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autogeek's review against another edition
4.0
I liked this book a lot better than the original (Ender's Game). Chronologically, the events in this book occur at the same time as the final few chapters of Ender's Game. But this was written 23 years after Ender's Game. And Card seems to have developed splendidly as a writer during this time.
Unlike in Ender's Game, where I felt the writing style, pacing and descriptions to be jarring and inconsistent, everything flows smoothly in this book. The descriptions are detailed, the pacing is consistent with nothing feeling rushed and the characters are all way, way better. And by better, I mean they behave in a more mature fashion, their motivations and thoughts are well explained and don't make you go 'WTF?' every few pages. Things generally progress much slower in this book than Ender's Game, but they keep the same steady pace throughout and are nevertheless very interesting.
Unfortunately, since this book is basically a fleshing-out of the final 2 chapters of Ender's Game, not only do you already know the overall plot, you also know not much is going to happen in this book. And that is basically the biggest flaw: the average (and already known) plot. Presumably, Card felt that the final few chapters of Ender's Game were not well done (rightly so) and wrote this book to fix his shoddy work. It is a great fix, sure, but it is a fix nonetheless.
Overall, the writing is of very high quality but is let down a bit by the plot which is average.
Unlike in Ender's Game, where I felt the writing style, pacing and descriptions to be jarring and inconsistent, everything flows smoothly in this book. The descriptions are detailed, the pacing is consistent with nothing feeling rushed and the characters are all way, way better. And by better, I mean they behave in a more mature fashion, their motivations and thoughts are well explained and don't make you go 'WTF?' every few pages. Things generally progress much slower in this book than Ender's Game, but they keep the same steady pace throughout and are nevertheless very interesting.
Unfortunately, since this book is basically a fleshing-out of the final 2 chapters of Ender's Game, not only do you already know the overall plot, you also know not much is going to happen in this book. And that is basically the biggest flaw: the average (and already known) plot. Presumably, Card felt that the final few chapters of Ender's Game were not well done (rightly so) and wrote this book to fix his shoddy work. It is a great fix, sure, but it is a fix nonetheless.
Overall, the writing is of very high quality but is let down a bit by the plot which is average.
mschadoux's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
natalie_mcw's review against another edition
4.0
Enjoyed it. If you like his Ender & Bean series (which I do, obviously), then this is a cool read because it ties together and fills in a lot of interesting plot details & twists.
yulie's review against another edition
3.0
While a pleasing, but not critical, entry into the Ender series, it was a mostly enjoyable foray. Of course, you knew Ender would end up victorious and, if you had read the quartet prior, you knew his thought processes and guilt behind everything with the Formics, making this novel become a bit of a rehash of everything already alluded to in the other novels. It was an interesting read nevertheless, as the novel explored the universe following the Formic war and how the colonisation of other worlds was handled.
Overall I enjoyed the book, however I thought it could've ended earlier.
I would recommend it to those who enjoyed the Ender universe immensely, however it isn't a critical read and is easily skippable.
Overall I enjoyed the book, however I thought it could've ended earlier.
Spoiler
It felt like it had ended after everything was cleared up on Shakespeare, but the addition of the Achilles and Virlomi 'saga' was still undergoing by the time that had all wrapped up, and as a result the end of that saga felt clunky and rushed. I understood that it was a device to aid Ender in absolving his guilt (somewhat), and probably a nod to Bean and the other series of books, but I thought it was a bit tacked on and clumsy in execution.I would recommend it to those who enjoyed the Ender universe immensely, however it isn't a critical read and is easily skippable.
schofield24's review against another edition
4.0
I'm not a big fan of science fiction but I have loved the Ender series since discovering it back in college. This is a great addition to the saga: a story of Ender's life immediately following the war of the "Buggers." Card spins a great tale, as always, and as always I find woven into the story little gems of truth that speak to me on a deeper level.
lilli_w12's review against another edition
3.0
I really enjoyed the story of Ender between "Ender's Game" and "Speaker for the Dead". It was not what I expected it to be, but I enjoyed the characters, both old and new, and the interesting concepts (the Gold Bugs). I was so happy when the loose end from "The Shadow of the Giant" was tied up. Overall, a read I enjoyed for the most part and was one of O. S. C.'s better books.
midwifereading's review against another edition
3.0
I really did enjoy this book quite a bit, as I love Card's writing style, and the depth to which he takes the reader into each of his principle characters. Ender is never fully a mystery, because we get to explore his inner workings, a little at a time, and can come to understand him.
