In a previous review of Shadow of the Hegemon, I mentioned that Card's brilliance lies in his exploration of the complex thoughts and motivations of his characters. Ender's Game deeply explored Ender Wiggin's character, while Ender's Shadow delved deep into Bean's psyche. In Shadow of the Hegemon, this exploration was spread out across several characters and felt weaker, though still compelling.

In Shadow Puppets, however, Card has almost completely abandoned the inner thoughts of his characters. Perhaps the most significant exploration of a character is the author's focus on Bean and his dilemma about having children. Much of this quandary is presented through external dialogue with Bean and Petra, instead of the more traditional internal dialogue technique that Card used so well in the past.

Although the book still has a engaging plot, I felt like Shadow Puppets was lacking something important. I wanted to get inside the characters' heads and hearts more. Without more insight into the character's actions, Shadow Puppets felt flat and hollow when compared to Card's earlier books. My hope is that this is not a trend, and that Shadow of the Giant (which is next up on my reading list) proves richer in its character development than "Hegemon" or "Puppets."

This book is a sequel to Shadow of the Hegemon, which in turn is a sequel to Ender's Shadow. When Peter Wiggin, Hegemon and younger brother of Ender Wiggin, decides to rescue Achilles from the Chinese, he thinks he can control the psychopathic killer. Finding himself alone after Bean, Petra and others go into hiding to protect themselves from Achilles, Peter must learn to rely upon his parents to avoid becoming Achilles' next victim. Meanwhile, a new power is emerging in the Islamic world to counter the threat from the Chinese. Bean and Petra find themselves seeking protection in Damascus, where they provide a contact for the Hegemon to assist the Islamic plans to reverse the Chinese aggressions.

This story continues to explore the unsettled geo-politics of the Earth following Ender Wiggins decisive defeat of the alien threat that had temporarily united all of humanity. However, this story also provides a deeply intimate story of Bean and Petra, as they're relationship matures and they begin to dream of having a family. The characters in this book are more fully developed than in the preceding two, and their motives become more complicated as they struggle to balance their desire to live normal lives with the impact of outside events on their lives. This may be the most compelling book in the Ender series so far.

Bean faces the world in a more personal way than ever before. I liked the conflict Bean explores within himself. While Ender's Shadow and Shadow of the Hegemon provide the reader with a satisfying conclusion, this seventh volume leaves you yearning to read the eighth.

In the acknowledgements, Orson Scott Card mentions the difficulty in writing about some of the minor characters. Unfortunately, Shadow Puppets ends up focusing on those minor characters and the story seems somewhat lacking. Even though Achillies is the "big bad", I wish Card had actually interacted with him more. I won't spoil any details, but I wish there were more memorable moments in the book. Maybe the series has finally run its course???