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The Shadow #5
Shadows in Flight
Ender's Shadow explores the stars in this all-new novel...
At the end of Shadow of the Giant, Bean flees to the stars with three of his children--the three who share the engineered genes that gave him both hyper-intelligence and a short, cruel physical life. The time dilation granted by the speed of their travel gives Earth's scientists generations to seek a cure, to no avail. In time, they are forgotten--a fading ansible signal speaking of events lost to Earth's history. But the Delphikis are about to make a discovery that will let them save themselves, and perhaps all of humanity in days to come.
For there in space before them lies a derelict Formic colony ship. Aboard it, they will find both death and wonders--the life support that is failing on their own ship, room to grow, and labs in which to explore their own genetic anomaly and the mysterious disease that killed the ship's colony.
Shadows in Flight is the fifth novel in Orson Scott Card's Shadow Series.
At the end of Shadow of the Giant, Bean flees to the stars with three of his children--the three who share the engineered genes that gave him both hyper-intelligence and a short, cruel physical life. The time dilation granted by the speed of their travel gives Earth's scientists generations to seek a cure, to no avail. In time, they are forgotten--a fading ansible signal speaking of events lost to Earth's history. But the Delphikis are about to make a discovery that will let them save themselves, and perhaps all of humanity in days to come.
For there in space before them lies a derelict Formic colony ship. Aboard it, they will find both death and wonders--the life support that is failing on their own ship, room to grow, and labs in which to explore their own genetic anomaly and the mysterious disease that killed the ship's colony.
Shadows in Flight is the fifth novel in Orson Scott Card's Shadow Series.
304 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 17, 2011
331 people are currently reading
13601 people want to read
About the author
Orson Scott Card
891 books20.6k followersOrson Scott Card is an American writer known best for his science fiction works. He is (as of 2023) the only person to have won a Hugo Award and a Nebula Award in consecutive years, winning both awards for his novel Ender's Game (1985) and its sequel Speaker for the Dead (1986). A feature film adaptation of Ender's Game, which Card co-produced, was released in 2013. Card also wrote the Locus Fantasy Award-winning series The Tales of Alvin Maker (1987–2003).
Card's fiction often features characters with exceptional gifts who make difficult choices with high stakes. Card has also written political, religious, and social commentary in his columns and other writing; his opposition to homosexuality has provoked public criticism.
Card, who is a great-great-grandson of Brigham Young, was born in Richland, Washington, and grew up in Utah and California. While he was a student at Brigham Young University (BYU), his plays were performed on stage. He served in Brazil as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and headed a community theater for two summers. Card had 27 short stories published between 1978 and 1979, and he won the John W. Campbell Award for best new writer in 1978. He earned a master's degree in English from the University of Utah in 1981 and wrote novels in science fiction, fantasy, non-fiction, and historical fiction genres starting in 1979. Card continued to write prolifically, and he has published over 50 novels and 45 short stories.
Card teaches English at Southern Virginia University; he has written two books on creative writing and serves as a judge in the Writers of the Future contest. He has taught many successful writers at his "literary boot camps". He remains a practicing member of the LDS Church and Mormon fiction writers Stephenie Meyer, Brandon Sanderson, and Dave Wolverton have cited his works as a major influence.
Card's fiction often features characters with exceptional gifts who make difficult choices with high stakes. Card has also written political, religious, and social commentary in his columns and other writing; his opposition to homosexuality has provoked public criticism.
Card, who is a great-great-grandson of Brigham Young, was born in Richland, Washington, and grew up in Utah and California. While he was a student at Brigham Young University (BYU), his plays were performed on stage. He served in Brazil as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and headed a community theater for two summers. Card had 27 short stories published between 1978 and 1979, and he won the John W. Campbell Award for best new writer in 1978. He earned a master's degree in English from the University of Utah in 1981 and wrote novels in science fiction, fantasy, non-fiction, and historical fiction genres starting in 1979. Card continued to write prolifically, and he has published over 50 novels and 45 short stories.
Card teaches English at Southern Virginia University; he has written two books on creative writing and serves as a judge in the Writers of the Future contest. He has taught many successful writers at his "literary boot camps". He remains a practicing member of the LDS Church and Mormon fiction writers Stephenie Meyer, Brandon Sanderson, and Dave Wolverton have cited his works as a major influence.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,264 reviews
September 28, 2013
What could have been an epic reunion between Bean and Ender that wraps up the final mysteries of both Anton's Key and the language/biology of the Descoladores instead quickly spirals into a blatant re-hash of previous works, except without the depth and psychology of the original novels.
We begin on the generation ship Bean and his 3 Anton-turned children fled earth upon. The children, two boys and a girl, are named Ender, Sergeant, and Carlotta. Sergeant is overly vicious and desperate for approval. Carlotta is malleable and gentle. Ender strikes the balance. Sounding familiar yet? With the honorific names, Card is no longer even pretending to come up with original characters, but instead re-explores the same dynamic without taking the time to build up or explore the actual characterization.
There is a lot of telling and no showing in the novel. Gone are descriptions of context and behavior that lead to deductions on Bean and Ender's part. Instead, the children tell us in their mind what they have decided and how things will go, without either process or evidence. Characterization is the same way. We are told Carlotta bends to Sergeant's will, but we rarely see her capitulate in any way beyond a simple occasional favor.
The 'crisis' of the novel comes too early. I really didn't give a shit if the life support was going out. I had known the children for all of 10 pages and none of them had been interesting or endearing. Bean was functionally out of the picture, doomed to die and residing in the cargo bay of the ship in a near vegetative state. What little Bean does say or do, his children say seemingly decades before him. Either that or he reminisces. There's a lot of reminiscing. Like, a lot.
Lastly, the last third of the book undermines the entire message---the entire POINT---of the entire Ender line of novels. Completely and irrevocably. For a book that tries to latch onto my nostaglia using Bean's memories of Ender, it seems to fail to understand the significance of those memories, that plot and history that came before. Sometimes these things can add complexity and depth, but in this case, the depth was already there, and these changes were trite and shallow, much like the rest of the novel.
A minor nitpick is that Card didn't go all-in with Bean's disability. In previous novels, doctors stipulated that removing limbs could drastically lengthen Bean's life. If Bean is to be a tragic character as he's been presented, well, don't puss out.
This novel ties up some, but certainly not many, loose ends, and in a wholly unsatisfying way. Die hards only.
We begin on the generation ship Bean and his 3 Anton-turned children fled earth upon. The children, two boys and a girl, are named Ender, Sergeant, and Carlotta. Sergeant is overly vicious and desperate for approval. Carlotta is malleable and gentle. Ender strikes the balance. Sounding familiar yet? With the honorific names, Card is no longer even pretending to come up with original characters, but instead re-explores the same dynamic without taking the time to build up or explore the actual characterization.
There is a lot of telling and no showing in the novel. Gone are descriptions of context and behavior that lead to deductions on Bean and Ender's part. Instead, the children tell us in their mind what they have decided and how things will go, without either process or evidence. Characterization is the same way. We are told Carlotta bends to Sergeant's will, but we rarely see her capitulate in any way beyond a simple occasional favor.
The 'crisis' of the novel comes too early. I really didn't give a shit if the life support was going out. I had known the children for all of 10 pages and none of them had been interesting or endearing. Bean was functionally out of the picture, doomed to die and residing in the cargo bay of the ship in a near vegetative state. What little Bean does say or do, his children say seemingly decades before him. Either that or he reminisces. There's a lot of reminiscing. Like, a lot.
