Who Would Like This Book:
Looking for a fresh spin on a beloved sci-fi classic? "Ender's Shadow" delivers! Fans of "Ender's Game" will love seeing the familiar story through the eyes of Bean, whose gritty past and super-sharp mind bring a new level of depth to the Battle School experience. The book dives deeper into backstories, politics, and the complex personalities behind the war effort. It’s perfect for readers who enjoy strategy, character-driven sci-fi, or exploring different points of view in a shared universe. Whether you love tales of survival, clever kids outsmarting adults, or just want more from Ender’s world, this is a must-read.
Who May Not Like This Book:
Some readers find Bean's near-superhuman intelligence and the young age of the child characters a bit hard to swallow. If you’re not a fan of incredibly precocious kids or the suspension of disbelief that comes with them running the show, this may not be for you. Others missed the emotional punch and personal struggles that made Ender so relatable, feeling that Bean is colder and more detached. There are also moments where Card’s personal views or the story’s politics may grate on some readers. And if you didn’t love "Ender’s Game," this parallel perspective probably won’t win you over.
About:
'Ender's Shadow' is a parallel retelling of 'Ender's Game' from the perspective of Bean, another character from the original book. It delves into Bean's background, his experiences in Battle School, and his brilliant but harsh upbringing. The book provides a different viewpoint on the events that occurred during 'Ender's Game' and offers new insights into the characters and the world created by Orson Scott Card. The writing style is engaging, with a fast-paced narrative that keeps the readers hooked and eager to uncover the next twist in the story.
The book is praised for its unique concept of retelling a familiar story from a different character's perspective, giving readers a fresh take on the events of 'Ender's Game.' The character development of Bean is highlighted as a strong point, with many readers finding him to be a compelling protagonist with a complex background and motivations. The book is described as a worthy follow-up to 'Ender's Game,' offering a deeper exploration of the world and characters created by Orson Scott Card.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Content warnings include themes of violence, child neglect, and bullying.
From The Publisher:
The novel that launched the bestselling Ender's Shadow series.
The human race is at War with the "Buggers," an insect-like alien race. As Earth prepares to defend itself from total destruction at the hands of an inscrutable enemy, all focus is on the development of military geniuses who can fight such a war, and win. The long distances of interstellar space have given hope to the defenders of Earth-they have time to train these future commanders up from childhood, forging them into an irresistible force in the high orbital facility called the Battle School. Andrew "Ender" Wiggin was not the only child in the Battle School; he was just the best of the best. In Ender's Shadow, Card tells the story of another of those precocious generals, the one they called Bean-the one who became Ender's right hand, part of his team, in the final battle against the Buggers. Bean's past was a battle just to survive. His success brought him to the attention of the Battle School's recruiters, those people scouring the planet for leaders, tacticians, and generals to save Earth from the threat of alien invasion. Bean was sent into orbit, to the Battle School. And there he met Ender....
THE ENDER UNIVERSE
Ender series
Ender's Game / Ender in Exile / Speaker for the Dead / Xenocide / Children of the Mind
Ender's Shadow series
Ender's Shadow / Shadow of the Hegemon / Shadow Puppets / Shadow of the Giant / Shadows in Flight
Children of the Fleet
The First Formic War (with Aaron Johnston)
Earth Unaware / Earth Afire / Earth Awakens
The Second Formic War (with Aaron Johnston)
The Swarm /The Hive
Ender novellas
A War of Gifts /First Meetings
Ratings (118)
Incredible (38) | |
Loved It (44) | |
Liked It (23) | |
It Was OK (10) | |
Did Not Like (2) | |
Hated It (1) |
Reader Stats (156):
Read It (124) | |
Want To Read (20) | |
Not Interested (12) |
1 comment(s)
One of my all time favorite books. I love the characters. Bean is very relatable, even though he is a genius.
What can you read after
Ender's Shadow?
About the Author:
Orson Scott Card is best known for his science fiction novel Ender's Game and it's many sequels that expand the Ender Universe into the far future and the near past. Those books are organized into The Ender Saga, the five books that chronicle the life of Ender Wiggin; the Shadow Series, that follows on the novel Ender's Shadow and are set on Earth; and the Formic Wars series, written with co-author Aaron Johnston, that tells of the terrible first contact between humans and the alien "Buggers".
Card has been a working writer since the 1970s. Beginning with dozens of plays and musical comedies produced in the 1960s and 70s, Card's first published fiction appeared in 1977-the short story "Gert Fram" in the July issue of The Ensign, and the novelette version of "Ender's Game" in the August issue of Analog.
The novel-length version of Ender's Game, published in 1984 and continuously in print since then, became the basis of the 2013 film, starring Asa Butterfield, Harrison Ford, Ben Kingsley, Hailee Steinfeld, Viola Davis, and Abigail Breslin.
Card was born in Washington state, and grew up in California, Arizona, and Utah. He served a mission for the LDS Church in Brazil in the early 1970s. Besides his writing, he runs occasional writers' workshops and directs plays. He frequently teaches writing and literature courses at Southern Virginia University.
He is the author many sf and fantasy novels, including the American frontier fantasy series "The Tales of Alvin Maker" (beginning with Seventh Son), There are also stand-alone science fiction and fantasy novels like Pastwatch and Hart's Hope. He has collaborated with his daughter Emily Card on a manga series, Laddertop. He has also written contemporary thrillers like Empire and historical novels like the monumental Saints and the religious novels Sarah and Rachel and Leah. Card's recent work includes the Mithermages books (Lost Gate, Gate Thief), contemporary magical fantasy for readers both young and old.
Card lives in Greensboro, North Carolina, with his wife, Kristine Allen Card, He and Kristine are the parents of five children and several grandchildren.
Scott Brick has performed on film, television and radio. He appeared on stage throughout the United States in productions of Cyrano, Hamlet, Macbeth and other plays. In addition to his acting work, Scott choreographs fight sequences, and was a combatant in films including Romeo and Juliet, The Fantasticks and Robin Hood: Men in Tights. He has also been hired by Morgan Freeman to write the screenplay adaptation of Arthur C. Clarke's Rendezvous with Rama.
Scott first began narrating audiobooks in 2000, and after recording almost 400 titles in five years, AudioFile magazine named Scott a Golden Voice and "one of the fastest-rising stars in the audiobook galaxy." He has read a number of titles in Frank Herbert's bestselling Dune series, and he won the 2003 Science Fiction Audie Award for Dune: The Butlerian Jihad. He has also won over 40 AudioFile Earphones Awards. In 2007, Scott was named Publishers Weekly's Narrator of the Year.
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