This is the sequel to Ender's Game I've been waiting for. While the original sequels (Speaker for the Dead, Xenocide, etc.) told Ender's continuing story, they didn't address what I was really interested in: the fate of Earth and Ender's Dragon Army after the victory over the Buggers.
Shadow of the Hegemon does exactly that, telling the story of Ender's fellow Battle School graduates, and following the rise to power of Ender's older brother, Peter, and his rise to eventual power as the Hegemon of Earth. Once again Card drops us back into the minds of these brilliant, too-mature children as they struggle to evade the control of the governments who seek to use them to conquer the Earth, while at the same time trying to figure out the best way to bring about a lasting peace.
It's a fascinating read, delving into the political manipulations that were integral to the planet-side portions of Ender's Game that were so missing from the original sequels. I'm only about 1/3 of the way through the book, but I'm already enjoying it immensely. Not as much as Ender's Game -- it's a classic in its own right, and not Card could easily match with a sequel -- but still a damn good read.
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Ender's Game is an awesome novel. After years of hearing hype, I finally picked it up in my junior year of high school and devoured it. I then passed it on to my younger sister, who tore through it and all it's sequels as well. Six months later, the Shadow sequels started coming out. My sister loved them, but I never got around to trying them. I was always a little disappointed that a boy who used to crucify squirrels ended up both as ruler of the world, and as a pseudo-religious figure (along with the queen of an alien hive mind). Should at least try the sequels at some point, though - Bean was the shizznit.
If nothing else, Ender's Shadow is worth ready because it retells Ender's Game from Bean's perspective. It's fascinating to see the story told from a different character's perspective; kind of like re-reading the book, but so much is different that its a whole new experience.
As for Peter ... I've been intrigued by the story of the rise of a megalomaniac to power, and the idea that his rise could have been shaped by those like Bean who could hold him in check. Plus, as Shadow of the Hegemon unfolds, its clear that he may not be the greatest threat to the planet. And that's saying something.
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