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Children of the Fleet (Fleet School, 1) Hardcover – October 10, 2017

by Orson Scott Card (Author)
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 1,174 ratings
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From Orson Scott Card, award-winning and bestselling author of Ender's Game, his first solo Enderverse novel in years.

Children of the Fleet is a new angle on Card’s bestselling series, telling the story of the Fleet in space, parallel to the story on Earth told in the Ender’s Shadow series.

Ender Wiggin won the Third Formic war, ending the alien threat to Earth. Afterwards, all the terraformed Formic worlds were open to settlement by humans, and the International Fleet became the arm of the Ministry of Colonization, run by Hirum Graff. MinCol now runs Fleet School on the old Battle School station, and still recruits very smart kids to train as leaders of colony ships, and colonies.

Dabeet Ochoa is a very smart kid. Top of his class in every school. But he doesn’t think he has a chance at Fleet School, because he has no connections to the Fleet. That he knows of. At least until the day that Colonel Graff arrives at his school for an interview.

THE ENDER UNIVERSE

Ender series
Ender’s Game / Speaker for the Dead / Xenocide / Children of the Mind / Ender in Exile / Children of the Fleet

Ender’s Shadow series
Ender’s Shadow / Shadow of the Hegemon / Shadow Puppets / Shadow of the Giant / Shadows in Flight

The First Formic War (with Aaron Johnston)
Earth Unaware / Earth Afire / Earth Awakens

The Second Formic War (with Aaron Johnston)
The Swarm / The Hive

Ender novellas
A War of Gifts / First Meetings

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  1. Print length
    304 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Tor Books
  4. Publication date
    October 10, 2017
  5. Dimensions
    6.37 x 1.14 x 9.58 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0765377047
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0765377043
  8. See all details
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Children of the Fleet (Fleet School, 1)
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Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
1,174 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers enjoyed the book's engaging story and plot. They found it entertaining and worth the wait. However, some felt the dialogue was drab and repetitive. Opinions differed on the character development, with some finding them engaging and flawed, while others felt the main character was unlikable and repetitive. There were mixed opinions on the pacing, with some finding it sophisticated and nuanced, while others felt it was slow-paced or rushed.

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ReadabilityStory qualityCharacter developmentPacingWriting qualityDialogue quality
64 customers mention "Readability"52 positive12 negative

Customers enjoyed the book and found it engaging. They praised the characters as unique, brilliant, and likable. The book continued the fine tradition of the Ender Universe series, which is considered one of the best sci-fi series of all time.

"Highly parallel in theme but set in a space setting. A great adventure and an excellent flow of thoughts and accompanying examination of personal..." Read more

"...Whereas Ender and Julian (Bean) were unique, brilliant, and likable characters, in many ways mature beyond their years, Dabeet Ochoa comes across as..." Read more

"Another one of Card's excellent books - but read the whole series, not just one." Read more

"...Seems there are seven books in the Ender series (about the further adventures of Ender Wiggin)...." Read more

45 customers mention "Story quality"32 positive13 negative

Customers enjoy the engaging story with its engrossing characters and fantastic plot. They find it the beginning of a new adventure, with enough links to the other books to add depth. Readers praise the author as an amazing storyteller who is always entertaining. The book plays on familiar themes and relationships, revisiting the Ender universe. They enjoy the psychology and personal growth aspects of the book, which provides an intellectual experience with well-rounded plot twists.

"It’s amazing that Card can keep exploring the same themes, with the same or similar characters, in the same and similar settings... and still turn..." Read more

"...Documents personal and social growth with interesting characters and life-skills coming from diverse cultures and gender / age groups." Read more

"I enjoyed the psychology of the book as it applied to Dabeet Learning to relate to the other children and learning to lead them...." Read more

"...The plot of this novel seems farfetched, which is obviously the intent, as the main character struggles to decipher what is happening around him...." Read more

26 customers mention "Character development"15 positive11 negative

Customers have different views on the character development. Some find the characters engaging and three-dimensional, with flaws. Others feel the main character is unlikable and relatable, with repetitive conversations and thoughts that drag on.

"...Truly I think this book may be one of his best in terms of thoughtful character development...." Read more

"...At times, the characters conversations are repetitive and their thoughts are too long and drawn out...." Read more

"...Documents personal and social growth with interesting characters and life-skills coming from diverse cultures and gender / age groups." Read more

"...Whereas Ender and Julian (Bean) were unique, brilliant, and likable characters, in many ways mature beyond their years, Dabeet Ochoa comes across as..." Read more

17 customers mention "Pacing"7 positive10 negative

Customers have different views on the pacing of the book. Some find it sophisticated and nuanced, with an imaginative approach to its subject matter. They appreciate the scientific and emotional details, making it a great book for teaching and learning how to lead. However, others feel the pacing is slow and tedious, with drab monologues and lack of plot development.

