Ender's Shadow
By Orson Scott Card
Published: 1999
Genre: Sci-fi novel
Info:Ender's Shadow is Card's latest book. This novel does not follow the Ender Quartet (Ender's Game, Speaker for the Dead, Xenocide, Children of the Mind) in time sequence; rather, it is a parallel novel to Ender's Game. The difference is that Ender's Game (published 1985) follows Andrew (Ender) Wiggin through his trials and triumphs in Battle School, whereas Ender's Shadow is about Bean. The novel can stand on its own; readers do not have to read Ender's Game to appreciate Card's work here. (I would recommend reading both, however; it's ingenius the way the stories come together.)
Synopsis: Bean is four years old and on
the streets of Rotterdam. Here, the children must survive by scavenging and
bullying. Bean is small in size, and this makes survival even more difficult for
him. However, Bean is precocious and understands what it takes to continue living in
this harsh world. His ideas somehow create order out of the chaotic life in
Rotterdam, attracting the attention of Sister Carlotta, who is recruiting for the Battle
School. That is how he ends up in space, learning how to survive in the much
different world of Battle School. In Battle School, Bean hears others repeatedly
comparing him to Ender. Ender has already developed a reputation in the school, and
being brilliant, he has made both friends and enemies. It would seem that Bean will
follow in Ender's footsteps, but this is not the case. Meanwhile, Sister Carlotta is conducting research on Bean's past. His origin explains his
unusual intelligence. Of course, there is a happy ending. (Well, as happy as you could get in
these circumstances.)
Analysis: This novel gives us more insight into the characters' motivations, and being from a different point of view, we see more
of how the plot was developing in the first book. It's different to see how Ender was viewed by those around him, rather than being in
his head all the time. The book was a bit lengthy, and I couldn't wait for Ender and Bean to meet for the first time. It's something like
that odd feeling you get when you watch a movie with two look-alikes in it--you can't wait until they see each other.
Recommendation: As I've already said, the storylines of Ender's Shadow and its parallel novel, Ender's Game, fit
together seamlessly. I recommend reading Ender's Game first because Ender's Shadow will make it more
complete in areas that didn't even appear to be lacking. It's beautiful. If you liked Ender's Game because of his
underdog triumph and innovative thinking, you're sure to like Ender's Shadow.
