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3.85 AVERAGE
3.85 AVERAGE
I really enjoyed reading the backstory of Ender's world. I liked the action and suspense. However, I found this book to be ... well, to be shallow compared to the other books in these series. The characters lack the richness of Ender or Bean. They don't seem to have the multidimensional facets that allow us normal people to recognize something of ourselves and thus relate to the characters. Also, there are some gaffes in the science fiction. Yes, I know it is fiction and these are mostly small things, but they train-wrecked my suspension of disbelief a couple of times. The devil is in the details.
I didn't know this book existed until a coworker dropped it on my desk. I might have been happier then. I have read an awful lot of [a:Orson Scott Card|589|Orson Scott Card|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1294099952p2/589.jpg], starting in college when I came across [b:Ender's Game|375802|Ender's Game (Ender's Saga, #1)|Orson Scott Card|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1316636769s/375802.jpg|2422333] in college and read it through in one sitting. (I did not sleep, I did not eat, I did not go to class, just read until I was finished. Luckily I'm a quick reader so it was a one day thing.)
I was skeptical about the Shadow books, but they were fine. So I was willing to give this one a shot.
It is *terrible*. Super wooden dialogue, weird conceits (15 and 9 year old boys would be inventing amazing things, if only the fascist system didn't make them go to school!) There's a healthy heap of Mormon social roles/values, which I realize I am somewhat sensitized to, but didn't endear the book to me any further.
The worst part was that this didn't actually tell the whole prequel; it just started. Ugh. I doubt I'll be picking up any more.
(I found out from the end-notes that this novel was adapted from a comic book, which does make a little bit of sense with the weird structure/feel of the book.)
I was skeptical about the Shadow books, but they were fine. So I was willing to give this one a shot.
It is *terrible*. Super wooden dialogue, weird conceits (15 and 9 year old boys would be inventing amazing things, if only the fascist system didn't make them go to school!) There's a healthy heap of Mormon social roles/values, which I realize I am somewhat sensitized to, but didn't endear the book to me any further.
The worst part was that this didn't actually tell the whole prequel; it just started. Ugh. I doubt I'll be picking up any more.
(I found out from the end-notes that this novel was adapted from a comic book, which does make a little bit of sense with the weird structure/feel of the book.)
The parts set on earth were boring and i skipped most of them. ended abruptly.
I liked it a lot. The beginning was kind of slow but it got better. Interesting to read about some of the history leading up to the events in Ender's Game.
I'm a huge fan of Orson Scott Card. I haven't read all of his work (not even close) but I have read both Ender's Game and Ender's Shadow, and most of those respective series. This book was awesome, because you finally get to see what the world was like before the wars. The writing and plot kept me fully intrigued and the characters felt real. Of course, it's no Ender's Game, but I thought it was a very well done prequel. I can't wait for the rest of this series to come out! I really want to see more of Mazer Rackham, who we just got a brief introduction to in this book. I would recommend this book, especially if you have liked Card's other books.
Story: **
Performance: ****
I am a big fan of the Enderverse; but this mostly mails in a paint by the numbers space opera that is only interesting because of its connection to [the fame of] Ender and a solid cast of narrators. All of the MOPS and Auditor chapters were completely unneeded and did little to advance the plot and was introduced in unnatural spots in the story and was poorly organized when it does show up. The rest is a drawn out light science space opera that was marginally interesting and occasionally irritating in how the science is presented. If you are also an Ender fan and are something of a completionists (which I am) ... it is probably worth picking up on sale.
Performance: ****
I am a big fan of the Enderverse; but this mostly mails in a paint by the numbers space opera that is only interesting because of its connection to [the fame of] Ender and a solid cast of narrators. All of the MOPS and Auditor chapters were completely unneeded and did little to advance the plot and was introduced in unnatural spots in the story and was poorly organized when it does show up. The rest is a drawn out light science space opera that was marginally interesting and occasionally irritating in how the science is presented. If you are also an Ender fan and are something of a completionists (which I am) ... it is probably worth picking up on sale.
This was a fun read that gave some background on the events that created the history of Ender's Game.
Excellent book. Any fan of Orson Scott Card will want to read this.
For being a prequel to Ender's Game i do enjoy the setting and world building that this book sets out to accomplish.
This book is definitely more written as an action/Sci-fi book than his previous book of the series. As such DO NOT READ IF YOU CARE ABOUT THE PHYSICS IN SCIFI BOOKS this book will disappoint you.
Which brings me to the one thing that annoyed me as I kept reading, the writing between characters. Every plotline we follow in this book has characters asking repeated questions that are said for the behest of the reader. Every character that we follow gets into this situation. We have a back-in-forth of questionings, then a page later someone else asks a set of questions that aren't warranted because the previous line of questions answered them or a specific character has no spacial awareness of their surroundings and still asking questions that are dumbfounded.
This issue plagues this book all throughout. This issue won't affect most people when reading but for me it did.
Overall. Enjoined this first issue somewhat will read the second book in a later date this issue addressed.
This book is definitely more written as an action/Sci-fi book than his previous book of the series. As such DO NOT READ IF YOU CARE ABOUT THE PHYSICS IN SCIFI BOOKS this book will disappoint you.
Which brings me to the one thing that annoyed me as I kept reading, the writing between characters. Every plotline we follow in this book has characters asking repeated questions that are said for the behest of the reader. Every character that we follow gets into this situation. We have a back-in-forth of questionings, then a page later someone else asks a set of questions that aren't warranted because the previous line of questions answered them or a specific character has no spacial awareness of their surroundings and still asking questions that are dumbfounded.
This issue plagues this book all throughout. This issue won't affect most people when reading but for me it did.
Overall. Enjoined this first issue somewhat will read the second book in a later date this issue addressed.