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Orson Scott Card
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Ender's Shadow (The Shadow Series) Audio CD – CD, August 1, 2005

by Orson Scott Card (Author), Scott Brick (Reader), Gabrielle de Cuir (Reader)
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 5,397 ratings
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The novel that launched the bestselling Ender's Shadow series―available for the first time on unabridged cd

The human race is at War with the "Buggers," an insect-like alien race. As Earth prepares to defend itself from total destruction at the hands of an inscrutable enemy, all focus is on the development of military geniuses who can fight such a war, and win. The long distances of interstellar space have given hope to the defenders of Earth--they have time to train these future commanders up from childhood, forging them into an irresistible force in the high orbital facility called the Battle School. Andrew "Ender" Wiggin was not the only child in the Battle School; he was just the best of the best. In Ender's Shadow, Card tells the story of another of those precocious generals, the one they called Bean--the one who became Ender's right hand, part of his team, in the final battle against the Buggers. Bean's past was a battle just to survive. His success brought him to the attention of the Battle School's recruiters, those people scouring the planet for leaders, tacticians, and generals to save Earth from the threat of alien invasion. Bean was sent into orbit, to the Battle School. And there he met Ender....

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  1. Print length
    16 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Macmillan Audio
  4. Publication date
    August 1, 2005
  5. Dimensions
    5.37 x 1.98 x 5.76 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    9781593976644
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1593976644
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“You can't step into the same river twice, but Card has gracefully dipped twice into the same inkwell--once for Ender's Game, and again for his stand-alone ‘parallel novel.' As always, everyone will be struck by the power of Card's children, always more and less than human, perfect yet struggling, tragic, yet hopeful, wondrous and strange.” ―Publishers Weekly (starred review) on Ender's Shadow

“An absorbing, near-flawless performance.” ―Kirkus

“The wonders of Battleschool and flashsuits and children's armies should keep readers turning pages.” ―Publisher's Weekly (starred review)

“An exceptional work.” ―School Library Journal

“I've saved my favorite for last; if you loved Ender's Game, you will go nuts for these fantastic full-cast recordings.” ―Examiner.com on Ender's Game and Ender's Shadow

From the Artist

Orson Scott Card: Read by Scott Brick; Gabrielle De Cuir and Cast

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ 159397664X
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Macmillan Audio; Unabridged edition (August 1, 2005)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Audio CD ‏ : ‎ 16 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9781593976644
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1593976644
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 13.6 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.37 x 1.98 x 5.76 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 5,397 ratings

About the author

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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. His most recent series, the young adult Pathfinder series (Pathfinder, Ruins, Visitors) and the fantasy Mithermages series (Lost Gate, Gate Thief, Gatefather) are taking readers in new directions.

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 The Tales of Alvin Maker (beginning with Seventh Son), poetry (An Open Book), and many plays and scripts, including his "freshened" Shakespeare scripts for Romeo & Juliet, The Taming of the Shrew, and The Merchant of Venice.

Card was born in Washington and grew up in California, Arizona, and Utah. He served a mission for the LDS Church in Brazil in the early 1970s. Besides his writing, he teaches occasional classes and workshops and directs plays. He frequently teaches writing and literature courses at Southern Virginia University.

Card currently lives in Greensboro, North Carolina, with his wife, Kristine Allen Card, where his primary activities are writing a review column for the local Rhinoceros Times and feeding birds, squirrels, chipmunks, possums, and raccoons on the patio.

