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Ender's Saga #5
Ender in Exile
After twenty-three years, Orson Scott Card returns to his acclaimed best-selling series with the first true, direct sequel to the classic Ender's Game.
In Ender’s Game, the world’s most gifted children were taken from their families and sent to an elite training school. At Battle School, they learned combat, strategy, and secret intelligence to fight a dangerous war on behalf of those left on Earth. But they also learned some important and less definable lessons about life.
After the life-changing events of those years, these children—now teenagers—must leave the school and readapt to life in the outside world.
Having not seen their families or interacted with other people for years—where do they go now? What can they do?
Ender fought for humanity, but he is now reviled as a ruthless assassin. No longer allowed to live on Earth, he enters into exile. With his sister Valentine, he chooses to leave the only home he’s ever known to begin a relativistic—and revelatory—journey beyond the stars.
What happened during the years between Ender’s Game and Speaker for the Dead? What did Ender go through from the ages of 12 through 35? The story of those years has never been told. Taking place 3000 years before Ender finally receives his chance at redemption in Speaker for the Dead, this is the long-lost story of Ender.
For twenty-three years, millions of readers have wondered and now they will receive the answers. Ender in Exile is Orson Scott Card’s moving return to all the action and the adventure, the profound exploration of war and society, and the characters one never forgot.
On one of these ships, there is a baby that just may share the same special gifts as Ender’s old friend Bean…
369 pages, Hardcover
First published November 11, 2008
About the author
Orson Scott Card
855 books19.6k 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 2,297 reviews
November 30, 2008
My Amazon review (yeah, I was pretty pissed):
Subj: Deeply alienated by Card's recent work.
A disappointing, socially unimaginative flattening of a character and a world I once loved very much. This novel was rife with ideologically and spiritually conservative addresses to the reader that seemed to diverge from the far ranging and broad discourses of the other books, at least the way I read them so many years ago. I felt alienated by the Wiggins of this novel, theirs and the narrator's presumptions about people's personalities and biological determinism, the absence in this world of any challenges to what seem like universally unquestioned ideas about family, gender, sexuality, social order, ethnicity and race--it's like ages of progressive thought on Earth were erased in order to create a universe where stereotypes turn out to be God's funny way of using DNA.
What the narrator of this novel would have you interpret as the human individual's inability to escape her or his own genetic make-up is truly, to my eyes, an author's inability to let his characters be anything but allegories for an outmoded, oppressive conservatism at a time when authors should be offering something much, much better than an intergalactic expansion of the middle-class Anglo-Christian exceptionalism that has done so much to hurt the world.
There's my elitist, queer-nerd, politically irked two cents. A dedicated reader of the Alvin, Homecoming and Ender series, as well as many stand-alone works, it pains me a little to say this will be my last Card novel for sure.
Subj: Deeply alienated by Card's recent work.
A disappointing, socially unimaginative flattening of a character and a world I once loved very much. This novel was rife with ideologically and spiritually conservative addresses to the reader that seemed to diverge from the far ranging and broad discourses of the other books, at least the way I read them so many years ago. I felt alienated by the Wiggins of this novel, theirs and the narrator's presumptions about people's personalities and biological determinism, the absence in this world of any challenges to what seem like universally unquestioned ideas about family, gender, sexuality, social order, ethnicity and race--it's like ages of progressive thought on Earth were erased in order to create a universe where stereotypes turn out to be God's funny way of using DNA.
What the narrator of this novel would have you interpret as the human individual's inability to escape her or his own genetic make-up is truly, to my eyes, an author's inability to let his characters be anything but allegories for an outmoded, oppressive conservatism at a time when authors should be offering something much, much better than an intergalactic expansion of the middle-class Anglo-Christian exceptionalism that has done so much to hurt the world.
There's my elitist, queer-nerd, politically irked two cents. A dedicated reader of the Alvin, Homecoming and Ender series, as well as many stand-alone works, it pains me a little to say this will be my last Card novel for sure.
July 7, 2010
I think that Orson Scott Card and George Lucas must have had a meeting at some point and came up with all the ways you can destroy a franchise by adding on useless and clumsy story to your original work.
Card wrote one of my favorite sci-fi books, Ender's Game, and then ruined every good feeling I had towards him by a parade a horrible sequels and tie-ins that either have nothing to do with the original story or repeatedly revise and rehash the original material so much that it's in danger of becoming just as bad. And how stupid am I that I've kept reading long past the point where anger and frustration are now souring my enjoyment of the original?
While the original Ender's Game actually had action and events that had emotional consquences, all the rest of the books are just tedious dialogues about things that will happen and debates about the emotions they should be feeling. And all the characters know what events will happen because of how incredibly smart they are! And they'll tell you that. Repeatedly. It's like sci-fi done by Aaron Sorkin. Painful. Just freaking painful.
There's no genuine conflict here because Card has built Ender up into such a saint and all-knowing being that there's no chance of any outcome but Ender winning by being oh-so-wise.
Set shortly after the ending of Ender's Game, a large part of the book revolves around a power struggle between Ender and the admiral of the ship taking him to the colony where he will be governor. But because Card can't stand to have anyone be smarter or an actual danger to his heroes, all the 'good' characters instantly know that the admiral is planning to sieze control once they get there. Even before the ship leaves. If they knew he was going to try and take over, then why send him at all??
Oh, and be warned. The afterword here states that Card is going to rewrite Chapter 15 of Ender's Game to correct 'mistakes' that don't correspond to the garbage he's written since. My advice is to buy an original copy of EG before that happens, and never, ever buy another one of these craptastic Ender follow-ups.
Card wrote one of my favorite sci-fi books, Ender's Game, and then ruined every good feeling I had towards him by a parade a horrible sequels and tie-ins that either have nothing to do with the original story or repeatedly revise and rehash the original material so much that it's in danger of becoming just as bad. And how stupid am I that I've kept reading long past the point where anger and frustration are now souring my enjoyment of the original?
While the original Ender's Game actually had action and events that had emotional consquences, all the rest of the books are just tedious dialogues about things that will happen and debates about the emotions they should be feeling. And all the characters know what events will happen because of how incredibly smart they are! And they'll tell you that. Repeatedly. It's like sci-fi done by Aaron Sorkin. Painful. Just freaking painful.
There's no genuine conflict here because Card has built Ender up into such a saint and all-knowing being that there's no chance of any outcome but Ender winning by being oh-so-wise.
Set shortly after the ending of Ender's Game, a large part of the book revolves around a power struggle between Ender and the admiral of the ship taking him to the colony where he will be governor. But because Card can't stand to have anyone be smarter or an actual danger to his heroes, all the 'good' characters instantly know that the admiral is planning to sieze control once they get there. Even before the ship leaves. If they knew he was going to try and take over, then why send him at all??
Oh, and be warned. The afterword here states that Card is going to rewrite Chapter 15 of Ender's Game to correct 'mistakes' that don't correspond to the garbage he's written since. My advice is to buy an original copy of EG before that happens, and never, ever buy another one of these craptastic Ender follow-ups.
April 6, 2021
Ender in Exile (The Ender Quintet, #1.2), Orson Scott Card
Ender in Exile is a science fiction novel by American writer Orson Scott Card, part of the Ender's Game series, published on November 11, 2008.
One year after the Buggers (Formics) were defeated and the Battle School children have returned to Earth, Ender is still unable to return with them because there would be wars over which country would keep Ender to use for its own ends.
Ender is offered the Governorship of the first human colony to be planted on one of the Buggers' former worlds, a planet that will eventually become known as Shakespeare.
His sister Valentine decides to accompany Ender on his journey because she is sick of being controlled by her older brother, Peter, and because she wants to restore the relationship with Ender that she had lost when he left to go to Battle School.
On their way to the Shakespeare colony, Valentine begins writing her History of the Bugger Wars books while Ender has an unspoken power struggle with the Captain of the ship, Admiral Quincy Morgan.
There is also a romance between Ender and a girl named Alessandra. Once the ship lands on Shakespeare, Ender, who had spent much of his trip learning the names and lives of the colony's residents, takes charge of the colony and wins the colonists over.
Ender resides as Governor for a few years in Shakespeare. Near the end of his time as governor, Ender and a young boy from the colony named Abra go to find a site for a new shipment of colonists.
Ender wants the new settlement to be far enough away from the other settlements that there will not be competition between them right away, and so they can develop separately. ...
تاریخ نخستین خوانش روز نهم ماه ژانویه سال 2015میلادی
عنوان: اندر در تبعید؛ نویسنده: اورسن اسکات کارد؛ موضوع داستانهای نویسندگان ایالات متحده آمریکا - سده 20م
در کتاب نخست از این سری، پس از دوبار یورش بیگانگان به کره ی زمین، که نژاد بشر را تا آستانه ی نابودی پیش میبرد؛ حکومت جهانیان برای تضمین پیروزی نوع بشر در جنگ بعدی، و نگهبانب از یکپارچگی سیاره، دست به گزینش، و پرورش نوابغ نظامی میزند، و سپس آنها را در نبردهایی شبیه سازی شده، آموزش میدهد، تا هنر جنگ را، در ذهنهای نوپا، و تشنه ی داناییشان، نهادینه کند؛ نخستین آموزشها جنبه ی «بازی» دارند؛ رمانهای «بازی اندر (1985میلادی)»، و «سخنگوی مردگان (1986میلادی)»، هر دو برنده ی جوایز «هوگو» و «نبولا» شده اند، و «اورسون اسکات کارد» را، تنها نویسنده ی برنده ی دو جایزه برتر «آمریکایی» در دو سال پی آیند کرده اند؛ در کتاب «سخنگوی مردگان» سالها پس رویدادهای کتاب نخست سری، یک نژاد بیگانه دوم کشف میشود، و دوباره، انسانها میمیرند، و ...؛ «بازی اندر» در کتابهای «سخنگوی مردگان»، «بیگانه کش»، «فرزندان ذهن» و «اندر در تبعید» ادامه مییابد، و داستانهای «اندر» در سیارات، و کهکشانهای گوناگون را روایت میکند؛ علاوه بر این کتابها، داستان کوتاه «جنگ هدیه ها» و رمان «سایه ی اندر» نیز، در این سری قرار دارند، که در همان بازه ی زمانی کتاب، رویدادهاشان روی میدهند؛
تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 16/01/1400هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی
Ender in Exile is a science fiction novel by American writer Orson Scott Card, part of the Ender's Game series, published on November 11, 2008.
