Shadows in Flight

The Enderverse is easily Orson Scott Card’s most popular series, and I, like many others, am very excited for the upcoming Ender’s Game movie next month.  As much as I loved Ender’s Game, though, I’ve long felt that Ender’s Shadow, the parallel novel, was the stronger of the stories, and the Shadow sequels were among the most thrilling of them.

A lot of it was the character of Bean, a kid who has incredible talent, more talent than any others, yet he remains the most humble and consistently lets others lead and make their own decisions, because even though he is the smartest, he’s not always right and he’s brave enough to admit it.

Shadows in Flight is about Bean’s death.  He’s living in a spaceship with his three children searching for a cure to their genetic mutation that will kill them.  On top of preserving their lives, Bean, who is on his death bed, is trying to raise his children to grow into decent, civilized individuals.  This is a story about family at its most painful and meaningful moments.  Tragic though it is, death has the power to unite families and bring them to greater knowledge about themselves and about what love means.

I’ve listened to the audiobook to and from school, and that was one of the best storytelling experiences I’ve had.  Something unique about this was that there were four readers, each alternating chapters depending on which character’s viewpoint we were seeing the story through.  It was a very touching and lovely story.  If you can get it on audio, do.  If not, check it out.  It’s very short but full of life.  I am looking very forward to the final (planned) book in the Enderverse, Shadows Alive.