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4.23 AVERAGE
4.23 AVERAGE
14 years after the release of Enders game and Orson Scott Card retells the story of Enders game from a new perspective that is refreshing and just as suspenseful even if you’ve read Enders game and know how it all ends.
While I was fearful it would be 50% rehearing Enders Game’s story and 50% new story I was very wrong. While the overall story is the same Enders shadow often skims lightly over big moments in Enders game. Instead this is a story about Enders right hand man “Bean” and his upbringing and experiences in assisting Ender that we never got to see in the Original book Enders Game.
Enders game can feel like watching a Tom Cruise movie and seeing him do an amazing stunt where he drives a motorcycle off a cliff and parachutes to safety. You see it and you are in awe, however reading Enders shadow you still get the amazing motorcycle jump however you get to see all the behind the scenes planning when they were filming that amazing scene. Just as amazing as seeing it edited together seamlessly in a movie but different in a special way when you see all that went in to making and filming such a cool scene.
On top of that Bean and Ender are similar but have two very different minds. So although the ending of both books is more or less the same, it’s refreshing seeing it from new eyes and a new mind. While Ender thinks one way in Enders Game, Bean is thinking completely different.
I do think you should read Enders game first before reading this book as it helps you understand the moments that Enders Shadow skims over. However I don’t think you will get story fatigue going from reading Enders Game to Enders Shadow as some might think. It’s like drinking Coke and Dr. Pepper, both delicious but in their own way.
While I was fearful it would be 50% rehearing Enders Game’s story and 50% new story I was very wrong. While the overall story is the same Enders shadow often skims lightly over big moments in Enders game. Instead this is a story about Enders right hand man “Bean” and his upbringing and experiences in assisting Ender that we never got to see in the Original book Enders Game.
Enders game can feel like watching a Tom Cruise movie and seeing him do an amazing stunt where he drives a motorcycle off a cliff and parachutes to safety. You see it and you are in awe, however reading Enders shadow you still get the amazing motorcycle jump however you get to see all the behind the scenes planning when they were filming that amazing scene. Just as amazing as seeing it edited together seamlessly in a movie but different in a special way when you see all that went in to making and filming such a cool scene.
On top of that Bean and Ender are similar but have two very different minds. So although the ending of both books is more or less the same, it’s refreshing seeing it from new eyes and a new mind. While Ender thinks one way in Enders Game, Bean is thinking completely different.
I do think you should read Enders game first before reading this book as it helps you understand the moments that Enders Shadow skims over. However I don’t think you will get story fatigue going from reading Enders Game to Enders Shadow as some might think. It’s like drinking Coke and Dr. Pepper, both delicious but in their own way.
I was wary to dive back into the Enderverse again after being so disappointed with the original series’ conclusion, but it seems like Card finally got back on track. The things I originally fell in love with about these books are how they talk about the consequences of war, childhood innocence, and the ways in which we treat “the other.” Ender’s Shadow did this even better than Ender’s Game, in my opinion, because the foundation was already laid. As a parallel series to Ender’s Game it was able explore these themes from multiple points of view and add even more nuance. Admittedly, these books are written by a white man with a religious MO, but the pros vastly outweigh the cons that often come with that.
Interesting new perspective on Ender's Game through Bean's eyes :)
I liked it, especially the beginning and the totally different background of Bean.
I liked it right up until the middle part. When they started out how special he was because of a genetic mutation, I started to look at it as a bit far fetched. I get it raises excitement and complications, but also disbands my willing suspension of disbelief.
The second thing I disliked was the constant rambling of God. My god, why do American authors keep having to mention him? Even for characters that (as Bean) are atheists. It's like an obsession or something. But that is mostly personal.
The third thing I disliked it was the highly unlikely sequence at Battle School. Ender was supposed to be the best and brightest, now OSC wants Bean in that position. Honestly, if he'd have written about a 3rd candidate at some later point, he probably would've made him smarter too. It totally diminishes Ender's accomplishments in the first book when Bean shows him up and when Ender is ignorant of Bean's capabilities. And don't give me that bullshit of 'Bean couldn't figure out the final assignment'. That's just a load of bull.
That said, in Command School and at the end OSC did pull through and made the book more realistic and enjoyable. Bean as a 2nd to Ender wasn't too aggravating there, and it was very interesting to see the character wanting to beat the teachers and the system instead of the game, and figuring out what was really going on. I liked all that.
But by gods, the middle part was annoying.
In the end an alright book though.