One year after the Buggers (Formics) were defeated and the Battle School children have returned to Earth, Ender is still unable to return with them because there would be wars over which country would keep Ender to use for its own ends.
Ender is offered the Governorship of the first human colony to be planted on one of the Buggers' former worlds, a planet that will eventually become known as Shakespeare.
His sister Valentine decides to accompany Ender on his journey because she is sick of being controlled by her older brother, Peter, and because she wants to restore the relationship with Ender that she had lost when he left to go to Battle School.
On their way to the Shakespeare colony, Valentine begins writing her History of the Bugger Wars books while Ender has an unspoken power struggle with the Captain of the ship, Admiral Quincy Morgan.
There is also a romance between Ender and a girl named Alessandra. Once the ship lands on Shakespeare, Ender, who had spent much of his trip learning the names and lives of the colony's residents, takes charge of the colony and wins the colonists over.
Ender resides as Governor for a few years in Shakespeare. Near the end of his time as governor, Ender and a young boy from the colony named Abra go to find a site for a new shipment of colonists.
Ender wants the new settlement to be far enough away from the other settlements that there will not be competition between them right away, and so they can develop separately. ...
تاریخ نخستین خوانش روز نهم ماه ژانویه سال 2015میلادی
عنوان: اندر در تبعید؛ نویسنده: اورسن اسکات کارد؛ موضوع داستانهای نویسندگان ایالات متحده آمریکا - سده 20م
در کتاب نخست از این سری، پس از دوبار یورش بیگانگان به کره ی زمین، که نژاد بشر را تا آستانه ی نابودی پیش میبرد؛ حکومت جهانیان برای تضمین پیروزی نوع بشر در جنگ بعدی، و نگهبانب از یکپارچگی سیاره، دست به گزینش، و پرورش نوابغ نظامی میزند، و سپس آنها را در نبردهایی شبیه سازی شده، آموزش میدهد، تا هنر جنگ را، در ذهنهای نوپا، و تشنه ی داناییشان، نهادینه کند؛ نخستین آموزشها جنبه ی «بازی» دارند؛ رمانهای «بازی اندر (1985میلادی)»، و «سخنگوی مردگان (1986میلادی)»، هر دو برنده ی جوایز «هوگو» و «نبولا» شده اند، و «اورسون اسکات کارد» را، تنها نویسنده ی برنده ی دو جایزه برتر «آمریکایی» در دو سال پی آیند کرده اند؛ در کتاب «سخنگوی مردگان» سالها پس رویدادهای کتاب نخست سری، یک نژاد بیگانه دوم کشف میشود، و دوباره، انسانها میمیرند، و ...؛ «بازی اندر» در کتابهای «سخنگوی مردگان»، «بیگانه کش»، «فرزندان ذهن» و «اندر در تبعید» ادامه مییابد، و داستانهای «اندر» در سیارات، و کهکشانهای گوناگون را روایت میکند؛ علاوه بر این کتابها، داستان کوتاه «جنگ هدیه ها» و رمان «سایه ی اندر» نیز، در این سری قرار دارند، که در همان بازه ی زمانی کتاب، رویدادهاشان روی میدهند؛
تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 16/01/1400هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی
January 16, 2022
“In the real world irrational things happened, impossible coincidences happened, because probability required that coincidences rarely, but not never, occur.”
Not sure what Orson Scott Card's Ender in Exile brings to the Ender Series. I really enjoyed the sequels to Ender's Game which began with Speaker for the Dead as well as the parallel novel Ender's Shadow. Ender's Shadow provided something new even if it was a parallel story to Ender's Game. There was a lot of focus on what family means as well as good parenting. In an Afterword, Card explains the goal of Ender in Exile as eliminating inconsistencies from the conclusion of Ender's Game. While I was okay with another appearance of Ender, that wasn't really enough. 2.75 stars
Not sure what Orson Scott Card's Ender in Exile brings to the Ender Series. I really enjoyed the sequels to Ender's Game which began with Speaker for the Dead as well as the parallel novel Ender's Shadow. Ender's Shadow provided something new even if it was a parallel story to Ender's Game. There was a lot of focus on what family means as well as good parenting. In an Afterword, Card explains the goal of Ender in Exile as eliminating inconsistencies from the conclusion of Ender's Game. While I was okay with another appearance of Ender, that wasn't really enough. 2.75 stars
November 27, 2008
Orson Scott Card’s Ender’s saga holds the distinction of being one of the only series to win back-to-back Hugo Awards. Both “Ender’s Game” and “Speaker for the Dead” deservedly picked up Hugos when published and now, 30 years and several sequels later, Card revisits the time period between “Game” and “Speaker” in his latest novel in the Ender storyline.
After creating the parallel novel, “Ender’s Shadow” and the subsequent series about Bean, Petra and Peter’s rise to power in the world, Card shifts the focus of the series back to the title character, Ender Wiggins. The war with the alien race, the Buggers is over. Ender has won the war, but at what price? Card provided some hints to this in the final chapter of the original “Ender’s Game” but now he takes readers back to the time between stories for a novel that examines the ramifications and implications of what Ender Wiggins did.
What if you were 16 years old, had just won a war and were now treated as a political football? Also, considering what we find out in later novels about how the war was won, what impact would that have on a young man who thought he was playing an elaborate video game and instead was sending soldiers to their death and committing genocide? Card ably explores all of these questions in “Exile,” showing us the impact not only on Ender but on his family. We’ve seen pieces of the pain Ender’s parents felt on losing their son, but here it is brought home in a particularily compelling way, as we see Ender’s parents realize they must give up their son yet again.
The novel also serves to transition Ender from the end of “Game” to the character we see in “Speaker.” Card is able to do this superbly and the chapters that look at Ender’s character are compelling and readable. Card inserts a fascinating dynamic between Ender and the commander of the colony ship Ender is on, as the commander seeks to try and one-up Ender and seize power. Watching Ender slowly bring the comander in question down to size and the way in which he does it makes for one of the more satisfying twists in the novel.
And yet, as I read this one, I had to wonder if it was really meant to be a novel. Yes, the story does show us the character arc of Ender and various others and it will answer some questions left over for the “Shadow” series. (In fact, I’d almost say if you haven’t read the “Shadow” series, you’d be better served to read them before tackling “Exile.” But there are some points where “Exile” feels more episodic than other novels in the series. At several points, I found myself getting impatient to have the focus shift back to Ender rather than on some of the sidesteps along the way. It’s Ender who is the most compelling character in the story.
However, any new novel by Card is something to be savored and a return to the Ender Universe is always welcome. It’s also nice to see Card get back to form after his disappointing novel, “Empire” last year. If you’re a fan of the “Ender” universe, this is a welcome and needed addition. If you haven’t read any of the Ender’s saga yet, I implore you to seek out “Ender’s Game” first and settle in for one of the best science-fiction sagas out there.
After creating the parallel novel, “Ender’s Shadow” and the subsequent series about Bean, Petra and Peter’s rise to power in the world, Card shifts the focus of the series back to the title character, Ender Wiggins. The war with the alien race, the Buggers is over. Ender has won the war, but at what price? Card provided some hints to this in the final chapter of the original “Ender’s Game” but now he takes readers back to the time between stories for a novel that examines the ramifications and implications of what Ender Wiggins did.
What if you were 16 years old, had just won a war and were now treated as a political football? Also, considering what we find out in later novels about how the war was won, what impact would that have on a young man who thought he was playing an elaborate video game and instead was sending soldiers to their death and committing genocide? Card ably explores all of these questions in “Exile,” showing us the impact not only on Ender but on his family. We’ve seen pieces of the pain Ender’s parents felt on losing their son, but here it is brought home in a particularily compelling way, as we see Ender’s parents realize they must give up their son yet again.
The novel also serves to transition Ender from the end of “Game” to the character we see in “Speaker.” Card is able to do this superbly and the chapters that look at Ender’s character are compelling and readable. Card inserts a fascinating dynamic between Ender and the commander of the colony ship Ender is on, as the commander seeks to try and one-up Ender and seize power. Watching Ender slowly bring the comander in question down to size and the way in which he does it makes for one of the more satisfying twists in the novel.
And yet, as I read this one, I had to wonder if it was really meant to be a novel. Yes, the story does show us the character arc of Ender and various others and it will answer some questions left over for the “Shadow” series. (In fact, I’d almost say if you haven’t read the “Shadow” series, you’d be better served to read them before tackling “Exile.” But there are some points where “Exile” feels more episodic than other novels in the series. At several points, I found myself getting impatient to have the focus shift back to Ender rather than on some of the sidesteps along the way. It’s Ender who is the most compelling character in the story.
However, any new novel by Card is something to be savored and a return to the Ender Universe is always welcome. It’s also nice to see Card get back to form after his disappointing novel, “Empire” last year. If you’re a fan of the “Ender” universe, this is a welcome and needed addition. If you haven’t read any of the Ender’s saga yet, I implore you to seek out “Ender’s Game” first and settle in for one of the best science-fiction sagas out there.
January 31, 2013
Ender in Exile is what I wanted as a sequel to Ender's Game when I read Speaker for the Dead many years ago. Instead, Speaker for the Dead seemed to have a completely different Ender and the storyline through the following books (Xenocide and Children of the Mind) was written for people who swim in the deep end of the Sci-Fi genre.
