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Shadow of the Giant

(The Shadow Series #4)

Orson Scott Card

really liked it 4.00 · Rating details · 51,890 ratings · 1,047 reviews

Bean's past was a battle just to survive. He first appeared on the streets of Rotterdam, a tiny child with a mind leagues beyond anyone else. He knew he could not survive through strength; he used his tactical genius to gain acceptance into a children's gang, and then to help make that gang a template for success for all the others. He civilized them, and lived to grow old ...more

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Hardcover, 388 pages

Published August 4th 2005 (first published March 1st 2005)

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Nov 28, 2010 Stephen rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: ebooks, audiobook, 2000-2005, children-behaving-badly, science-fiction

4.0 stars. And so we arrive at the finale to the wonderful Shadow series on the heals of the tumultuous events of the previous three books, Ender's Shadow,Shadow of the Hegemon andShadow Puppets. For those that have not read the previous installments, there will be some spoilers below as the plot summary alludes to events that have occurred in the previous books. However, I will avoid spoilers for this book and will try and be as general as possible in the synopsis.

This book concludes shortly after the conclusion of Shadow Puppets with the fall out from the momentous events of that story being felt around the world. Peter Wiggin, Hegemon of Earth, is trying to strengthen his fledgling “Free People of Earth (FPE)” and turn his figurehead title into a reality. Like the previous two novels, the central plot plays out like an enormous version of the boardgame “Risk” with Peter’s FBE competing and maneuvering against China, India, a revived Russia and a newly organized Moslem Empire. Each of these powers is being ruled or controlled by a former member of Ender’s Battles School “jeesh” and it makes for some fascinating move/countermove scenarios.

In addition to the main story, a significant subplot is Bean trying to find a cure for his condition, known as Anton’s Key, which continues to make him smarter and larger to the point where his size will soon kill him. In addition, Bean is frantically searching for his missing “children,” the fertilized embryos previously stolen.

While I did not like this as much as the previous books in the series, I still thought it was very good. The geo-political landscape of the future Earth of this series is such a fascinating place full of subtle intrigue and shifting alliances that it makes a great backdrop for the stories. I think Card did terrific job setting up this credible alternative future.

Through all 8 novels in the Ender/Bean series, Card, in my opinion, has not written one below “very good” and this installment is no exception. The writing is excellent, the tactical/strategic plot elements are very well done and the dialogue between the "gifted" characters is terrific. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!

One final comment I thought would share. I find it interesting that both the Ender series and the Shadow (or Bean) series have followed the EXACT same pattern as far as my level of enjoyment. I loved the first books (Ender’s Game and Ender’s Shadow). I loved the second books substantially MORE (Speaker for the Dead and Shadow of the Hegemon). I then loved the third books of both series more than the first but not as much as the second (Xenocide and Shadow Puppets). Finally, I really liked but didn’t love the fourth (Children of the Mind and this book). If nothing else, OSC is consistent.

Nominee: Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel.
...more

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Jun 08, 2011 Flannery rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobooks, kcls, series-enderverse, swords-and-lasers, young-adult-teen, ya-space-quest-o-mine, read-in-2011, reviewed-2011

2.5 stars. Oh, jeesh, where do I even begin? Okay, well I love Ender's Game and Ender's Shadow. No one really annoyed me in those two books. I can't speak to the remainder of Ender's series because I got so bored listening to Speaker for the Dead that I set is aside for a bit. I've finished off Bean's series with this one and phew, thank goodness it is over because I don't think I could've read/listened to another one. Why do I keep doing it? Good question. Answer: Because I do enjoy OSC's writi ...more

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Feb 12, 2018 Maria Dobos rated it really liked it · review of another edition

După dispariția lui Ahile, ambiția foștilor membrii ai armatei lui Ender amenință să înghită și să sfâșie Pământul în lupte fără sfârșit. Cu un rol mai mult simbolic și fără o putere reală, Peter Wiggin, Hegemonul Pământului, încearcă să-și exploateze puțina influență politică pentru a pune bazele Alianței Popoarelor Libere și a unifica întreaga planetă sub un singur conducător, evitând astfel războiul.

Pe celălalt plan, Bean își împarte puținul timp rămas între Petra, căutarea embrionilor pierdu După dispariția lui Ahile, ambiția foștilor membrii ai armatei lui Ender amenință să înghită și să sfâșie Pământul în lupte fără sfârșit. Cu un rol mai mult simbolic și fără o putere reală, Peter Wiggin, Hegemonul Pământului, încearcă să-și exploateze puțina influență politică pentru a pune bazele Alianței Popoarelor Libere și a unifica întreaga planetă sub un singur conducător, evitând astfel războiul.

