Shadows in Flight (The Shadow Series) [Hardcover]

Orson Scott Card (Author)

Book Description

Release date: January 17, 2012 | Series: The Shadow Series (Book 5)

Ender’s Shadow explores the stars in this all-new novel...

At the end of Shadow of the Giant, Bean flees to the stars with three of his children--the three who share the engineered genes that gave him both hyper-intelligence and a short, cruel physical life. The time dilation granted by the speed of their travel gives Earth’s scientists generations to seek a cure, to no avail. In time, they are forgotten--a fading ansible signal speaking of events lost to Earth’s history. But the Delphikis are about to make a discovery that will let them save themselves, and perhaps all of humanity in days to come.

For there in space before them lies a derelict Formic colony ship. Aboard it, they will find both death and wonders--the life support that is failing on their own ship, room to grow, and labs in which to explore their own genetic anomaly and the mysterious disease that killed the ship’s colony.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Card's latest installment in his Shadow subseries…does a superlative job of dramatically portraying the maturing process of child into adult…. Card makes the important point that there's always more than one side to every issue. Fans will marvel at how subtly he has prepared for the clever resolution."  --Publishers Weekly, starred review, on Shadow of the Giant

“Shadow of the Giant is a fitting and satisfying continuation to the Ender series, although it is not a conclusion. Card...seems to indicate that he will at some point return to follow Bean's family and the other Battle School Children as they expand throughout the galaxy.”  --SF Site.com

“Once again, Card keeps the action, danger, and intrigue levels high...paves the way for further Ender-Bean developments; and leaves his readers eagerly awaiting them.”  --Booklist on Shadow Puppets

About the Author

ORSON SCOTT CARD is the internationally bestselling author of Ender's Game. He lives in Greensboro, NC.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Tor Books; First Edition edition (January 17, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0765332000
• ISBN-13: 978-0765332004
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 1 x 4.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (218 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #100,842 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Orson Scott Card is the bestselling author best known for the classic Ender's Game, Ender's Shadow and other novels in the Ender universe. Most recently, he was awarded the 2008 Margaret A. Edwards Award for lifetime achievement in Young Adult literature, from the American Library Association. Card has written sixty-one books, assorted plays, comics, and essays and newspaper columns. His work has won multiple awards, including back-to-back wins of the Hugo and the Nebula Awards-the only author to have done so in consecutive years. His titles have also landed on 'best of' lists and been adopted by cities, universities and libraries for reading programs. The Ender novels have inspired a Marvel Comics series, a forthcoming video game from Chair Entertainment, and pre-production on a film version. A highly anticipated The Authorized Ender Companion, written by Jake Black, is also forthcoming.Card offers writing workshops from time to time and occasionally teaches writing and literature at universities.Orson Scott Card currently lives with his family in Greensboro, NC.

Amazon Author Rankbeta 

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#17 Overall (See top 100 authors)

#2 in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Science Fiction

#2 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Science Fiction

#4 in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy

#17 in Books

#19 in Books > Literature & Fiction

#2 in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Science Fiction

#2 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Science Fiction

#4 in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy

#17 in Books

#19 in Books > Literature & Fiction

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

103 of 107 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars "Enhanced"? Try "ABRIDGED". April 8, 2012

By ClayJar

Format:Kindle Edition

Well, what do you know! They've finally released the real book! I downloaded the sample and compared it to "Enhanced" version. The current Kindle version, "Length: 305 pages (Contains Real Page Numbers)", is no longer the older "Enhanced" hack job. Make sure the page doesn't say "enhanced edition", and make sure it says it contains real page numbers, and you should (at long last) be all set. For your convenience, direct links:

Good: Shadows in Flight (The Shadow Series)
Yuck: Shadows in Flight, enhanced edition (The Shadow Series)

-- Original review of "enhanced edition" --

The "enhanced edition" does have two short vignettes added in (about seven paperback pages of text, total -- 13 paragraphs in chapter three, and 34 paragraphs in chapter nine), and there are a few pictures. What the publisher isn't telling you, however, is that it's been abridged out the wazoo. I took a word count on the full text, and it would be somewhere in the 75 to (generously) 90 page range in a standard paperback. You only get one third of the story when you get the "enhanced edition".

Out of morbid curiosity (apparently in a temporary masochistic fugue), I read the "enhanced edition". It is as if they took the story, ground it to a fine texture, centrifuged it, and then killed off anything left living in it with a shot of ammonia. Yes, the "enhanced edition" is the finely textured ground beef of the Enderverse, or to use the popular term, this heavily abridged "enhanced edition" is pink slime.

At the time of this review, Amazon consolidates the hardcover and "enhanced edition" reviews, even though they're not remotely the same book. Amazon also states that the print edition is 240 pages, but they say nothing about the extreme abridgement of the "enhanced edition", which is roughly a third the text. The "enhanced edition" is nothing but a blatant money-grab by the publisher. To tout the additional seven pages without mentioning the missing 150 or so pages is too blatant to be simply an innocent omission. I am highly disappointed that Amazon does not include anything to warn their customers about what the publisher is doing to their most avid readers. It's a shame that I almost expect such behavior from a publisher, but as I have had nothing but fair dealings with Amazon, I am surprised they allow this to proceed without comment.

57 of 63 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Please note that there are TWO versions of this book August 10, 2012

By Samuel Lam

Format:Hardcover

Many of the negative reviews here are written about the "Enhanced" ebook version of the book.

The enhanced version is roughly a THIRD the size of the full book (I finished it in under an hour) although it does include a few extras that Card has added at the end regarding Petra, it is nowhere near as fully articulated or good a read as the full version. I really have no idea why they would edit out so much and then charge people for it.

The unabridged version is still not as long as any of the books from the series (I finished it in about 3 hours) but it's still a pretty good read. You learn a lot more about the Formics than the other books have touched upon and you really feel a sense of sibling camaraderie from Bean's children.

The ending is a bit too perfect in my mind however as everything wraps up oh so neatly - I was hoping the organic alien species would play more a role with the Anton's Key, but it ultimately was the best choice: the next book will only delve into the next generation of child geniuses instead of falling back to old characters.

It's been a long time since I've been back in the Enderverse, and this book doesn't dissappoint.

To get the full experience, please read the UNABRIDGED version first and possibly purchase the enhanced version for the Petra extras (they only add up to about 1-2 pages tho.)

83 of 97 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing January 22, 2012

By Mike

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

As a long time fan of the Ender Series, this book acts like a well-aimed kick to the gut. The brilliant character development and engaging plot lines found in Card's earlier novels are thrown aside in favor of following three annoying and lifeless children as they proceed to do little of anything interesting at all. The book is short, and it does nothing to try to hide it. On top of this, it takes a well-loved and incredibly deep character (Bean) from previous books and relegates him to a sad and bitter side-show.

I've been waiting for this book for a long time, back before Ender in Exile had been pushed as a stop-gap to hold us over. It's incredibly disappointing to see one of my most highly anticipated books fall so heavily on its face. Long time Ender fans will buy the book anyway, as would I, simply on the power of the previous entries in the series, but if this were a fresh title I doubt it would have ever even been published.