I swim in the shallow end, with the occasional foray into the deep end. Ender's Game is a book I would recommend to anyone, even those who have not even gotten into the Sci-Fi pool. It's a great story. Speaker was the first sequel written and it begins many years after Ender's Game ends. Exile fills in the gap, and does so wonderfully. It also seems to be written for Sci-Fi novices. But since this is an Orson Scott Card book, be prepared for exceptionally bright children, and people who overthink almost every situation.
Also, while not necessary, you may want to read the Ender's game parallel novel Ender's Shadow and the series of books that follow it prior to picking up Exile since part of Exile wraps up a loose end from the Shadow series. It's not necessary that you do so, but it will help you to understand and enjoy those chapters that much more.
On a side note, I had read a few of the chapters of Exile previously as short stories in Card's online magazine "Intergalactic Medicine Show" (www.intergalacticmedicineshow.com) and I enjoyed reading the stories again as they filled in the blanks. I also recommend the Intergalactic Medicine Show for those who would like to take occasional forays into the deep end of the Sci-Fi/Fantasy genre but don't want to invest too much time in it.
So, to wrap up: First read Ender's Game (Everyone), Next read Ender's Shadow and the rest of that series (if your interested) and then read Ender in Exile (if you're interested). It may seem like a lot to read because it is, but it is all very enjoyable.
I swim in the shallow end, with the occasional foray into the deep end. Ender's Game is a book I would recommend to anyone, even those who have not even gotten into the Sci-Fi pool. It's a great story. Speaker was the first sequel written and it begins many years after Ender's Game ends. Exile fills in the gap, and does so wonderfully. It also seems to be written for Sci-Fi novices. But since this is an Orson Scott Card book, be prepared for exceptionally bright children, and people who overthink almost every situation.
Also, while not necessary, you may want to read the Ender's game parallel novel Ender's Shadow and the series of books that follow it prior to picking up Exile since part of Exile wraps up a loose end from the Shadow series. It's not necessary that you do so, but it will help you to understand and enjoy those chapters that much more.
On a side note, I had read a few of the chapters of Exile previously as short stories in Card's online magazine "Intergalactic Medicine Show" (www.intergalacticmedicineshow.com) and I enjoyed reading the stories again as they filled in the blanks. I also recommend the Intergalactic Medicine Show for those who would like to take occasional forays into the deep end of the Sci-Fi/Fantasy genre but don't want to invest too much time in it.
So, to wrap up: First read Ender's Game (Everyone), Next read Ender's Shadow and the rest of that series (if your interested) and then read Ender in Exile (if you're interested). It may seem like a lot to read because it is, but it is all very enjoyable.
October 3, 2020
Unnecessary
Once upon a time a writer created a quartet of brilliant novels that explored a future where the human race for the first time encounters another intelligent race. And, in the quartet so many intriguing issues are explored about sentience and understanding beings so different that there's no point of reference. And, then, once upon a time, that writer loved his series so much that he returns to it and fills in the gaps between book one and two, gaps spanning thousands of years and things only hinted at. The difficulty though is that Ender in Exile isn't really a novel with a story arc do much as a collection of extras told unevenly, sometimes really interesting, but not interesting if you are not familiar with the other novels in this series, and sometimes just really not interesting. In the end, it's an unnecessary addition to the Enderverse.
Once upon a time a writer created a quartet of brilliant novels that explored a future where the human race for the first time encounters another intelligent race. And, in the quartet so many intriguing issues are explored about sentience and understanding beings so different that there's no point of reference. And, then, once upon a time, that writer loved his series so much that he returns to it and fills in the gaps between book one and two, gaps spanning thousands of years and things only hinted at. The difficulty though is that Ender in Exile isn't really a novel with a story arc do much as a collection of extras told unevenly, sometimes really interesting, but not interesting if you are not familiar with the other novels in this series, and sometimes just really not interesting. In the end, it's an unnecessary addition to the Enderverse.
November 14, 2008
Whenever anyone asked me what science fiction books were worth reading, I'd always recommend Ender's Game. It is quite simply a magnificent book, well-plotted, full of action, angst, political maneuvering and brilliant characterizations. I felt that way about the second book, Speaker for the Dead as well. So along comes this book 23 years later promising to be a direct sequel to Ender's Game, and tell the story of the "lost years" between the two books. Woo hooo! But wait, all of the plot of Ender in Exile happens in the timeline of the final chapter of Ender's Game. (So should one read this directly after reading Ender's Game? I'd say that you need to read the first couple of Shadow books to fully appreciate the events in this book.)
So yes, I was really looking forward to this book and it makes me sad to only give it three stars. I liked it because I feel an affection for the characters: Ender, his sister Valentine, even Peter. I'm happy to see more of them. Sort of how you feel about good Tolkien fan fiction. We just love those hobbits, you know? "Tell us more about Pippin, please Mr. Tolkien?" But in a way, the book felt too much like fan fiction. Almost like Card was trying too hard to sort out loose ends, and fully describe every plot decision he made at the end of Ender's Game. And in trying too hard he makes Ender's characterization a little too perfect, too all-knowing, and Valentine too ineffective and shut out. In the end, my anticipation turned to lukewarm liking, but I won't cherish this one like I did the first.
So yes, I was really looking forward to this book and it makes me sad to only give it three stars. I liked it because I feel an affection for the characters: Ender, his sister Valentine, even Peter. I'm happy to see more of them. Sort of how you feel about good Tolkien fan fiction. We just love those hobbits, you know? "Tell us more about Pippin, please Mr. Tolkien?" But in a way, the book felt too much like fan fiction. Almost like Card was trying too hard to sort out loose ends, and fully describe every plot decision he made at the end of Ender's Game. And in trying too hard he makes Ender's characterization a little too perfect, too all-knowing, and Valentine too ineffective and shut out. In the end, my anticipation turned to lukewarm liking, but I won't cherish this one like I did the first.
July 9, 2014
This book was so disappointing. Most of Orson Scott Card's books are littered with conservative nagging. He's always written about family values and the like, being that he is a Mormon and Mormons are keen on things like that.
There's nothing wrong with that, even if I don't totally agree with him, but all of this lecturing GETS IN THE WAY OF THE STORY! It's as if the whole purpose of every character in the book is to lecture and nag each reader about the importance of monogamy, heterosexual relationships and of course, having babies. What this means is the characters are not solid real people, even those we've come to love such as Ender just exist for Orson Scott Card to take over and use to push his agenda.
For example, you get a whole entire scene with two doctors trying to work on taming an alien environment. Do you even need this scene? If it were just about the alien environment it would be interesting, but you get a weak scene with a woman trying to convince a man to have sex with her despite the fact that she was married because she wanted his braaaaains.
What is this, a zombie novel? It's ridiculous. Then of course the scientist says something along the lines of, no, I can't have sex with you because it would destroy civilization!
This book is totally unnecessary. Ender's Game is an awesome book and it shouldn't have to change because of this weak book.
Most of the new characters and conflicts were not only uninteresting but unnecessary. None of them added anything to the story. Even a kissing scene was turned into something creepy, cold, scientific, not romantic and powerful.
I say, avoid anything but the original Ender series. The rest of it is all lecturing, all nagging, all conservative diatribe. And it gets worse with each book. If you like that sort of thing, it's the book for you. If you want a real story with a plot, with human characters that are just not Orson's Scott Card's puppets, there's other things out there that are much better to read.
Also, has Valentine always been this annoying?
Also, might I add, is it possible for some woman to just do a play and get a man to fall in love with her? It doesn't help that the man was totally a jerk, but she manipulated him in a few pages to get him to want to marry her. This book is just so... HOLLOW. Full of unbelievable scenes that annoy me too this day. Dude should have not bothered with this book. Its existence ruins and unravels the previous Ender series.
I got to add that today, when I went to a Borders that is closing to find Dreams of Joy I saw this book marked down on the same shelf as Hush, Hush and One of Cassandra Clare's books. I tried to read part of this book again but couldn't take it. No one TALKS like that .Even nerdy scientists wouldn't talk about being human and male or wanting someone's genes in their babies because real people do not talk or act like that! They act subtle, they hint. I don't think OSC KNOWS how to make characters who are humans and not cardboard cut outs he sets up to spout his theology. This book isn't even worth buying marked down and on sale as something to irritate myself so I left it on the self and walked away in disgust.
Plus I DIDN'T find Dreams of Joy.
Edit- This is my opinion so do not throw rocks at me, but I am beginning to think OSC only writes books to lecture people about marriage and babies and ca$h his cheques and then send 10% to the Mormon church. i don't think he writes for the sheer raw love of stories.
It's depressing.
Ugh. I still hate this book. This book is terrible. The world view is revolting. It's full of nagging and lecturing. I didn't even technically finish it, it's so painfully, excruciatingly bad. Teenaged fanfic writers could do a better job. And don't get me started on the female characters, the manipulation, every character being so smugly smart and yet no one can just blatantly say what they want. People don't work like this. NOTHING WORKS LIKE THIS! It's all stereotypes and is as paper thin as toilet paper.
If you hate OSC, don't read this book. If you like him, don't read this book. If you like Ender's Game and found any value in that book, run from this book. Hide from it. Don't even let it in the house.
There's nothing wrong with that, even if I don't totally agree with him, but all of this lecturing GETS IN THE WAY OF THE STORY! It's as if the whole purpose of every character in the book is to lecture and nag each reader about the importance of monogamy, heterosexual relationships and of course, having babies. What this means is the characters are not solid real people, even those we've come to love such as Ender just exist for Orson Scott Card to take over and use to push his agenda.
For example, you get a whole entire scene with two doctors trying to work on taming an alien environment. Do you even need this scene? If it were just about the alien environment it would be interesting, but you get a weak scene with a woman trying to convince a man to have sex with her despite the fact that she was married because she wanted his braaaaains.
What is this, a zombie novel? It's ridiculous. Then of course the scientist says something along the lines of, no, I can't have sex with you because it would destroy civilization!
This book is totally unnecessary. Ender's Game is an awesome book and it shouldn't have to change because of this weak book.
Most of the new characters and conflicts were not only uninteresting but unnecessary. None of them added anything to the story. Even a kissing scene was turned into something creepy, cold, scientific, not romantic and powerful.