Lastly, the last third of the book undermines the entire message---the entire POINT---of the entire Ender line of novels. Completely and irrevocably. For a book that tries to latch onto my nostaglia using Bean's memories of Ender, it seems to fail to understand the significance of those memories, that plot and history that came before. Sometimes these things can add complexity and depth, but in this case, the depth was already there, and these changes were trite and shallow, much like the rest of the novel.
A minor nitpick is that Card didn't go all-in with Bean's disability. In previous novels, doctors stipulated that removing limbs could drastically lengthen Bean's life. If Bean is to be a tragic character as he's been presented, well, don't puss out.
This novel ties up some, but certainly not many, loose ends, and in a wholly unsatisfying way. Die hards only.
February 1, 2012
Over time, the Ender novels have become a series of diminishing returns. Orson Scott Card breathed a bit of new life into the series by going back to its roots and examining the saga from Bean's point of view, but after five books I find myself once again suffering series fatigue.
The latest installment Shadows In Flight isn't necessarily a terrible book. It's just a pale shadow (pun fully intended) of the first novels in this series. Bean and three of his children have launched themselves into the universe, trying to get away from Earth and to cure the condition that condemns them to a rapid lifespan. Along the way, they encounter a mysterious ship resulting in a first contact situation.
I know that Card isn't a huge fan of Star Trek but there were multiple instances reading this latest book that I felt like this story would work better in the Trek universe than it does in the Ender universe. Again, part of that could be my deep abiding hope that Captain Kirk might somehow beam over and start to liven things up a bit because large chunks of this book are endless philosophical debate between characters who, quite frankly, fail to grab my attention or be memorable in any significant way.
The good thing I can say about Flight is it's mercifully shorter than most of other installments of the series. It felt more like an interesting idea for a novella expanded out to just barely a short novel length.
With each of the last several Shadow novels, I've come to the final page and felt like Card has run out of interesting ideas for this universe and declared that it's less than likely I'd read the next installment, assuming there is one. So, here I am, once again at the same point, swearing off the books and vowing to not read any more. But I know deep down the completest in me won't allow a sixth installment to go unread simply because of the fond memories I have of the early installments of the Ender saga. So maybe it's time for Mr. Card to do us all a favor and let this series rest.
The latest installment Shadows In Flight isn't necessarily a terrible book. It's just a pale shadow (pun fully intended) of the first novels in this series. Bean and three of his children have launched themselves into the universe, trying to get away from Earth and to cure the condition that condemns them to a rapid lifespan. Along the way, they encounter a mysterious ship resulting in a first contact situation.
I know that Card isn't a huge fan of Star Trek but there were multiple instances reading this latest book that I felt like this story would work better in the Trek universe than it does in the Ender universe. Again, part of that could be my deep abiding hope that Captain Kirk might somehow beam over and start to liven things up a bit because large chunks of this book are endless philosophical debate between characters who, quite frankly, fail to grab my attention or be memorable in any significant way.
The good thing I can say about Flight is it's mercifully shorter than most of other installments of the series. It felt more like an interesting idea for a novella expanded out to just barely a short novel length.
With each of the last several Shadow novels, I've come to the final page and felt like Card has run out of interesting ideas for this universe and declared that it's less than likely I'd read the next installment, assuming there is one. So, here I am, once again at the same point, swearing off the books and vowing to not read any more. But I know deep down the completest in me won't allow a sixth installment to go unread simply because of the fond memories I have of the early installments of the Ender saga. So maybe it's time for Mr. Card to do us all a favor and let this series rest.
May 8, 2024
While I excoriated the "Enhanced E-book edition" of this novel, I did enjoy this non-abridged continuation of the Ender's Shadow saga.
January 22, 2024
A lot of people slammed this volume, but despite its slow start and particularly unlikeable bratty protagonists, the story of Bean on the Herodotus spacecraft with his three kids and the meetup with the Formics spaceship towards the end was great sci-fi, I felt. Looking forward now to the conclusion to the whole series of books in the Ender/Bean-centric Enderverse, The Last Shadow.
Fino's Enderverse Reviews in internal chronological order (I think):
- https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
- https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
- https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
- https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
- https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
- https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
- https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
- https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
- https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
- https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
- https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Fino's Enderverse Reviews in internal chronological order (I think):
- https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
- https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
- https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
- https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
- https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
- https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
- https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
- https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
- https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
- https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
- https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
January 16, 2025
Pequeña novela que sirve de cierre a la historia de Bean la cual se había quedado en el aire al terminar La sombra del gigante.
Card también aprovecha para ir acercándose al arco de Ender para ir cerrando ambos universos.
No está al nivel de los anteriores de la saga y mucho menos al nivel de los libros centrados en Ender. Son apenas 200 páginas, 10 capítulos, donde parece que el autor tiene prisa y cuenta mucho pero muestra poco. Nos tenemos que creer lo que piensan los personajes simplemente porque son muy listos y las pocas ideas interesantes que esboza las abandona y opta por la vía fácil. Además, al final introduce un cambio en todo lo que se ha contado en los anteriores libros que me ha dejado descolocado y no sé a dónde quiere ir porque desmerece lo bien construido que está el arco de Ender.
Me quedan dos libros para terminar el universo y ver a dónde lleva pero queda claro que va de obra maestra (El juego de Ender, La sombra de Ender) a algo que no merece mucho la pena leer.
Card también aprovecha para ir acercándose al arco de Ender para ir cerrando ambos universos.
No está al nivel de los anteriores de la saga y mucho menos al nivel de los libros centrados en Ender. Son apenas 200 páginas, 10 capítulos, donde parece que el autor tiene prisa y cuenta mucho pero muestra poco. Nos tenemos que creer lo que piensan los personajes simplemente porque son muy listos y las pocas ideas interesantes que esboza las abandona y opta por la vía fácil. Además, al final introduce un cambio en todo lo que se ha contado en los anteriores libros que me ha dejado descolocado y no sé a dónde quiere ir porque desmerece lo bien construido que está el arco de Ender.
Me quedan dos libros para terminar el universo y ver a dónde lleva pero queda claro que va de obra maestra (El juego de Ender, La sombra de Ender) a algo que no merece mucho la pena leer.
December 6, 2012
At the end of Shadow of the Giant, I couldn't wait for this one to be released. That was a couple years ago, and when I heard that it was finally written, I pre-ordered it. I'd been disappointed in Ender in Exile, but that hadn't been terrible (just forgettable). I was excited to see how this finally ended, and hoped Mr. Card had returned to form.
Dear Lord, were those hopes misplaced. I noticed right away that the book was short. I don't have it in front of me, but I think it barely reaches 300 pages. If these pages were packed with peril, character development, and intriguing plot, this might have been fine, but since at least a third is given over to rehashing (often inaccurately) the old books, the plot feels really thin. Despite it's short length, it still manages to drag on and on and be rather dull.
I didn't care about any of Bean's children, and perhaps that's why it was dull. If the characters are boring, the plot can be the most interesting thing in the world (which is was not), and it will still leave little impact. I've always loved Mr Card for his characters, but these seemed like flat rehashes of everyone else he's ever written. Character traits are shoehorned in and badly exposited during dull (and painfully unrealistic) dialogue. If he had taken more words and shown more of their life on the ship before this, perhaps I would have cared more.
Worse still is the revelation at the end of the book. I won't spoil it, but I will only say that it made me very angry and now I won't be able to read the early books the same way.
However, I did mostly like the parts from Bean's point of view, and I'll admit to getting a little choked up at the last scene, but then again, I cry over Beauty and the Beast.
I'd say don't bother, but if you're buying it, you've probably already read the other books and are kind of looking forward to it. Allow me to crush your hopes and tell you: No, Ender fans. It is not worth it. But neither was Ender in Exile, or A War of Gifts (though both those are better than this.) But you will still buy the next book, and keep buying them as the series continues and Mr. Card lines his pockets with your hard earned cash. At this point, he could write blindfolded and drunk and you would buy it, just to see what happens next.
