The Shadow Saga is a parallel telling of the events depicted in Orson Scott Card's classic Ender's Game and its sequels; starting with Ender's Shadow, this series focuses on Julian "Bean" Delphiki, a secondary character in Ender's Game whose military genius came out in the course of brutal training. As Shadows in Flight begins, Bean is in a spaceship hurtling at a time-dilating speed with three of his children, Carlotta, Ender and Cincinnatus. All four of them are victims of a genetic modification that, although it grants them incredible intelligence, also afflicts them with gigantism and a severely truncated lifespan. With only a few months left to live, Bean tries to raise his highly intelligent six-year-olds, searching for both a cure and a home for them.
Narrative is less important in Shadows in Flight than in previous volumes of the series. There is a plot that revolves around finding a habitable planet for the children, and a discovery with far-reaching implications for the Ender's/Shadow universe, but the truth of the story is far more internal. This is a story of ideas, of morality, of parenting and tough choices, told with Card's familiar warmth and love for the human race. It's a must read for fans of the series; the story will be tough to jump into without reading earlier Shadow Saga books. Bottom line: Orson Scott Card proves himself a master storyteller yet again. --Rob LeFebvre, freelance writer and editor