SOJALS rating:

Awful (1/5)

I first read this on the 24th August 2003.

While Peter rules the West and struggles against the power of the rising East, Bean struggles to make a decision to marry Petra, worrying about the risk of children only as genetically fortunate as himself. Yes indeedy, it's heavy stuff.

I began to see the ridiculous side of the ruler of the world still living at home with his parents. Plus the fact that they use email, not mobile phones, not even email over mobile phones, plus the parents are entirely too much in the picture.

It's odd. It reads like a book for children. My God, perhaps that's what it is. It has none of the power of the real "Ender" series (the first three books). Yes, it has some fun sometimes, and Orson always tells a good story, but it has become largely ridiculous. Quite a change in style really.

The first book, "Ender's Game" was an immensely-powerful novel about the morality of genocide. This one, somewhat later in the series, is about finding the right girl, settling down and having a baby.