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
5,397 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Alex Krivitsky
5.0 out of 5 stars “Non stop action and brilliant thoughts”
Reviewed in the United States on October 20, 2016
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Ender's shadow is an Locus award winning book from the award winning author Orson Scott Card, shows a different point of view from the best selling Ender's game Movie and book.
This book is classified as science-fiction and it holds true to it word without being one of those generic sci-fi books. The story takes place mostly in space on board a space station, and the problem and enemy are aliens from another planet. This may sound like sci-fi book but believe the book is not about the war it is about the story and the passion that it took to stand a chance in it as you see through the eyes of bean, a small boy with a big secret and get to know the other interesting, and complex children at the Space station. This book belongs to a series and believe me once you finish this book you will run to get the others. This book is another point of view and ideas then Ender's Shadow so I would suggest you read that book to get the full comparisons of these two very important and complicated characters.The book is not very easy to read but instead very enjoyable, the concepts and thoughts in this book are beyond most people's mind and figuring the problems and solutions bean faces is the most interesting and truly amazing things I find doing when reading these books. The solution the characters come up with are so brilliant that they inspire me to think they way these characters do. If you have read any of Orson Scott Card book you will not be disappointed with this one, it meets his high standards and beyond.
The very well known Ender's game book is very different compare to this one even though the characters are facing the same main problem which is why it is so amazing. While reading Ender's game I felt all of his problems and the weight placed on him and I felt many of his many emotions, but while reading Ender's Shadow I was able to see beans brilliant brain and just how smart he is while facing many problems alongside with the war like surviving in the first place. The plots of the characters are so different you would not even know that these characters are fighting against the same problem in the same place.
The plot of this story is what really touched me, because I could see it happening in front of my eyes with all of the detailed characteristics. The most important part of the plot is the beginning of the book, the story of bean and how he grew up in almost unlivable situations and survived and not only survived but thrived, this is a story of true passion and of true grit. The end of the book showed that same grit and passion, as bean goes against the aliens also known as buggers. As interesting as the plot of the book what the book is really about is very important. This book showed me that you should never give up even if it looks like you have no chance, you should never take what people think you are to heart because only you know what you are. This book also shows that success can only be achieved with grit, perseverance and determination. This message was seen throughout the book it it is truly inspiring. This is one of the greatest books I have ever read because it was so engaging and inspirational, I wanted to think like bean and be clever, smart, and never give up no matter what. After reading this book I looked at the world and at problems with a different lens, and this book has gave me or enhanced many amazing and successful traits. My brain was always thinking when I was reading this book and that lead for me reading for hours non-stop because of all the suspense and different ideas and ways. This book began with some sad scenes with glimmers of hope and that hope turned out to be one of the most amazing endings. The author is very gifted , he thinks so differently than other people that is amazing and out of this world, his thoughts and opinions alone sold me on this book. I recommend this book to everyone who thinks that they can't do anything or they are not successful, because this book is so inspiring that I think everyone has to read it and give it a try no matter the age. This book is amazing I encourage you to read it and its series, give it a try what's the worst that can happen, you read an amazing book that's the worst that can happen.
2 people found this helpful
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MTJones
5.0 out of 5 stars Satisfying on all levels
Reviewed in the United States on June 11, 2001