I say, avoid anything but the original Ender series. The rest of it is all lecturing, all nagging, all conservative diatribe. And it gets worse with each book. If you like that sort of thing, it's the book for you. If you want a real story with a plot, with human characters that are just not Orson's Scott Card's puppets, there's other things out there that are much better to read.
Also, has Valentine always been this annoying?
Also, might I add, is it possible for some woman to just do a play and get a man to fall in love with her? It doesn't help that the man was totally a jerk, but she manipulated him in a few pages to get him to want to marry her. This book is just so... HOLLOW. Full of unbelievable scenes that annoy me too this day. Dude should have not bothered with this book. Its existence ruins and unravels the previous Ender series.
I got to add that today, when I went to a Borders that is closing to find Dreams of Joy I saw this book marked down on the same shelf as Hush, Hush and One of Cassandra Clare's books. I tried to read part of this book again but couldn't take it. No one TALKS like that .Even nerdy scientists wouldn't talk about being human and male or wanting someone's genes in their babies because real people do not talk or act like that! They act subtle, they hint. I don't think OSC KNOWS how to make characters who are humans and not cardboard cut outs he sets up to spout his theology. This book isn't even worth buying marked down and on sale as something to irritate myself so I left it on the self and walked away in disgust.
Plus I DIDN'T find Dreams of Joy.
Edit- This is my opinion so do not throw rocks at me, but I am beginning to think OSC only writes books to lecture people about marriage and babies and ca$h his cheques and then send 10% to the Mormon church. i don't think he writes for the sheer raw love of stories.
It's depressing.
Ugh. I still hate this book. This book is terrible. The world view is revolting. It's full of nagging and lecturing. I didn't even technically finish it, it's so painfully, excruciatingly bad. Teenaged fanfic writers could do a better job. And don't get me started on the female characters, the manipulation, every character being so smugly smart and yet no one can just blatantly say what they want. People don't work like this. NOTHING WORKS LIKE THIS! It's all stereotypes and is as paper thin as toilet paper.
If you hate OSC, don't read this book. If you like him, don't read this book. If you like Ender's Game and found any value in that book, run from this book. Hide from it. Don't even let it in the house.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 11, 2012
This a prime example of how everything that Orson Scott Card has written since Shadow of the Giant is terrible and going down the tubes. He does not write the way he use to with emotions of characters that you really cared about. I felt no connection to any of the characters, even Ender seemed flat and lifeless in this book. He is know I feel writing to the masses to make a couple of dollars. He is now for me one of the most dissappointed author I have ever read. Shame on him. I feel like I should break up with him.
December 11, 2021
I'll admit that I had high expectations for this book, since I liked the other Ender's Game series books I've read: Ender's Game, Speaker for the Dead, Xenocide, and Children of the Mind. While I did enjoy the book for the additional history and details it provides, I can't think of anything remarkable it contributed to the Ender storyline.
Although it's called a direct sequel to Ender's Game, most of this book actually takes place between chapters 14 (Ender's victory) and 15 (Ender on a colony world) of Ender's Game. Ender's discovery of the playground on the colony world recorded in chapter 15 of Ender's Game occurs more than three-quarters of the way through this book. This book actually starts with the end of the Third Formic War, with Ender on Eros. It records the thoughts and conversations of Ender's family on Earth (parents, Peter, and Valentine) concerning whether he should return home.
The book contains expanded details of Graff's court martial, Ender's voyage to his first colony world, Valentine authoring The Hive Queen, Ender authoring The Hegemon, and more examples of Ender's understanding and empathy for buggers and humans.
At the end, I still had questions:
Whatever happened to Alessandra?
What happened between Sel and Afraima?
What communication did Ender have with his parents? Only one letter from Ender to them is recorded, even though Graff later refers to their ongoing conversations.
What conversations did Ender have with Peter? Only vague mentions of ansible conversations that inspired Ender to write The Hegemon are recorded; no dialog.
If you're a fan of the Ender's Game series, you'll enjoy the book for the additional backstory it contains, and it won't detract from the world you already know. Just don't expect it to make the same impact as the other books.
Although it's called a direct sequel to Ender's Game, most of this book actually takes place between chapters 14 (Ender's victory) and 15 (Ender on a colony world) of Ender's Game. Ender's discovery of the playground on the colony world recorded in chapter 15 of Ender's Game occurs more than three-quarters of the way through this book. This book actually starts with the end of the Third Formic War, with Ender on Eros. It records the thoughts and conversations of Ender's family on Earth (parents, Peter, and Valentine) concerning whether he should return home.
The book contains expanded details of Graff's court martial, Ender's voyage to his first colony world, Valentine authoring The Hive Queen, Ender authoring The Hegemon, and more examples of Ender's understanding and empathy for buggers and humans.
At the end, I still had questions:
Whatever happened to Alessandra?
What happened between Sel and Afraima?
What communication did Ender have with his parents? Only one letter from Ender to them is recorded, even though Graff later refers to their ongoing conversations.
What conversations did Ender have with Peter? Only vague mentions of ansible conversations that inspired Ender to write The Hegemon are recorded; no dialog.
If you're a fan of the Ender's Game series, you'll enjoy the book for the additional backstory it contains, and it won't detract from the world you already know. Just don't expect it to make the same impact as the other books.
November 17, 2008
What sets Ender in Exile apart from the the rest of the series is this: it is less than the sum of its parts.
A handful of its chapters had already appeared in short story form on Card's online sci-fi zine, Intergalactic Medicine Show. These stories were interesting and self-contained in their own right. But within the context of a novel, they strike me as being Card's Tom Bombadil: incidentally enriching to the established universe, but irrelevant to the narrative at hand.
The narrative at hand is Ender's post-war recovery, discovering the egg and writing the Hive Queen (the book), the changing relationship between Ender and the rest of his family, and (perhaps most of all, thanks to the dangling cliffhanger) dealing with the last of Bean's scattered children. If you've read the previous books, I don't think it will be any terrible spoiler to call this child by the name he calls himself, Achilles.
Each of these compelling plot threads are given at least an adequate, and sometimes a very compelling resolution—but only when I force myself to consider them as further self-contained short stories. Within the context of the novel, each is breezed through with such haste that I was on the second to last page of the book before I realized, "Oh, that was the dramatic climax, wasn't it."
Ender in Exile is published as a novel, but it's really a collection of episodic short stories that constitute a novel only in appearance. By sandwiching them together with hasty transitions, they are all diminished, competing for attention, never really integrating. Each part, if it had stood alone, would have done better. Summed together, they are all lessened.
In my ideal world, Card would have released a collection of short stories, perhaps a novella, dealing with things like the Alessandra/Dorianna/Morgan plotline and the gold bugs. Or—perhaps better still—leave them as-is on Intergalactic Medicine Show, affirming that Card's contribution to the zine actually has some worth and isn't just a venue for double-publishing the same work.
In my ideal, Ender's recovery, dealing with the last Hive Queen, dealing with his family, and dealing with Achilles would have spanned an entire novel at least as long as Exile instead of a few scattered chapters. The situation on Virlomi's colony world and the development of Achilles deserved far, far more than the two or three chapters they got. In those two or three chapters, Card telegraphed an emotional punch of a plotline. But I knew I would have cared far more about if I had really known young Achilles, if Ender's post-war troubles had been consistently expessed as an ongoing plot thread that demanded resolution. The emotional punch Card telegraphed was barely a tap on the shoulder. It still made me wince, but only because I was led to expect more.
Card said this is his best Ender book yet. I couldn't disagree more. Yet, it's not a bad book. It's still Ender, and it's still Card, which means it's still compelling enough fiction for me to keep reading all the way through to the last page within only a few days of purchasing it. That's more than I can say for the vast majority of books I buy.
The highlight of the book for me was Ender's touching reunion with Valentine. So well done. Though I wouldn't know until later that that early chapter would be the emotional climax of the book for me, it is not diminished. I only wish I could say Ender's collision with young Achilles delivered even a fraction of the catharsis it deserved.
A handful of its chapters had already appeared in short story form on Card's online sci-fi zine, Intergalactic Medicine Show. These stories were interesting and self-contained in their own right. But within the context of a novel, they strike me as being Card's Tom Bombadil: incidentally enriching to the established universe, but irrelevant to the narrative at hand.
The narrative at hand is Ender's post-war recovery, discovering the egg and writing the Hive Queen (the book), the changing relationship between Ender and the rest of his family, and (perhaps most of all, thanks to the dangling cliffhanger) dealing with the last of Bean's scattered children. If you've read the previous books, I don't think it will be any terrible spoiler to call this child by the name he calls himself, Achilles.
Each of these compelling plot threads are given at least an adequate, and sometimes a very compelling resolution—but only when I force myself to consider them as further self-contained short stories. Within the context of the novel, each is breezed through with such haste that I was on the second to last page of the book before I realized, "Oh, that was the dramatic climax, wasn't it."
Ender in Exile is published as a novel, but it's really a collection of episodic short stories that constitute a novel only in appearance. By sandwiching them together with hasty transitions, they are all diminished, competing for attention, never really integrating. Each part, if it had stood alone, would have done better. Summed together, they are all lessened.
In my ideal world, Card would have released a collection of short stories, perhaps a novella, dealing with things like the Alessandra/Dorianna/Morgan plotline and the gold bugs. Or—perhaps better still—leave them as-is on Intergalactic Medicine Show, affirming that Card's contribution to the zine actually has some worth and isn't just a venue for double-publishing the same work.
In my ideal, Ender's recovery, dealing with the last Hive Queen, dealing with his family, and dealing with Achilles would have spanned an entire novel at least as long as Exile instead of a few scattered chapters. The situation on Virlomi's colony world and the development of Achilles deserved far, far more than the two or three chapters they got. In those two or three chapters, Card telegraphed an emotional punch of a plotline. But I knew I would have cared far more about if I had really known young Achilles, if Ender's post-war troubles had been consistently expessed as an ongoing plot thread that demanded resolution. The emotional punch Card telegraphed was barely a tap on the shoulder. It still made me wince, but only because I was led to expect more.
