Ender In Exile

Ender in Exile, Orson Scott Card

I have to admit that I looked forward to this book for a long time. I've been a fan of Card and especially this series since the release of Ender's Game when I was a teenager.

If you aren't familiar with the series, you'll probably not understand much of what I say after this point. I'm writing this with the assumption that you're familiar with the series and have read at least one of the three books in it.

All I can say to you if you haven't read any of these: GO GET ENDER'S GAME. Now. Don't waste time. Go get it. You'll read it cover-to-cover, I swear.

OK, all that said, this book clears up a lot of what's between Ender's Game and Speaker for the Dead. Although it was the last to be written and released, it's technically supposed to fit between the other two.

It answers a lot of questions left unanswered after reading Speaker, especially what happened to Ender and how he got the Bugger egg he's been carrying around, trying to find a home for.

It basically picks up immediately after Ender's Game, with the war over and the world in political turmoil as the Earth's governments and people try to deal with the huge galactic naval apparatus they've built. Ender and his lieutenants in the Battle School are political hot potatoes that everyone fears.

The way things play out, the creation of new colonies to both get rid of the Battle School children they don't know what to do with as well as send some of Earth's overpopulation away is the perfect solution.

The intrigue, genius maneuvering of Ender, and the way all things play out are extremely well done and most of the loose ends from the other two books are tied up and explained.

An excellent book, highly recommended if you're a fan of this series. If not, well, you suck. :)