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woahno 's review for:
Speaker for the Dead
by Orson Scott Card
My brother has been bugging me to read on in this series for the last few months. I say bugging because well, he is my younger brother and that is just what younger brothers do. He is well intentioned of course. He knows that when I read Ender's Game a decade ago that I was completely immersed in it and raved about my experience at the time. So here I am finally getting to the next book in the series; a theme for my 2020 reading list undoubtedly.
What I liked.
What a bizarre concept for a novel. To have such a long time gap between books (though with some faster than light travel aging or not aging of characters making it not so long actually) and then to have Ender become a Speaker in this way. I was a bit blown away by the concept alone. My attempts to wrap my mind around it took me quite some time to puzzle out. I'm still reeling after completing the book. It was one of those reads that requires more research afterwards, more reasoning and reflection. I feel like I have begun training as a Speaker myself.
The plot structure was also brilliant. It felt like it was part detective story, part sci-fi heady concept / existential human condition exploration. One served to immerse me and keep me invested in the story while I felt like the other was the true reason for all of it in the first place. The detective portions of the narrative with Ender researching events as the Speaker for the Dead felt familiar to me and drew me in while also being the primary plot driver for roughly two thirds of the novel. Then the other parts surrounding the xenobiologists and the Pequeninos, the Third Life and the Descolada, those parts were wild and crazy. They were packed with thought provoking reflection on human behavior and societal norms. Both were equally well done and I really enjoyed the pairing and how well they worked to invest me in both aspects of the novel.
What I did not like.
I felt like the fast than light travel component could have used more explanation. I have read and watched other fiction around the idea so I wasn't totally lost. However, I felt like the book relied too heavily on the reader having some foreknowledge here and I think a little blurb or scene to help explain it would go a long way. It took me out of the story at times. Maybe I should have stopped and puzzled it out in my head before continuing on.
I also didn't like the relationship between Novinha and Ender. It didn't feel entirely earned to me. I'm just sitting here thinking it was thrown in at the end to fill some kind of romance quota. What a strange way to start a relationship.
Then there was this weird thing about the book where by having Ender attempt to undo his horrible act of xenocide from book one he was stripped away of the best flaws of his character. Ender was elevated to a saint that does no wrong. All the growth of his character in Ender's Game left a nearly flawless and less interesting protagonist in Speaker for the Dead.
Ultimately though, I really liked this book. It took the series in a completely different direction but it worked well. Thanks brother, for pushing me to read this one.
What I liked.
What a bizarre concept for a novel. To have such a long time gap between books (though with some faster than light travel aging or not aging of characters making it not so long actually) and then to have Ender become a Speaker in this way. I was a bit blown away by the concept alone. My attempts to wrap my mind around it took me quite some time to puzzle out. I'm still reeling after completing the book. It was one of those reads that requires more research afterwards, more reasoning and reflection. I feel like I have begun training as a Speaker myself.
The plot structure was also brilliant. It felt like it was part detective story, part sci-fi heady concept / existential human condition exploration. One served to immerse me and keep me invested in the story while I felt like the other was the true reason for all of it in the first place. The detective portions of the narrative with Ender researching events as the Speaker for the Dead felt familiar to me and drew me in while also being the primary plot driver for roughly two thirds of the novel. Then the other parts surrounding the xenobiologists and the Pequeninos, the Third Life and the Descolada, those parts were wild and crazy. They were packed with thought provoking reflection on human behavior and societal norms. Both were equally well done and I really enjoyed the pairing and how well they worked to invest me in both aspects of the novel.
What I did not like.
I felt like the fast than light travel component could have used more explanation. I have read and watched other fiction around the idea so I wasn't totally lost. However, I felt like the book relied too heavily on the reader having some foreknowledge here and I think a little blurb or scene to help explain it would go a long way. It took me out of the story at times. Maybe I should have stopped and puzzled it out in my head before continuing on.
I also didn't like the relationship between Novinha and Ender. It didn't feel entirely earned to me. I'm just sitting here thinking it was thrown in at the end to fill some kind of romance quota. What a strange way to start a relationship.
Then there was this weird thing about the book where by having Ender attempt to undo his horrible act of xenocide from book one he was stripped away of the best flaws of his character. Ender was elevated to a saint that does no wrong. All the growth of his character in Ender's Game left a nearly flawless and less interesting protagonist in Speaker for the Dead.
Ultimately though, I really liked this book. It took the series in a completely different direction but it worked well. Thanks brother, for pushing me to read this one.