Card said this is his best Ender book yet. I couldn't disagree more. Yet, it's not a bad book. It's still Ender, and it's still Card, which means it's still compelling enough fiction for me to keep reading all the way through to the last page within only a few days of purchasing it. That's more than I can say for the vast majority of books I buy.
The highlight of the book for me was Ender's touching reunion with Valentine. So well done. Though I wouldn't know until later that that early chapter would be the emotional climax of the book for me, it is not diminished. I only wish I could say Ender's collision with young Achilles delivered even a fraction of the catharsis it deserved.
July 29, 2011
I know. I know. I have not yet read any of the earlier Ender’s books so why did I read this? 1. The Filipinos group here in Goodreads had a meet up last Saturday and I thought it would be nice to know something about the series so I would not be an O.P. (out of place) as most of our members are young and YA readers. 2. This was the only – Card books rarely show up at bargain shops - book I saw by Card so I bought it right away and because it was priced at P45 ($1) and 3. My first interquel book. Yey, new word for me! Sure I’ve read sequels and prequels but this is my first time to start with a book that is in between two popular earlier-released Nebula-winners, Ender’s Game and Speaker for the Dead. I struggled a bit but the chat I had with Aaron during the Palengke meet up helped me a lot. Thanks, Aaron!
Oh, just this morning I had an angry message in one of my read books saying that I have to put a spoiler in one of my reviews. So, I will not put any spoilers, i.e., anything about the second-half of the book is a spoiler in my definition. This Ender in Exile is said to be the 6th book in the series and it begins one year after Ender has won the Bugger War, and ends at that time… there you go again, I said no spoiler you silly old man! ha ha
Andrew “Ender” Wiggin is the young brother of Valentine a.k.a. Demosthenes. They have a sociopathic brother, Peter Wiggin a.k.a. Locke. The commander’s name is Hyrun Graff. Their main enemies were called Formics a.k.a. “Buggers” and they have already defeated them. In the first book, Ender’s Game, that I think my formerly angry friend has read already, Ender, who is being trained at Battle School, is asked to do simulation in the computer without knowing at what he does there are actually happening in the galaxy so in the process he annihilates a race including at least two of this race’s leader.
At the beginning of the novel, the Battle School children have returned to earth since the Formics are already defeated however Ender cannot because he becomes a power symbol that whoever, among the forces who are fighting for supremacy on earth, gets him can use his knowledge and skills for their own ends. So, Ender is offered his own colony called Shakespeare populated with human beings in a planet that was used to be the territory of the Formics. Veronika joins Ender from Earth since she could not stand her other domineering and sociopath brother, Peter.
The rest of the book is about Ender’s stay at Shakespeare as a governor and his issues with the people in it, his search for a new site when his term is about to end, his book Speaker for the Dead and eventually going to his new colony. But I will not elaborate so as not to catch the fury of my already angry friend. Oh please, these are not spoilers. I just want to remember what I read…
On the last pages of the book, I was fascinated by what the author Card said that when he wrote Ender’s Game his son was 5-6 years old and the character of Ender was based on him. When he was writing that part, he said that that son of his was 30 years old and already married and everything. He also mentioned that the Ender’s Game has become a required reading in the military school so he dedicated this book Ender in Exile to the soldiers fighting for the USA and wished them good luck and may they return to their loved ones in America in one piece. Very touching as he seemed to be sincere and grateful that this series has become one of the most successful sci-fi series in the world.
There is no reason why I should not begin with book 1 sometime soon. 1. Seems like a great series. 2. Aldrin gave me a copy during the said meet up and 3. I know a bit of the two other books and reading them should now be a breeze. Do I have to click the spoiler box? I hate hiding my review ha ha
Oh, just this morning I had an angry message in one of my read books saying that I have to put a spoiler in one of my reviews. So, I will not put any spoilers, i.e., anything about the second-half of the book is a spoiler in my definition. This Ender in Exile is said to be the 6th book in the series and it begins one year after Ender has won the Bugger War, and ends at that time… there you go again, I said no spoiler you silly old man! ha ha
Andrew “Ender” Wiggin is the young brother of Valentine a.k.a. Demosthenes. They have a sociopathic brother, Peter Wiggin a.k.a. Locke. The commander’s name is Hyrun Graff. Their main enemies were called Formics a.k.a. “Buggers” and they have already defeated them. In the first book, Ender’s Game, that I think my formerly angry friend has read already, Ender, who is being trained at Battle School, is asked to do simulation in the computer without knowing at what he does there are actually happening in the galaxy so in the process he annihilates a race including at least two of this race’s leader.
At the beginning of the novel, the Battle School children have returned to earth since the Formics are already defeated however Ender cannot because he becomes a power symbol that whoever, among the forces who are fighting for supremacy on earth, gets him can use his knowledge and skills for their own ends. So, Ender is offered his own colony called Shakespeare populated with human beings in a planet that was used to be the territory of the Formics. Veronika joins Ender from Earth since she could not stand her other domineering and sociopath brother, Peter.
The rest of the book is about Ender’s stay at Shakespeare as a governor and his issues with the people in it, his search for a new site when his term is about to end, his book Speaker for the Dead and eventually going to his new colony. But I will not elaborate so as not to catch the fury of my already angry friend. Oh please, these are not spoilers. I just want to remember what I read…
On the last pages of the book, I was fascinated by what the author Card said that when he wrote Ender’s Game his son was 5-6 years old and the character of Ender was based on him. When he was writing that part, he said that that son of his was 30 years old and already married and everything. He also mentioned that the Ender’s Game has become a required reading in the military school so he dedicated this book Ender in Exile to the soldiers fighting for the USA and wished them good luck and may they return to their loved ones in America in one piece. Very touching as he seemed to be sincere and grateful that this series has become one of the most successful sci-fi series in the world.
There is no reason why I should not begin with book 1 sometime soon. 1. Seems like a great series. 2. Aldrin gave me a copy during the said meet up and 3. I know a bit of the two other books and reading them should now be a breeze. Do I have to click the spoiler box? I hate hiding my review ha ha
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 22, 2024
I read some reviews that dissed this sequel to Ender’s Game pretty hard, but I actually enjoyed it. I have read the first four Ender novels as well as Ender's Shadow and found that this one filled in a lot of gaps and was both entertaining and compelling. I liked the relationship between Ender and Valentine and between Graff and Ender. Maybe Ender is portrayed sometimes as just a little too perfect, but I enjoyed how we get him to Shakespeare, his mastering of the situation there, his liberating a few lost souls, and some of the techy stuff about the new gold bugs. I will finish the Shadow series and then see whether The Last Shadow wraps things up nicely or not.
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...
December 2, 2008
I was skeptical going into this - In fact, I only read it today because it has to go back to the library soon and I didn't want to return it unread. I kept thinking that it couldn't possibly be interesting since we already know what happens. Could it really be worth reading about events that were already discussed in other Ender books? Of course, I had the same type of reservations about Ender's Shadow and ended up being wowed by that one.
Ender in Exile isn't the same sort of homerun that Ender's Shadow was, but that didn't stop me from tearing through it in two sittings. Seeing Ender's thought process following the end of the Formic War was much more satisfying than reading about it as events that had already occurred, as we did in Speaker of the Dead and its sequels. I also really liked witnessing the creation of the colony program and seeing the seed that started the universe we meed in Speaker.
On the downside, I did get a little twitchy about Card retconning things for consistency. In his defense, his afterword explains his reasoning, and his reasoning mostly makes sense. I just worry he's veering into George Lucas territory when he has to start publishing new editions of his old books with changes.
Also, the subplot with Alessandra and her crazy mother seemed sort of tacked on - I couldn't really figure out what the purpose of it was, except to demonstrate Ender's brain power. I sort of wished they'd been done away with so that there was more time to focus on Ender's recovery and his removal from his family. One thing I wished the book had included was at least one response from Ender's parents to his first letter home. The text says that they continued to correspond, but we're not told any more than that. His letter packed a powerful punch, and it's a shame we didn't get to see what his parents had to say in return.
Although this is billed as a direct sequel to Ender's Game, it wouldn't make any sense without reading the Shadow books first. The loose threads in Shadow of the Giant are tied up here, and while they only take up a small portion of the book, I can't imagine they would make much sense (or have much impact, since it does lay down a short summary) without having read the previous books.
Ender in Exile isn't the same sort of homerun that Ender's Shadow was, but that didn't stop me from tearing through it in two sittings. Seeing Ender's thought process following the end of the Formic War was much more satisfying than reading about it as events that had already occurred, as we did in Speaker of the Dead and its sequels. I also really liked witnessing the creation of the colony program and seeing the seed that started the universe we meed in Speaker.
On the downside, I did get a little twitchy about Card retconning things for consistency. In his defense, his afterword explains his reasoning, and his reasoning mostly makes sense. I just worry he's veering into George Lucas territory when he has to start publishing new editions of his old books with changes.
Also, the subplot with Alessandra and her crazy mother seemed sort of tacked on - I couldn't really figure out what the purpose of it was, except to demonstrate Ender's brain power. I sort of wished they'd been done away with so that there was more time to focus on Ender's recovery and his removal from his family. One thing I wished the book had included was at least one response from Ender's parents to his first letter home. The text says that they continued to correspond, but we're not told any more than that. His letter packed a powerful punch, and it's a shame we didn't get to see what his parents had to say in return.
Although this is billed as a direct sequel to Ender's Game, it wouldn't make any sense without reading the Shadow books first. The loose threads in Shadow of the Giant are tied up here, and while they only take up a small portion of the book, I can't imagine they would make much sense (or have much impact, since it does lay down a short summary) without having read the previous books.
November 6, 2008
Card, Orson Scott. 2008. Ender in Exile.