And the sad part is, so will I.
Dear Lord, were those hopes misplaced. I noticed right away that the book was short. I don't have it in front of me, but I think it barely reaches 300 pages. If these pages were packed with peril, character development, and intriguing plot, this might have been fine, but since at least a third is given over to rehashing (often inaccurately) the old books, the plot feels really thin. Despite it's short length, it still manages to drag on and on and be rather dull.
I didn't care about any of Bean's children, and perhaps that's why it was dull. If the characters are boring, the plot can be the most interesting thing in the world (which is was not), and it will still leave little impact. I've always loved Mr Card for his characters, but these seemed like flat rehashes of everyone else he's ever written. Character traits are shoehorned in and badly exposited during dull (and painfully unrealistic) dialogue. If he had taken more words and shown more of their life on the ship before this, perhaps I would have cared more.
Worse still is the revelation at the end of the book. I won't spoil it, but I will only say that it made me very angry and now I won't be able to read the early books the same way.
However, I did mostly like the parts from Bean's point of view, and I'll admit to getting a little choked up at the last scene, but then again, I cry over Beauty and the Beast.
I'd say don't bother, but if you're buying it, you've probably already read the other books and are kind of looking forward to it. Allow me to crush your hopes and tell you: No, Ender fans. It is not worth it. But neither was Ender in Exile, or A War of Gifts (though both those are better than this.) But you will still buy the next book, and keep buying them as the series continues and Mr. Card lines his pockets with your hard earned cash. At this point, he could write blindfolded and drunk and you would buy it, just to see what happens next.
And the sad part is, so will I.
September 20, 2022
Enjoyable!
This is the first of two books that make the bridge between the Ender’s Shadow series and the Ender’s Game series.
In the Ender’s Game series, book one (Ender’s Game) ends with Ender being exiled from Earth after commanding a group of genius children to win a war to save Earth from aliens. The second book in that series picks up 3,000 Earth-years later (although due to the relativistic time dilation when travelling near the speed of light, Ender is not very much older than when he left Earth).
The Ender’s Shadow series covers the first five years on Earth after Ender’s exile and deals with those Battle School children who returned to Earth.
This, book five in the Shadow series, is the first bridge between the two series…
Bean and three of his children have been sent into space, again, to take advantage of the relativistic effects of travelling near the speed of light. Why? They are sent in the hopes that while they are away, a cure will be found for the genetic defect that both makes them geniuses and causes an early death.
While in space, they discover what they believe to be an inhabited alien space ship coming into orbit around a far off planet… After fighting and winning one war against aliens, are Bean and his children about to discover another species that humans will need to fight?
As always, I love Orson Scott Card’s writing and characterization. Also, the book is interesting from the aspect of taking us away from Earth and introducing us to an alien race.
This book can be read as a standalone novel and I definitely recommend it!
True rating: 4.5
This is the first of two books that make the bridge between the Ender’s Shadow series and the Ender’s Game series.
In the Ender’s Game series, book one (Ender’s Game) ends with Ender being exiled from Earth after commanding a group of genius children to win a war to save Earth from aliens. The second book in that series picks up 3,000 Earth-years later (although due to the relativistic time dilation when travelling near the speed of light, Ender is not very much older than when he left Earth).
The Ender’s Shadow series covers the first five years on Earth after Ender’s exile and deals with those Battle School children who returned to Earth.
This, book five in the Shadow series, is the first bridge between the two series…
Bean and three of his children have been sent into space, again, to take advantage of the relativistic effects of travelling near the speed of light. Why? They are sent in the hopes that while they are away, a cure will be found for the genetic defect that both makes them geniuses and causes an early death.
While in space, they discover what they believe to be an inhabited alien space ship coming into orbit around a far off planet… After fighting and winning one war against aliens, are Bean and his children about to discover another species that humans will need to fight?
As always, I love Orson Scott Card’s writing and characterization. Also, the book is interesting from the aspect of taking us away from Earth and introducing us to an alien race.
This book can be read as a standalone novel and I definitely recommend it!
True rating: 4.5
July 18, 2013
I was thoroughly prepared for the possibility that this book might not be as good as the incomparable Ender's Game, the masterful Ender's Shadow, or the other books in the Shadow series.
I was not at all prepared for the actuality that this book was not only awful in its own right, it actually retcons the original books to the point of making them worse by association.
No one who loves Ender's Game should read this book under any circumstances.
I was not at all prepared for the actuality that this book was not only awful in its own right, it actually retcons the original books to the point of making them worse by association.
No one who loves Ender's Game should read this book under any circumstances.
May 22, 2012
First off, the sci-fi element is grand. Wonderful detail concerning mechanical and biological systems, as well as logistical solutions. Well written and easy to read and understand.
Second, OSC had to write genius interior and exterior dialogue - some from adolescent POVs. That could be difficult to pull off, but I bought it. Some of the quips were funny.
I'll stop counting now -- reading sci-fi stimulates my left brain. I have read most of the Ender series, so this installment made sense and added an interesting and creative perspective. There were a couple of explorations into the nature of language and mind -control that I loved. Adventure and space stories can be fun, but I'll give an extra cheer for those that teach me something or are thought-provoking.
My criticism with the novel is that despite all the positive qualities, it still felt shallow and sketchy. For basic story-telling qualities alone, such as character development, etc, I'd give it 3 stars. For example, the story starts with Ender, one of the genius children, then hops to the other two children, so we get to know them, which is fine. However, the real owner of the story is Bean. Once the baton is passed to him, it becomes more interesting because he has the history and maturity. Artistically, (right brain - is that you?) I think the entire framework should have been from Bean. But then, who am I to criticize Sir Card? I can say, I liked the earlier Ender novels better because they had more meat in the present story, rather than in the back-story.
Conclusion? If you liked the Ender series, you'll appreciate this installment, but don't start here.
Second, OSC had to write genius interior and exterior dialogue - some from adolescent POVs. That could be difficult to pull off, but I bought it. Some of the quips were funny.
I'll stop counting now -- reading sci-fi stimulates my left brain. I have read most of the Ender series, so this installment made sense and added an interesting and creative perspective. There were a couple of explorations into the nature of language and mind -control that I loved. Adventure and space stories can be fun, but I'll give an extra cheer for those that teach me something or are thought-provoking.
My criticism with the novel is that despite all the positive qualities, it still felt shallow and sketchy. For basic story-telling qualities alone, such as character development, etc, I'd give it 3 stars. For example, the story starts with Ender, one of the genius children, then hops to the other two children, so we get to know them, which is fine. However, the real owner of the story is Bean. Once the baton is passed to him, it becomes more interesting because he has the history and maturity. Artistically, (right brain - is that you?) I think the entire framework should have been from Bean. But then, who am I to criticize Sir Card? I can say, I liked the earlier Ender novels better because they had more meat in the present story, rather than in the back-story.
Conclusion? If you liked the Ender series, you'll appreciate this installment, but don't start here.
December 26, 2023
Reread, I liked it better the first time but it is still a great story.
