The Shadow Quintet: Ender's Shadow, Shadow of the Hegemon, Shadow Puppets, Shadow of the Giant, and Shadows in Flight

by Orson Scott Card

From the New York Times bestselling author of the Hugo and Nebula Award-winning science fiction classic Ender’s Game, Orson Scott Card’s Shadow Quintet is the story of Ender Wiggin’s friend and fellow military genius, the one called Bean. Bean’s past was a battle just to survive. He used his tactical genius to gain acceptance and safety as part of a children’s gang. Bean’s success brought him to the attention of Earth’s military academy, people scouring the planet for leaders, tacticians, generals to save Earth from the threat of alien invasion. Bean was sent into orbit, to the Battle School. And there he met Ender, becoming his right hand, his strategist, and his friend.The Shadow Quintet features five novels of Bean’s space opera adventures. This e-book bundle includes Ender’s Shadow, Shadow of the Hegemon, Shadow Puppets, Shadow of the Giant, and Shadows in Flight.At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction

1571 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 24, 2013

About the author

Orson 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.

Reviews

[Rainbowgardener · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is five O S Card novels bound together. They are the Shadow novels, meaning they are parallel to the Ender's Game series, but from the point of view of Bean, Ender's lieutenant. It is an interesting concept and like the Ender's Game series, the first one is the best and most engaging.

But then it just goes on an on and on 1300 pages worth. Little Bean surviving on the mean streets is a real character. Little Bean at the Battle School is a real character. Once that war is over, all the life goes out of all the characters and they become just plot devices. And there's an endless sequence on the wars in Earth, as with the threat of alien invasion gone, the nations of earth go back to fighting each other for domination. And always always always our genius child heros are manipulating behind the scenes working towards a planet united in peace under one world government. Plots within plots and Card telling us on pretty much every one of the 1300 pages that these children are the smartest people on earth (even though often their destinies seem to be being manipulated by their two adult supervisors Graff and Rackham).

And Card is Mormon and conservative. Through all of this there is a theme that the purpose of human life and the only way to happiness is to find your partner and unite, one man and one woman in lifelong monogamous marriage and produce as many children as possible and then go out and seed the stars. He does acknowledge that there is such a thing as homosexuality, but insists that even for homosexuals, even though their sexual desires are in a different direction, their only true happiness lies in heterosexual reproductive marriage. Way too Mormon for me.

The series doesn't so much end as peter out, used up, with nothing left to say or do.

[Sarah Post · Rating 5 out of 5]

Warfare, politics, and genetics! And don't forget world peace!

I read the Shadow's series because I read Ender's series. It was a fabulous series and I loved it! I would highly suggest these books if you enjoyed the first series that he wrote. I probably learned a bit more about warfare and politics than I wanted to. But I suppose everybody needs to know a little bit about warfare and politics give thanks to the people that actually need to do those that jobs for us! It was interesting to get into their minds for a while! The science fiction was there too so don't worry. The medical field of genetics was also explored.

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading the Ender Series from Bean's perspective allows you a look at how everyone else was dealing with the events. Yes, Ender's story is important, but Bean's story shows that Ender alone could not have won, he needed his friends. They all had a big impact on their world/universe.

[richard a brooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Better plot

Improving plot lines and character development.
Worth your time.
Opens new possibilities, keep up huge hood work Orson!
Good night.

[Michael Vandenberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually liked this one more than the first in the series

[Will Baumgart · Rating 3 out of 5]

It really took a nosedive in Shadow's puppets if I'm being honest. Ender's shadow is immaculate, however.

[Benji · Rating 4 out of 5]

First, second, and last were fantastic. The middle was sorely lacking.

I think, as the Ender books go, that this series trails off a bit. A writer can only go so far from his expertise before it shows. The reliance on Ender's jeesh during world political events was simplistic. Graff was smart, and so were the people who hired him.. I must assume that world politicians are not stupid, and politics is more complex. Otherwise, an excellent read.

[Stanley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great series.

"OSC" is responsible for my many into the late night "readathons." I am not really complaining, I am just a little bit exhausted but fully satiated, until, of course when I start a new series of "OSC."