I received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Ender's Game
by
Orson Scott Card
It is part of the The Ender Quintet #1 series and is a military science fiction in Paperback edition that was published by Tor Books on July 15, 1994 and has 324 pages.
Explore it on Goodreads or Amazon
Other books by this author which I have reviewed include Alvin Journeyman, Heartfire, The Crystal City, The Lost Gate, Shadow of the Giant, Shadows in Flight
First in Ender’s Saga, a science fiction series revolving around a little boy who saved the world.
Visit KD Did It Takes on Books for a chronological listing of the books in the Enderverse.
My Take
Graff, Anderson, and Rackham’s chats behind the scenes clue you in as to what they’re doing to Ender. It makes it both better and worse as we understand the why and want to scream in horror at the destruction of this lovely, little boy. Maybe this should be in the Science Fiction/Horror section…
Scott Card is really good at dragging you in. It wasn’t until I started this review that I even wondered why it had to be a child.
The Battle School students are pretty amazing, but when you add in Valentine and Peter with their essays on the ‘Net…the concept of their intellect will blow you away.
Ender’s power is one of excellence. It’s Peter who wants to rule the world, and Valentine who wants to save Ender.
After all that these kids have been through, the war is over and Alais wonders what they’ll be made to do next. It’s Petra’s “We’re kids. They’ll probably make us go to school” that cracks me up…god knows there isn’t a lot that’s funny in this.
Instead it’s horrifying, mindbending, and totally absorbing. If you enjoy military science fiction, tension, and drama, this is the book for you.
The Story
Earth is desperate for a Fleet Commander. Already they have fought off two invasions from the buggers and Earth is taking no chances. All efforts are focused on finding someone to lead a battle fleet and destroy the buggers. But time is getting too short and Ender is their only choice. There is no time to find and train another.
Meanwhile, Ender’s parents have moved the family to North Carolina where Mother and Father hope that nature will have a calming influence on Peter and his…urges. But Valentine knows it’s only helping him to hide them, and she is still in danger. Although, with more maturity, perhaps Peter is getting a handle on it. As part of his bid to take over Earth.
But the stress is getting to Ender. Nightmares of previous games, encounters with Peter, all play with his head. The only sympathy is from the other kids and even that is minimal for Ender is their leader. Not their schoolmate. Not their friend.
He just has to remember that the enemy’s gate is down. And break the rules.
The Characters
Andrew “Ender” Wiggin is six years old when IF takes him to Battle School. He’ll miss his sister, Valentine, but not his psychopathic brother, Peter.
Stilson is the first bully Ender confronts and is his ticket in. Bernard is another bully when Shen is Ender’s first experiment followed by Alai.
Ender meets Petra in Salamander Army who teaches him enough to get up to speed. He faces up to Commander Bonzo Madris, another bully but with power, about free play. Then it’s Rose de Nose (??) and his Rat Army and Dink Meeks‘ toon.
The teachers just keep cheating, and now Ender has his own Army at age 10. No trades and only Launchies and failures including Bean, Crazy Tom, Han Tzu, and Fly Molo. It’s not long before Vlad and Dumper are added to the mix.
Colonel Hyrum Graff is in charge of Battle School and destroying Ender.
Admiral Chamrajnagar is in charge at Command School where Mazer Rackham, the man who saved the world in the First Invasion, takes over his training.
The Cover and Title
The cover is a tilted view from the driver’s seat of a video game, a cockpit of a fighter jet with a partial moon on the event horizon. All blues and blacks with a splash of pink and a spot of red.
The title is what it’s all about. It’s Ender’s Game and how he changes it up.