Just wondering if the other books in the Shadow trilogy are worth reading?
I liked it right up until the middle part. When they started out how special he was because of a genetic mutation, I started to look at it as a bit far fetched. I get it raises excitement and complications, but also disbands my willing suspension of disbelief.
The second thing I disliked was the constant rambling of God. My god, why do American authors keep having to mention him? Even for characters that (as Bean) are atheists. It's like an obsession or something. But that is mostly personal.
The third thing I disliked it was the highly unlikely sequence at Battle School. Ender was supposed to be the best and brightest, now OSC wants Bean in that position. Honestly, if he'd have written about a 3rd candidate at some later point, he probably would've made him smarter too. It totally diminishes Ender's accomplishments in the first book when Bean shows him up and when Ender is ignorant of Bean's capabilities. And don't give me that bullshit of 'Bean couldn't figure out the final assignment'. That's just a load of bull.
That said, in Command School and at the end OSC did pull through and made the book more realistic and enjoyable. Bean as a 2nd to Ender wasn't too aggravating there, and it was very interesting to see the character wanting to beat the teachers and the system instead of the game, and figuring out what was really going on. I liked all that.
But by gods, the middle part was annoying.
In the end an alright book though.
Just wondering if the other books in the Shadow trilogy are worth reading?
adventurous
medium-paced
bean is definitely something else. i like him better than ender, but that's my own personal opinion. the thing i like best about this book is the logic. logic logic logic! love it. too bad the author is a douche bag. great books though.
challenging
dark
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
thi book is interesting intence. the begining is nerve wracking and terifing. after that it isn't as heavy.
Me gustó. Siempre es interesante revisitar un buen libro desde una nueva perspectiva, pero lo altera lo suficiente como para no estar leyendo una historia por segunda vez. Buenos personajes y buen desarrollo.
I am still reflecting on this story and processing the backstory of Ender's most worthy lieutenant, Bean. On the whole I liked it, though I think it could have been better.
I think it was an interesting concept that often got in its own way. The deep-dive of Sister Carlotta and Bean's genetic splicing is interesting but ultimately not necessary. The same story could have been told about a random kid genius from the streets of Rotterdam and it would have been just as compelling. In fact, [spoiler alert] the shocking reveal that Bean is actually the genetic identical twin of a sweet kid in his launch group is so unlikely and convoluted of a plot point that it took me out of the story for a bit and really had trouble getting me back in. Again, you don't need characters to be biological siblings to develop fraternal bonds; and in fact the reveal of a secret brother almost cheapens their connection, almost as if to imply that they could not have formed their attachment had they not resembled one another.
Additionally, I wanted the story of Bean to be unique in its voice and arc. Instead, Orson Scott Card basically reconstructs Ender's Game and makes a slightly altered copy to fit a slightly altered version of Ender. The story beats are similar, the character archetypes are similar (a Peter and Valentine duality still exists only now with Achilles and Poke in their place), and the format of the book is even similar with transition chapters told solely through adult voices catching the audience up on exposition. Even the timelines are similar. I would have loved to have a completely new, refreshing account of the Ender's Game story; but this one felt less like a passionate reinterpretation and more like a milking of the original plot from a *slightly* different perspective.
I think it was an interesting concept that often got in its own way. The deep-dive of Sister Carlotta and Bean's genetic splicing is interesting but ultimately not necessary. The same story could have been told about a random kid genius from the streets of Rotterdam and it would have been just as compelling. In fact, [spoiler alert] the shocking reveal that Bean is actually the genetic identical twin of a sweet kid in his launch group is so unlikely and convoluted of a plot point that it took me out of the story for a bit and really had trouble getting me back in. Again, you don't need characters to be biological siblings to develop fraternal bonds; and in fact the reveal of a secret brother almost cheapens their connection, almost as if to imply that they could not have formed their attachment had they not resembled one another.
Additionally, I wanted the story of Bean to be unique in its voice and arc. Instead, Orson Scott Card basically reconstructs Ender's Game and makes a slightly altered copy to fit a slightly altered version of Ender. The story beats are similar, the character archetypes are similar (a Peter and Valentine duality still exists only now with Achilles and Poke in their place), and the format of the book is even similar with transition chapters told solely through adult voices catching the audience up on exposition. Even the timelines are similar. I would have loved to have a completely new, refreshing account of the Ender's Game story; but this one felt less like a passionate reinterpretation and more like a milking of the original plot from a *slightly* different perspective.