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Ender's Shadow

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Ender's Shadow

By: Orson Scott Card
Narrated by: Scott Brick, Gabrielle de Cuir, full cast
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The novel that launched the bestselling Ender's Shadow series—available for the first time on audio

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....

©1999 Orson Scott Card; (P)2005 Audio Renaissance, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishers, LLC Adventure Military Science Fiction Space Opera Fiction Thought-Provoking War
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Critic reviews

  • Alex Award Winner, 2000

"An exceptional work." (School Library Journal)
"An absorbing, near-flawless performance." (Kirkus)
"As always, everyone will be struck by the power of Card's children, always more and less than human, perfect yet struggling, tragic, yet hopeful, wondrous and strange." (Publishers Weekly)

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This book takes us back to the Battle School events in Ender's Game, but retold from the perspective of a secondary character, Bean. You may wonder why you would want to read the same story again, but the manner in which it is written is excellent and at no point did I feel like I was going over old material. The back-story of Bean is gone into in detail which introduces new, interesting characters. The story from when he arrives at Battle School is very much Bean's and the author has ensured that Bean develops his own identity in the school and his own story before even meeting Ender.

This is the first in the "Shadow" series and of the five Enders books I have now listened to, this is just behind Ender's Game which is firmly the best. OSC uses his monumental skills to tell another great story, with great character, plot and dialogue. The narration team are as always exemplary.

You do not need to have read the Ender's series first, but I would strongly recommend it.

A Return to Battle School.

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I read the Enderverse game in close to publication order and Ender's Shadow is much closer to Ender's Game than any of the first sequels (the Speaker series). If you want more of Ender's Game, Ender's Shadow is your best bet.

The most like for like sequel to Ender's Game

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This was a fantastic start to the whole ender series. Excellent quality with a number of narrators speaking different parts. Orson is a terrific writer. Recommend listening to ender's shadow after this. I was amazed that the same events could be so different. Listen out for Orson himself

Great book

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I was worried about reading this book. I loved the Ender series so much, and I wasn't sure if I wanted to go back to the space station and relieve the story in case it was ruined. I did not have to fear. The story is just as thrilling, if not more so, from Bean's point of view.

This isn't a retelling of Ender's Game. This is fresh new material. You won't be bored and you will still be surprised when the cards fall. It also reveals a whole new nemesis who is just as terrifying as the buggers.

Bean is just as interesting as Ender

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Every bit as good as Enders game, would highly recommend to anyone who likes science fiction, and now on with Shadow of the Hegemon…

Incredible

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