Orson Scott Card’s Shadows in Flight is a 5 Star ride at light-speed with Julian “Bean” Delphiki and his three similarly gifted and cursed children. Bean is simply the best character from the original Ender’s Game and this chapter in the tale is pure gold, at least for me. Bean is a genius due to genetic modifications but that tinkering has also caused a problem, giantism. Bean doesn’t stop growing and his kids will have the same genius brain but also the same disease. They are loaded on a spaceship and accelerate to near light speed in the hope that research on Earth over hundreds of years will find a cure while they only age slowly in space. This book is barely over 200 pages and just perfectly written. The kids, little Andrew “Ender”, Carlotta and Cincinnatus “Sergeant” Delphiki are locked in a struggle to grow up, survive and find a cure, while their Dad has grown so large, (4.5 meters tall) and weak, he can only live in the cargo bay at low gravity. The story of what Bean and his kids discover along the way is heartwarming, tragic, happy, sad, and yet, gives hope. Trust me on this one, if you are a fan of the Ender Saga, you will love this part of it.
Orson Scott Card’s Shadows in Flight is a 5 Star ride at light-speed with Julian “Bean” Delphiki and his three similarly gifted and cursed children. Bean is simply the best character from the original Ender’s Game and this chapter in the tale is pure gold, at least for me. Bean is a genius due to genetic modifications but that tinkering has also caused a problem, giantism. Bean doesn’t stop growing and his kids will have the same genius brain but also the same disease. They are loaded on a spaceship and accelerate to near light speed in the hope that research on Earth over hundreds of years will find a cure while they only age slowly in space. This book is barely over 200 pages and just perfectly written. The kids, little Andrew “Ender”, Carlotta and Cincinnatus “Sergeant” Delphiki are locked in a struggle to grow up, survive and find a cure, while their Dad has grown so large, (4.5 meters tall) and weak, he can only live in the cargo bay at low gravity. The story of what Bean and his kids discover along the way is heartwarming, tragic, happy, sad, and yet, gives hope. Trust me on this one, if you are a fan of the Ender Saga, you will love this part of it.
January 12, 2012
Shadows in Flight by Orson Scott Card, as reviewed here is an uncorrected proof of a book that will be published in January, 2012. This novel does not have a stand-alone plot. Card is tying up one of the last loose ends in the universe that he first created in Ender’s Game back in 1985.
Picking up where he left off, Orson Scott Card immediately reminded me why I was drawn to his writing originally. A true “Hard Sci-Fi” novel, is centered around a plausible and explained future. Card proves himself to be knowledgeable and capable of writing about an assortment of applicable sciences, from astrophysics to cellular biology to developmental psychology.
He is also the rare author who can convincingly write genius characters to fill this plot.. The characters use their intelligence at every opportunity and sometimes leave the audience stunned.
For those who have read the rest of the books within this epic, especially the whole Shadow series, Shadows in Flight is one you won’t want to miss.
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In compliance with FTC guidelines, I'm disclosing that I received this book for free through Goodreads Giveaways.
Picking up where he left off, Orson Scott Card immediately reminded me why I was drawn to his writing originally. A true “Hard Sci-Fi” novel, is centered around a plausible and explained future. Card proves himself to be knowledgeable and capable of writing about an assortment of applicable sciences, from astrophysics to cellular biology to developmental psychology.
He is also the rare author who can convincingly write genius characters to fill this plot.. The characters use their intelligence at every opportunity and sometimes leave the audience stunned.
For those who have read the rest of the books within this epic, especially the whole Shadow series, Shadows in Flight is one you won’t want to miss.
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In compliance with FTC guidelines, I'm disclosing that I received this book for free through Goodreads Giveaways.
October 15, 2019
(This is a 3.5 star rating)
Works as a decent tie-up for the Shadow series after having beaten the reader to death with the "REPRODUCTION IS THE MEANING OF LIFE" stick, giving some character to these babies we've heard so much about, while posing an ethical quandary that acts as a step stool for those posed in the Speaker for the Dead series. It was nice to see the return of a "genius children in space" environment and something else familiar to fans of the first book that started this enormous web of books. I wasn't as connected to the characters and even Bean whom we've been following for so long was nearly unrecognizable! Still, there was a good dynamic and while there was a pretty silly solution to their whole "we will die before we're 20" dilemma, it was a fun short read, so I'll be less critical of it.
Works as a decent tie-up for the Shadow series after having beaten the reader to death with the "REPRODUCTION IS THE MEANING OF LIFE" stick, giving some character to these babies we've heard so much about, while posing an ethical quandary that acts as a step stool for those posed in the Speaker for the Dead series. It was nice to see the return of a "genius children in space" environment and something else familiar to fans of the first book that started this enormous web of books. I wasn't as connected to the characters and even Bean whom we've been following for so long was nearly unrecognizable! Still, there was a good dynamic and while there was a pretty silly solution to their whole "we will die before we're 20" dilemma, it was a fun short read, so I'll be less critical of it.
March 25, 2014
Shadows in Flight
Orson Scott Card
-Julian Delphiki, Bean and Giant-- The father of Cincinnatus, Carlotta and Ender
-Carlotta-daughter of Julian, with the intelligence to pass any engineering degree
-Cincinnatus-son of Julian, one of the greatest military minds in the known world
-Ender Delphiki, son of Julian, smart enough to earn a doctorate
-Shadows in Flight starts when Julian and his three kids leave Earth forever, in a starship traveling near lightspeed. Julian, and his three kids, have a certain genetic “disease” known to few as Anton’s Key. This disease causes the individual to have a subconscious intelligence, making them capable of almost anything by the age of six (which is the age that Ender, Cincinnatus, and Carlotta are). However, they grow at a specified rate, and never stop growing, until their heart cannot pump blood to the body. In order to survive, Julian takes his three “infected” kids into space, in order to slow the effects of the disease, as there is no gravity, so Bean’s heart can work for a longer time. Bean is in his mid-twenties, and he knows he has only one or two more years before he dies. While scouring space for a suitable planet to raise his kids and to find a cure to reverse Anton’s Key”. His kids refer to him as Giant, not Dad or anything else, as they do not socialize at all with him. Bean is permanently living in the cargo bay of their ship, as he is near 13 feet tall, and cannot live in the cabins. When they finally come across an Earth-like planet, they find a Bugger colony ship in orbit. When the three kids board the ship of the extinct species, their future changes entirely.
-The conflict in this book is essentially person vs. time. Bean, Carlotta, Cincinnatus, and Ender have until they are around 26 or 27 years old before they die because of heart failure. The three kids are pooling their intelligence to find a cure for their disease with only limited advice from their father. When they reach the Bugger ship, they go to their father to find out what to do. He tells Cincinnatus to take the ships smaller pod (called the Puppy) and circle, and dock with the ship. Bean believes that all of the Buggers are dead and that this will be just an empty ship with a few corpses. But when Bean reads motion on Cincinnatus’ monitors, a sliver of hope becomes alive. Cincinnatus retreats back into the Puppy and returns to the starship. He tells all of them to board the ancient ship, as there might be something on board that might help them. The three kids mount a full scale reconnaissance mission into the Bugger ship. What they find in the alien ship will change all of the Delphiki’s lives and chances for survival.
- I liked this book for several reasons. First, the Shadow series followed the life of Bean, and his intelligence, which separated him from the rest of humanity. Because he was so different from everyone else, his problems were extremely unique, and were captured perfectly by Card. Also, Card provided large amounts of suspense, so you never knew what was going to happen. This was followed by extremely significant action that kept the reader engaged. Furthermore, Card sums up this book in a way that, if you’ve read the book before this one, his problems become touching and connectable, the way any book or movie should. The ideas Bean has for his kids is admirable, finding new things gives you a new sense of hope for the characters. There was also some humor in the book, while sometimes rude and other times compared to complex things, it was still amusing. I highly recommend this book after the first books in the Shadow Series and Ender’s Game as well.