Ender in Exile is the "new direct sequel" to Ender's Game. And in a way, that's true enough. The novel begins with Ender on Eros. His brother, Peter, and sister, Valentine, are on Earth. One lobbying for his return, the other arguing that he should not be allowed to come home. At all. Ever. If Ender was sent home, so the argument goes, he'd be a pawn for governments and militaries to fight over. He'd be targeted by power-hungry individuals for the rest of his life. Right? Those that have read the Shadow books (Ender's Shadow, Shadow of the Hegemon, Shadow Puppets, Shadow of the Giant) know that is exactly what happened to other Battle School children--including Petra, Bean, and Alai--when they returned. With the return of the children come wars and rumors of wars. Valentine--a.k.a. Demosthenes--wants better than that for her brother. Valentine loves her brother. If he can't come to her, she'll go to him. She decides to join her brother in space in his exile.
Admiral Ender will soon become Governor Wiggin when he's sent (along with Valentine) with one of the first (I think it is the very first) colonization vessels. At thirteen, he doesn't feel ready for the job no matter what anyone on Eros or Earth has to say about his legendary hero status. And there is at least one man on board--a fellow Admiral--who is captain of the ship--Quincy Morgan--who feels that Ender is a sham of a man. He glories himself to be the better man for the job. And he plans accordingly.
This journey will take a little over forty years give or take a month or two. But for Ender--and for the others that remain awake for this flight--it will be just two years. Who would choose to stay awake when they had the option of sleeping and not aging? You might be surprised at how many. Ender chooses because he wants those two years desperately to make him "mature" into a man that a colony of strangers would respect. Valentine chooses because it will give her time with Ender...and it will give her time to write. She's got plans for writing about Battle School and the Formic Wars. The reader is also introduced to two others that choose to remain awake: Dorabella and Alessandra Toscano. Dorabella is a strange woman living in a fantasy world and dreaming big dreams. Here is a feisty woman with ambition. Alessandra is the much shyer, much quieter, mostly-obedient daughter who's afraid to stand up to her mother.
Where are they going? Colony 1. But this colony is soon given a name: Shakespeare. And Ender begins communicating with the governor even before they've left Eros. He wants to know everything about the planet, everything about the people, he wants to make these vital connections, and it's not because he has to. The reader is introduced to some of these colonists throughout. (None will be familiar except Abra.)
A lot can happen in forty or fifty years. And Andrew and Valentine are not cut off completely from Earth. Not exactly. So we do hear about Peter becoming Hegemon. About the wars on Earth. About Bean and Petra and the others whose adventures we followed in the Shadow books.
At some point in the book, Andrew learns about another colony-in-the-making that will be governed by a Battle School graduate named Virlomi. And on that ship is a child that Graff feels is the missing ninth child of Bean and Petra. He wants Andrew--if he's able--to go to this new Colony if he gets the chance to find out for sure. The colony in question is Ganges. On this ship and on this colony are several people whom the reader first met in one or more of the Shadow books.
So Ender in Exile is also the direct sequel to Shadow of the Giant. It follows a handful of the characters into space. And we also follow in a limited capacity those left behind--Peter, Petra, Graff, etc.
Almost everything that happens (but not all of what happens) was hinted at in the final chapter of Ender's Game. There aren't any BIG surprises along the way. The Ender of Ender in Exile is a boy in transition. He's not yet a man. He's not the wise-beyond-his-years Speaker For the Dead. He's a guilt-ridden boy who is burdened by what he's done--the deaths of those two boys, the annihilation of the Buggers--and he is anxious to make amends. He's a good-natured, boy who is seeking answers, always seeking.
How does Ender in Exile compare to others in the series? I enjoyed it. While it could never take the place in my heart for Ender's Game and Speaker for the Dead, it certainly belongs there with the others. We've got a good mix of old characters and new characters. The characterization--like always--is great. The plot was as exciting (in a way) and well paced as others. This one wasn't as bogged down with politics and strategies. Nor was it bogged down with philosophy. I'm not picking on the other sequels--I happen to enjoy them all--but I also acknowledge that some fans of Ender's Game are turned off by the sequels.
I've never been sure how to order these books. I read them Ender's Game, Speaker for the Dead, Xenocide, Children of the Mind, Ender's Shadow, Shadow of the Hegemon, Shadow Puppets, Shadow of the Giant, Ender in Exile. But chronologically, they're all over the place. All of Ender in Exile occurs within the final chapter of Ender's Game and before Speaker of the Dead opens. But there are events discussed or mentioned in Ender in Exile from the Shadow books. There are characters introduced in the Shadow books that are a part of the action in Ender In Exile. So I'm not sure what order to recommend them anymore. I think they can be enjoyed in any order perhaps.
© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews
Ender in Exile is the "new direct sequel" to Ender's Game. And in a way, that's true enough. The novel begins with Ender on Eros. His brother, Peter, and sister, Valentine, are on Earth. One lobbying for his return, the other arguing that he should not be allowed to come home. At all. Ever. If Ender was sent home, so the argument goes, he'd be a pawn for governments and militaries to fight over. He'd be targeted by power-hungry individuals for the rest of his life. Right? Those that have read the Shadow books (Ender's Shadow, Shadow of the Hegemon, Shadow Puppets, Shadow of the Giant) know that is exactly what happened to other Battle School children--including Petra, Bean, and Alai--when they returned. With the return of the children come wars and rumors of wars. Valentine--a.k.a. Demosthenes--wants better than that for her brother. Valentine loves her brother. If he can't come to her, she'll go to him. She decides to join her brother in space in his exile.
Admiral Ender will soon become Governor Wiggin when he's sent (along with Valentine) with one of the first (I think it is the very first) colonization vessels. At thirteen, he doesn't feel ready for the job no matter what anyone on Eros or Earth has to say about his legendary hero status. And there is at least one man on board--a fellow Admiral--who is captain of the ship--Quincy Morgan--who feels that Ender is a sham of a man. He glories himself to be the better man for the job. And he plans accordingly.
This journey will take a little over forty years give or take a month or two. But for Ender--and for the others that remain awake for this flight--it will be just two years. Who would choose to stay awake when they had the option of sleeping and not aging? You might be surprised at how many. Ender chooses because he wants those two years desperately to make him "mature" into a man that a colony of strangers would respect. Valentine chooses because it will give her time with Ender...and it will give her time to write. She's got plans for writing about Battle School and the Formic Wars. The reader is also introduced to two others that choose to remain awake: Dorabella and Alessandra Toscano. Dorabella is a strange woman living in a fantasy world and dreaming big dreams. Here is a feisty woman with ambition. Alessandra is the much shyer, much quieter, mostly-obedient daughter who's afraid to stand up to her mother.
Where are they going? Colony 1. But this colony is soon given a name: Shakespeare. And Ender begins communicating with the governor even before they've left Eros. He wants to know everything about the planet, everything about the people, he wants to make these vital connections, and it's not because he has to. The reader is introduced to some of these colonists throughout. (None will be familiar except Abra.)
A lot can happen in forty or fifty years. And Andrew and Valentine are not cut off completely from Earth. Not exactly. So we do hear about Peter becoming Hegemon. About the wars on Earth. About Bean and Petra and the others whose adventures we followed in the Shadow books.
At some point in the book, Andrew learns about another colony-in-the-making that will be governed by a Battle School graduate named Virlomi. And on that ship is a child that Graff feels is the missing ninth child of Bean and Petra. He wants Andrew--if he's able--to go to this new Colony if he gets the chance to find out for sure. The colony in question is Ganges. On this ship and on this colony are several people whom the reader first met in one or more of the Shadow books.
So Ender in Exile is also the direct sequel to Shadow of the Giant. It follows a handful of the characters into space. And we also follow in a limited capacity those left behind--Peter, Petra, Graff, etc.
Almost everything that happens (but not all of what happens) was hinted at in the final chapter of Ender's Game. There aren't any BIG surprises along the way. The Ender of Ender in Exile is a boy in transition. He's not yet a man. He's not the wise-beyond-his-years Speaker For the Dead. He's a guilt-ridden boy who is burdened by what he's done--the deaths of those two boys, the annihilation of the Buggers--and he is anxious to make amends. He's a good-natured, boy who is seeking answers, always seeking.
How does Ender in Exile compare to others in the series? I enjoyed it. While it could never take the place in my heart for Ender's Game and Speaker for the Dead, it certainly belongs there with the others. We've got a good mix of old characters and new characters. The characterization--like always--is great. The plot was as exciting (in a way) and well paced as others. This one wasn't as bogged down with politics and strategies. Nor was it bogged down with philosophy. I'm not picking on the other sequels--I happen to enjoy them all--but I also acknowledge that some fans of Ender's Game are turned off by the sequels.
I've never been sure how to order these books. I read them Ender's Game, Speaker for the Dead, Xenocide, Children of the Mind, Ender's Shadow, Shadow of the Hegemon, Shadow Puppets, Shadow of the Giant, Ender in Exile. But chronologically, they're all over the place. All of Ender in Exile occurs within the final chapter of Ender's Game and before Speaker of the Dead opens. But there are events discussed or mentioned in Ender in Exile from the Shadow books. There are characters introduced in the Shadow books that are a part of the action in Ender In Exile. So I'm not sure what order to recommend them anymore. I think they can be enjoyed in any order perhaps.
© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews
November 8, 2020
Leído en 2011. 5/10
Enésimo episodio de la serie de "El juego de Ender", muy, muy lejos de la frescura de antaño. La verdad es que da un poco de pena ver a un autor que me ha gustado tanto ("Esperanza del venado", "Maestro cantor", "Wyrms", "La voz de los muertos",...) terminar hurgando en los recovecos de sus novelas anteriores a la búsqueda de una trama.
Prescindible
Enésimo episodio de la serie de "El juego de Ender", muy, muy lejos de la frescura de antaño. La verdad es que da un poco de pena ver a un autor que me ha gustado tanto ("Esperanza del venado", "Maestro cantor", "Wyrms", "La voz de los muertos",...) terminar hurgando en los recovecos de sus novelas anteriores a la búsqueda de una trama.
