I'm certainly not going to criticize your opinion or your review since I read this so long ago and remember feeling a similar disgruntlement...BUT...Is it not the human condition to put logic aside and fall victim to ones emotions? I would imagine that this would make Bean's character more human and relate-able...albeit ruining what made him so intriguing to begin with. I remember a scene in Ender's Game in which Bean spends the evening with Ender in his 'commander's quarters'. Bean is shocked when Ender breaks down and they share a moment of hopelessness together. It was such a powerful scene, and I think that it touches us as readers because we can finally relate to these characters (children) who are (up to that point) defined by superior brilliance and infallibility, and consequently, inhuman.

Again, it's been too long since I read Shadow Puppets, but your review has made me re-evaluate my understanding of my favorite book. And for that, I too will commend Card for being a fantastic author.

I would tend to agree with you...however, none of the characters were ever relate-able. Which, to me, is OK. The only flaw I've found in Ender's Game is Ender's infallibility. Either it bothers you or it doesn't. Same goes for Bean, actually this is especially true for Bean as he has Anton's Key 'turned' in his genes.

I agree that the scene in EG was certainly a powerful one, but it was powerful for Ender, as you learn that having the weight of the world on his shoulders is crippling for the otherwise perfect kid. Bean is simply there as the most likely candidate because he is, essentially, #2.

I understand the want to make them seem more 'real', but completely changing the character for the sake of creating a this way off-shoot branch of the plot seemed like an unnecessary stretch. **small spolier** If Card had, instead, said that in order for Peter's Hegemon to remain in any kind of power, Bean would have to some how outlive his life expectancy of 30 or so. Then it makes sense to force him to have a kid. Bean, the original character, would not be affected by Anton (the Russian scientist who discovered the gene and later talks to Bean) when Anton says shit like, "the only thing worth doing in life is making an impression on this world by raising children." That whole line of thinking, I believe, was solely driven by Card's Mormon background and not by character development...which annoys me.

Who knows...maybe I'll change my attitude once I am further removed from the book (kinda like Blood Meridian), but while reading this, it was bad listening to Petra and Bean squabble about whether Bean cares for only himself or only other people (which is like 25% of this book).