This book takes place between the final chapters of Ender's Game, and the author includes a note that he plans to revise the final chapter of EG in order to fit his "true story." It sounds as though the Enderverse has grown and morphed into something bigger than he originally dreamed. I have yet to read the other books at the core of Ender's story, but I feel like this one was a good start.
I can't give it more than three stars, though, because this book honestly felt a little bit more two-dimensional than EG. It just didn't feel as impactful as EG did to me. Maybe it's just that stillness after war. The lack of our ability to truly grasp what happens on Earth after EG is probably responsible for this feeling. It almost feels anti-climactic. In fact, it really does feel like a book out of place - neither a beginning, nor an end, but a middle of sorts. There simply doesn't seem to be a climax of any kind. Not really.
There are a few chapters in the book where I feel like threads belonging to other stories seem to intersect with Ender's, but we aren't really given as much depth as we could be given. Then again - those stories may play out in more depth in the other books, which I have not yet read.
There isn't much action, but that isn't really a complaint. More of an observation. Another note I filed away in my brain was Card's obvious moments of conservative "preaching," for lack of a better term. As a conservative, I am not entirely bothered by this, but even if I did agree with everything he stands for (which I don't know, because I know nothing about him other than that he's a Mormon), I don't like it when books try to tell me what to think. The fact that he cloaks these statements in character voices, and as accepted, never-debatable facts seems a bit unrealistic. Then again, this IS a science fiction novel, not a text book. So, it seems I can just let that go. And really -- no author can help but to write in his own Voice. If Card wrote from a voice not his own, the book would be utterly disingenuous, and completely unbelievable.
Ultimately, I liked it. I didn't love it. I enjoy wandering around in the Enderverse, and contemplating how close to reality it may turn out to be in Earth's future.
This book takes place between the final chapters of Ender's Game, and the author includes a note that he plans to revise the final chapter of EG in order to fit his "true story." It sounds as though the Enderverse has grown and morphed into something bigger than he originally dreamed. I have yet to read the other books at the core of Ender's story, but I feel like this one was a good start.
I can't give it more than three stars, though, because this book honestly felt a little bit more two-dimensional than EG. It just didn't feel as impactful as EG did to me. Maybe it's just that stillness after war. The lack of our ability to truly grasp what happens on Earth after EG is probably responsible for this feeling. It almost feels anti-climactic. In fact, it really does feel like a book out of place - neither a beginning, nor an end, but a middle of sorts. There simply doesn't seem to be a climax of any kind. Not really.
There are a few chapters in the book where I feel like threads belonging to other stories seem to intersect with Ender's, but we aren't really given as much depth as we could be given. Then again - those stories may play out in more depth in the other books, which I have not yet read.
There isn't much action, but that isn't really a complaint. More of an observation. Another note I filed away in my brain was Card's obvious moments of conservative "preaching," for lack of a better term. As a conservative, I am not entirely bothered by this, but even if I did agree with everything he stands for (which I don't know, because I know nothing about him other than that he's a Mormon), I don't like it when books try to tell me what to think. The fact that he cloaks these statements in character voices, and as accepted, never-debatable facts seems a bit unrealistic. Then again, this IS a science fiction novel, not a text book. So, it seems I can just let that go. And really -- no author can help but to write in his own Voice. If Card wrote from a voice not his own, the book would be utterly disingenuous, and completely unbelievable.
Ultimately, I liked it. I didn't love it. I enjoy wandering around in the Enderverse, and contemplating how close to reality it may turn out to be in Earth's future.
khetti's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5