In Shadow Puppets, Orson Scott Card continues the storyline of Shadow of the Hegemon, following the exploits of the Battle School children, prodigies who have returned to an Earth thrown into chaos after the unifying force of the alien invasion they stopped in Ender's Game and Ender's Shadow has dissipated.

Foremost among these whiz kids is the brilliant Bean who, in Shadow of the Hegemon, rescued his comrades from his nemesis--the dastardly Achilles. Now, the down-but-not-out evil genius is again scheming towards global domination and vengeance against the irrepressible Bean. It's up to Bean and his newfound love, Petra, to outwit the young psychopath and save the world. Meanwhile, the other Battle School children are called to serve again as an expansionist China threatens the stability of post-Bugger War Earth.

Shadow Puppets is, for better or worse, exactly what readers have come to expect from Card. There are thought-provoking musings on geopolitics, war, courage, arrogance, good versus evil, and the concept of children wise beyond their years dealing with grave responsibility. Unfortunately, many of these furnishings are looking a little frayed around the edges, but fans will enjoy an exciting, fast-paced plot and a suspense-filled conclusion. --Jeremy Pugh


From Publishers Weekly
Fans of Card's bestselling Ender series will be delighted with this tale of teen empowerment (following 2001's Shadow of the Hegemon), as the Battle School brats cope with life after the war with the Formics. Peter Wiggins, now leader of the worldwide Earth government, the Hegemon, makes a tactical error when he authorizes the rescue of his archenemy, Achilles, from the Chinese, only to discover Achilles, dangerously insane, is a Trojan Horse. Peter, along with his parents, must flee the planet temporarily, only to discover plots within plots at the site of the now dismantled Battle School. Meanwhile, Bean, accompanied by his wife, Petra, comes to terms with his body: he won't stop growing, and he's doomed to a short life. He and Petra seek out the man who manipulated his genes in order to have him create children without the same problem, only to have the embryos stolen. Bean and Petra race against time to try to rescue their unborn children while keeping Peter apprised of world events. Into this mix, Card tosses in a war, Chinese expansionism, unrest in India and a dangerously unfettered Achilles. The political becomes the personal in a final showdown between Bean and Achilles. These teens play for keeps: the world is their stage, with Battle School grads in key positions of power in China, the Muslim world and India, all ready to work together to create world peace. Card discusses important topics here, the nature of the parent-child relationship; the roles of love and service, that are implicitly part of coming of age. Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Library Journal
In the aftermath of the war against the alien insectoid Formics, the people of Earth experienced a period of unity under the benevolent rulership of the Hegemon Peter Wiggin, brother of war hero Ender Wiggin. As the fragile political peace erodes and internal wars threaten to erupt, the child-warriors of the Battle School now young adults skilled in the arts of leadership and politics struggle to bring about a new kind of peace despite the efforts of traitors in their midst. The sequel to Ender's Shadow and Shadow of the Hegemon continues Card's visionary future history with a story of men and women thrust too early into positions of power. The author's thoughtful storytelling and compassionately moral characters make this a good addition to most sf collections.Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.


From Booklist
The third novel in Card's re-presentation of the saga of Ender Wiggins from the vantage of Ender's strategist Bean opens with the hegemon of Earth, Ender's brother Peter, having the psychopath Achilles rescued from his Chinese captors, and Bean and Petra going into hiding. The plot threads are complex: the Chinese still rule Thailand, Burma, Vietnam, and India, where a grassroots movement works against them. Peter and his parents must flee the hegemony compound when they discover that Achilles, despite efforts to monitor him, is making progress in supplanting Peter as hegemon. Bean and Petra arrange parenthood through in vitro fertilization, which they hope will prevent transferring to the children the genetic alterations that made Bean a genius and that will kill him. Achilles steals some of the embryos, however, and Bean determines to rescue them and kill Achilles. A far-flung, pan-Islamic shadow government, of which the Chinese and Achilles are unaware, springs Bean and Petra from hiding, enlisting their assistance in preparing war against the Chinese. Angst haunts the proceedings, what with Peter sinking into depression after Achilles outsmarts him and Bean's more wrenching agony over whether he is human. Once again, Card keeps the action, danger, and intrigue levels high; maintains consistency of characterization from Ender's Shadow (1999) and Shadow of the Hegemon (2000); paves the way for further Ender-Bean developments; and leaves his readers eagerly awaiting them. Sally Estes
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved


USA Today
"The novels of...Card's Ender series are an intriguing combination of action, military...political strategy, elaborate war games and psychology."


Review
"The novels of Orson Scott Card's Ender series are an intriguing combination of action, military and political strategy, elaborate war games and psychology."


Review
"The novels of Orson Scott Card's Ender series are an intriguing combination of action, military and political strategy, elaborate war games and psychology." —USA Today



Book Description
A Sequel to The New York Times Bestselling Enders's Shadow

Bestselling author Orson Scott Card brings to life a new chapter in the saga of Ender's Earth.

Earth and its society has been changed irrevocably in the aftermath of Ender Wiggin's victory over the Formics--the unity enforced upon the warring nations by an alien enemy has shattered. Nations are rising again, seeking territory and influence, and most of all, seeking to control the skills and loyalty of the children from the Battle School.

But one person has a better idea. Peter Wiggin, Ender's older, more ruthless, brother, sees that any hope for the future of Earth lies in restoring a sense of unity and purpose. And he has an irresistible call on the loyalty of Earth's young warriors. With Bean at his side, the two will reshape our future.

Here is the continuing story of Bean and Petra, and the rest of Ender's Dragon Army, as they take their places in the new government of Earth.



Download Description
Earth and its society have been irrevocably changed in the aftermath of Ender Wiggin's victory over the Formics. The unity enforced upon the warring nations by an alien enemy has shattered. Nations are rising again, seeking territory and influence, and most of all, seeking to control the skills and loyalty of the children from the Battle School. But one person has a better idea. Peter Wiggin, Ender's older, more ruthless, brother, sees that any hope for the future of Earth lies in restoring a sense of unity and purpose. And he has an irresistable call on the loyalty of Earth's young warriors. With Bean at his side, the two will reshape our future.


About the Author
Born in Richland, Washington in 1951, Orson Scott Card grew up in California, Arizona, and Utah. He lived in Brazil for two years as an unpaid missionary for the Mormon Church and received degrees from Brigham Young University (1975) and the University of Utah (1981). The author of numerous books, Card was the first writer to receive both the Hugo and Nebula awards for best novel two years in a row, first for Ender's Game and then for the sequel Speaker for the Dead. He lives with his wife and children in North Carolina.

FROM OUR EDITORS

The Barnes & Noble Review
Fantasy master Orson Scott Card brings us a new installment in his classic Ender saga. Bean, the genetic anomaly who served as second-in-command during the genocidal war against the Formics in Ender's Game, returns in a series of "parallel" novels beginning with Ender's Shadow and continuing with Shadow of the Hegemon, which focus both on Bean's career and on the turbulent, divisive aftermath of the Formic War. Now he's back in another powerful tale.

Shadow Puppets begins when reigning hegemon Peter Wiggin rescues Achilles Flandres, a charismatic psychopath imprisoned in China, foolishly believing he can control Achilles. As Peter comes to terms with his own folly, various interconnected dramas unfold. Bean and his girlfriend, Petra Arkanian, go to ground, convinced that Achilles wants them dead. In India, a young idealist propagates a Gandhi-like act of revolt against the voracious Chinese usurpers. And in Damascus, a clandestine Muslim army arises, preparing -- with the aid of Bean and Petra -- to launch a war of liberation against the overextended Chinese empire.

The result is a sometimes overcrowded narrative in which the fate of nations is once again in the hands of gifted children. Set against this overarching scenario, balancing and humanizing it, is the small, personal story of Bean and Petra, and their obsessive, ultimately dangerous efforts to bear healthy, "normal" children. Card has always been both storyteller and moralist, and his narratives are driven by clearly defined moral imperatives. In Shadow Puppets, he addresses large, fundamental questions concerning loyalty, responsibility, and the importance of humane, ethical standards in our public and private lives. The resulting narrative is quintessential Card: impassioned, argumentative, and difficult to set aside. Bill Sheehan

FROM THE PUBLISHER

"Earth and its society have been changed irrevocably in the aftermath of Ender Wiggin's victory over the Formics. The unity forced upon the warring nations by an alien enemy has shattered. Nations are rising again, seeking territory and influence, and most of all, seeking to control the skills and loyalty of the children from the Battle School." But one person has a better idea. Peter Wiggin, Ender's older, more ruthless brother, sees that any hope for the future of Earth lies in restoring a sense of unity and purpose. And he has an irresistible call on the loyalty of Earth's young warriors. With Bean at his side, the two will reshape our future.