Prescindible
January 19, 2012
I first read Orson Scott Card’s most recognized novel, Ender’s Game, in my freshman year of high school, and immediately fell in love with it. It’s one novel that withstood the test of time when I read it again as an adult, as it was after all meant for an adult audience, despite the young characters. I eagerly read the rest of the series, but only Ender’s Shadow came close to recapturing characters I loved so much. I picked this up from my library with the hopes that a younger version of Ender would once again capture my imagination.
With Ender in Exile, we find Andrew (Ender) Wiggin, the boy whose brilliant military strategies saved the world from the alien Buggers, coming to terms with how he has caused the deaths of millions while thinking he was only playing a war game. The entire novel is neither a prequel nor a sequel, but another side by side companion that takes place between chapters 14 and 15 of the original Ender’s Game, and throughout the Shadow series. Card even wrote a new version of chapter 15, to be printed in subsequent editions to match this latest novel, which is an amazing addition to the Enderverse.
I loved seeing the evolution of Ender’s character before he became the sober Speaker for the Dead in the like-named second novel. In Exile, he’s still a teenager, but a brilliant one, full of guilt over all that he’s done and a need to understand the enemy he thought he exterminated. But the emotions in the book aren’t overdone; rather, they’re coupled with a hint of the spirit of the boy he used to be as he innocently conspires to keep his position as governor over an Admiral who would use him as a pawn. I couldn’t help but rub my hands with glee at that part, though there are also a few touching moments that remind the reader that despite his maturity, he’s still a teenage boy. A more final ending to the Shadow series also plays out here, and though it feels more like a short story added on to the ending instead of part of a full novel. But you won’t hear me complaining.
Card has once again mastered the character of young Ender, and this fully fleshed out version of his early travels will definitely be satisfying reading for anyone who was a fan of the original. 4 out of 5 stars.
See this review and more information on the book and author at Book Him Danno: http://bookhimdanno.blogspot.com/2012...
With Ender in Exile, we find Andrew (Ender) Wiggin, the boy whose brilliant military strategies saved the world from the alien Buggers, coming to terms with how he has caused the deaths of millions while thinking he was only playing a war game. The entire novel is neither a prequel nor a sequel, but another side by side companion that takes place between chapters 14 and 15 of the original Ender’s Game, and throughout the Shadow series. Card even wrote a new version of chapter 15, to be printed in subsequent editions to match this latest novel, which is an amazing addition to the Enderverse.
I loved seeing the evolution of Ender’s character before he became the sober Speaker for the Dead in the like-named second novel. In Exile, he’s still a teenager, but a brilliant one, full of guilt over all that he’s done and a need to understand the enemy he thought he exterminated. But the emotions in the book aren’t overdone; rather, they’re coupled with a hint of the spirit of the boy he used to be as he innocently conspires to keep his position as governor over an Admiral who would use him as a pawn. I couldn’t help but rub my hands with glee at that part, though there are also a few touching moments that remind the reader that despite his maturity, he’s still a teenage boy. A more final ending to the Shadow series also plays out here, and though it feels more like a short story added on to the ending instead of part of a full novel. But you won’t hear me complaining.
Card has once again mastered the character of young Ender, and this fully fleshed out version of his early travels will definitely be satisfying reading for anyone who was a fan of the original. 4 out of 5 stars.
See this review and more information on the book and author at Book Him Danno: http://bookhimdanno.blogspot.com/2012...
June 10, 2012
After having been asked to contribute an Essay on the Ender Universe to an upcoming collection of Essays, I realized that Ender in Exile was the only Ender book I hadn’t read, so I picked it up right away. Orson Scott Card can’t write a bad book. At least I haven’t come across one. Ender in Exile follows Ender Wiggins’ “missing years,” and ties up some loose ends that I’m sure have plagued Card for years. For instance, he must be asked constantly by fans “why did the formic queens all gather on the same planet if they knew there was a chance the planet might be destroyed?” He suggests a rational and believable answer for that in this book.
July 18, 2011
I have no idea what this book is. Orson Scott Card needs a direction/categorize for this book like he did with the other Ender books. The basic fact is that he took out all the moral/emotional fact from the original books was what made this book more like any other novel out there. He just needs to clear his head before writing anything now a days. He has lost his magical touch since writing Shadow of the Giant, which to me is his last great book.
January 10, 2015
Where to start?
- Read this only after you've read Ender's Game and the Shadow Series if you really like the Enderverse.
- Don't read this if you've read Ender's Game, its sequels, and the Shadow Series.
As a reader and fan of the Enderverse I can ignore the nagging and preachiness of getting married and having kids. As a thinking mind I can't tolerate his ideas about genetic determinism, which in fact are kinda wrong: no, just because your parents are good it doesn't mean you'll turn out good too it also depends on upbringing and context.
There are several problems with his female characters, this book alone has more of those problemas than all the others combined (or maybe it's my perception). Valentine is intolerable, Dorabella es not only weird but also not plausible.
Shakespeare: we get it, stop it with the "jokes"/references to all his works, it gets tedious.
Overall, this novel provides no new information whatsoever. Characterization is almost non-existent; and Ender's depiction of being broken is not really believable.
If you still want to know about some of the stuff that goes on just read his short story "The Gold Bug". I'm just reading it at the moment and it talks about Sel Menarch, explains some things and you get to see the gold bugs (which for me were really interesting and not at all explained in the novel, such a shame as it might have made the novel interesting for me).
Things that happen that you might want to know because they are not told in other novels (I haven't read Shadow's in Flight yet):
- Ender gets his first (extremely awkward) kiss
- Ender learns to communicate with the gold bugs (who use a system similar/almost identical to the system Formics used to communicate)
- Graff retires in Ireland where he lives alone
- Ender writes to his parents at last
- He writes and publishes The Hive Queen and the Hegemon
- Achilles discovers he is Petra's and Bean's son
- Read this only after you've read Ender's Game and the Shadow Series if you really like the Enderverse.
- Don't read this if you've read Ender's Game, its sequels, and the Shadow Series.
As a reader and fan of the Enderverse I can ignore the nagging and preachiness of getting married and having kids. As a thinking mind I can't tolerate his ideas about genetic determinism, which in fact are kinda wrong: no, just because your parents are good it doesn't mean you'll turn out good too it also depends on upbringing and context.
There are several problems with his female characters, this book alone has more of those problemas than all the others combined (or maybe it's my perception). Valentine is intolerable, Dorabella es not only weird but also not plausible.
Shakespeare: we get it, stop it with the "jokes"/references to all his works, it gets tedious.
Overall, this novel provides no new information whatsoever. Characterization is almost non-existent; and Ender's depiction of being broken is not really believable.
If you still want to know about some of the stuff that goes on just read his short story "The Gold Bug". I'm just reading it at the moment and it talks about Sel Menarch, explains some things and you get to see the gold bugs (which for me were really interesting and not at all explained in the novel, such a shame as it might have made the novel interesting for me).
Things that happen that you might want to know because they are not told in other novels (I haven't read Shadow's in Flight yet):
- Ender gets his first (extremely awkward) kiss
- Ender learns to communicate with the gold bugs (who use a system similar/almost identical to the system Formics used to communicate)
- Graff retires in Ireland where he lives alone
- Ender writes to his parents at last
- He writes and publishes The Hive Queen and the Hegemon
- Achilles discovers he is Petra's and Bean's son
December 2, 2011
I’ve heard how much Orson Scott Card’s Ender’s Game is a science fiction classic, but I haven’t read it yet. My introduction to Orson Scott Card came through a graphic novel I found in one of my bargain book hunts. Originally published by Marvel Comics as a five issue miniseries, this book collects those issues in hardcover.
Set after the events of the first Ender novel, this was touted as a direct sequel to Ender’s Game. It was a great way to know Ender Wiggin. Here, he was already a battle scarred veteran, who has seen too much death, as he was instrumental in the genocide of an entire race. Though it was in wartime and done in defense of the human race, he was bothered by the guild of being directly responsible for the termination of a billion beings.
He seems like an interesting character. His young age belies his battle experience and keen strategic and political mind. In this volume, he defuses a mutiny, governs a planetary colony and shepherds it into independence from Earth. I have two options on reading further on this character, the original novels or the two graphic novels that preceded this.
I may also read further Card’s other comic book work for Marvel. He has two volumes of Ultimate Iron Man credited. I will definitely be on the lookout for those and his other Ender work.
Set after the events of the first Ender novel, this was touted as a direct sequel to Ender’s Game. It was a great way to know Ender Wiggin. Here, he was already a battle scarred veteran, who has seen too much death, as he was instrumental in the genocide of an entire race. Though it was in wartime and done in defense of the human race, he was bothered by the guild of being directly responsible for the termination of a billion beings.
He seems like an interesting character. His young age belies his battle experience and keen strategic and political mind. In this volume, he defuses a mutiny, governs a planetary colony and shepherds it into independence from Earth. I have two options on reading further on this character, the original novels or the two graphic novels that preceded this.
I may also read further Card’s other comic book work for Marvel. He has two volumes of Ultimate Iron Man credited. I will definitely be on the lookout for those and his other Ender work.
November 24, 2008
I'm honestly not sure this book needed to exist. While it does tie up all the dangling plotlines from the Shadow series, the book as a whole doesn't really have any driving conflict. It's more just "here's what happened to Ender in the immediate aftermath of the Bugger War." There are two seeming conflicts in the book, but they both seem manufactured, just to give Ender something to do.
Thrilled as I am to have another Ender book, I think it would have been better if the Bean stories had just been wrapped up in a novelette, or even better, at the end of the last Shadow book.
Perhaps the main conflict I'm missing is an internal one within Ender, where he has to confront the killer inside, but that conflict was wrapped up pretty nicely, I thought, in the actual Ender's Game sequels.
Thrilled as I am to have another Ender book, I think it would have been better if the Bean stories had just been wrapped up in a novelette, or even better, at the end of the last Shadow book.
