Shadow of the Giant

By: Orson Scott Card

Narrated by: David Birney, Scott Brick, Full Cast

Length: 12 hrs and 26 mins

Publisher's summary

The Ender Saga continues with Shadow of the Giant, which parallels the events of Ender's Game from a different character’s point of view.

Bean's past was a battle just to survive. He first appeared on the streets of Rotterdam, a tiny child with a mind leagues beyond anyone else. He knew he could not survive through strength; he used his tactical genius to gain acceptance into a children's gang, and then to help make that gang a template for success for all the others. He civilized them, and lived to grow older. Then he was discovered by the recruiters for the Battle School.

For Earth was at war—a terrible war with an inscrutable alien enemy. A war that humanity was near to losing. But the long distances of interstellar space has given hope to the defenders of Earth—they had time to train military geniuses up from childhood, forging them into an irresistible force in the high-orbital facility called the Battle School. That story is told in two books, Orson Scott Card's beloved classic Ender's Game, and its parallel, Ender's Shadow. Now, in Shadow of the Giant, Bean's story continues.

Bean was the smallest student at the Battle School, but he became Ender Wiggins' right hand, Since then he has grown to be a power on Earth. He served the Hegemon as strategist and general in the terrible wars that followed Ender's defeat of the alien empire attacking Earth. Now he and his wife Petra yearn for a safe place to build a family—something he has never known—but there is nowhere on Earth that does not harbor his enemies—old enemies from the days in Ender's Jeesh, new enemies from the wars on Earth. To find security, Bean and Petra must once again follow in Ender's footsteps. They must leave Earth behind, in the control of the Hegemon, and look to the stars.

THE ENDER UNIVERSE

Ender series

Ender’s Game

Speaker for the Dead

Xenocide

Children of the Mind

Ender in Exile

Children of the Fleet

Ender’s Shadow series

Ender’s Shadow

Shadow of the Hegemon

Shadow Puppets

Shadow of the Giant

Shadows in Flight

The First Formic War (with Aaron Johnston)

Earth Unaware

Earth Afire

Earth Awakens

The Second Formic War (with Aaron Johnston)

The Swarm

The Hive

Ender novellas

A War of Gifts

First Meetings

Browse more titles in the Ender Wiggin series.

©2005 Orson Scott Card (P)2005 Audio Renaissance, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishers, LLC

Critic reviews

“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

My Favorite Book by Orson Scott Card

Wonderful story and wonderful performances. David Birnie as Peter Wiggin is one of my favorite performances of all time.

Again, Totally Card

I usually hate "Companion Series" books, they usually seem to decline in entertainment value after the original book (Enders Game, in this case), especially when the original book seems to neatly end with no loose ends to warrant another book.

The Ender series is MUCH different, the "follow-up" books just keep getting better... The characters are well fleshed out (sometimes it seems a little too much time is wasted fleshing out a character, but it ends up being just the right amount of information you needed to know to keep up with the character's motivations further along in the book, or series).

If you liked Ender's Game, then the follow-up books are a "Must have", even if you think "How could they be better than the original"?

The unabridged versions are a bit long winded at times, but you get details that you NEED to have to keep up with the complex stories being woven.

Card says, "hearing" the books are the way he wanted them presented, and having several narrators in each book makes the audio books MUCH better.

Brilliant.

I finished listening just a few hours ago and I enjoyed every moment spent with these characters. I cried for Petra and her life, I was amazed at how the characters were drawn so real and with faults and understandings and everything. I truly hope that we get at least one more book...perhaps one that focuses on Bean's amazing children? And what happened to Randi and her son "Achille's child"? Where did she go? I am dying to know. It's all tied up...but...not quite. :) Excellently done.

Renewed love for the series!

Renewed love for the series! Also would strongly encourage readers to read the book of short stories released before this book. Gave a lot more insight into the parents.

Another Win for the Enderverse!

I like this book much better than the one that comes just before it. There are still a few problems occasionally with the audio, but nothing that I remember being too distracting. Another great book by Orson Scott Card!

Best Yet

This is my favorite in the series so far. I was riveted the whole time. I wish this series could be on TV.

Another good one!

I really enjoy reading Card. Something about his style sits well with me. Looking forward to the next one!

Continues my Bean love

What did you like best about this story?

It more or less wrapped up the entire hegemon portion of the Bean series of books. He took a massive number of characters and did a wonderful job of wrapping up each story, well sort of.

What does the narrators bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Quite Simply Life. I read Ender's Game and Ender's Shadow. I then went back and listened to them along with each of the other books. They are expertly acted and the voices chosen well.

Any additional comments?

I've always loved this Bean line of books and it makes going back to Ender's Game and reading that and knowing where each of these characters end up post bugger war.

Bean, the man, the myth, the giant

The most interesting part about this book is that the political happenings are taking place as a backdrop to the personal stories. In the previous book, the great game was the focus. In this one we get to see the emotional size of Bean, the boy who was a snubby little jerk, grow up to be a father, a husband, and an incredible friend. The interactions between Bean and Petra have me crying every time I go through this series. Their relationship, as short as it is, is so rewarding to watch unfold.

Birth to Death

I figured out why Scotts books mess me up so much after finishing them. We know these characters from brith and brilliance, to death or destruction. He teaches us what Ender learned, to love even the “villains” because we get to know them so well.