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The Second Formic War #1
The Swarm
Orson Scott Card and Aaron Johnston return to their Ender's Game prequel series with this first volume of an all-new trilogy about the Second Formic War in The Swarm .
The first invasion of Earth was beaten back by a coalition of corporate and international military forces, and the Chinese army. China has been devastated by the Formic's initial efforts to eradicate Earth life forms and prepare the ground for their own settlement. The Scouring of China struck fear into the other nations of the planet; that fear blossomed into drastic action when scientists determined that the single ship that wreaked such damage was merely a scout ship.
There is a mothership out beyond the Solar System's Kuiper Belt, and it's heading into the system, unstoppable by any weapons that Earth can muster.
Earth has been reorganized for defense. There is now a Hegemon, a planetary official responsible for keeping all the formerly warring nations in line. There's a Polemarch, responsible for organizing all the military forces of the planet into the new International Fleet. But there is an enemy within, an enemy as old as human ambition and politics. Greed and self-interest. Will Bingwen, Mazer Rackam, Victor Delgado and Lem Juke be able to divert those very human enemies in time to create a weapon that can effectively defend humanity in the inexorable Second Formic War?
THE ENDER UNIVERSE
Ender series
Ender’s Game / Speaker for the Dead / Xenocide / Children of the Mind / Ender in Exile / Children of the Fleet
Ender’s Shadow series
Ender’s Shadow / Shadow of the Hegemon / Shadow Puppets / Shadow of the Giant / Shadows in Flight
The First Formic War (with Aaron Johnston)
Earth Unaware / Earth Afire / Earth Awakens
The Second Formic War (with Aaron Johnston)
The Swarm / The Hive
Ender novellas
A War of Gifts / First Meetings
The first invasion of Earth was beaten back by a coalition of corporate and international military forces, and the Chinese army. China has been devastated by the Formic's initial efforts to eradicate Earth life forms and prepare the ground for their own settlement. The Scouring of China struck fear into the other nations of the planet; that fear blossomed into drastic action when scientists determined that the single ship that wreaked such damage was merely a scout ship.
There is a mothership out beyond the Solar System's Kuiper Belt, and it's heading into the system, unstoppable by any weapons that Earth can muster.
Earth has been reorganized for defense. There is now a Hegemon, a planetary official responsible for keeping all the formerly warring nations in line. There's a Polemarch, responsible for organizing all the military forces of the planet into the new International Fleet. But there is an enemy within, an enemy as old as human ambition and politics. Greed and self-interest. Will Bingwen, Mazer Rackam, Victor Delgado and Lem Juke be able to divert those very human enemies in time to create a weapon that can effectively defend humanity in the inexorable Second Formic War?
THE ENDER UNIVERSE
Ender series
Ender’s Game / Speaker for the Dead / Xenocide / Children of the Mind / Ender in Exile / Children of the Fleet
Ender’s Shadow series
Ender’s Shadow / Shadow of the Hegemon / Shadow Puppets / Shadow of the Giant / Shadows in Flight
The First Formic War (with Aaron Johnston)
Earth Unaware / Earth Afire / Earth Awakens
The Second Formic War (with Aaron Johnston)
The Swarm / The Hive
Ender novellas
A War of Gifts / First Meetings
464 pages, Hardcover
First published August 2, 2016
About the author
Orson Scott Card
876 books19.8k followersOrson Scott Card is an American writer known best for his science fiction works. He is (as of 2023) the only person to have won a Hugo Award and a Nebula Award in consecutive years, winning both awards for his novel Ender's Game (1985) and its sequel Speaker for the Dead (1986). A feature film adaptation of Ender's Game, which Card co-produced, was released in 2013. Card also wrote the Locus Fantasy Award-winning series The Tales of Alvin Maker (1987–2003).
Card's fiction often features characters with exceptional gifts who make difficult choices with high stakes. Card has also written political, religious, and social commentary in his columns and other writing; his opposition to homosexuality has provoked public criticism.
Card, who is a great-great-grandson of Brigham Young, was born in Richland, Washington, and grew up in Utah and California. While he was a student at Brigham Young University (BYU), his plays were performed on stage. He served in Brazil as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and headed a community theater for two summers. Card had 27 short stories published between 1978 and 1979, and he won the John W. Campbell Award for best new writer in 1978. He earned a master's degree in English from the University of Utah in 1981 and wrote novels in science fiction, fantasy, non-fiction, and historical fiction genres starting in 1979. Card continued to write prolifically, and he has published over 50 novels and 45 short stories.
