In the previous novel, Ender's Game, the buggers are no longer threatening earth and Ender has become the Speaker for the dead for the buggers. As Ender and his sister Valerie travel the worlds, their names live on in infamy. Valerie continues to write, Ender continues to speak. When a speaker is requested on Lusitania when a xenologer is killed by a new race of species, the piggies, Ender knows he must travel to speak the death and find out what the piggies were malicious in their murder or whether it is a misunderstood custom. When Ender arrives, 22 years later, there has been an additional death and Ender knows he must save the piggies before yet another race is destroyed.
Where Ender's Game was about war, tactics, and gaming this book was about society, guilt, and races living together. Despite characters being the same through both books, it was a completely different dynamic. But it completely worked. This novel was eloquent (though a bit preachy at times) and captivating.
I would have liked for Card to explore some of the characters a bit further, such as Jane who is a computer persona, but I suspect we'll learn more about her in future books. I will definitely be continuing on to the third book in the series, though I've heard it isn't as good as the first two.
First Line: "In the year 1830, after the formation of Starways Congress, a robot scout ship sent a report by ansible: The planet it was investigating was well within the parameters for human life."
Rating:
(4.5/5)
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