Ender's Shadow

By Orson Scott Card

            Ender’s Shadow is a companion novel to Ender’s Game which is told from the perspective of one of the other students in Battle school.  I had a tough time deciding which book I wanted to read after Ender’s Game, and after some contemplation I went with Ender’s Shadow.  (There are over 7 books in the series, covering the period of time before the bugger war, during ender’s time as a launchie, and many books in the aftermath). 

            The main character is Bean, a tough little orphan from the streets of Rotterdam.  Among the orphans living on the street, some of the bullies are forming “families” to curry favor at the soup kitchens.  This idea was thought up by Bean, and his family is being run by Achilles.  Achilles is a tough cripple with a big chip on his shoulder.  He is wary of Bean, and makes it obvious that he will do whatever it takes to be in charge.  Bean plays dumb to avoid the eye of Achilles, but ends up being noticed by Sister Carlotta.  Sister Carlotta is working for the IF, and she has been testing orphans for years to see if they have what it takes to be placed in battle school.  Bean’s talents are noticed immediately, despite his best efforts to hide his intellect, and he soon finds himself in battle school.  Bean’s aptitude puts him in contention with Ender for Commander.  Similar to Ender, he is rigorously challenged and also excels in his studies.  Bean also pushes back against the IF, and does a lot more spying to discover the inner workings of battle school.  Bean finds himself in Ender’s army and becomes a very reliable teammate, in and outside of battles.  In addition to Enders storyline, Bean and Sister Carlotta are actively searching for where Bean came from and the mystery of his intelligence.

            I’m very glad that I decided to read this book in the order that I did.  Since all the activities of Ender’s Game were fresh in my mind, it was great to read the same story from a different perspective.  The reader gets a behind the scenes view of the competition between Bean and Ender, and how the Commander’s in battle school struggled with the decision of who is the best.  Some of the events from Ender’s Game are also reexamined, which gives us a more in depth view of what was going on.  By the end of the book, Bean was definitely a memorable and well developed character.  I would definitely check this book out if you enjoyed Ender’s Game.

Rating: 4 out of 5 Bunsen Burners

Up Next: Speaker for the Dead by Orson Scott Card

Ender's Game

By Orson Scott Card

            Ender’s Game is a sci-fi story that takes place in the future, 70 years after an alien invasion nearly wiped out all of civilization.  Things are rather bleak in the world, and another invasion by the “buggers” is imminent.  The IF, or International Fleet, is monitoring and searching for children who will make the perfect leader for the next bugger attack.  Ender Wiggin might just be that person, but the road to success will not be easy.

            Ender is a “third,” or the third child born to his parents.  The government has instituted a policy that restricts the number of children a family can have.  Ender’s siblings, Peter and Valentine, showed great promise in the IF initial testing, but were not accepted into command school for being too aggressive or passive, respectively.  The IF encouraged Ender’s parents to have Ender in hopes that he would be the ideal combination of attributes that they were looking for.  After they have finished their preliminary testing, Ender is admitted into the program and they immediately have high expectations for him.  Ender’s abilities, as well as overt favoritism (exhibited through promotion and academic success) paint a bullseye on him for all the other students.  He is continually tested, both mentally and for his capability as a leader for battle.  He is constantly being pushed, and given challenges of increasing difficulty.  Ender’s drive to overcome all odds, no matter what the cost, make him the ideal leader and take a heavy toll on his psyche.  Each chapter leaves the reader wanting more, as we gain momentum through this novel; will Ender be the leader that Earth is looking for, and can he do what is deemed necessary to defeat the buggers?  And most importantly, will Ender survive both his classmates and the mental strain?

On Earth, Ender’s siblings are also making waves in the political arena.  Intelligent, but rejected from battle school, Valentine and Peter have invented personalities with which they are writing essays designed to stir the pot.  With opposing viewpoints and maintaining anonymity, Demosthenes and Locke (Valentine and Peter), are slowly creating a following.   The whole world is in turmoil, and the Bugger War might be the catalyst which induces worldwide revolution.  If Peter has his way, he will be at the center of it.

            I really enjoyed this book and thought that the author did a good job developing Ender’s character and creating an interesting and relatable story.  The pressure he is put under is palpable and unrelenting.  As a reader, you can’t help but sympathize with Ender who is being placed under a ton of pressure for a young child.  I would definitely recommend this book for anyone interested in Science Fiction/space themed books.  Despite what I have read previously with Card, and omitting recent media attention to Card, I am impressed.  Check it out. 

            A brief note about the movie:  I really enjoyed the movie, but like most book people I thought that the book was much better.  The movie omitted much of the importance of Ender’s brother and sister, as well as downplaying the pressure Ender was under.  My prediction is that this movie will not continue into the series that Lionsgate wanted, but it could make for an interesting television series following the movie.

Rating: 4 out of 5 Bunsen Burners

Up Next: Ender’s Shadow by Orson Scott Card