Orson Scott Card
-Julian Delphiki, Bean and Giant-- The father of Cincinnatus, Carlotta and Ender
-Carlotta-daughter of Julian, with the intelligence to pass any engineering degree
-Cincinnatus-son of Julian, one of the greatest military minds in the known world
-Ender Delphiki, son of Julian, smart enough to earn a doctorate
-Shadows in Flight starts when Julian and his three kids leave Earth forever, in a starship traveling near lightspeed. Julian, and his three kids, have a certain genetic “disease” known to few as Anton’s Key. This disease causes the individual to have a subconscious intelligence, making them capable of almost anything by the age of six (which is the age that Ender, Cincinnatus, and Carlotta are). However, they grow at a specified rate, and never stop growing, until their heart cannot pump blood to the body. In order to survive, Julian takes his three “infected” kids into space, in order to slow the effects of the disease, as there is no gravity, so Bean’s heart can work for a longer time. Bean is in his mid-twenties, and he knows he has only one or two more years before he dies. While scouring space for a suitable planet to raise his kids and to find a cure to reverse Anton’s Key”. His kids refer to him as Giant, not Dad or anything else, as they do not socialize at all with him. Bean is permanently living in the cargo bay of their ship, as he is near 13 feet tall, and cannot live in the cabins. When they finally come across an Earth-like planet, they find a Bugger colony ship in orbit. When the three kids board the ship of the extinct species, their future changes entirely.
-The conflict in this book is essentially person vs. time. Bean, Carlotta, Cincinnatus, and Ender have until they are around 26 or 27 years old before they die because of heart failure. The three kids are pooling their intelligence to find a cure for their disease with only limited advice from their father. When they reach the Bugger ship, they go to their father to find out what to do. He tells Cincinnatus to take the ships smaller pod (called the Puppy) and circle, and dock with the ship. Bean believes that all of the Buggers are dead and that this will be just an empty ship with a few corpses. But when Bean reads motion on Cincinnatus’ monitors, a sliver of hope becomes alive. Cincinnatus retreats back into the Puppy and returns to the starship. He tells all of them to board the ancient ship, as there might be something on board that might help them. The three kids mount a full scale reconnaissance mission into the Bugger ship. What they find in the alien ship will change all of the Delphiki’s lives and chances for survival.
- I liked this book for several reasons. First, the Shadow series followed the life of Bean, and his intelligence, which separated him from the rest of humanity. Because he was so different from everyone else, his problems were extremely unique, and were captured perfectly by Card. Also, Card provided large amounts of suspense, so you never knew what was going to happen. This was followed by extremely significant action that kept the reader engaged. Furthermore, Card sums up this book in a way that, if you’ve read the book before this one, his problems become touching and connectable, the way any book or movie should. The ideas Bean has for his kids is admirable, finding new things gives you a new sense of hope for the characters. There was also some humor in the book, while sometimes rude and other times compared to complex things, it was still amusing. I highly recommend this book after the first books in the Shadow Series and Ender’s Game as well.
June 22, 2012
It's almost ridiculous to call this a true novel. It barely qualifies as a novella. Imagine taking a normal length Enderverse novel, cutting out all of the characterization and most of the plot details, and calling it a new volume in the saga. That's more or less what this book is, and it's ludicrous that the book is being sold at full price.
Unlike the previous books in the "Shadow" arc, Bean might as well be absent, for all that his character does very much. He becomes important towards the end, when one of the two major advancements of the saga takes place, and critical information is transferred to Ender. But one would think that this portion of Bean's journey would involve him a bit more.
The vast majority of the book centers on Bean's three genetically altered children, the ones sent into space with him because they are destined to follow in his giant footsteps. Sadly, the three children (Ender, Carlotta, and Cincinnatus) are all but defined by a single character trait each. It makes the squabbling between the siblings rather tedious, which is not a good sign, when they drive 90% of the story!
The discovery of a derelict spaceship does lend itself to some Rama-esque exploration, but it's over just as it starts to get truly interesting. The rest is some surprisingly shallow world-building, as the surviving residents of the ship eventually tell their story to Ender (a blatant homage to the actual Ender Wiggin, in fact). This ultimately leads to the second major plot advancement, one that is all but relegated to an afterthought, despite its implications to the overall saga.
And therein lies my disappointment with this story. Everything that happens could, and probably should, have been fleshed out in far more detail. The characters needed a lot more depth, and the plot elements are glossed over so quickly that the net effect is lost in the rush to the inevitable ending. It leaves me a bit worried about what to expect from "Shadows Alive", the apparent final volume of the Enderverse saga, as it was originally planned to be part of this book. Perhaps "Earth Unaware", the upcoming prequel to the Enderverse saga, will renew my confidence, if it is a more substantial work.
May 1, 2013
Alright, this sucked.
No offense to Card, but this was a terrible book. I would like to add, before I move on, that the Ender series, both the saga and the Shadows series, are a collection of my favorite books of all time. So it is not that I am not a Card fan, it is just that this sucked.
Basically, I don't even know why this was written. It all seemed rushed and recycled. Bean's three children are yet another personification of Ender's, not even Bean's, personality. Which we got enough of in a brilliant piece of work from Xenocide and Children of the Mind. Instead of getting a look into Bean himself, we got Ender again. Don't get me wrong, I love Wiggin more than Delphiki, but the amount of Ender's internal struggle with himself that I got from the Ender's Saga is enough. I know his personality inside out and backwards. And although there is still a strong background on Bean, at the close of the last book he continued to surprise me and I wished for more insight onto his character, since there was another book.
I was looking foward to this book tying in the two series, but it didn't really do that. Instead, it was somewhat independent from the two. Just a bunch of punk kids who were off in space doing their own thing. And the way he could have built the storyline of this book? Card failed at that, too. While I was looking for something philosophical like some of his other books, with a fun sci-fi twist that made me think, all I got was a basic storyline that built too fast and drug on too long with no new character work and poor Bean off lying around because his heart was failing. Which he could have written a lot better as well.
And Bean's death was so disappointing I don't even want to talk about it. Two of the greatest character's I've ever lived through died, one in a rather alright way (Ender) and one in the most disappointing over-too-quick deaths ever.
Also, DON'T BUY THE FANCY EXPENSIVE DELUX EREADER EDITION. It is a cut down version of the book with pretty pictures that I hated.
Thank you, and good day.
No offense to Card, but this was a terrible book. I would like to add, before I move on, that the Ender series, both the saga and the Shadows series, are a collection of my favorite books of all time. So it is not that I am not a Card fan, it is just that this sucked.
Basically, I don't even know why this was written. It all seemed rushed and recycled. Bean's three children are yet another personification of Ender's, not even Bean's, personality. Which we got enough of in a brilliant piece of work from Xenocide and Children of the Mind. Instead of getting a look into Bean himself, we got Ender again. Don't get me wrong, I love Wiggin more than Delphiki, but the amount of Ender's internal struggle with himself that I got from the Ender's Saga is enough. I know his personality inside out and backwards. And although there is still a strong background on Bean, at the close of the last book he continued to surprise me and I wished for more insight onto his character, since there was another book.
I was looking foward to this book tying in the two series, but it didn't really do that. Instead, it was somewhat independent from the two. Just a bunch of punk kids who were off in space doing their own thing. And the way he could have built the storyline of this book? Card failed at that, too. While I was looking for something philosophical like some of his other books, with a fun sci-fi twist that made me think, all I got was a basic storyline that built too fast and drug on too long with no new character work and poor Bean off lying around because his heart was failing. Which he could have written a lot better as well.
And Bean's death was so disappointing I don't even want to talk about it. Two of the greatest character's I've ever lived through died, one in a rather alright way (Ender) and one in the most disappointing over-too-quick deaths ever.
Also, DON'T BUY THE FANCY EXPENSIVE DELUX EREADER EDITION. It is a cut down version of the book with pretty pictures that I hated.
