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sarahanne8382's review against another edition
3.0
I have such conflicting feelings about Orson Scott Card. I loved Ender's Game & Speaker for the Dead as well as the beginning of the Shadow series, but it's been clear for some time that Card's just milking the cash cow of the Enderverse for all it's worth. And don't even get me started on his politics.
Still this was better than most of his more recent Ender books (Shadows in Flight, Ender in Exile, A War of Gifts, etc.) and shows some promise for an entertaining series detailing The First Formic War. I did this on audio, which is really the best way to experience these because they're done so well, so that might also explain why I'm in such a charitable mood about the book.
The other reason I'm cautiously optimistic for this series is that I like what appear to be the two main characters, Victor Delgado, a bright 17-year-old apprentice mechanic on a Free Miner ship deep in the Kuiper Belt, and Lem Jukes, heir to the Jukes mining fortune, currently out in space testing an exciting new mining tool, and trying to escape from the his ruthless father's shadow. Card is at his best writing bright adolescents like Victor, as well as people who need to solve difficult problems. As the first humans to spot the first Formic ships, Victor and Lem definitely have some challenges to overcome.
Still this was better than most of his more recent Ender books (Shadows in Flight, Ender in Exile, A War of Gifts, etc.) and shows some promise for an entertaining series detailing The First Formic War. I did this on audio, which is really the best way to experience these because they're done so well, so that might also explain why I'm in such a charitable mood about the book.
The other reason I'm cautiously optimistic for this series is that I like what appear to be the two main characters, Victor Delgado, a bright 17-year-old apprentice mechanic on a Free Miner ship deep in the Kuiper Belt, and Lem Jukes, heir to the Jukes mining fortune, currently out in space testing an exciting new mining tool, and trying to escape from the his ruthless father's shadow. Card is at his best writing bright adolescents like Victor, as well as people who need to solve difficult problems. As the first humans to spot the first Formic ships, Victor and Lem definitely have some challenges to overcome.
flagstaff's review against another edition
3.0
First of a trilogy so a setup for the arch of the whole story. An introduction to a future reality that has humans as far out as the Kuiper belt. Maybe not hard SciFi but close enough for the story.
Enjoyed it.
Enjoyed it.
djdimond's review against another edition
2.0
I wanted to like this, I really did. Unfortunately, it just felt slow going and a deviation from the quality I expected from Orson Scott Card. It's hard to relate to any of the characters, and the actions of the characters deviate so much from the internal monologue, that it's hard to get a feel for any of them. It was just this year that I first read the Ender's Game & Ender's Shadow series, and I finally understood what it was that everyone was so excited about. Unfortunately I can't say that the First Formic Wars trilogy has impressed me so far. I will finish the series and probably read the next trilogy when it comes out, just because I am a completionist, but I can't say that I have high hopes for it.
jmoses's review against another edition
3.0
Pretty decent. Some of the outer space tech seem silly to me, with arbitrary limitations to further the plot, but overall enjoyable. I'm certainly interested in the events leading up to Ender's Game, and of the first Formic War.
humanignorance's review against another edition
5.0
4.5 stars. Great world-building with detailed and interesting play-by-play accounting of actions involving advanced technology, which only got slow once in a while. The characters had mostly believable actions and motivations.
tensy's review against another edition
4.0
If you are willing to suspend belief and accept 10 and 16 year-olds doing feats many adults would find challenging, then you will enjoy this action packed prequel to Ender's Game.
peresr's review against another edition
4.0
Genial ampliació de l'univers d'Ender! De moment la novel•la en general no té aquell component tant addictiu de les novel•les d'en Card (és un col•laboració), tot i que cap al final i amb l'acceleració de fets i esdeveniments s'hi crea. Es nota que és un llibre part d'un conjunt i de que es pretén explicar tota la historia pre-Ender, i hi ha un munt de coses per explicar! Si t'agrada Ender, no pots deixar de llegir, després de les novel•les clàssiques, el com i el perquè de la societat que va crear Ender.
Tinc unes ganes enormes d'aconseguir el 2n volum i llegir-lo ipso facto! ^^
M'encanta!
Tinc unes ganes enormes d'aconseguir el 2n volum i llegir-lo ipso facto! ^^
M'encanta!
klovett's review against another edition
5.0
Earth Unaware presents a view of the future that feels much closer than that presented in Ender's Game. Through this introduction of the backstory behind Ender's Game, it becomes more apparent how the world could have altered so much when faced with an unforeseen challenge - that of a hostile alien invasion. Would highly recommend to any fans of Ender's Game.
mxmlln's review against another edition
4.0
Story: 8 / 10
Characters: 7
Setting: 9
Prose: 8
Note that this book is part of a series and does not have an ending.
Characters: 7
Setting: 9
Prose: 8
Note that this book is part of a series and does not have an ending.
jelbourn's review against another edition
3.0
I feel that this book didn't have any of the substance that made Ender's Game and Speaker for the Dead so great. It's worth reading if you are a huge fan of the universe and want more backstory.