So, for this blog, the closest book to me was called "Shadow of the Hegemon" by Orson Scott Card. This sci fi novel is part of the Shadow Series, which is a side series to the Ender's Game series. If you don't know what Ender's Game is, I'll clue you in. It's a book about this kid named Ender who lives in the future earth after our world has been attacked by aliens(in the book these aliens are called 'Buggers' because of their bug-like appearance, and in the moive they are called Formics, which I think is much cooler.) Basically what happens is this: In this future world the military recruits young children and raises them to be soldiers so when they come of age, they will beable to lead their own armies against the aliens. But the catch is this: The children are already fighting the war and they don't know it. The military trains the children on these simulators, and the children believe that they are simply playing a game, one that they've played a thousand times with their fellow soldiers. But when the military believes the child is trained enough, they turn the simulator on. The simulator is not a simulator anymore, and the children, thinking they are only playing a very intense game in order to win, are actually directing real star ships with real fighters on them. Starships where real people and real aliens die. Ender is one of these children. In fact, he becomes a protégée, and the military uses his skills to blow up the enemy planet and destroy an entire species. Ender doesn't know that it is real until after he's done it. Just in case you read it, I won't tell you anymore. But I will tell you that is is very good and that the following books in the Ender Series, Speaker for the Dead, Xenocide, and Children of the Mind are very good too.
Anyway, the Shadow Series is about one of Ender's good friends, Bean. Yes, his name is Bean! It's because he's extremely short! The first book, which I've already read, is called Ender's Shadow, followed by Shadow of the Hegemon, Shadow Puppets, Shadow of the Giant, Shadows in Flight, and Shadows Alive. As you can see, Im slowly working my way through the series.
I'll be honest here. I'm only 38 pages into Shadow of the Hegemon.
But, be that as it may, I will still describe it to you as much as I can.
Bean is a war hero from the book Ender's Game--he helps Ender win the war against the aliens. The entire Ender's Shadow book (thats the one that comes before the one i'm currently reading) is all about how Bean got recruited by the military, and how he met Ender in battle school. At the end of Ender's Shadow, Bean is reunited with his family after nine years of being in battle school, and the book ends happily. And there begins Shadow of the Hegemon.
Like I mentioned, the battle school trained the children how to be amazing military strategists and fighters, meaning that even though the children leave the school, the knowledge stays with them. This means that Bean is the second most prestigious commander in the world(Ender being number one) ...... and he's just been released.
This book starts off with a bang.
It starts with a warning letter sent from one battle school commander to another, advising the International Fleet (the people in charge of battle school) to keep the child soldiers under strict protection, as an enemy country has been suspected of planning to kidnap them for their skills.
Of course, the International Fleet does not listen.
So in the first 38 pages of the book, Bean and his family are viciously attacked. At the point i'm reading, SOMEONE is trying to kidnap and/or kill Bean.
It's pretty intense, and I think I'll read it now!
So there is a little sneak peak of Shadow of the Hegemon for you!
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