Thank you, and good day.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 24, 2012
The best Ender sequel since Ender’s Shadow. This book is closer to an extended short story than a full novel, but I liked it better than any of the novel sequels to Ender’s Shadow because, starting with Shadow of the Hegemon, this series sort of lost its way, becoming more about geopolitics than the character driven stories that made Ender’s Game and its immediate sequels so great, as the character development and character moments, while still there, took a back seat to warmongering and wartime maneuvering.
Not so in this book. It’s awesome that Bean’s kids are counterparts to Ender and his siblings. I can totally see Ender Wiggin in Ender Delphiki, Valentine in Carlotta, and Peter in Sergeant. In fact, their arguments and squabbles felt more funny and natural than anything in Ender’s Game. The plot’s different than any other Ender novel; the mood was really like that of an Alien movie, going through a derelict ship with dead bodies and potential danger around every corner while still talking up xenobiology, and I loved it.
While this book was great from beginning to end, I’m shocked at how much I liked the ending, it was 100% satisfying and appropriate. I’ve always liked Bean as a character more than Ender, he’s been on the harder end of things and without giving anything away I felt this book finished his storyline in the most humanly and dignified way possible.
I read the Enhanced ebook edition; I’m not sure how many ‘extras’ it has over the regular edition and the print book, but the watercolors (at least I think they were) were a really nice touch (I liked my cover much more than the print cover here on Goodreads) and I can’t believe how much were revealed about the buggers in this book, far more than in even Children of the Mind and some of the Ender short stories when the Hive Queen were a big part of the plot too. I would definitely recommend going for the Enhanced edition, the extra dialogue I think makes a difference.
Not so in this book. It’s awesome that Bean’s kids are counterparts to Ender and his siblings. I can totally see Ender Wiggin in Ender Delphiki, Valentine in Carlotta, and Peter in Sergeant. In fact, their arguments and squabbles felt more funny and natural than anything in Ender’s Game. The plot’s different than any other Ender novel; the mood was really like that of an Alien movie, going through a derelict ship with dead bodies and potential danger around every corner while still talking up xenobiology, and I loved it.
While this book was great from beginning to end, I’m shocked at how much I liked the ending, it was 100% satisfying and appropriate. I’ve always liked Bean as a character more than Ender, he’s been on the harder end of things and without giving anything away I felt this book finished his storyline in the most humanly and dignified way possible.
I read the Enhanced ebook edition; I’m not sure how many ‘extras’ it has over the regular edition and the print book, but the watercolors (at least I think they were) were a really nice touch (I liked my cover much more than the print cover here on Goodreads) and I can’t believe how much were revealed about the buggers in this book, far more than in even Children of the Mind and some of the Ender short stories when the Hive Queen were a big part of the plot too. I would definitely recommend going for the Enhanced edition, the extra dialogue I think makes a difference.
January 30, 2012
This book had to be written, I get that. And I had to read it, not denying it, but it is so short, and really just such a... fall from the rest of the series, I kind of wish it was not written.
I love the Shadow series. They are a very interesting departure from regular science fiction and feature one of the greatest science fiction characters I have ever read, but this book does the series an injustice. This may seem contradictory, but this ending was written solely to end the series.
Sequels should only be written if they achieve the same quality as the original, or surpass it. Plot should not be the only driving point for a series, but Shadows in Flight was absolutely written to wrap up dangling plot threads. What happened to Bean in space? What about his children? These questions are answered, but to no new meaning. And I stress meaning, because old themes were rehashed here, not shed in a new light, put with a new spin, or turned on their head. No, the significance of genetic engineering, a short life span, and disease were already established long before this.
There's only one strong reason this was written: to shed light on the state of Ender's side of the series. But, unfortunately, I haven't read those books, as should be assumed, so I don't care.
I love the Shadow series. They are a very interesting departure from regular science fiction and feature one of the greatest science fiction characters I have ever read, but this book does the series an injustice. This may seem contradictory, but this ending was written solely to end the series.
Sequels should only be written if they achieve the same quality as the original, or surpass it. Plot should not be the only driving point for a series, but Shadows in Flight was absolutely written to wrap up dangling plot threads. What happened to Bean in space? What about his children? These questions are answered, but to no new meaning. And I stress meaning, because old themes were rehashed here, not shed in a new light, put with a new spin, or turned on their head. No, the significance of genetic engineering, a short life span, and disease were already established long before this.
There's only one strong reason this was written: to shed light on the state of Ender's side of the series. But, unfortunately, I haven't read those books, as should be assumed, so I don't care.
January 12, 2012
I won this book through Goodreads First Reads. I've entered more of the giveaways than I care to admit, and this was my first win. My only problem; this is Book 5 of a six part series. I have never read the first books or even the Ender's Game books also by Orson Scott Card that preceded this series.
So, I read synopses of each book on Wikipedia, which gave me enough background to understand what I was reading. Despite my ignorance of Card's arguably most famous books, I still enjoyed reading it.
The story opens on a spaceship driving away from Earth near the speed of light. Its inhabitants are Bean and his three children. Each of the four have been genetically engineered to have beyond genius intelligence. Unfortunately, the altered gene, Anton's Key, causes giantism. By now, Bean is too big to fit in the living spaces of the ship and lives in a cargo hold. Bean believes his time is limited and knows he must get his children to somewhere they can work on reversing the giantism.
As I said, I enjoyed reading it. In fact, it was a very fast read. I recommend it, but you'll get more out of it, if you read the first blasted books.
So, I read synopses of each book on Wikipedia, which gave me enough background to understand what I was reading. Despite my ignorance of Card's arguably most famous books, I still enjoyed reading it.
The story opens on a spaceship driving away from Earth near the speed of light. Its inhabitants are Bean and his three children. Each of the four have been genetically engineered to have beyond genius intelligence. Unfortunately, the altered gene, Anton's Key, causes giantism. By now, Bean is too big to fit in the living spaces of the ship and lives in a cargo hold. Bean believes his time is limited and knows he must get his children to somewhere they can work on reversing the giantism.
As I said, I enjoyed reading it. In fact, it was a very fast read. I recommend it, but you'll get more out of it, if you read the first blasted books.
February 5, 2023
This is a good-enough novella carrying on the story of Bean and his children after they flee Earth in the hopes of using the relativistic journey to their advantage.
Serves more of a prequel to the 'as of now' final Enderverse book, by introducing its main characters, while at the same time developing its own small plot of dealing with a 'runaway' formic starship that they encounter.
I liked that the author finally managed to leave Earth and the useless machinations in previous four Shadow books behind and show us some space. I didn't like that it took a global pandemic and nine years for him to publish the final book.
Serves more of a prequel to the 'as of now' final Enderverse book, by introducing its main characters, while at the same time developing its own small plot of dealing with a 'runaway' formic starship that they encounter.
I liked that the author finally managed to leave Earth and the useless machinations in previous four Shadow books behind and show us some space. I didn't like that it took a global pandemic and nine years for him to publish the final book.
January 19, 2012
Lots of spoilers here, though I leave out some specifics. Fair warning.
I have to admit to very mixed feelings on this one. I love Bean. I wanted more Bean. BUT...I can see why Card had to mostly move on to the lives of the children. So it's bittersweet to get the bits of Bean perspective we do.
This was definitely not what I expected--a character study of immature geniuses trapped on a small ship. I hadn't expected Bean to be so big and trapped in the cargo hold to stay alive. I just hadn't expected the typical Card aggressive, arrogant, and wise-cracking characters to appear in his isolated 6-yr-olds. It's fascinating, probably realistic in the meta-sense of prolonged time in an enclosed space facing your own mortality and not receiving typical love and nurturing will probably cause some weird quirks to personalities, but extreme in my view as to the specific flaws, hurts, and plans of the characters. But I'm likely naive when it comes to psychoses, so who knows? I liked that we had one strong sense of the kid named Ender right away and through his viewpoint Carlotta and Soldier, but those views were challenged and proven shallow very naturally through the plot movement. I don't know if I like any of the kids...
