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4.23 AVERAGE
4.23 AVERAGE
Rather than pursue the massive political/social examination that takes in the sequels to Ender's Game, Card goes back to the roots of the series by starting in the same timeframe and following a different character, and then continuing from there in the same style.
Ender's Shadow is, I would say, as good as or better than Ender's Game. Bean is one of the coolest characters I have seen in a book, and that is especially true in this first book in his series. Most of Ender's Game is spent with you thinking about how smart Ender is and marveling at his ability to accomplish his goals and solve problems. In Ender's Shadow, you realise that Bean, a comparitively insignificant character in EG is smarter than Ender, better at seeing and exploiting social patterns, and in general, has a lot to do with Ender being able to accomplish what he accomplishes.
It is really cool to see how Card ties the actions of a separate character that fall outside (for the most part) of the main events of Ender's Game to what is actually going on in the main storyline while still making it interesting. Seeing Bean analyze Ender's actions is also cool, since he takes Ender's decisions to deeper levels and comes up with better solutions.
I would have to recommend this book to everyone, espeically if you have read Ender's Game.
Ender's Shadow is, I would say, as good as or better than Ender's Game. Bean is one of the coolest characters I have seen in a book, and that is especially true in this first book in his series. Most of Ender's Game is spent with you thinking about how smart Ender is and marveling at his ability to accomplish his goals and solve problems. In Ender's Shadow, you realise that Bean, a comparitively insignificant character in EG is smarter than Ender, better at seeing and exploiting social patterns, and in general, has a lot to do with Ender being able to accomplish what he accomplishes.
It is really cool to see how Card ties the actions of a separate character that fall outside (for the most part) of the main events of Ender's Game to what is actually going on in the main storyline while still making it interesting. Seeing Bean analyze Ender's actions is also cool, since he takes Ender's decisions to deeper levels and comes up with better solutions.
I would have to recommend this book to everyone, espeically if you have read Ender's Game.
When I first read this book, I HATED it. I knew it was objectively totally fine but I felt like it undermined the character of Ender and Ender was *so* important to me as a smart, loner adolescent. it felt disloyal to like a book where Bean was, gasp, smarter than Ender.
however since I recently ruined another adolescent favorite by reading it's sequel and survived (never EVER read Dune Messiah), I decided to give Ender's Shadow another chance. And it turns I've grown as a person. while I used to see smartness as the most important thing, I've now realized that it's not (this is also why I've switched from Ravenclaw to Hufflepuff but I digress). so now Bean being smarter than Ender didn't feel threatening to Ender. it just served to underscore Ender's other, equally important qualities.
I still thought it was super stupid though that Bean remembers hiding in the tank of a toilet before he could walk. You just have to add 2 years to the ages Card says the kids are, just like with Ender's Game.
however since I recently ruined another adolescent favorite by reading it's sequel and survived (never EVER read Dune Messiah), I decided to give Ender's Shadow another chance. And it turns I've grown as a person. while I used to see smartness as the most important thing, I've now realized that it's not (this is also why I've switched from Ravenclaw to Hufflepuff but I digress). so now Bean being smarter than Ender didn't feel threatening to Ender. it just served to underscore Ender's other, equally important qualities.
I still thought it was super stupid though that Bean remembers hiding in the tank of a toilet before he could walk. You just have to add 2 years to the ages Card says the kids are, just like with Ender's Game.
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-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:
Yes
Incredible companion volume
It's hard to imagine that 2 incredible books could be written about the same story, and with so much time between writings. Yet Card has done it.
I could even go as far to say that I enjoyed this book even more that Ender's Game, but I could only say that as I set this book on the shoulders of the first.
I appreciate Card's eye for symmetry in his stories even as I want to criticize it. I've noticed that he foreshadows heavily, and ties everything up into a relatively neat package where past experiences matter more than they realistically should. But really, why would I be reading fiction if I wanted reality? I admire that Card can create such logical-yet-exciting plots.
If you have read Ender's Game, read this. I might even recommend that you read it right after that one instead of reading the whole series in the order of publication as I am, but doing it that way might be disappointing. Bean is never mentioned again in the rest of the Ender series, even though he obviously plays a huge roll in the Bugger Wars final battle and in the ensuing political turmoil on Earth. Obviously Card recognized this when he decided to give Bean his own series. Better late than never.
Unfortunately, Card obviously didn't know that he would be writing Bean's story when he wrote the original. The crucial intersection points between the two books, where Ender and Bean have confrontations/conversations, made sense in Ender's Game, but felt forced and patched in because they were required in Ender's Shadow. Bean's character became too big to fit back into the shallow container that was originally created to tell al part of Ender's story.
I could even go as far to say that I enjoyed this book even more that Ender's Game, but I could only say that as I set this book on the shoulders of the first.
I appreciate Card's eye for symmetry in his stories even as I want to criticize it. I've noticed that he foreshadows heavily, and ties everything up into a relatively neat package where past experiences matter more than they realistically should. But really, why would I be reading fiction if I wanted reality? I admire that Card can create such logical-yet-exciting plots.
If you have read Ender's Game, read this. I might even recommend that you read it right after that one instead of reading the whole series in the order of publication as I am, but doing it that way might be disappointing. Bean is never mentioned again in the rest of the Ender series, even though he obviously plays a huge roll in the Bugger Wars final battle and in the ensuing political turmoil on Earth. Obviously Card recognized this when he decided to give Bean his own series. Better late than never.
Unfortunately, Card obviously didn't know that he would be writing Bean's story when he wrote the original. The crucial intersection points between the two books, where Ender and Bean have confrontations/conversations, made sense in Ender's Game, but felt forced and patched in because they were required in Ender's Shadow. Bean's character became too big to fit back into the shallow container that was originally created to tell al part of Ender's story.
This is the shadow series to the Ender Saga. This series is also very good.
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I really really loved this book, more than I loved Ender's Game. Bean and Ender are so similar to each other, yet so completely different at the same time. Bean is so funny and independent, and I loved how he talked back to all of the teachers and officers at Battle School. It was very interesting reading everything from Ender's Game in a completely different perspective, and it made so many things clear that I missed when I read Ender's Game. It's definitely a favorite.
