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Type of bind: Mass Market Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN num: 9780812575712
ISBN number: 0812575717
Label: Tor Books
Manufacturer: Tor Books
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 480
Printing Date: December 15, 2000
Publishing house: Tor Books
Sale Popularity Level: 266970
Studio: Tor Books
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Editor's Notes and Comments:
Product Description:
The novel that launched the bestselling Ender’s Shadow series—available for the very first time on unabridged cd
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 this new book, 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 sucess 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....
Amazon.com Review:
Ender's Shadow is being dubbed as a parallel novel to Orson Scott Card's Hugo and Nebula Award-winning Ender's Game. By 'parallel,' Card means that Shadow begins and ends at roughly the same time as Game, and it chronicles many of the same events. In fact, the two books tell an almost identical story of brilliant children being trained in the orbiting Battle School to lead humanity's fleets in the final war against alien invaders known as the Buggers. The most brilliant of these young recruits is Ender Wiggin, an unparalleled commander and tactician who can surely defeat the Buggers if only he can overcome his own inner turmoil.
Second among the children is Bean, who becomes Ender's lieutenant despite the fact that he is the smallest and youngest of the Battle School students. Bean is the central character of Shadow, and we pick up his story when he is just a 2-year-old starving on the streets of a future Rotterdam that has become a hell on earth. Bean is unnaturally intelligent for his age, which is the only thing that allows him to escape--though not unscathed--the streets and eventually end up in Battle School. Despite his brilliance, however, Bean is doomed to live his life as an also-ran to the more famous and in many ways more brilliant Ender. Nonetheless, Bean learns things that Ender cannot or will not understand, and it falls to this once pathetic street urchin to carry the weight of a terrible burden that Ender must not be allowed to know.
Although it may seem like Shadow is merely an endeavor by Card to cash in on the sucess of his justly famous Ender's Game, that suspicion will dissipate once you turn the very first few pages of this engrossing novel. It's clear that Bean has a story worth telling, and that Card (who started the project with a cowriter but later decided he wanted it all to himself) is driven to tell it. And though much of Ender's Game hinges on a surprise ending that Card fans are likely well acquainted with, Shadow manages to capitalize on that same surprise and even turn the table on readers. In the end, it seems a shame that Shadow, like Bean himself, will forever be eclipsed by the myth of Ender, because this is a novel that can easily stand on its own. Luckily for readers, Card has left plenty of room for a sequel, so we may well be seeing more of Bean in the near future. --Craig E. Engler
User popularity level:
Rated by buyers 
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For me there is nothing better than listening to a book on CD while chewing up a lot of asphalt during a road trip. I discovered this little gem 'Ender's Shadow, at the local library and became an addict to Ender, Bean, and the Shadow series as a result. For those of you that think you have to read or listen to Ender's Game first, don't worry Bean and his story stand up all by themselves with no problem.
The author 'Scott Card' has often stated that he believes his books are best when the story is spoken. No argument here. He uses multiple well known narrators including one of the very best Scott Brick. Fair warning is to be given however. Once you listen to Scott Card's Ender and Shadow series on audio CD, you will never feel the same about actually reading a book again.
Rated by buyers 
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If you just finished reading Ender's Game, go to this one subsequent as was recommended to me. This is the story of Bean, smallest member of Dragon army. The tale takes place during the same events as Ender's Game but from Bean's perspective. Loved it. Would have given in 5 stars but it took a little bit to get going. Enjoy!
Rated by buyers 
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This is one of the most OK books I've ever read. While it's not bad, I didn't really find it all that good either. Keep in mind that I'm a long way from Jr. High/High school, which is the age range this book is intended for. If that's your age range, it's a totally different book. Knowing the ending of this alternate view of Ender's Game, I think it would be especially important to make Bean a bit more likeable. He's genetically gifted, and judges every bad decision, and basically everybody besides Ender as stupid. I was pleased to find that Bean gained some humility, he eventually uses his brilliance to help other people. He still makes mistakes, and a character like Bean who criticizes and condemns others for being "stupid" seems likely to put himself through the same torture when he makes mistakes, yet he doesn't. Bean, right out of the toilet, is the most obnoxious character I've ever experienced a point of view through. I realize he's just a kid, but he's still the type I would encourage to play in the street.
Bean's family was the worst addition to this story, and there are some coincidences involved with that which could make your stomach turn, it did mine. There is some severe cheesiness, but overall, a relatively decent story. I wonder why a kid from the Netherlands would seem so much like a kid from the US. Why is almost every ultra smart kid in this story European or Euro-American? Why aren't there any major Chinese or other Asian characters in here? There seems to be such a lack of smart kids from outside of the US and Europe? Hmmm...no Africans, and the only god represented here is the Christian/Mormon one.Lack of interesting character and culture give this book a mediocre rating in my book. Science? As if, this is OSC...remember? Not for everybody.
Rated by buyers 
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I am amazed at all the positive feedback about this book. In Enders Game Card repeatly justifies the rigorous isolation and abondonment of Ender to achieve the type of commander needed to lead the final battle. But then in Enders Shadow Bean is able to replace Ender as commander without any of the trama that Ender was forced to endure. Bean is smart, clever and clearheaded "always" whereas Ender looks hesitant and overwrought, with Bean looking over his shoulder, he's been given the authority to decide if Ender is competent to lead or should he step in and take over command. Where does Bean get the experience to become Enders "supervisor?" I don't know but he is deemed fit enough with a couple months as a team leader to be fleet commander.
I think that Card has over time decided to "dumb down" Ender so that there can be remarks like "Bean is better than Ender." Enders Game was an emotional rollercoaster of deception, but Enders Shadow showed the greatest deception of Ender was by the author himself.
I just hope that Sherwood Smith doesn't deny Inda the way Card did Ender.
Rated by buyers -
While this book is consistent with the Ender is God view, Bean is a separate and uniquely intriguing character. His childhood is about as far from fairy tale as one can get and still be a child-safe book. He's got a brain unparalleled in the known world, which must have been a daunting task for the author to describe well, but somehow Orson Scott Card succeeds.
I would recommend reading Ender's Game first, but you could potentially read this book as a stand alone novel and it would still be fine. The author has a lovely way of presenting things, even if the bad guys are as cheap a sci-fi trick as buggers.
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