The stark isolation and focus on four characters growing up there was unexpected, fascinating, and vaguely disappointing--probably just because of expectations. It's a great first half of the book. Leading to...
I LOVED the ship they run into and what happened there. I loved the new information about past knowledge from the larger world we had taken for granted. I can see that Card's hands are tied in creating further contact between Bean or his children because of the already existing Ender series. Ender or Jane would have thought about Bean if they had any inkling of what was going on with him.
Speculation featuring spoilers: But maybe they could have contact with new, weird Ender-soul Peter? Hmmm. I was convinced this plot line would lead to an explanation of how Star Congress developed the geniuses with OCD condition central to the plot of some of the other books, but now I'm not sure. Maybe the mentioned side research lines back on Earth led to that rather than something a Bean kid directly did? And I'm still mostly convinced that Volescu somehow got away from the colonists and started the Descoladores, but I can see it accidentally or roguely coming from Bean descendents after the end of the book. Thus leading to a meet-up with Ender/Peter, Bean's idol and annoyance in one package...
This was MUCH better than Ender in Exile, but I think I liked it less than any of the other Ender or Bean/Shadow novels. It's short and I think Card meant to tick people off with the abrupt ending. 3.5 stars.
One final note: There are some sexual comments on the 2nd or 3rd page. Later discussions reveal some of the concerns as relevant, but it's jarring coming from 6-yr-olds. Like many of Card's characters, these kids regard sexuality as supposedly witty banter material just like everything else.
I have to admit to very mixed feelings on this one. I love Bean. I wanted more Bean. BUT...I can see why Card had to mostly move on to the lives of the children. So it's bittersweet to get the bits of Bean perspective we do.
This was definitely not what I expected--a character study of immature geniuses trapped on a small ship. I hadn't expected Bean to be so big and trapped in the cargo hold to stay alive. I just hadn't expected the typical Card aggressive, arrogant, and wise-cracking characters to appear in his isolated 6-yr-olds. It's fascinating, probably realistic in the meta-sense of prolonged time in an enclosed space facing your own mortality and not receiving typical love and nurturing will probably cause some weird quirks to personalities, but extreme in my view as to the specific flaws, hurts, and plans of the characters. But I'm likely naive when it comes to psychoses, so who knows? I liked that we had one strong sense of the kid named Ender right away and through his viewpoint Carlotta and Soldier, but those views were challenged and proven shallow very naturally through the plot movement. I don't know if I like any of the kids...
The stark isolation and focus on four characters growing up there was unexpected, fascinating, and vaguely disappointing--probably just because of expectations. It's a great first half of the book. Leading to...
I LOVED the ship they run into and what happened there. I loved the new information about past knowledge from the larger world we had taken for granted. I can see that Card's hands are tied in creating further contact between Bean or his children because of the already existing Ender series. Ender or Jane would have thought about Bean if they had any inkling of what was going on with him.
Speculation featuring spoilers: But maybe they could have contact with new, weird Ender-soul Peter? Hmmm. I was convinced this plot line would lead to an explanation of how Star Congress developed the geniuses with OCD condition central to the plot of some of the other books, but now I'm not sure. Maybe the mentioned side research lines back on Earth led to that rather than something a Bean kid directly did? And I'm still mostly convinced that Volescu somehow got away from the colonists and started the Descoladores, but I can see it accidentally or roguely coming from Bean descendents after the end of the book. Thus leading to a meet-up with Ender/Peter, Bean's idol and annoyance in one package...
This was MUCH better than Ender in Exile, but I think I liked it less than any of the other Ender or Bean/Shadow novels. It's short and I think Card meant to tick people off with the abrupt ending. 3.5 stars.
One final note: There are some sexual comments on the 2nd or 3rd page. Later discussions reveal some of the concerns as relevant, but it's jarring coming from 6-yr-olds. Like many of Card's characters, these kids regard sexuality as supposedly witty banter material just like everything else.
May 27, 2012
"Shadows in Flight" was probably the book I enjoyed least in the Shadow series.
"Shadows in Flight" starts about five years after Bean and the three children he and Petra had who are like him (antonines) left Earth. The kids are, of course, as brilliant at 6 as Bean was at their age. But they're growing bored with being trapped in a space ship.
There is quite a bit of disconnect between this book and the previous one. The third-person narrator talks quite a bit about how Bean had promised Petra he'd do this or that with the children. But he made no such promises in "Shadow of the Giant." The only conversations Bean and Petra had about child-rearing were Bean telling Petra that he was taking the kids to space and she had to stay behind with the five normal children, and she cried about it. That was it. Maybe they had some conversations over the ansible after the ship was in space, but the epilogue of "Shadow Puppets" (where we learn what happens to Petra) makes no reference to that.
The children, though brilliant, don't understand parenting and why Bean raises them the way he does. One of the boys, Cincinnatus or "Sergeant" is so bored he begins to plan to murder Bean.
Then they come across a strange space ship near a potentially habitable world. Sergeant gets the military adventure he's looking for and Bean finds what he hopes will be a home for his children. And that's where I begin to say "WTF?!"
"Shadows in Flight" starts about five years after Bean and the three children he and Petra had who are like him (antonines) left Earth. The kids are, of course, as brilliant at 6 as Bean was at their age. But they're growing bored with being trapped in a space ship.
There is quite a bit of disconnect between this book and the previous one. The third-person narrator talks quite a bit about how Bean had promised Petra he'd do this or that with the children. But he made no such promises in "Shadow of the Giant." The only conversations Bean and Petra had about child-rearing were Bean telling Petra that he was taking the kids to space and she had to stay behind with the five normal children, and she cried about it. That was it. Maybe they had some conversations over the ansible after the ship was in space, but the epilogue of "Shadow Puppets" (where we learn what happens to Petra) makes no reference to that.
The children, though brilliant, don't understand parenting and why Bean raises them the way he does. One of the boys, Cincinnatus or "Sergeant" is so bored he begins to plan to murder Bean.
Then they come across a strange space ship near a potentially habitable world. Sergeant gets the military adventure he's looking for and Bean finds what he hopes will be a home for his children. And that's where I begin to say "WTF?!"
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 26, 2012
Very disappointed.
I've been looking forward to this book for so long and was expecting it to be a fantastic finish to the Ender/Shadow books. It wasn't.
Mainly - where's the rest of it? Given how long we waited for this book, I expected it to be more tome-like. It felt like OSC had written a short story (which, by the way, tend to be excellent insights into the Enderverse and I love), his publishers had told him to write a book so he pulled this out and added 100 pages of trailing through the Formic ship. I read it in definitely under three hours - even though the page count isn't crazily low, the font size and formatting eats into a lot of space.
Nothing really happened, there were far too many detailed descriptions of the ships and technology which then went nowhere (unless there's going to be another book?).
They didn't even resolve, really, the main point of the book - to cure the children - they administered the "cure" and, granted, they're geniuses so it probably works, but we have no firm answer. Instead, they raised a whole raft of new questions about Formics and whether the Hive Queen lied to Ender, and ended with them about to launch a colonisation and breeding programme, of which we obviously know nothing.
The whole book felt very much like OSC had pressure on him to write something (to satisfy his publishers, fans, to pay his wife's credit card? Who knows.) but that he's run out of ideas, so just cobbled something together. I very nearly pre-ordered this book, and it's very rare for me to buy books new being more of a library/charity shop/yard sale person. I'm so glad I didn't. It would have been a total waste of money. As it is, the $2 I paid for it seems steep.
