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A review by fauxpunk
Shadows in Flight by Orson Scott Card
2.0
At the end of Shadow of the Giant, I couldn't wait for this one to be released. That was a couple years ago, and when I heard that it was finally written, I pre-ordered it. I'd been disappointed in Ender in Exile, but that hadn't been terrible (just forgettable). I was excited to see how this finally ended, and hoped Mr. Card had returned to form.
Dear Lord, were those hopes misplaced. I noticed right away that the book was short. I don't have it in front of me, but I think it barely reaches 300 pages. If these pages were packed with peril, character development, and intriguing plot, this might have been fine, but since at least a third is given over to rehashing (often inaccurately) the old books, the plot feels really thin. Despite it's short length, it still manages to drag on and on and be rather dull.
I didn't care about any of Bean's children, and perhaps that's why it was dull. If the characters are boring, the plot can be the most interesting thing in the world (which is was not), and it will still leave little impact. I've always loved Mr Card for his characters, but these seemed like flat rehashes of everyone else he's ever written. Character traits are shoehorned in and badly exposited during dull (and painfully unrealistic) dialogue. If he had taken more words and shown more of their life on the ship before this, perhaps I would have cared more.
Worse still is the revelation at the end of the book. I won't spoil it, but I will only say that it made me very angry and now I won't be able to read the early books the same way.
However, I did mostly like the parts from Bean's point of view, and I'll admit to getting a little choked up at the last scene, but then again, I cry over Beauty and the Beast.
I'd say don't bother, but if you're buying it, you've probably already read the other books and are kind of looking forward to it. Allow me to crush your hopes and tell you: No, Ender fans. It is not worth it. But neither was Ender in Exile, or A War of Gifts (though both those are better than this.) But you will still buy the next book, and keep buying them as the series continues and Mr. Card lines his pockets with your hard earned cash. At this point, he could write blindfolded and drunk and you would buy it, just to see what happens next.
And the sad part is, so will I.
Dear Lord, were those hopes misplaced. I noticed right away that the book was short. I don't have it in front of me, but I think it barely reaches 300 pages. If these pages were packed with peril, character development, and intriguing plot, this might have been fine, but since at least a third is given over to rehashing (often inaccurately) the old books, the plot feels really thin. Despite it's short length, it still manages to drag on and on and be rather dull.
I didn't care about any of Bean's children, and perhaps that's why it was dull. If the characters are boring, the plot can be the most interesting thing in the world (which is was not), and it will still leave little impact. I've always loved Mr Card for his characters, but these seemed like flat rehashes of everyone else he's ever written. Character traits are shoehorned in and badly exposited during dull (and painfully unrealistic) dialogue. If he had taken more words and shown more of their life on the ship before this, perhaps I would have cared more.
Worse still is the revelation at the end of the book. I won't spoil it, but I will only say that it made me very angry and now I won't be able to read the early books the same way.
However, I did mostly like the parts from Bean's point of view, and I'll admit to getting a little choked up at the last scene, but then again, I cry over Beauty and the Beast.
I'd say don't bother, but if you're buying it, you've probably already read the other books and are kind of looking forward to it. Allow me to crush your hopes and tell you: No, Ender fans. It is not worth it. But neither was Ender in Exile, or A War of Gifts (though both those are better than this.) But you will still buy the next book, and keep buying them as the series continues and Mr. Card lines his pockets with your hard earned cash. At this point, he could write blindfolded and drunk and you would buy it, just to see what happens next.
And the sad part is, so will I.