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I'm what you might call a Library Reader. You know, the kind of guy that grows up going to the library for all his reading needs, and the type of person that never owns more than a few novels at the time.
Ender's Shadow changed all that.
I'm not a sci-fi fan by any means. I can't stand Star Trek; I haven't seen Star Wars; the Alien and Predator series bore me. I don't even like Dune. In fact, up until a few months ago, Ender's Game was probably the only true sci-fi work in any medium that not only interested me, but also captivated me.
As Card says in the introduction to Ender's Shadow, Ender's Game is the story of a child's coming of age. It's something we can all relate to, and when it's mixed with a healthy dose of action, politics, and psychology, it stimulates all the areas of our minds.
That's precisely the magic that Ender's Shadow recreates. This, the story of Bean, portrays his tragic beginnings as a starved child in the streets of Rotterdam, showing us his ability to overcome adversity with the power of his gloriously intelligent mind.
Bean is far more intelligent than Ender ever was. He's truly gifted among the gifted, and Card's explanation of this and his parentage in a progressive subplot makes the tale even more gripping. Just where did Bean's brilliance come from? Who are his parents? What is Bean's role in the war against the Buggers (an antlike race apparently out to subjugate humanity)? Card seizes on that immediate difference between Bean's urchin background and Ender's picket-fence family, using that to steer Bean's story out from under Ender's Shadow (nice pun there, but it underscores how inappropriate this title is).
But of course, Bean's history is a subplot. The main plot deals with how he survives and grows in Battle School. Like Ender's, his personal struggles are not academic, but rather personal and emotional. His is the story of a child that is forced to grow up far too quickly, with a mind far too calculating and oftentimes-cold to fit well in an emotional being's body. The way Bean changes from a cunning and conniving child into a warmer and friendlier individual in an environment that stifles personal growth just to create war commanders is artfully paced, and well done.
I do dislike the resolution of the story, which seems a bit hollow (but then, there IS a followup to this novel). Since other people have spoiled this, I might as well mention that the revelation that Bean's brother was Nikolai Delphiki, who was also in his Launch Group, was too contrived and coincidental to be enjoyed. I'm not entirely sure that was necessary, since it didn't add a lot to the novel, other than to give it a cliché happy-family-reunites ending.
But that criticism is a very small one. I loved Ender's Shadow so much that I actually re-read it immediately after finishing it for the first time. This is the only novel I have ever done that with. And to put it on another list of "firsts," Ender's Shadow is the first hardcover I ever purchased, instead of counting on the library to have the paperback. Not to sound overly dramatic, but this is something I want for my children.
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run2sea
4.0 out of 5 stars In the shadow of Ender's Game
Reviewed in the United States on May 28, 2000
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A welcome return to the story of Ender's Game told from the perspective of the smart, little kid that Ender empathized with in that novel. In this very readable work, Card develops and fleshes out the story of the original book in an entertaining manner that brings with it a delicious sense of dramatic irony to those familiar with the original story. I did find my credulity a little strained by the images of a super-intelligent infant and toddler escaping to and surviving the mean streets of Rotterdam with only minimal assistance. Although the revelations about Bean and his role are somewhat surprising, the greatest insights this book provides are into the thoughts and intentions of the adult characters which remained somewhat nebulous in the original work. I enjoyed the first 95% of this book almost as much as I enjoyed Ender's Game. At the end, however, I was left with a sense of frustration about the unanswered questions facing the main character which had been developed throughout the course of the novel. Additionally, the somewhat sweet ending clearly lacks the powerfully tragic poignancy at the conclusion of Ender's Game. All in all Ender's Shadow is an enjoyable read, yet perhaps its greatest achievement also emphasizes its major shortcoming. By seamlessly weaving itself into the story of Ender Wiggin's early life, this tale ultimately seems somewhat pale compared to the enduring greatness of Ender's Game.
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Top reviews from other countries

