Publishers Weekly
Nothing mars this straightforward, solid production of the final book in Card's Ender series. Every narrator conveys his or her character's personality with nuance and realism. The fleet sent to destroy Lusitania is about to arrive and all the planet's denizens are scrambling. They rush to colonize new worlds, to save two intelligent species from extinction, to try to stop the fleet, to find the creators of the Descolada virus (a threat to all living things) and to find a way for the computer entity Jane whose faster-than-light travel makes all the other goals possible to survive shutting down the network that sustains her. Children is philosophical about the purpose and meaning of intelligent life, the interconnectedness of all things and the power of love. These weighty topics could easily sound corny in less skilled hands, but the text is saved by the honest and emotional narration by Gabrielle De Cuir, John Rubinstein, Stefan Rudnicki, Scott Brick, Amanda Karr and David Birney. Light touches of music and special effects for the aliens blend seamlessly into the flow of the production. High quality work all around. (Reviews, July 22, 1996) (July) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly
The first two volumes of Card's Ender saga, Ender's Game and Speaker for the Dead, each won the Hugo and Nebula awards for best novel. This adept fifth volume in the series (after Xenocide, 1991) continues the story of Ender Wiggin, hero, social conscience and unwitting mass murderer. Here, however, Ender, feeling the weight of his years, plays only a limited role in the desperate attempt to avert the destruction by the Starways Congress of the planet Lusitania and its three intelligent races. Foremost among those at center stage are Peter and Young Valentine, Ender's children of the mind, copies of his brother and sister whom he accidentally created on his trip Outside the universe in Xenocide. Also central is Jane, the prickly Artificial Intelligence whose unique ability to use the Outside to transcend the light-speed barrier is key to all attempts to save Ender's adopted world. Peter, Val, Jane and their companions must crisscross the galaxy to find new planets for Lusitania's refugees while trying to influence the politicians and philosophers who have the power to stop the Congress's approaching war fleet. Readers unfamiliar with earlier Ender novels may have trouble picking up some plot threads. But Card's prose is powerful here, as is his consideration of mystical and quasi-religious themes. Though billed as the final Ender novel, this story leaves enough mysteries unexplored to justify another entry; and Card fans should find that possibility, like this novel, very welcome indeed. Major ad/promo; 200-copy limited leather-bound edition, $200, ISBN 0-312-86191-5. (Aug.)
Kirkus Reviews
Fourth in the series about former child warrior Ender Wiggin (Xenocide, 1991, etc.) and his long search for redemption. Series readers will recall—or perhaps not—that Jane, the computer intelligence born of a multi-planet computer network connected by instantaneous ansible communicators, has discovered how to move ships and people instantly through hyperspace. But now the Starways Congress, unaware of Jane's existence and wary of rogue programs, intends to shut down the net, thus killing Jane. Also, a decision has been taken to blast planet Lusitania, home to Ender Wiggin, a human colony, the piglike alien pequeninos and their sentient trees, and the social insectlike alien hive queens, because Starways fears the deadly endemic DNA-wrecking descolada virus. Just coming on the scene are young, re-created versions of Ender's siblings of 3,000 years ago, Peter and Valentine (don't ask). With young Chinese genius Wang-mu, Peter must unravel and then halt the philosophical impetus behind the decision to destroy Lusitania. Meanwhile, various scientists, together with assorted mystics, tackle the problem of Jane's survival once the computer net goes down. Yet another group of scientists are tracking the descolada virus—an alien artifact, part probe, part message—back to its source planet, where they will find an alien civilization as enigmatic as any yet encountered.
A bizarre and poorly planned mixture of dazzling ideas and preachy philosophizing: At present Card simply is juggling too many projects at once, and here he's just overextended himself.
From the Publisher
Card's prose is powerful.” —Publishers Weekly
“This is a worthy ending to what might be styled a saga of the ethical evolution of humanity, a concept seldom attempted before and never realized with the success Card achieved here.” —Booklist
