"Shadow Puppets" follows the tale of several teenagers who more or less hold the fate of the world in their hands. Its hero is the brilliant Julian "Bean" Delphiki, working in the service of Hegemon Peter Wiggin. Peter, in a terrible misjudgment, has set Bean's megalomaniac archenemy, Achilles Flandres, free from prison, and now Achilles is out to get Bean and the world. Meanwhile, China's expansion is getting out of hand. Between an insane teenage villain and a dangerously powerful country, Bean and his former Battle School classmates are working overtime to keep everything-big countries as well as their personal lives-under control. And in a subplot, the romance between Bean and his friend Petra Arkanian, hinted at in the previous "Shadow of the Hegemon," develops.
Plainly put, the problem with "Shadow Puppets" is that everything admirable about Card's writing style is basically not there. The book is a fine example of mediocrity. Subtlety, a strength of Card's, is nowhere to be found. His other novels have always hinted at the high value he personally places on family life, but this novel turns into a sermon on household virtues. In addition, Peter, Bean and Petra, previously known for their intelligence, seem to have lost their brains; the abnormally intelligent individuals of earlier novels have started making silly mistakes. In short, the familiar and beloved characters have become unrecognizable.
In addition, the book seems rushed. "Shadow Puppets" would have been better off had Card taken his time to write a perhaps longer, but more worthwhile novel. Bean's and Petra's budding relationship, a mere implication of infatuation at the end of the previous book, moves so quickly in "Shadow Puppets" that it leaves the reader in a confused daze, wondering what just happened. Similarly, the international affairs that take place happen quickly and with little explanation. The last chapter consists of seven short scenes devised to wrap up the loose ends. In real life, all these events would have taken time to unfold, so their speed makes the plot farfetched and unrealistic. Granted, "Shadow Puppets" falls into the generally fanciful science-fiction/fantasy genre. However, Card has always been able to make me believe in his characters and his worlds for the duration of the novel, no matter how extraordinary. Had he slowed down a bit and clarified a little more, Card probably could have written the same story without sacrificing its credibility.
Really, it's not that "Shadow Puppets" is all bad. Card hasn't lost his touch for suspenseful, addictive writing-I still sacrificed plenty of sleep to finish it. Awkward as the writing may be, the actual content of the scenes are worth looking into. And I still care about the characters, even with their strange new personalities. Card has a way of constantly making me feel that I need to know what happens next. Then again, I may have been swayed by the fact that I've long been a fan of the Ender series. Quite possibly, a new reader would not be as compelled to care about what happens.
"Shadow Puppets" is worth reading for one reason only: it promises a sequel. It always helps to know what happens in this novel before you move on to the next book, whether or not you're a regular Ender reader. Just like his young characters, Card is gifted, but only human, and therefore fallible.