Pe celălalt plan, Bean își împarte puținul timp rămas între Petra, căutarea embrionilor pierduți și consolidarea puterii lui Peter. Folosindu-se de prestigiul, instruirea și extraordinarele sale capacități intelectuale, el reușește să încline balanța în favoarea Alianței Popoarelor Libere, căreia încep să i le alăture din ce în ce mai multe națiuni.

(view spoiler)

Cu toate că are lipsurile ei ((view spoiler)), Umbra Uriașului are farmecul ei - tensiunea care se acumulează treptat, mișcările politice care se aseamănă unui joc de șah, Peter Wiggin care se străduiește să mențină pacea lumii, Flota Internațională care visează să împrăștie Omenirea printre stele - toate se împletesc și conturează un deznodământ acceptabil al întregii aventuri (PS: știu că mai exista un volum al seriei, dar prefer să păstrez în minte acest final, cu Bean călătorind printre stele 😊). ...more

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Sep 28, 2014 mich rated it did not like it

Shelves: ya, yeah-i-skimmed-so-sue-me, zzzzz, science-fiction, used-to-like-this-series, this-book-is-stupid, romance-is-meh, lame-ass-couple, i-got-angry, disappointing

Who the hell decides to randomly re-read book 4 in a series that they haven't touched in YEARS? Umm. . . me? I guess?

I first read these books a really long time ago. Ender's Game had been one my favorite sci-fi books ever back in the day (I will never forget how I felt when I read the "twist" at the end of that book. It was one of those moments that literally put goosebumps on my arms. SO GOOD.)

I ended up reading most of the Enderverse books and liking them. I remembered that this was my least f ...more

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Feb 06, 2017 Samantha rated it did not like it

Shelves: sci-fi, written-review

Things this books taught me:

Even if you save a planet by fighting an intergalactic war before you hit puberty, your life will be meaningless unless you have biological children. Also, the Islamic region exists only to take over the entire world and is more evil than the other people who want to take over the entire world, even though everyone else is also killing and fighting people because they think their way is better.

Things I wanted to learn in this book:

How Peter Wiggins was able to take ov ...more

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May 29, 2013 Jenna St Hilaire rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This is the fourth of the Shadow books, and in it, Card picks up the question of what happens to a lot of young people who have never known anything but war, as Ender's Jeesh and other key Battle School graduates take their places among the heads of state. It's thoughtfully done, if not carried to great personal depths in every case; so much happens in this story that a lot of the political maneuvers simply have to be summed up, and some of the important character development happens in just one This is the fourth of the Shadow books, and in it, Card picks up the question of what happens to a lot of young people who have never known anything but war, as Ender's Jeesh and other key Battle School graduates take their places among the heads of state. It's thoughtfully done, if not carried to great personal depths in every case; so much happens in this story that a lot of the political maneuvers simply have to be summed up, and some of the important character development happens in just one or two scenes. Card has quite the knack for doing great things with lone scenes, however.

Of those great lone scenes, I was surprised at which characters' big moments affected me the most. This was Bean's book, and Petra's, and yet I have loved Bean and Petra for five books. I did not expect to love Peter. That astonishing little delight provided for a hefty share of the sweetness in the bittersweet ending, and in some ways, this was his book as well. The narrative hops perspective a lot, giving the reader sight into the various Battle Schoolers' struggles to shape the world and their own lives; it focuses on Bean and Petra, but Peter's genius and his motivations, his hard work and his healing are the central tale.

As for the Battle Schoolers' struggles, Card structures the military movements with outstanding logic, best as I can tell; he appears to have done his research thoroughly on the various countries involved, and everything from motive for action to the playing out of battle upon available terrain seemed thought-through and believable to me. Someone more knowledgeable of strategy than myself may catch mistakes, but the only thing I saw that resembled a flaw was in how briefly big events had to be summarized—probably a consequence both of word count limits and the fact that not every active country had a Battle School graduate to follow around.

But that abbreviating of key events was well made up for by the thoughtfully optimistic perspective on life and humanity that carries Card's work. If Shadow Puppets came off slightly moralistic, Shadow of the Giant reverted to true Orson Scott Card empathy and brilliance. The comprehension of human nature and culture, the compassionate philosophy, and the powerful, ever-hopeful drive toward light and redemption are overwhelmingly beautiful even amid grief.

And there is grief in this book. This is a tale of hope and happiness and suffering together, and it was both the sorrow and the beauty of it—and the truth of it, for that matter—that had me in tears for the last thirty pages this morning. Card shows redemption working in the most unexpected characters, of which Peter is only the most central, and his latter scenes allow for the existence and goodness of a God who has, as in Psalm 18, 'made darkness his hiding place.' It was those things, even more than the sorrow, that put my eyeliner to the test. (Both eyeliner and mascara survived the meltdown. I'm impressed.)

Card sold me on the ending, but I can imagine some readers being a touch less satisfied. A handful of threads are left unresolved for sequels' sake, and the heartache and sweetness are pretty inextricable. I'll recommend the entire Shadow series wholeheartedly to anyone who has read much of the Ender saga and loved it.

For anyone who has not read the Ender saga: if I taught writing, Ender's Game and Speaker for the Dead would be required reading for an understanding of how to write humanity; but even for those only looking for some good reading, I recommend those two books almost without reserve. They are some of the best modern fiction I've ever come across. ...more

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Feb 07, 2008 Emma rated it liked it

Recommends it for: people addicted to the Ender-verse

Shelves: scifi-fantasy

Eh. It was ok. Not his crown masterpiece.
Lots of war games, strategy. You get to find out what happens to Bean and Petra and the rest of Ender's Jeesh as all the nations of Earth use the wonder kids to try to tear each other apart. Interesting insight on Islam (from, um, a Mormon?). You get to see Peter be Not Such a Bad Guy After All.

My problems with it are:
- not much exciting new conceptual stuff like the Speaker for the Dead books. It feels like the whole book is denouement. Or filler.
- I su Eh. It was ok. Not his crown masterpiece.
Lots of war games, strategy. You get to find out what happens to Bean and Petra and the rest of Ender's Jeesh as all the nations of Earth use the wonder kids to try to tear each other apart. Interesting insight on Islam (from, um, a Mormon?). You get to see Peter be Not Such a Bad Guy After All.

My problems with it are:
- not much exciting new conceptual stuff like the Speaker for the Dead books. It feels like the whole book is denouement. Or filler.
- I suppose it's possible that super-smart super-analytical kids would think and talk about their relationships in flat strategic terms, but really? I guess I'm missing a certain emotional sophistication and nuance.

I think the most interesting thing about this book is what it sets up to happen in the next book ...

[SPOILERS FOLLOW]

He left it wide open for a new series about an Achilles re-mix, the genetic offspring of Bean, with Beans brilliant-but-fatal condition, but raised by a woman who thinks Achilles is a poor misunderstood brilliant leader. She doesn't know it's Bean's kid or that it has that condition, and she's teaching him the "real truth about Achilles". She takes him off to a colony world, which means he'll be time-delayed just like Bean's other wonder-kids which he takes into space with him. Which means someone might care enough to try to figure out Bean's problem if they have to deal with another Bean-but-evil. However, Bean is not ambitious, so would Bean's kid be? Hmm. Bean's kid would also not have Bean's military training. And raised by a crazy lady on a colony world. Hmm. But either way, the next series will surely be about all the little Beans running around being crazy-brilliant and trying to out-maneuver each other, using the colony worlds as their playground. Perhaps using space travel as a way to delay the effects of their disease.

The other interesting part of the book was this idea that Volescu was planning to release a genetic virus that would make every new kid have Bean's disease. So it would change the course of human evolution and create a new species of super-humans, who would die at age 20. But that was dropped, it wasn't the case, he was just bluffing. But that would be an interesting book.

Question: Why don't they set up a lab in Bean's ship that he goes off in with his uber-smart babies? Wouldn't they be the best ones to try to find a cure? They've got motivation and they are smarter than Valescu. Hmmm.

...more

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Jun 01, 2013 thethousanderclub rated it really liked it

Adam C. Zern offers his thoughts . . .

"When I completed Shadow Puppets I was as hesitant as I’ve ever been to continue reading the Shadow series, which is an extension of the Ender series. I felt the book was extremely weak in both story and character. It made me feel as if Orson Scott Card was wandering helplessly in the desert of his own imagination and never finding an oasis of meaningful creativity. Happily, Shadow of the Giant, the 4th book in the Shadow series, is a solid return to the ch Adam C. Zern offers his thoughts . . .

"When I completed Shadow Puppets I was as hesitant as I’ve ever been to continue reading the Shadow series, which is an extension of the Ender series. I felt the book was extremely weak in both story and character. It made me feel as if Orson Scott Card was wandering helplessly in the desert of his own imagination and never finding an oasis of meaningful creativity. Happily, Shadow of the Giant, the 4th book in the Shadow series, is a solid return to the character-driven, emotional core that made Card’s other Ender and Shadow books so good.

The best part of Shadow of the Giant is that one of the main conflicts and with it the main antagonist—Achilles—is gone. Bean’s personal war with Achilles was overwrought and its subsequent resolution was surprisingly weak. Now that it’s over it feels as if Card doesn’t have to slavishly return to the conflict as he repeatedly did in the last book. The meat of this book is the confrontations between a variety of characters and countries, which allows for more diverse and interesting scenarios. In other words, Shadow of the Giant is a whole lot more entertaining than Card’s last entry in the series.

Anyone familiar with any of the books in the Ender or Shadow series knows that they’re based on psychology as well as science fiction. Card sometimes meanders into too much psychoanalysis of his characters, which he accomplishes through stilted dialogue, but the characters remain fascinating. As I have said before, I am invested in these characters and will continue reading what Card has to offer in this universe even after the Ender and Shadow series are over.

By reading in their entirety the Ender and Shadow series in the Ender’s Game universe, I can honestly and confidently say that there are two books which are must-reads—Ender’s Game and Ender’s Shadow. The other books in the two sagas or worthwhile but only after deciding if the characters deserve your time."

http://thethousanderclub.blogspot.com/ ...more

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Sep 28, 2012 arjuna rated it it was ok

Hmmmmmmmmmmmm. Going to have to reiterate my wish that these four books had been combined, heavily pruned, and polished a little, I'm afraid... I concur with this review on most points... the endless geopolitical stuff got very tired early on in this book, and while it was good to see a little more on Alai and Virlomi (I really liked her story), the whole point of this set of things is Peter's rise, and the constant bogging-down of what could have been a really interesting, succinct examination ...more

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Nov 18, 2015 Davyne DeSye rated it it was amazing

Wonderful!

This is the fourth book in the Ender’s Shadow series – and once again, is a book that can be read as a standalone novel.

This book in many ways continues the story of Ender’s older brother, Peter, attempting to (and getting closer to success) unite the world in peace – with Bean’s and Petra’s help of course. For me, this is also a much more personal story of Bean and Petra.

While the world politics continues in the background, Bean and Petra have found love, and – more amazing still – ha ...more

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Feb 03, 2011 Jimmy Corvan rated it it was amazing

I couldn't be happier with how this series ended.

I feel like this book was just OSC showing off. It was as if he were attempting to write a book to show other authors how to develop characters. OSC took characters that the reader previously held in high regard and easily made them a villain as well as took previously, unlikeable characters and turned them to into charismatic heroes. It was a real treat to see these kids grow up and find out what happens to every story line.

While I don't want to ...more

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Dec 20, 2007 ♥ Rebecca ♥ rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi, enderverse, reviewed, favourites, own-physical-copy

This was an almost completely satisfying conclusion for the Shadow series. I just wish that girl, Randi, would have gotten smacked around a bit.

But I really enjoyed that this addition to the series had more of the war games than the last. Shadow of the Hegemon and Shadow of the Giant are my favourites of the Shadow series for that reason. I also enjoyed having some sort of conclusion for all of the other characters, such as Alai. Especially Peter. I really enjoyed his character. Being a very dif ...more

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Aug 31, 2018 Dakota rated it did not like it

I am SO done with the series of sermons about biological determinism that these books have become. I will probably just keep going in the hope that’s I eventually like another as much as the first few. Peter is still good in this one, but only really in the last fifth of the book. And that’s the only good thing I can say. Card is of course great at writing political machinations, but that’s not enough for me to ignore everything like the heterosexism and pretty blatant Islamophobia.

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Aug 25, 2019 Bradley Woodall rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Wraps up so many things from so many other books, and so beautifully done. The moment I learned what volescu was doing I couldn't stop reading and it didn't let up. I didn't know if I was going to read shadows in flight after this but now I have no choice. Loved all the character development. Just overall great book. ...more

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Jun 14, 2018 Gen rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: solid, adult-fiction, scifi

Here I am, yet again, drinking up page after page of vague, over-generalized international conflict talk like it is the sweetest ambrosia.

Card writes this series specifically for me, honestly. There is a part where Peter Wiggin and Graff talk about "if Russia does this, then China will do that" "if India does that, I will do this" in massively nonspecific and omniscient terms for a whole entire chapter. I love it. Talk to me about ten all-powerful genius kids playing war games with the whole wor Here I am, yet again, drinking up page after page of vague, over-generalized international conflict talk like it is the sweetest ambrosia.

Card writes this series specifically for me, honestly. There is a part where Peter Wiggin and Graff talk about "if Russia does this, then China will do that" "if India does that, I will do this" in massively nonspecific and omniscient terms for a whole entire chapter. I love it. Talk to me about ten all-powerful genius kids playing war games with the whole world forever, please. A too-steady diet of this stuff is why fluffy, unrealistic fantasy world politics was all I could write about as a teenager.

This meat of this book is focused on the process of Peter conquering the world through diplomacy. The last few chapters jump and take us up to the coda of Ender's Game, where Ender talks to elder statesman Peter by ansible and writes his biography. The whole thing is chock full of little moments I gleefully enjoy: Petra and Dink finally talking, Virlomi throwing the former Prime Minister of India out on his ear, the email exchange between Carn Carby and Dumper, the jeesh reunion meeting, etc.

Unfortunately, it was also full of trash.

Xenocide Law Rating: Low-moderate. Most of the breeding kink stuff is over.

Treatment of Women Rating: TERRIBLE.

This book explains away Petra as having redirected all her ambition and hunger for power toward being a mother. That's why she isn't busy dividing up the world. That's why she doesn't come to the jeesh reunion meeting. That's why she's the only jeesh member safe enough to allow to remain on Earth. That's why she spent all of the last book begging and pleading and coercing Bean into giving her his babies. She finally gets to run a mini-war at the end, but even the narrative admits the campaign is "just cosmetic," and it's not enough to rehabilitate the last MANY books painting her with a massively different brush than was used for literally any other jeesh member.

Petra, though, is shafted only minorly compared to how Virlomi is treated. Virlomi is the only other really prominent female we have. She is the only one actually playing the game of world affairs with the boys. She is the only non-jeesh member allowed to take a starring role. She spent the last two books being wise and compassionate and singlehandedly liberating India. In this book, because all of the Battle School kids can't be omnipotent and omniscient, because ONE of them has to lose in order to resolve the pan-Asian conflict and it can't be one of Ender's jeesh, Virlomi takes the fall.

This still would have been bad, because we have only two centrally located female game pieces and that would have made BOTH of them the ONLY ones we have seen to genuinely fail. The way Virlomi fails, though, makes it even worse. She somehow loses her entire mind and abandons all strategy, reason, and tactics -- the very things that have allowed her to succeed thus far -- and ends up marching straight towards the enemy convinced that she is God. This, after throwing herself at Peter and then throwing herself (naked) at Alai.

What the hell? Couldn't she have kept some dignity? Couldn't she have tried something smart, and still failed? They go on and on in this book about how, if two equally brilliant minds are pitted against each other, the contest comes down to resources and circumstances. Couldn't Virlomi have lost because of this, without going straight up hysterically nuts? Without taking up Petra's line and demanding that Alai put a baby in her? But no. Apparently it is only male Battle Schoolers who are all-powerful and perfect, obsessed with changing the world. Female battle schoolers obsess over carrying children, and when they reach a certain point they "break." ...more

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Sep 21, 2016 Tyler rated it did not like it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I read a lot of the negative reviews for Shadow of the Giant because about halfway through I kept thinking, "Am I the only one that thinks this is pretty much garbage?"
Card built his Ender empire both through Ender Wiggin and Bean/Julian Delficki, but in my opinion starting with Shadow of the Hegemon slowly flushes his universe and characters down the toilet. I was really impressed with Ender's Game even though I got tired of hearing, "Fart knockers" all the time. Ender's Shadow is the book tha I read a lot of the negative reviews for Shadow of the Giant because about halfway through I kept thinking, "Am I the only one that thinks this is pretty much garbage?"
Card built his Ender empire both through Ender Wiggin and Bean/Julian Delficki, but in my opinion starting with Shadow of the Hegemon slowly flushes his universe and characters down the toilet. I was really impressed with Ender's Game even though I got tired of hearing, "Fart knockers" all the time. Ender's Shadow is the book that really made me a fan of Card's writing. The thing that killed it was how in Shadow of the Hegemon through Shadow of the Giant, Card began to interject his useless ideology into his writing. It felt like he was policing himself and not letting his full potential come out. I know that Card is Mormon, so I am not sure (but I heavily suspect) that one of his church leaders warned him that he was treading in dangerous waters with all the violence and profanity in his books. He mentions this in his afterward in one of his audiobooks. Honestly, there really isn't any violence or profanity. I think that the conversation spooked him and he began to police himself in his writing and began to interject his beliefs into his writing. The character that I have come to loathe is Teresa Wiggin and all her babies, babies, babies talk – then with Petra talking about the same thing. I feel like he went down an unrealistic path with pretty much everything. Why didn't he just let Anton be a homosexual? Again, it mind-boggled me that he put things in there that could have been left well-enough alone. I also hated the ending. I thought Bean came off as a whiner. Card tried to write him as some sort of altruistic individual, but from me, he came off and the ultimate "woe is me" person. I feel like this could have been one of the greatest novel series ever with just a few tweakings. It would have been nice to have it end on a happy note or at least a bittersweet one, but it was almost a joke.
The one thing Card has taught me as a reader and an author is to never censor yourself; never be afraid to allow the characters to be who they were meant to be. If the characters swear – let them swear 0r at least be a good enough writer to creatively pass it off in a way that doesn't come off as fake. That is why Stephen King is my favorite author. In his writing book "On Writing," he talks about how he never censors himself, and he doesn't let other people including publishers censor him either. I didn't understand the full power of what that means until I read Card's Ender series. It is such a letdown to realize that an author has let other people's opinions and beliefs get to him in his writing. It is sad, because Orson Scott Card is a damn good writer and he basically sells himself out to himself and the people that he fears, which is pretty unfortunate. The one good thing to come out of this is that I promise that I will never do that. I have no desire to be an Orson Scott Card. This will be the last Card novel that I will read for a long time. ...more

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Mar 26, 2008 Nola Redd rated it really liked it

Recommends it for: Ender's Game fans, sci-fi readers

Shelves: fiction-science-fiction

Orson Scott Card concludes his shadow series brilliantly in this novel, which details the search for Bean and Petra’s missing children and the onset of world peace under the Hegemon’s rule. Card takes us into the heart of Ender’s jeesh and the ambition that drives them. At the same time, he makes Peter somewhat more likeable as his true motives emerge.

The novel begins with a Chinese coup led by “Hot Soup,” resulting in him being crowned Emperor. Three key jeesh members now lead countries in rath Orson Scott Card concludes his shadow series brilliantly in this novel, which details the search for Bean and Petra’s missing children and the onset of world peace under the Hegemon’s rule. Card takes us into the heart of Ender’s jeesh and the ambition that drives them. At the same time, he makes Peter somewhat more likeable as his true motives emerge.

The novel begins with a Chinese coup led by “Hot Soup,” resulting in him being crowned Emperor. Three key jeesh members now lead countries in rather close proximity, and all have aspersions of growth. Throughout the novel, Graff, Rackham, and Peter all encourage Ender’s army to abandon Earth and colonize other planets, pointing out the fact that if they do not, millions of soldiers will die in the scramble for supremacy.

At the same time, Bean and Petra are searching for the embryos stolen by Achilles and implanted in wombs throughout the world. We get only two glimpses into the mind of the woman who birthed the only unfound child. And, while the world domination comes to an end, the saga of these nonhuman children is left open, which will surely lead to another novel. I’ve found myself speculating just how far into the future space travel will make this confrontation; could it, perhaps, involve the great Ender himself? I am also interested in seeing what happens to Bean’s “alien” offspring. In short, as soon as the next novel comes out, Card has at least one buyer.

The story is fast paced and detailed. I love the fact that the solution to the problem of the Buggers has led to another problem on Earth. In short, the Battle School children, bred for a hunger to lead and an ambition for power, return to their homes and destabilize the world. But I also love the fact that the intelligence and ability to reason ultimately leads them all to the same conclusion.

Fast paced, powerful, and with a great story to tell, Shadow of the Giant keeps readers locked to its pages. The focus here is more on overall objectives and less on individual battles. Card has told yet another masterful tale. This story wraps up the life of the Hegemon, Peter Wiggin, and has humanized him. I have to wonder if it was the same story Ender might have written…but Ender’s tale was far shorter, as I recall. Either way, I look forward to learning what happens to Bean and his children, and whether young Achilles is ever found. ...more

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Jul 05, 2011 Cory Hughart rated it liked it

Shelves: 2011, multiple-perspectives, military, owned, sci-fi

I've enjoyed Bean's story, even more than Ender's, but there are a couple of things that have been nagging me throughout this entire series. Bean is supposed to be the most intelligent human being alive. I can't help but feel that Card can't even come close to properly portraying the smartest man alive.

First of all, it's ridiculous that Bean should spend any brainpower at all thinking about religion and God. Countless studies show a clear inclination towards atheism in people with high IQs. This I've enjoyed Bean's story, even more than Ender's, but there are a couple of things that have been nagging me throughout this entire series. Bean is supposed to be the most intelligent human being alive. I can't help but feel that Card can't even come close to properly portraying the smartest man alive.

First of all, it's ridiculous that Bean should spend any brainpower at all thinking about religion and God. Countless studies show a clear inclination towards atheism in people with high IQs. This is purely an artifact of the religious beliefs of the author, and I suppose I can understand why he would like to believe that a super-intelligent person would end up clearly admitting belief in some sort of God. I mean, if the smartest of us is willing to have faith, shouldn't the rest of us take a hint? Unfortunately, Card missed the memo: the smartest of us have already had their say, and the overwhelming majority of smart people have come to the conclusion that religious belief/purposeful ignorance is foolish and a waste of time. And I really don't care that he was raised by a nun. He's too intelligent for that and the sappy ending that his "hidden faith" allows for just makes him seem weak and pathetic.

Secondly, the reason Bean is the biggest brainiac of all is actually because his brain is supposedly still growing, still forming new neural pathways. Why is it, then, that he's only really good at military strategy? Why is it that he has so much trouble empathizing with and understanding the people around him? Empathy and intra-personal skills are just pathways in the brain as well, and he is able to practice nearly every waking moment! Bean should have grown into a genius in every right, not just in one area like a kid with Asperger's. You can tell when Card is having trouble writing about someone smarter than him; most of the time, Bean's "genius" only shows in some random intuitive leap or other. At least he was actually devising new, never-before-thought-of techniques back in the Battle Room. Now he's just an overgrown bag of hormones and awkwardness and grey matter. Literally.

For what it's worth, after all that, the rest of the book was entertaining. The semi-normal Battle School Brats kept things moving. And I would definitely like to see how Bean's last child gets resolved if any more books are written in the Ender Universe. ...more

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Nov 03, 2009 Marina rated it it was amazing

"You have to tame the horse before you can let it have its head."
~Mazor Rackham p. 50

"'Who are you writing to?'
'Whom. You foreigners are wrecking the English language.'
'I'm not speaking English. I'm speaking Common. There's no 'whom' in Common.'"
~Mrs. Wiggin and Bean p. 104

"'Why do you always drink that stuff?' asked John Paul
Peter looked surprised. 'Guarana? it's my duty as an American to never drink Coke or Pepsi in a country that has an indigenous soft drink. Besides which, I like it.'
'It's ...more

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Aug 20, 2018 Ric rated it liked it

Shelves: 2018-reading-challenge

Shadow of the Giant was much better than Shadow Puppets, but still not close to the first two books of the series. The basic plot of the last three books has been Battle School grads treating the world as their own personal game of Risk, which is so cool. But for whatever reason, some of the subplots just aren’t drawing me in as much, and some of the characters are getting really annoying. The Bean and Petra relationship felt kind of forced a few books ago, but just as I was starting to get used ...more

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Aug 24, 2016 Христо Блажев rated it really liked it

От дребосък до гигант, засенчващ дори Ендър: http://knigolandia.info/book-review/s...

Когато през 2012 г. изчетох всички издадени на български книги от серията за Ендър, си обещах да намеря и останалите неиздавани и да си ги прочета в оригинал, толкова бях зашеметен от поредицата, всяка от книгите в която има собствен чар и стойност. Но животът си течеше, нови книги се сипеха непрестанно и така и не се заех сериозно с това ми намерение. Докато преди известно време съвсем случайно в една книжарни ...more

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Dec 07, 2013 Monica rated it it was amazing

Shelves: political-machinations, military-campaign, science-fiction, favorite-author

This absolutely made up for Shadow Puppets.

This is Peter's story. And Bean's. And Petra's. And Alai's. And Virlomi's. And Han Tzu's. And even Vlad's and Suri's. And you know what? OSC has finally spoken for them. And I know them, and care for them. And it isn't even about Ender anymore. In my review of Shadow Puppets, I declared that the jeesh members were only interesting to us in that they were related still to Ender. In a way, in Shadow of the Giant, it was another Wiggin that they revolved ...more

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Mar 26, 2021 Keith rated it liked it

It seems that as Card writes these series and drags them into four and five books or more, they degrade in quality. I’m not sure what about this novel made it less interesting than the rest, but it certainly was. I liked it, but not nearly as much as some of the others. I know some people steer clear of this or Card’s work entirely based on disagreements they have with his portrayal of homosexuality, but I don’t think it makes sense to judge a book solely based on that. Often I will read things ...more

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May 02, 2020 Haley rated it liked it · review of another edition

The ending of this book was actually very sweet, and (view spoiler). But overall, this part of the story still lacked the really compelling plot that I wanted. It was a very long conclusion. And the fact that (view spoiler) ...more

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Aug 24, 2018 Cristina Petcu rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Fantastic just fantastic. I miss the characters already ;((( but still I feel they will be forever in my heart.

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Jan 31, 2018 Sarah rated it it was ok · review of another edition

I did not enjoy this book.

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May 12, 2020 Brent rated it really liked it

A fun ending to my Ender bender.

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Feb 21, 2012 One Man Book Club rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-love, best-for-12-and-up

It's hard to write a review for a book like Shadow of the Giant, because it's really just the last chapter of a much larger story. I give 5 stars on this review not only because Giant was a great book by itself, but it also ends the series with the greatness it deserves.

Here is the order you should read the Ender books by Orson Scott Card:

1) Ender's Game
2) Ender's Shadow (The same story as Ender's Game, but from Bean's pov.)
3) Shadow of the Hegemon
4) Shadow Puppets
5) Shadow of the Giant

You might It's hard to write a review for a book like Shadow of the Giant, because it's really just the last chapter of a much larger story. I give 5 stars on this review not only because Giant was a great book by itself, but it also ends the series with the greatness it deserves.

Here is the order you should read the Ender books by Orson Scott Card:

1) Ender's Game
2) Ender's Shadow (The same story as Ender's Game, but from Bean's pov.)
3) Shadow of the Hegemon
4) Shadow Puppets
5) Shadow of the Giant

You might speak to others who would add the direct sequals to Ender's Game: Speaker for the Dead, Xenocide, and Children of the Mind. While the Shadow books follow Bean and the other Battle School Children back to Earth, the other books follow Ender on his journey through space. I left these books from my list intentionally. I started Speaker for the Dead and found it horribly boring, so I returned it to Amazon. The reviews I've read of the other books don't inspire me to pick them up at all. I read the books in this order, and I feel extremely satisfied with the result.

