, but still really good to re-visit all the characters from the Ender and Shadow series.
"My needs are simple and few, thought Valentine. Food, clothing. A comfortable place to sleep. And no idiots." Man this girl would be my best friend!!!!
Overall, it was amazing. But the most important scene was completely ruined.
This book didn't suck me in immediately the way Ender's Game did. But I recognize that it is meant to be a bridge, connecting Ender's Game with Speaker For The Dead, so I can be forgiving of that. I enjoyed the story and getting to know Ender's character better and will eventually move on to his next adventure. (Sadly the time I've allotted for the Endeverse for this year has passed, and I'll have to leave it behind to explore some strange new areas of fiction... but I'll be back). This book had two particularly memorable areas: the first, a very astute and succinct observation about the nature of desire, the second the most honest explanation of what it is to be a parent. If I walked away from this book with nothing else, those two gems were worth the time it took to read this book. But I also got a good story and the chance to know a beloved character a little better.
It's a 3.5 stars read.
I liked the first part of the novel since it nicely filled in the narrative holes left between 'Ender's Game' and 'Speaker for the Dead' that I've already read. But I feel the ending is rushed and just barely scrapes the surface. I also hoped to see more of Peter, who was so evil in the first book. We didn't have any very competent bad-guys here to offer Ender a real challenge, but I enjoyed the book nonetheless.
Well, I'm still fascinated by the world-building, so I'll read the rest of the series. :)
I liked the first part of the novel since it nicely filled in the narrative holes left between 'Ender's Game' and 'Speaker for the Dead' that I've already read. But I feel the ending is rushed and just barely scrapes the surface. I also hoped to see more of Peter, who was so evil in the first book. We didn't have any very competent bad-guys here to offer Ender a real challenge, but I enjoyed the book nonetheless.
Well, I'm still fascinated by the world-building, so I'll read the rest of the series. :)
Despite the fact that this book takes place between Ender's Game and Speaker For The Dead, much of the second half of the book is a direct sequel to Shadow of the Giant, and really should be read after the Shadow series.
The Enderverse is an interesting set of books. Ender's Game and Ender's Shadow are both brilliant. Their sequels are not quite as brilliant but still very good and also very different from their respective counterparts. The two books that follow in each set are similar to the initial sequels, and while again not as good (lacking in that special something that makes a novel unique and stand out on its own), they still serve as respectable continuances of both storylines. Ender in Exile is a bit more satisfying than those last in each series, though also not mandatory reading if you didn't make it through the first 8 novels.
It does, however, make for a nice [potential] finale to the series. Nothing more needs to be written to make the series feel complete. And yet, there is one significant thread left hanging after Shadow of the Giant, one that doesn't really need to be tied up, but certainly could be in one more novel. Personally, I hope one more "Exile" novel gets written. I'm not quite ready to see the Enderverse come to a close.
The Enderverse is an interesting set of books. Ender's Game and Ender's Shadow are both brilliant. Their sequels are not quite as brilliant but still very good and also very different from their respective counterparts. The two books that follow in each set are similar to the initial sequels, and while again not as good (lacking in that special something that makes a novel unique and stand out on its own), they still serve as respectable continuances of both storylines. Ender in Exile is a bit more satisfying than those last in each series, though also not mandatory reading if you didn't make it through the first 8 novels.
It does, however, make for a nice [potential] finale to the series. Nothing more needs to be written to make the series feel complete. And yet, there is one significant thread left hanging after Shadow of the Giant, one that doesn't really need to be tied up, but certainly could be in one more novel. Personally, I hope one more "Exile" novel gets written. I'm not quite ready to see the Enderverse come to a close.
adventurous
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes