The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! 😌
psydneigh's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Moderate: Abandonment, Ableism, Colonisation, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Grief, Infertility, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, and Death of parent
lebolt's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Ok, begin actual review:
Why do we suffer? What does it mean to be human? Who deserves love? This book asks big questions; this book gives sincere answers.
I think this book Speaks into the part of me that wants to know redemption. I think this book lets me see a little bit of an author who, in a story about the stars, is himself sharing a bit of heartfelt humanity despite the divisions of the world - both around us and inside us.
Also, super rad sci fi concepts like relativistic interstellar travel, instantaneous communication, AI, genetic modification, terraforming, etc etc. Good stuff.
Beware: this sequel is a strong departure from the child-focused and relatively childish Ender's Game. As the author says in his foreword, this book was originally meant to be a standalone, and it shows. Ender's Game is basically (very well executed) exposition and backstory for this more profound work.
Graphic: Body horror, Death of parent, Grief, Xenophobia, Domestic abuse, Murder, and Religious bigotry
bits_and_pieces_odds_and_ends's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Xenophobia, Colonisation, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Infidelity, Domestic abuse, Infertility, Incest, Murder, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Grief, War, and Cancer
Minor: Child abuse
juliatsang's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Death and Physical abuse
Moderate: Death of parent, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Incest, Infidelity, Pandemic/Epidemic, Domestic abuse, and War
jessthanthree's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Death of parent and Child death
Moderate: Torture, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Cultural appropriation
toast_y's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Alcoholism
Minor: Incest, Infertility, and Xenophobia
nrogers_1030's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Graphic: Grief, Child death, Death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Terminal illness, Death of parent, Infidelity, Xenophobia, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Incest
nytephoenyx's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Speaker of the Dead, even more than Ender's Game, makes it abundantly clear exactly how highly Orson Scott Card thinks of himself. The slow-paced erudite reflections are haughty. In addition, there are too many things within the story that are far too convenient. The characters comment on this - "Surely this cannot be the SAME Speaker who spoke the Hive Queen and the Hegemon?" and so forth. There's a sense of over-importance to Ender's character that he has survived three-thousand years to create in a few days what generations of other humans were unable to accomplish.
I'm also a little perplexed about his take on women? On one had, he has female scientists and a female leader to the alien societies. However, all these women are easily overruled by their emotions and especially by the presence of Ender himself. Novinha, in particular, was a disappointment. Valentine, too, choses love over her intellectual pursuits. Maybe I'm reading into it too much, but at times it feels like Card is building a commentary to say that women are unable to be true intellectuals because of their inability to resist emotional drives?
I dunno. On an intellectual level I liked this, even though it was really slow-paced. On an emotional level (oh the irony) I found the pretentiousness to be a bit much. I also can't see this story going anywhere exciting, so I'm done with the Ender Saga. Doubly so since Orson Scott Card is openly and aggressively homophobic and I deeply disagree with his personal views.
Graphic: Body horror, Colonisation, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Incest, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Physical abuse, Violence, Domestic abuse, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Child death and Dysphoria
Minor: Infertility
bookcaptivated's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Murder, Death, Death of parent, Infidelity, Blood, and Grief
Moderate: Colonisation, Xenophobia, Injury/Injury detail, and Alcoholism
Minor: Infertility, War, Religious bigotry, and Body horror
drizzlybear's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Gore, and Terminal illness