Shadow of the Giant has put a perfect little bow around the events that happened on Earth after Ender and friends saved us all from the Buggers. Over the course of the Shadow series, I completely enjoyed bonding with so many great characters. At the beginning they are small children in Battle School, and by the end they are young adults who have done great things with thier lives. The only thing I love more than a great story are great characters, and Shadow series gave me both.

I also enjoyed the political and military strategy discussed and analyzed throughout the series. I know, that sounds so boring--but the great thing is that it's not! There are long stretches where the characters talk to themselves, going over the different pieces that together make up the situation, and as the reader we follow their path of logic to its always satisfying conclusion. The politics of future Earth imagined in the series is one where actual current events might possibly lead to, and the fact that I could imagine it all happening just as described was part of the fun.

Now that I've finished, I might go back and try again with Speaker of the Dead. There are people that love it, so maybe I put it down too soon. OSC has also, just this year, published another sequal to the Shadow series, Shadow's in Flight. I won't even mention the premise of that book--just by saying what it is about would spoil some elements of the existing books. But I will say that I have strong hesitations about reading it. I feel satisfied with the way the series has alread ended, and the reviews of Shadow's in Flight have not been kind. I've got a lot of book on my reading list, so I'll probably wait. Maybe one day I'll get the itch to revisit this great story and what else Orson Scott Card can dream up--while the story ended well, there could still be much, much more story to tell. To me, that's a testament to the depth of the characters in the stories.

Goodbye Ender. Goodbye Bean. Goodbye Petra. Goodbye Peter. Thanks for such a meaningful experience.

If you can't tell, I give Shadow of the Giant and the entire Ender Saga as I've outlined it above my full recomendation. ...more

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Mar 26, 2014 Tyler Adams rated it it was amazing

I think that, once again, Orson Scott Card has delivered an incredible book to continue the story that started with an undersized street urchin. Bean is trying to help Ender's brother Peter unite the world under one government. The problem is that his rapidly growing body doesn't have much time before his heart is no longer to bear the strain of gravity on Earth; and there is still much work that needs to be done before this happens.

I chose to read this book because I couldn't get enough of Be I think that, once again, Orson Scott Card has delivered an incredible book to continue the story that started with an undersized street urchin. Bean is trying to help Ender's brother Peter unite the world under one government. The problem is that his rapidly growing body doesn't have much time before his heart is no longer to bear the strain of gravity on Earth; and there is still much work that needs to be done before this happens.

I chose to read this book because I couldn't get enough of Bean. He has always been my favorite character, so I naturally loved his series. I wasted no time after reading Shadow Puppets to snag this up in read it quickly. This is my favorite series, so I was thrilled getting the chance to read every book in it.

I liked this book so much because it is quick paced. Bean only has a certain amount of time, and things need to get done. It is also great to read about Peter's work trying to unite the world. Growing up I've always heard of people having ambition to rule the world, so it w as very interesting to read about someone who was actually trying to do something that has always just been a joke.

The only disappointing thing is that Bean's giantism is catching up to him. He is my favorite character in any book, so it is hard to see him facing a death that isn't terribly heroic.

My overall impression of the book is that is another great book in Bean's series. Orson Scott Card has done a very good job with this series, which means that all of the books have been solid; including this one.

I think everyone who has read Ender's Game or Shadow, or is interested in this story should read it. I suggest this series to all who ask about it, because I thought it was amazing. This is a series that I will continue to read, and I think everyone else should at least give it a try.

The only potentially offensive material in the book is that it is centered around a world at war. OSC doesn't go into great detail about the killing in the fights, but it is there. If that doesn't bother you then you should be fine. ...more

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Mar 24, 2012 Jonathan Cate rated it liked it

Shelves: read-in-2012

This book finishes off the three part story of events unfolding on Earth immediately after Ender and his jeesh destroyed the “Buggers.” The Battle-Schoolers came back to Earth and chaos ensued. Yet again, I found the political and military wranglings and intrigues very interesting. The side plot of Bean and Petra seemed a bit forced and the dramatic swings of character attitudes and emotions just didn’t seem altogether realistic to me. Character development isn’t Card’s strong suit.

The story r ...more

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About Orson Scott Card

Orson Scott Card

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Orson Scott Card is the author of the novels Ender's Game, Ender's Shadow, and Speaker for the Dead, which are widely read by adults and younger readers, and are increasingly used in schools.

Besides these and other science fiction novels, Card writes contemporary fantasy (Magic Street, Enchantment, Lost Boys), biblical novels (Stone Tables, Rachel and Leah), the American frontier fantasy series Th ...more

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The Shadow Series (6 books)

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Quotes from Shadow of the Giant

“Life is full of grief, to exactly the degree we allow ourselves to love other people.” — 321 likes

“If you give orders and explain nothing, you might get obedience, but you'll get no creativity. If you tell them your purpose, then when your original plan is shown to be faulty, they'll find another way to achieve your goal. Explaining to your men doesn't weaken their respect for you, it proves your respect for them.” — 70 likes

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