BOOK REVIEW: Xenocide by Orson Scott Card

BOOK REVIEW: Xenocide by Orson Scott Card

Sequel to Ender's Game and Speaker for the Dead
"On the world Lusitania there are now three sapient races--the pequeniños, who evolved there; Humans, who came to colonize; and a Hive Queen and her children, brought by Ender long years ago. But on Lusitania there is also the descolada, a virus deadly to human beings which would spread like wildfire throughout the Starways Congress should it ever escape the planet.
"The Starways Congress decided that the descolada should be wiped out once and for all, and sent a fleet, armed with a planet-destroying weapon, to do it. A fourth intelligence, loyal to Ender and Lusitania, caused that fleet to disappear.
"On a distant planet called Path alive a people whose culture owes much to that of ancient China on Earth. They have evolved a caste known as the godspoken, people of superior intellectual abilities who pay a terrible price for their gifts. The godspoken of Path have given their loyalty and service to the Starways Congress. Among the godspoken is a young girl named, in the language of her people, Gloriously Bright. It is to her that the Starways Congress turns with the mystery of the disappearance of the Lusitania Fleet. There is no doubt that Gloriously Bright will discover the answer to the puzzle. The question is, what will she do with that information?" (From inside cover.)

Most of Xenocide takes place when Ender is in his 60's. He'd been married to Novinha for 30 years. Her children are all grown, most of them scientists like their mother. Now let me tell you this book was....slow. There's a lot of theory and science and speculation about how their universe works. It's interesting, but can get really thick. I read it because some interesting things happen as well as to get through to the rest of the books (I've had the whole series for years but am finally getting around to reading it) but while I read Ender's Game and Speaker for the Dead in one day each, this took me dayzzzz. Rated PG for adult themes. 4 stars.