Book Review: Speaker for the Dead by Orson Scott Card

Speaker for the Dead by Orson Scott Card

5-star rating

REVIEW:

In an amazing movie or show, sometimes, it makes us silent and open mouthed in astonishment and explode all the praises until we have calmed and the hype have been subsided. In relation with this book, I would not have made a review of this book due to the same reason I mentioned above. Even if I have calmed, I didn’t think of reviewing this book because I rather think and dream the story instead. Thanks to my reading buddy Kwesi for asking me million of questions. Read his review. 

Ender the Xenocide; Andrew Wiggin the speaker for the dead; same person—the one is history and the other is still known at present. 3000 years has passed since Ender killed all the buggers, except the Hive Queen. No one forgets what happened because even at the present, the evil Ender the Xenocide is still known. Through ansible, world to another world as weeks to decades, he travels to undo his past mistakes and continue the travel to spread the truth.

Many have called for the Speaker but they were all refused to be granted until one day he receives a call from a girl he immediately fall in love with. Andrew Wiggin decided to grant the call even if it means leaving his beloved sister, Valentine. He leaves Trondheim for Lusitania even though already know how Lusitanians’ loathed him and how it will be hard for him to adopt a new species of ramen—Piggies. Would he be accepted at Lusitania, by Piggies and Lusitanians, despite of his being Speaker for the Dead?

This book is absolutely a wow! My recommendation is so far effective as what I’ve noticed. I don’t know if those people who listened and followed my recommendations do have same taste of books as I have or they just hitching my like even deep inside they don’t actually. Well, even if Card has written on the cover or personally shout at you that this book is a stand alone, I still highly suggest you all to read the Ender’s Game, except for those who’ve read it already. But if you’ve read already the Ender’s Game and haven’t yet this book, don’t just sit there while heating your butt, read thisIMMEDIATELY.

Let me start it first with confusion: I don’t know at first who was Jane. Card put her in this book without being introduced first in the story. I tried to reread the Ender’s Game final chapter but I haven’t found even shadow of Jane in the book. Boohooo if you say she was in the introduction because I didn’t finish reading Card’s introduction. It was good that Card introduced the Piggies in the first, long chapter but it was really boring chapter that I even thought Ender wouldn’t show anymore. It could have been nice if they were introduced through Ender and Jane.

If you don’t like this book, there’s nothing I can do about it. Either you got the wrong book for you or the book got the wrong reader for itself. I found out the story to have just a simple mystery but I don’t know what Card has with him or what he did that this book really got boomed me; maybe because of my admiration to his characters and how they are all interesting to me.

This book has showed a different Ender but gives an exact reason of the transition from the Ender’s Game. I didn’t imagine that Ender would be what he is on this book—matured and still soft-hearted. I can’t also imagine a karate kid turns into a tamed professor.

The characters of this books shows different personalities, based from what I observed. List them down along with their personality and you’ll find out what I mean. Got it! I think what makes this book likable because of the different characters with the different personalities. At least in that way I was able to differentiate themselves from one another. Card made Ender still a hero in a very different way.

Well I don’t want to discuss it anymore. Just try to imagine how a man tamed a forest of wild lions.
The setting and the world is quite fantastically created. The time, forget about it because we’re just part of past on this book. The foundation of Card’s made-up theories are strong that makes you think a believable one. The new creature was built firmly inside and out that even the attitude, habits and language seem very convincing that you won’t think this is just a sci-fi novel. I was pretty amazed at his ansible theory and still am, fortunately.

If I were to compare this book to Ender’s Game, I think I liked this book more because of my, you know, Ender’s Shadow issue. But I’m sure Ender just need a little more push and he’ll match up Bean in my field of best characters. Goodbye to pitiful Ender and welcome the new and intelligent Andrew Wiggin. Stay put Xenocide (third book) for here comes your daddy.