Ender's Shadow (series)

Ender’s Shadow (series)
Orson Scott Card
Published by Tor Science Fiction, 2008; ISBN 0765362449 [refers to box set]
Recommended reading age: 12 and up

Summary:
Fans of Ender’s Game will immediately recognize Bean from the moment he appears. As the book starts, Bean’s just a wisp of a child living on the streets in Eastern Europe. He survives by becoming part of a street family. The violence, manipulation and cooperation within the “family” prove invaluable to Bean’s future in Battle School and beyond. Ender’s Shadow follows the same plotline as Ender’s Game, but from Bean’s perspective. Readers will be surprised by what went on without Ender’s knowledge. After Ender defeats the Buggers, Bean returns to Earth, where his journey truly takes off.

Review:
I’m a huge fan of Ender’s Game (see my review), but I never really got into the Ender sequels. I’ve heard Speaker for the Dead is one of the best sci-fi books ever written, and yet I still can’t get myself to read it. I just became disinterested in the Hive Queens. Bean, though, and his political exploits really sucked me in. I don’t want to say much more, since I don’t want to give it away. But I will give props to Orson Scott Card for being as talented with action/suspense writing as he is at sci-fi. The Bean series would be an excellent choice for fans of Ender’s Game, for fans of the Jason Bourne books/movies, and anyone who likes to mix sci-fi with political intrigue.