Speaker for the Dead - Orson Scott Card

⭐ 9.0/10

(Originally written by Magdalene)

It's been several years since I last read a book in the Enderverse, and it was nice to go back to it. This takes place 3000 years after the Bugger War, but Ender is only in his 30s because of space travel, and nobody knows he is the infamous Ender. Another sentient alien species they call the piggies has been found on another planet, and when they start killing humans, Ender volunteers to become the dead men's speaker for the dead.

As everyone else has said, this book is very different from Ender's Game and from the Ender's Shadow series. There is pretty much no military or war strategy, and instead it's about interacting with others, dealing with guilt, and respecting other cultures. It's fascinating to see what Ender is like as an adult, and how humanity has changed since the Bugger War as they learn from their mistakes. It maybe wasn't as fun as some of the other books I've read in the Enderverse, and knowing that the author is kind of a terrible person affected the experience as well, but it was still a worthwhile read.