Customer Reviews

Ender's Game Boxed Set: Ender's Game, Ender's Shadow, Shadow of the Hegemon

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I was a bit miffed that Amazon does not bother to indicate *which* books of the Ender's series are included in this set. So I looked up the ISBN. This collection is also known as "Ender's Saga" and contains the novels "Ender's Game," "Ender's Shadow," and "Shadow of the Hegemon." If you do not already have these titles, this is a great way to get into a fabulous science fiction series for any age. However, if you have already read "Ender's Game" (the first of the series) there are other sets available to round out your collection. Also note that this box set plus the "Beyond Ender's Game" set will give you 6 of the 7 novels with no duplicates (all except "Shadow Puppets", the latest one).

I loved Ender's Game but that is not why I'm writing this. I'm writing to warn everyone who has NOT read Ender's Game about a below review of the book. There is a major SPOILER is Robert D. Steele's review of the book and if you haven't read the book yet, it will really ruin the ending for you. So be warned! I reported the review as inappropriate but who knows if or when they will take it off. Reviews should not include the endings, people! Come on!

The Ender's Game series of books are wonderful. There are at least nine books in this series and the quality of the story line and the character developments are second to none in each and every book. I can't imagine anyone NOT becoming enthralled with these books. It is important to note that the three books in this set do NOT follow Ender Wiggin's personal saga. Ender's Shadow is a parallel book to Ender's Game. It follows the Battle School character of Bean. It provides some interesting insights into what was happening "behind the scenes" during Ender's training and also confirms that Bean is a new type of human. The Shadow of the Hegemon keeps the reader on Earth with Bean and with Ender's ruthlessly ambitious older brother, Peter Wiggin, as they fight with and against other Battle School graduates to unite all the countries of Earth under Peter Wiggin's authority.

(Readers who want to exclusively (or initially) follow Ender's story should buy: Ender's Game, Speaker for the Dead, Xenocide and then, Children of The Mind. The order of Bean's "Shadow" books is: Ender's Shadow, Shadow of the Hegemon, Shaddow Puppets and Shadow of the Giant.)

I can't imagine anyone would be disappointed by starting out with this set. Orson Scott Card has created yet another interesting, compelling character in Bean. And the storylines of the "Shadow" books are also of the sort that will make you stay up all night to finish reading them.

I did not carefully read the titles of each book in the set and I thought I was getting only the "shadow" series. However it was worth the price to enjoy reading two new books that provide a unique offering. It is not unusual to find an author who can entice a reader into the web of his story. But it is rare to find an author who can also present an opportunity for the reader to indulge in introspection. This is what "Sci-Fi" readers crave.

The first two books in this set are amazing. The third one is a lame attempt at a movie deal. You can see Hollywood written all over it. It goes against everything the first two books stand for.
That being said, I still give this set a 5-star rating because of the first two stories it contains. They both have a natural flow to them that many sci-fi writers lack the skill to accomplish. All of the main characters behave realistically according to their motivations. The two books compliment each other, the second book serves to establish the same story from a different perspective which adds to the depth of an already great piece of work. Well done, Mr. Card!

This is the first book I have read in ages. The book had a nice pace to it which just drags you in the story. The story (r)evolves around a number of characters.Which gives the whole a nice consistency. After reading the story which in my opinion was over before it begun, I just wanted to know more about everything. Which in certain cases can be an excellent platform for write 12+ novels, and as such create something no one wants to read. This book isn't like that, it is a complete story which can be read on its own. There could have been a bit mnore elaboration on the characters, however this might have taken de pace out of the story. All in all good job, I immediatly started reading the rest. I would recommend this to anyone interrested in science fiction.

Spoiler ahead:
I am unhappy about one thing though, at a certain point the timeline is broken, which closes a lot of untold stories, in a linear timeline, This is solved in the other books.

Finding this book listed on my granddaughter's summer reading list, I was reminded of the pleasure it brought many years ago, so have now read it again and was entertained as much as I had hoped. The pace is sustained throughout "Ender's Game" and the ending is extremely pleasing, with lose ends tied up nicely. "Ender's Shadow" is surprisingly enjoyable at the same level of suspense despite a similar setting, while "Shadow of the Hegemon" was enjoyable, but not quite of the same quality as the first two books. The author has made a quite plausible and imaginative story, incorporating the idea of using problems that confront us to help build character, while being sensitive to the loneliness of the leadership role.

I have read this series countless times because it has everything I look for in a story. I have read in excess of 6000 scifi novels over 30 years of life and have NEVER found a story I would call the equal of Ender's Game. I did not like the Speaker for the Dead or Children of the Mind but; Ender's Shadow, Shadow of the Hedgmon, Shadow Puppets, and Shadow of the Giant are all excellent. The king however is Ender's Game. Simply a MUST HAVE for any serious scifi reader. (Not to be confused with Fantasy readers which are a separate group! Why they mix that junk with real fiction I'll never understand.)Ender's Game Boxed Set: Ender's Game, Ender's Shadow, Shadow of the HegemonEnder's Game (Ender, Book 1)

Orson Scott Card became one of my favourite qriters becauso of these books. A couple of months ago, I read Ender's Game, and foud it to be an involving well-developed sci-fi book, specially for the psycological depth given to the characters. Quick-paced and enticing, I couldn't stop reading until I was so sleepy at night tahat I HAD to (and, even so, I wasn't so eager to do it!).

Ender's Shadow i mainly the same script, but from the view of Bean, and is certainly as good as Ender's Shadow (both of them, combined, becomes an even more interesting novel). The differing points of view and the alucidation of several unknown events really add to the main story.

Shadow of the Hegemon keeps the quick development and the psycological aspects I was so found of, but addresses a few different questions - not only Earth-based war stategies, but also (and mostly) politics, and religion. Not that the other books didn't address them - they did it alright -, but here they're the main theme, I'd say.

Awesome books. I can't wait to acquire the other Shadow books and then the original Ender series books. I'm a fan now! Try it, and yo won't be dissapointed!

I purchased this set for my nephew for his birthday. He hasn't been able to put this series down and is reading it for the second time :)