I've been looking forward to this book for so long and was expecting it to be a fantastic finish to the Ender/Shadow books. It wasn't.
Mainly - where's the rest of it? Given how long we waited for this book, I expected it to be more tome-like. It felt like OSC had written a short story (which, by the way, tend to be excellent insights into the Enderverse and I love), his publishers had told him to write a book so he pulled this out and added 100 pages of trailing through the Formic ship. I read it in definitely under three hours - even though the page count isn't crazily low, the font size and formatting eats into a lot of space.
Nothing really happened, there were far too many detailed descriptions of the ships and technology which then went nowhere (unless there's going to be another book?).
They didn't even resolve, really, the main point of the book - to cure the children - they administered the "cure" and, granted, they're geniuses so it probably works, but we have no firm answer. Instead, they raised a whole raft of new questions about Formics and whether the Hive Queen lied to Ender, and ended with them about to launch a colonisation and breeding programme, of which we obviously know nothing.
The whole book felt very much like OSC had pressure on him to write something (to satisfy his publishers, fans, to pay his wife's credit card? Who knows.) but that he's run out of ideas, so just cobbled something together. I very nearly pre-ordered this book, and it's very rare for me to buy books new being more of a library/charity shop/yard sale person. I'm so glad I didn't. It would have been a total waste of money. As it is, the $2 I paid for it seems steep.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 3, 2012
This is a short novel; only about half of a standard OSC novel so was a pretty quick read. It centers around Bean and his three children, all of whom share the same genetic defect that he has, an inability to stop growing in size, thus rendering the body too large for the organs to support and thus dooming them to early deaths. I found the first 3rd of the book very hard to get through as it focuses on the children who are whiny geniuses. I feel it's probably very accurate in the way 6 year old geniuses would behave...but they're still whiny. Then the plot picks up and the story ends in a touching, yet satisfying way. I found the author's afterword very interesting, noting that OSC wrote this story after his own stroke in early January last year. So lots of reflecting here on what's really important in life. So for me, what started out as a whiny (rating of 2) ends up with a great ending and message (Rating 5), giving it an overall 4. Definitely for Enderverse completists but perhaps not for everybody.
July 6, 2013
There probably isn't a book in the Ender's Game series that I won't read and enjoy. This one is no exception. That being said, this book exemplifies some of my frustrations with the "Shadow" branch of the Ender series. OSC uses the Shadow branch as a means of changing the story in the Ender series and this book includes some of the most radical changes yet. Perhaps it's because I feel closer to Ender, who seems more real, more human, and more sympathetic than Bean, that I am protective of the Ender series and of Ender himself, as a character. Whatever the case may be, I get irked when Card decides to change something by rewriting it in the Shadow branch. Nonetheless, this book was enjoyable and gave some added depth to Bean's character. The book itself is short and clearly leaves room for more sequels, including the eventual merging of the two branches, should Card desire it.
This was probably the weakest book of the Ender universe yet, but is still a thoroughly enjoyable read.
This was probably the weakest book of the Ender universe yet, but is still a thoroughly enjoyable read.
February 14, 2012
I wasn't sure if this was the book that was supposed to tie the Ender and Shadow serieses together. (It's not.) I'm glad I read it since it ties up some loose ends, but I expect so much better from OSC.
-I felt like Bean's three kids were just a rehash of Ender, Valentine and Peter, which felt unoriginal and like a ripoff.
-The ending felt really rushed.
-I skimmed over all technobabble, which is surprising for me. I could not get into it at all.
-I missed having the intros to each chapter.
-The book was too short as well.
-I also thought it was weird that he didn't mention Bean's height till the very very end of the book. How am I supposed to imagine the character if I have no idea how tall he is, since that seems to be his defining feature? Especially due to the size difference between himself and his small kids.
-The plot felt pretty weak as well. Definitely a wrap up.
-I felt like Bean's three kids were just a rehash of Ender, Valentine and Peter, which felt unoriginal and like a ripoff.
-The ending felt really rushed.
-I skimmed over all technobabble, which is surprising for me. I could not get into it at all.
-I missed having the intros to each chapter.
-The book was too short as well.
-I also thought it was weird that he didn't mention Bean's height till the very very end of the book. How am I supposed to imagine the character if I have no idea how tall he is, since that seems to be his defining feature? Especially due to the size difference between himself and his small kids.
-The plot felt pretty weak as well. Definitely a wrap up.
November 11, 2013
I've been a fan of the Bean books and I'm such a fanboy that I just had to keep on going despite the hiatus of these tales. I knew that the spoiler spoiler had to happen, but I felt a lot of nostalgia for him and I really wanted to make him live. At least I could get into and enjoy Bean's children and the exploration of the Formic Ark was interesting enough to keep me going. I can't wait for the tie-in book that brings Ender back to us. (Or both together. Or is it three or four?) Some of the series is so freaking awesome that I can't sit still, and so I'm necessarily biased into giving a lot of leeway with the rest. This novel wasn't my favorite, but I'm invested and I loved getting a little closure.
It still stands up on it's own, and it's worth reading if you've enjoyed the rest of the series.
It still stands up on it's own, and it's worth reading if you've enjoyed the rest of the series.
March 16, 2012
A slow start, a misleading jacket description, way too short!, but a good addition to the Ender series.
August 26, 2019
The Shadow series started off so well with the the first two books. The first was a retelling of Ender’s Game from Bean’s perspective, and the second was a political drama where Battle School’s most brilliant minds treated the world as their own personal game of Risk. But the third and fourth were pretty bad, there were unnecessary love stories that changed characters in the worst ways and the plots went way off the rails, and I had hoped that this would be a return to the first two. But man, was this one bad.
It was super short, and I guess that’s a positive. But the story moved along at such a slow pace, and the “danger” of the life support systems failing happened so early on in the story. The real main plot line of the story completely changed everything we knew about the Formics from the other books, and it ruined the story to a point. I also didn’t like how Bean’s children were basically direct ripoffs of Ender and his siblings from the original series, even down to one of them being named Ender.
Since the apparent last book is going to be a crossover between the Speaker and Shadow series, I’ll probably wind up reading it. But I wasn’t a fan of this one at all, and I wish this series had kept up with the quality of the first two books.
It was super short, and I guess that’s a positive. But the story moved along at such a slow pace, and the “danger” of the life support systems failing happened so early on in the story. The real main plot line of the story completely changed everything we knew about the Formics from the other books, and it ruined the story to a point. I also didn’t like how Bean’s children were basically direct ripoffs of Ender and his siblings from the original series, even down to one of them being named Ender.
Since the apparent last book is going to be a crossover between the Speaker and Shadow series, I’ll probably wind up reading it. But I wasn’t a fan of this one at all, and I wish this series had kept up with the quality of the first two books.
February 15, 2020
I’m to invested in this series and characters to not love every book. Though it never ceases to amaze me how much detail the author goes into when it comes to the science and level of detail in version of the universe, whether it is explaining a ship function, or alien species I can’t imagine the amount of time and energy he spent making all these details then having them all work together over 10 or so books! This was a great conclusion to Beans saga that now lives on through is three legumenites :) I hope Card writes the final book in the series to wrap it all up!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 29, 2020
Shadows in Flight is a great book because the author, Orson Scott Card included many details and showed great imagery of the settings in the story, and how things came to be. Not only that, but it included its own boundary of what is realistic and what isn’t in the story. I can relate when bean wants his new species to live forever in secret. I rate this book 5 stars and recommend this to sci-fi readers.
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