"...thin cardboard cut outs, and even internal monologues seem drab and unengagaing...." Read more

"...Its witty, sophisticated and nuanced treatment of its subject matter makes this quite generally appealing: suitable for parents and educators as..." Read more

"...Even when he turns into a "real boy" by the end, he never feels quite fleshed out...." Read more

"...The draw of the Ender series up to this point was always the intelligent, imaginative, yet troubled young characters that were caught up in an..." Read more

10 customers mention "Writing quality"5 positive5 negative

Customers have different views on the writing quality. Some find the book well-printed and bound, with an engaging plot and good writing style. Others feel it's not particularly well-written, difficult to continue reading at times, and the author is maudlin in certain parts. Overall, opinions are mixed on the overall writing quality.

"...in the Enderverse military science fiction series. I read the well printed and bound MMPB...." Read more

"...am a big fan of Orson Scott Card but found this book more difficult to read until the end...." Read more

"The inside of the book seems relatively fine, however there is some kind of cardboard glued the the..." Read more

"This was a good addition to the Endervers. The author was as bit maudlin in places, but overall a good read." Read more

6 customers mention "Dialogue quality"0 positive6 negative

Customers dislike the dialogue quality. They find the internal monologues dull and unengaging, with sporadic but circular dialogue that is painful to listen to. There is also little action and annoying smarty-pants conversations where the protagonist talks.

"...and self-centered thoughts of the main character, with sporadic but equally circular dialogue that was painful to listen to in this audiobook format...." Read more

"...the protagonist, are thin cardboard cut outs, and even internal monologues seem drab and unengagaing...." Read more

"...The main character isn't likeable or relatable, lots of the dialogue is eye rolling, the secondary characters get almost no development, and there's..." Read more

"Unlikeable protagonist, very little action, and lots of annoying smarty-pants conversations where the protagonist talks about how he is so smart..." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • jb
    5.0 out of 5 stars Must read!!!
    Reviewed in the United States on December 6, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    It’s amazing that Card can keep exploring the same themes, with the same or similar characters, in the same and similar settings... and still turn over fresh, rich soil with each new story.

    For those worried that the author is simply milking the franchise... don’t be!

    Dabeet Ochoa is not Ender Wiggin, and Fleet School is not Battle School (though it’s the same place.) The distinctions set the stage for a deep and subtle exploration of extraordinary children and their triumphs and challenges. Truly I think this book may be one of his best in terms of thoughtful character development.

    I’ve heard this book and intended series characterized as YA; but I see no reason why this should be so. Its witty, sophisticated and nuanced treatment of its subject matter makes this quite generally appealing: suitable for parents and educators as well as old-school fans and new, younger readers.

    Highly recommended!

    jb
    2 people found this helpful
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  • RDD
    4.0 out of 5 stars A Good Entry in the "Ender's Game" Series
    Reviewed in the United States on September 3, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Orson Scott Card’s “Children of the Fleet” focuses on Dabeet Ochoa, a 10-year-old arrogant savant living in Indiana who wants to leave the boredom of his life. His mother always told him that his father was in the International Fleet and so, after submitting his DNA for testing, he learns that his parentage entitles him to a place in Fleet School, the renamed Battle School following the Formic Wars, where children train to lead future colonial expeditions. The Minister of Colonization, Hyrum Graff, challenges Dabeet to figure out what he must learn to be a good leader.

    Taking place concurrent with the second and third books in the “Ender’s Shadow” series, the nations of the world are using their children who attended the Battle and Command Schools to prepare for war now that they no longer have the common enemy of the Formics uniting them. The attention on Dabeet makes him a target, leading to his kidnapping. He only convinces his kidnappers to return him by promising to get them into Fleet School at a later date, from which they can pressure the International Fleet to take an active peacekeeping role on Earth. His success at escaping his kidnappers earns him his spot in Fleet School, where he must make friends and figure out a way to prevent the people from kidnapping him from hurting the other students.