SYNOPSIS

Sequel to the New York Times bestselling Shadow of the Hegemon; the fourth book in the Ender's saga.

FROM THE CRITICS

Elizabeth Weise - USA Today

In Shadow of the Hegemon, the abilities of Bean and the others to outthink their captors and undermine their plans make for a page-turning read.

Publishers Weekly

Fans of Cards bestselling Ender series will be delighted with this tale of teen empowerment (following 2001s Shadow of the Hegemon), as the Battle School brats cope with life after the war with the Formics. Peter Wiggins, now leader of the worldwide Earth government, the Hegemon, makes a tactical error when he authorizes the rescue of his archenemy, Achilles, from the Chinese, only to discover Achilles, dangerously insane, is a Trojan Horse. Peter, along with his parents, must flee the planet temporarily, only to discover plots within plots at the site of the now dismantled Battle School. Meanwhile, Bean, accompanied by his wife, Petra, comes to terms with his body: he wont stop growing, and hes doomed to a short life. He and Petra seek out the man who manipulated his genes in order to have him create children without the same problem, only to have the embryos stolen. Bean and Petra race against time to try to rescue their unborn children while keeping Peter apprised of world events. Into this mix, Card tosses in a war, Chinese expansionism, unrest in India and a dangerously unfettered Achilles. The political becomes the personal in a final showdown between Bean and Achilles. These teens play for keeps: the world is their stage, with Battle School grads in key positions of power in China, the Muslim world and India, all ready to work together to create world peace. Card discusses important topics here"the nature of the parent-child relationship; the roles of love and service"that are implicitly part of coming of age. (On-sale Aug. 19) Forecast: A $300,000 national marketing campaign, including advertising on the Sci-Fi Channel and print advertising targeted to college and military publications, should ensure a run on bestseller lists. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

This fine follow-up to Ender's Shadow features that novel's hero, Bean (now a young man), wrestling with Card's trademark: superbly real moral and ethical dilemmas. In a world between wars, filled with ambitious countries jockeying to carve up their neighbors, the children of Battle School are the strongest asset a nation can possess. The greatest of the children, "Ender" Wiggin, has gone off to colonize a new world. The second best, Bean, is hunted by a young psychopathic genius, Achilles, who schemes to conquer Earth with the aid of Ender's soldiers. Peter, Ender's brother, who was too ruthless to make it to Battle School, also works to rule the planet, but through more peaceful, political means. Bean must decide if becoming Peter's shadow and guiding him to become Hegemon will help defeat Achilles, and if one boy's megalomania will make a better world than another's. Children playing at war as if it were a game recalls Card's most famous work, Ender's Game, which won both a Hugo and a Nebula award. The complexity and serious treatment of the book's young protagonists will attract many sophisticated YA readers, while Card's impeccable prose, fast pacing and political intrigue will appeal to adult fans of spy novels, thrillers and science fiction. (Jan. 2) Forecast: Card is immensely popular; this is one of his best novels. Like Ender's Game, it will soar on genre lists and should flirt with, and perhaps woo, regular lists. Tor will ensure this through a $300,000 ad/promo campaign including a nine-city author tour. Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.

VOYA - Eman Ashrafi, Teen Reviewer

This book can be read without reading the book right before it, but there are parts where you feel as if you came for the second half of the joke. There were times when I didn't really agree with Card's thinking on the whole political situation and the handling of it. To say the very least, this book was good, although not to the same standard as Ender's Game or Ender's Shadow. It is more mature. The tone evolves as the characters grow up, which is a relief. All the little side plots are enjoyable and tied in neatly at the end. The best part of this book is how all the minor characters gained more depth. VOYA CODES: 4Q 4P S A/YA (Better than most, marred only by occasional lapses; Broad general YA appeal; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12; Adult and Young Adult). 2002, Tor, 352p,

KLIATT - Dr. Lesley S.J. Farmer