Perhaps the main conflict I'm missing is an internal one within Ender, where he has to confront the killer inside, but that conflict was wrapped up pretty nicely, I thought, in the actual Ender's Game sequels.
November 16, 2008
Part of me is nervous every time Card goes goes back to the Ender well, but again I was not disappointed. This book not being a Bean based book, although I have enjoyed those as well,it was nice to be back with the boy the created the universe. This book takes place between chapter 14-15 of Ender's Game and does a very nice job setting up the following trilogy more than the book alone did twenty years ago. I will say that this book was not truly necessary, it did flush out a little more of Ender's character and what this book really hit on was the recovery of Ender the soldier and the reconciliation within himself as well as the lost and surviving soldiers form the formic wars. It was not a needed book but it was welcomed book that I was more than earger to tear through.
July 27, 2010
I am really angry that OSC got me so hard, so early, with Ender's Game, such that I want to read about the Wiggin siblings and their world even well past the point where it has become apparent that Card no longer writes books I will enjoy. I think this one, with various meandering digressions (at least one of which I found offensively misguided), lack of emotional payoff at any point in the story, and characters whose behavior seems inconsistent with my memories of them in earlier books, may have finally killed off that impulse. No more Orson, no more Ender.
February 10, 2023
I was already about halfway through this book when I realised I had messed up.
Oh the tangled Ender web we weave.
So. Ender in Exile is a direct sequel to Ender's Game. It is also a direct sequel to Ender's Shadow which makes sense, because Shadow lies alongside Game.
However.
Exile takes place, in the end, over about 4 years for Ender/Andrew, who is in and out of stasis and spaceflight. But on Earth almost 60 years pass. And that makes problems for the Shadow Saga (Hegemon, Puppets, Giant respectively), which takes place over the intervening years.
I realised this because Ender receives communications about his friends back on Earth, who are now grown and fighting wars, living their lives, having children etc.
And without knowing their stories fully, what happens is MADNESS. I have soooo many questions!
ANYWAY.
Let's discuss this beautiful book. Ender and Valentine, finally reunited. New characters and their schemes. A new planet, a difficult reconciliation (or two, or three). Hyrum Graff softening over the years (*heart eyes*).
I love this series so much. I love how it all interconnects. I love how its written in its weird, clunky way that conveys so much emotion without saying it. I love how there are so many characters to care about, no matter how brief their time is. I love the possiblities that come with stasis and time dilation.
It's taking me a long time to get through this series but I think there will be endless re-read opportunities, in a different order every time, and I love that! I'm still struggling to put Ender the boy together with Ender the man but the edges are finally coming together.
And I really can't wait to read the rest of Bean's and Peter's stories now!
Oh the tangled Ender web we weave.
So. Ender in Exile is a direct sequel to Ender's Game. It is also a direct sequel to Ender's Shadow which makes sense, because Shadow lies alongside Game.
However.
Exile takes place, in the end, over about 4 years for Ender/Andrew, who is in and out of stasis and spaceflight. But on Earth almost 60 years pass. And that makes problems for the Shadow Saga (Hegemon, Puppets, Giant respectively), which takes place over the intervening years.
I realised this because Ender receives communications about his friends back on Earth, who are now grown and fighting wars, living their lives, having children etc.
And without knowing their stories fully, what happens is MADNESS. I have soooo many questions!
ANYWAY.
Let's discuss this beautiful book. Ender and Valentine, finally reunited. New characters and their schemes. A new planet, a difficult reconciliation (or two, or three). Hyrum Graff softening over the years (*heart eyes*).
I love this series so much. I love how it all interconnects. I love how its written in its weird, clunky way that conveys so much emotion without saying it. I love how there are so many characters to care about, no matter how brief their time is. I love the possiblities that come with stasis and time dilation.
It's taking me a long time to get through this series but I think there will be endless re-read opportunities, in a different order every time, and I love that! I'm still struggling to put Ender the boy together with Ender the man but the edges are finally coming together.
And I really can't wait to read the rest of Bean's and Peter's stories now!
March 27, 2024
I’ve never read a book that I more strongly believe didn’t need to be written
June 20, 2018
Everyone hates this book, but I have only three issues with it:
Other than these things, honestly, I was happy.
I love Ender, and I love that he's the purest burdened savior empath, but also gets to be a snarky little jerk with Valentine. I wish there had been more of that, but I very much enjoyed the amount I was given. The contest between Ender and the power-hungry captain was fun to read, and, of course, Ender's inevitable victory. Honestly, I would straight up lose my mind to see Ender in full dress uniform just like the colonists did. I was interested in the new colony, its people, and their gradual discoveries about the Formics as well.
The latter half is the worse half, in my opinion. But it does make way more sense to me this time through, since I have read Shadow of the Giant now. Whew. I was very confused by Virlomi last time.
After having read this again, I do wish I could go on to the actual Ender sequel trilogy. Unfortunately, my foggy memories of reading the first bit of Speaker for the Dead years ago make me too afraid. I've gone this far into the extended Ender universe without ruining my love for Ender's Game itself, though, so it's probably inevitable. I'll make my way there eventually.
• The one breeding kink chapter. Like... why? The chapter had absolutely zero impact on the rest of the book, was narratively useless. But for some reason, we apparently HAVE to have at least ONE scene of a woman throwing herself at a super-smart man and begging to have his super-smart babies. Card needs to get over this kink, or at least confine it to his FetLife account and not his published writing.
• The subplot near the end with Bean's lost son just seemed extremely empty. You're telling me this kid is Bean-smart, has reached the age by which Bean had created order on the streets of Rotterdam, gone to school, defeated the Formics, helped Peter take over half the world, and started a family, and the best Achilles/Randall/Arkanian can do is write angry posts on the internet? Very strange. How did he not figure out by now that his mother's stories were all insane lies?
Also, the confrontation is just strange and anti-climactic. Why can't Achilles kill Ender? Because he's Bean and Petra's child? Last time I checked, they were both fully capable of killing people they considered to be their enemies. It just seems like Card's pernicious genetic determinism coming out again. If Achilles had had a son, would he have been genetically doomed to be a psychopath and a serial killer because "its in his genes"? This perspective is just plain wrong.
• Valentine was criminally underused. She was such a potent relationship for Ender in Ender's Game while not even actually present for most of the book; since she's actually HERE during this book, it just feels wrong to have her spend most of her time as a nearly offscreen presence. She only shows up really to misread Ender's actions and intentions and hastily accuse him of doing things he's not actually doing. This makes her look stupid, and is just a waste of her character. Isn't she a certified genius? Can't she give Ender credit for also being a certified genius?
Other than these things, honestly, I was happy.
I love Ender, and I love that he's the purest burdened savior empath, but also gets to be a snarky little jerk with Valentine. I wish there had been more of that, but I very much enjoyed the amount I was given. The contest between Ender and the power-hungry captain was fun to read, and, of course, Ender's inevitable victory. Honestly, I would straight up lose my mind to see Ender in full dress uniform just like the colonists did. I was interested in the new colony, its people, and their gradual discoveries about the Formics as well.
The latter half is the worse half, in my opinion. But it does make way more sense to me this time through, since I have read Shadow of the Giant now. Whew. I was very confused by Virlomi last time.
After having read this again, I do wish I could go on to the actual Ender sequel trilogy. Unfortunately, my foggy memories of reading the first bit of Speaker for the Dead years ago make me too afraid. I've gone this far into the extended Ender universe without ruining my love for Ender's Game itself, though, so it's probably inevitable. I'll make my way there eventually.
July 15, 2010
I certainly wish I had read some reviews here before plunking down the money and going "Ohh! An Ender Story!" There's probably fan-fic more coherent than this.
That said, there were some bits I liked. Dorabella was the most vivid and conflicted character, and then she got taken away, but that's fine, she'd served her purpose. But she could have been a short story alone and the better for it.
I was okay with the political maneuvering with Morgan and the sequence with Randall had some logic, but the rest -- I feel gypped. Valentine, whom I've always loved, was flat, Ender, a one note, the rest, scattered. I don't believe for a minute that Ender's parents wouldn't have launched letters into the void. They've BEEN doing that all along, why would they stop? I liked them here except for that. It isn't for a child, and Ender is, socially, to have to take the lead.
The political agenda, though, AGH! I wanted to seance up Robert Heinlein to explain to Card exactly what will happen in a colony of highly intelligent people with a skewed gender ratio -- what Card did with it was predictable based on his religious background, but not probable given reality, and, most unforgivable, NOT RELEVANT TO THE STORY.
That he wouldn't re-read his own work to write the next sequence is completely stupid and puts him squarely next to Laurell K. Hamilton. To hear that he plans to retcon Ender's Game to reflect this nonsense is to hear that the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel is going to get a nice coat of rose beige paint.
I wish he'd spent the time on whatever comes after "Lovelock."
That said, there were some bits I liked. Dorabella was the most vivid and conflicted character, and then she got taken away, but that's fine, she'd served her purpose. But she could have been a short story alone and the better for it.
I was okay with the political maneuvering with Morgan and the sequence with Randall had some logic, but the rest -- I feel gypped. Valentine, whom I've always loved, was flat, Ender, a one note, the rest, scattered. I don't believe for a minute that Ender's parents wouldn't have launched letters into the void. They've BEEN doing that all along, why would they stop? I liked them here except for that. It isn't for a child, and Ender is, socially, to have to take the lead.
The political agenda, though, AGH! I wanted to seance up Robert Heinlein to explain to Card exactly what will happen in a colony of highly intelligent people with a skewed gender ratio -- what Card did with it was predictable based on his religious background, but not probable given reality, and, most unforgivable, NOT RELEVANT TO THE STORY.
That he wouldn't re-read his own work to write the next sequence is completely stupid and puts him squarely next to Laurell K. Hamilton. To hear that he plans to retcon Ender's Game to reflect this nonsense is to hear that the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel is going to get a nice coat of rose beige paint.
I wish he'd spent the time on whatever comes after "Lovelock."
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