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

Great story, but recording issues

enjoyed the book, but the editing of the audio file wasn't complete. on several occasions, there were multiple voice actors reading the same words, making it very difficult to understand.

outstanding to say the least

this audiobook was an awesome finish to this awesome series. I have enjoyed this series immensely and inbite you to enjoy it as welll.

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.

True awe worthy.

This book was an amazing read (or listen in this case). It is a very realistic and entertaining book that I would recommend to readers of all cultures and ages, provided that they have a large vocabulary or a dictionary.

Beautifully rendered and done.

Isle of the Ender series when I read it and I love it even more when I hear how it has been rendered here.

good conclusion

I thought this book was a good conclusion to the series. Very bitter sweat! Watching the characters grow up and seeing Peter become the real Hegemon (that we always knew he would be) was the best part.

Odd pronunciation of Achilles

What did you love best about Shadow of the Giant?

Walking and listening

What was one of the most memorable moments of Shadow of the Giant?

Sun Tzu

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

Pronounced Achilles like the Greek god he was named after.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I cringed every time they pronounced Achilles

Any additional comments?

No

Get better as they go

Ive been listening to these books in the order they were printed and the series just keeps getting better and better. At first I didnt know if I would enjoy the story without Ender in it, especially if it focused on Peter, but Scott makes you live all his characters. Powerful ending to the current set of books. I will miss these characters greatly. Sad the ride is over, but wouldnt want to miss it for anything. Dont miss this one!!!

great book

another great story. always worth another read. a couple of echoes in the narrative but they were brief and you could still understand the dialogue

Story good but felt like tying loose ends.

Overall the book is great. I thoroughly enjoyed it. My only complaint is it felt like the whole book was just tying up loose ends from the previous installments into the Bean arch. A lot happens but it all feels rather rushed. There are also little to no high tech stuff you get in the other books. It feels more like a political thriller over a sci-fi novel.

It is also riddled with more overt political/religious undertones than we are used to in the series. They are a lot more blatant.

I recommend it and it's a great addition to the series, just doesn't have near the same tone as the rest of the novels in this saga.