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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars A great read.
Reviewed in Canada on August 3, 2022
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The back story to Ender's Game. Another great character, Bean.
The entire Shadow series that follows Bean is as good as the Ender series.
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Eldad Klaiman
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book!!!!
Reviewed in Germany on March 9, 2022
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People who like sci fi or science fiction will love this book! Wonderfully written and very interesting! Highly recommended to everyone.
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Hameda
5.0 out of 5 stars Tra i miei top 10 libri di sempre
Reviewed in Italy on November 7, 2017
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Per quanto sia generalmente più amato il libro del Gioco di Ender, io ho trovato questa prospettiva contemporanea diversa, del braccio destro di Ender, Bean, molto più entusiasmante e viscerale di quella di Ender. Per fare una metafora (non so se si dice così) direi che Ender's Game è come un PG13 per ragazzi, per quanto serio e violento, e Ender's Shadow un VM14 o anche addirittura 18. Il tono è oscuro e brutalmente sincero, e sa mettere paura senza neanche provarci, sarà perché Bean non sembra mai essere un vero e proprio protagonista, come lo era Ender. Bean è più un compagno di avventure che ti fa compagnia durante il viaggio.

La storia, poi, la trovo come una coronazione della trama stessa, dove Ender è la celebrità, e Bean il cavallo di battaglia. Credo che non si possa evitare questo libro se si legge Ender's Game. Sarebbe come fare le cose a metà. Ho letto diversi commenti di Card riguardo questa sua opera, e ha menzionato che ha pensato all'espansione più tardi, ma, essendo anche io scrittore alle prime armi, posso assicurarvi che spesso le storie si scrivono da sole, e si scoprono filoni di trama, o personaggi, che non si sapeva di avere. Io penso che Card avesse sempre avuto questa prospettiva di racconto nel retro della testa, mentre scriveva Ender's Game, e ci ha effettivamente pensato solo a cose fatte. E forse è stato meglio così. Sia mai che avesse scritto le due prospettive insieme, o addirittura fuso i due personaggi. Oh no no. Ci piace così com'è, vero?
Sì. Ci piace così com'è...

Ah... Da quanto ho gradito il finale di questo libro, ho deciso di non leggere nessun altro capitolo di queste saghe di Ender, almeno non per ora. Sono troppissimo soddisfatto per aggiungere carne al fuoco. Non la vedo come una cosa negativa, ma anzi, come segno di enorme apprezzamento in questi due romanzi.

Perciò non lasciare che il dubbio di leggere un'altra storia di bimbi che giocano a fare i grandi ti faccia scartare questo libro. Compralo immediatamente e leggilo, perché dentro c'è una dimensione abbagliante che ti lascerà sicuramente un macigno nello stomaco per una settimana. O almeno per me è stato così.
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Irikefe Okonedo
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent but read Ender's Game first!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 11, 2011
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This sci-fi novel is basically Ender's Game as told from the point of view of one of his lieutenants, the boy known only as Bean. It tells of his early hard life struggling to survive on the streets of Rotterdam, how he is noticed by a recruiter for the International Fleet (the international military machine assembled to fight against the aliens called the Buggers) a nun called Sister Carlotta, his life at the Battle School space station training to fight in the war against the Buggers and how he becomes the closest confidant and right hand man of Ender Wiggin, the boy who is destined to lead humanity's fight against the Buggers. This was an excellent book and much more in depth than Ender's Game. Bean is an extremely intelligent character (apparently more so than a human being can be) because his genes were altered when he was conceived and a lot of the book is spent in Bean's head so you see just how intelligent he is. The first part of the book, set in Rotterdam, is very good, and you come to care for Bean and the supporting characters such as Poke and Sergeant, and we are first introduced to the murderous Achilles (who I understand will become Bean's nemesis across the rest of the Shadow saga (this was book one)). We then meet Sister Carlotta and Bean's educative process with her is illuminating. Most of the book, however, is set in the Battle School space station (although the book's climax takes place on an asteroid called Eros) and of most importance is the time that Bean spends in Ender's army, for this is when he grows the most as a character and comes to love Ender. I would have liked to see Bean make more friends during his time at Battle School, but nonetheless I really liked this book and it has a happy ending. The author Orson Scott Card claims in this book's foreword that you can read this book without first reading Ender's Game but in reality Ender's Shadow makes more sense if you read Ender's Game first. All in all, Ender's Shadow was an excellent book. Just make sure you read Ender's Game first.
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Deep Gill
5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Read, AFTER Ender's Game.
Reviewed in Canada on October 21, 2013
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Orson wrote this book after Enders Game as a way to see events through the eyes of others. He starts the book by saying it doesn't matter if you read it before or after Ender's Game but I think it should absolutely be after. This book is far more "complete", it reveals many angles that I think would spoil Ender's Game for anyone that hasn't read it. If you have read it this adds a rich layer of understanding on top, it makes you feel like a part of that world.

Absolutely amazing, one of the best books I've ever read.
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