    The novel takes place roughly concurrent with “Shadow of the Hegemon” and “Shadow Puppets” and, while it is not necessary to have read those prior to this book, it certainly helps to understand the significance of Achilles to the events facing Ochoa (pg. 219). As the sixteenth book in the “Ender’s Game” series (seventeenth if one counts “First Meetings”), and following a trilogy about the First Formic War and the first book of a trilogy about the Second Formic War, Card takes the opportunity to help clean up some of the chronology, working in references to the Free Miners and Corporations (pg. 78), to Jukes Limited and its gravitic and Nan-Ooze technology, and to Victor Delgado and Imala Bootstamp (pg. 46). Further references help to tie-in “Ender in Exile”, as well. Those who enjoy Card’s writing will enjoy this, particularly for how it helps smooth out bumps in the chronology, but it will have less of an impact on the series than Card’s forthcoming “The Hive”, “The Queens”, and “Shadows Alive”.
    16 people found this helpful
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  • Raymond Dean Brockhaus
    5.0 out of 5 stars ever read “Lord of the Flies”?
    Reviewed in the United States on April 28, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    Highly parallel in theme but set in a space setting. A great adventure and an excellent flow of thoughts and accompanying examination of personal impact.

    Documents personal and social growth with interesting characters and life-skills coming from diverse cultures and gender / age groups.
    Helpful
     Report
  • David O.
    3.0 out of 5 stars A disappointment in an otherwise fantastic series
    Reviewed in the United States on February 19, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    I have trouble putting my finger on what disappointed me about this book so much. I have read all but three of the books in the Ender series, and this is the first that I didn’t thoroughly enjoy. About 90% of the novel consists of the rambling and often inane and self-centered thoughts of the main character, with sporadic but equally circular dialogue that was painful to listen to in this audiobook format. The story contains limited actual activity and thereby misses out on the fascinating descriptions of the futuristic environment and society that characterized the previous books in the series. Whereas Ender and Julian (Bean) were unique, brilliant, and likable characters, in many ways mature beyond their years, Dabeet Ochoa comes across as obsessive and immature and is not an enjoyable character to follow.

    The plot of this novel seems farfetched, which is obviously the intent, as the main character struggles to decipher what is happening around him. As it plays out, it strains credibility, in part because of how it was conceived in the character’s rambling thoughts, and also due to the limited descriptions of the physical events. In the end, I felt like I was forced to just accept that these events had happened without understanding how it was all possible. The author attempted to recreate the mystery of the previous books in which the plot was unfolding behind the scenes as “the powers that be” manipulated the characters’ lives, but the book failed to reveal enough details in the end to make it all believable. I finished the story with the unfortunate hope that the next book in the series will follow a different character in a different writing style.

    The draw of the Ender series up to this point was always the intelligent, imaginative, yet troubled young characters that were caught up in an intriguing story. Without a truly likable character, and with limited details to flesh out the plot, this book really failed to live up to my excitement and expectations about another new release in the Ender series.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • MsLiz137
    5.0 out of 5 stars I enjoyed the psychology of the book.
    Reviewed in the United States on December 25, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    I enjoyed the psychology of the book as it applied to Dabeet Learning to relate to the other children and learning to lead them. I loved the way he grew in his leadership skills and maturity. The suspense and intrigue with Dabeet’s moral dilemma and the threat to the space station was exciting. I have to admit I did get bogged down when the plot got too specific about technical scientific details. I am not scientific myself so I was rather bored by the depth and length of some scientific explanations. Would I read the book again? Definitely.
    One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Lego
    4.0 out of 5 stars Entretenido y expande sobre el universo de Ender
    Reviewed in Mexico on February 27, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    El libro es entretenido y facil de leer, expande sobre el universo de Ender y personajes iconicos como lo es Hyrum Graff y su forma de pensar y ver la vida.
    Book is entertaining and easy to read, it expands on Ender's universe and iconic characters such as Hyrum Graff and his way of thinking and approach to life.
    Report
  • Fran
    5.0 out of 5 stars Podía no haberlo encontrado.
    Reviewed in Spain on September 18, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    El libro a llegado bien aunque no gracias al mensajero que me lo dejo en la puerta porque no había nadie.
    Report
  • Allan McElroy
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great read
    Reviewed in Canada on June 24, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Excellent new work by Card. Lots of familiar for Ender fans (children doing serious stuff) but our protagonist is different. And much as I have always loved his work, I feel I’m reading a more mature, better writer. Looking forward to the sequel.
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  • Geffroy
    5.0 out of 5 stars tb
    Reviewed in France on February 14, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    livre en parfait état, livraison correcte. Histoire adjacente à celle de l'ombre de l'hégémon, moins prenante que la série des ombres et celle d'ender, mais très agréable à lire
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  • E. Fernandez
    4.0 out of 5 stars Good
    Reviewed in Canada on April 18, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    I would recommend to be familiar with the rest of the series before reading this book. I didn't like it as much as the rest, too much inner monologue, boring dialogue, and technical stuff, but it was nice to return to Fleet School.
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