Card teaches English at Southern Virginia University; he has written two books on creative writing and serves as a judge in the Writers of the Future contest. He has taught many successful writers at his "literary boot camps". He remains a practicing member of the LDS Church and Mormon fiction writers Stephenie Meyer, Brandon Sanderson, and Dave Wolverton have cited his works as a major influence.
Card's fiction often features characters with exceptional gifts who make difficult choices with high stakes. Card has also written political, religious, and social commentary in his columns and other writing; his opposition to homosexuality has provoked public criticism.
Card, who is a great-great-grandson of Brigham Young, was born in Richland, Washington, and grew up in Utah and California. While he was a student at Brigham Young University (BYU), his plays were performed on stage. He served in Brazil as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and headed a community theater for two summers. Card had 27 short stories published between 1978 and 1979, and he won the John W. Campbell Award for best new writer in 1978. He earned a master's degree in English from the University of Utah in 1981 and wrote novels in science fiction, fantasy, non-fiction, and historical fiction genres starting in 1979. Card continued to write prolifically, and he has published over 50 novels and 45 short stories.
Card teaches English at Southern Virginia University; he has written two books on creative writing and serves as a judge in the Writers of the Future contest. He has taught many successful writers at his "literary boot camps". He remains a practicing member of the LDS Church and Mormon fiction writers Stephenie Meyer, Brandon Sanderson, and Dave Wolverton have cited his works as a major influence.
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August 23, 2019
3.5 stars. Review first posted on Fantasy Literature:
Orson Scott Card‘s ENDERVERSE has grown to sixteen novels and counting, along with several novellas and short stories, since he published Ender's Game in 1985 (or if you want to go back even further, since the original “Ender’s Game” short story was published in Analog magazine in 1977). Andrew Wiggin, or Ender, is the main character in only a few of these works; others focus on his brother Peter Wiggin, Ender’s protégé Bean, and other new or secondary characters from Ender’s Game. Which brings us to Mazer Rackham, the half-Māori war hero who plays a brief but pivotal role in Ender’s Game.
In 2012, Card, along with co-author Aaron Johnston, began writing prequels to the original ENDER series, beginning with Earth Unaware, set almost a century before Ender’s Game. Mazer Rackham is a key character in this series, but shares the stage with many others, particularly Victor Delgado, a space-born mechanic; Bingwen, a brilliant young Chinese boy training as a soldier to fight the alien Formics; and Lem Jukes, immensely wealthy son and heir of the first Hegemon.
I mention this background because, although The Swarm is designated as the first volume in the SECOND FORMIC WAR trilogy, readers should really consider it the fourth book in the prequel novels about the original Formic attacks on Earth. It’s possible to start your prequel reading with The Swarm, but the events and characters are so closely connected to the FIRST FORMIC WAR trilogy (Earth Unaware, Earth Afire and Earth Awakens) that I really can’t recommend beginning with The Swarm.
After barely beating off the Formics who invaded Earth in the First Formic War, the people of Earth have reorganized themselves politically and militarily, knowing that a larger invasion of Formics is inevitable. Lem Jukes’ father Ukko has become the Hegemon, a type of prime minister over the entire planet, and he’s been joined by a Polemarch, chief over the new International Fleet, and a Strategos, in charge of the defense of our solar system. As Victor and his shipmates discover a second invasion of Formics gearing up, hidden among the asteroids in our solar system, Mazer battles his superior officer’s greed and corruption that have resulted in punitive court-martial proceedings against Mazer. Meanwhile, Bingwen and other Chinese orphan boys are being whipped into soldiers by the merciless and driven Captain Li, who knows that their small size may make them invaluable warriors if humans need to battle Formics in their underground tunnels.
The plot of The Swarm is complex, jumping between these and other characters’ points of view. One of the more fascinating, and appalling, characters is Khalid, a murderous Somalian space pirate, whose brief subplot makes for compelling reading. (There will certainly be more to come from Khalid.) There’s also Wila, a young Thai biochemist who takes a lot of heat for her Buddhist-inspired empathy toward the Hive Queen of the Formics, but whose scientific and philosophical insights may lead to key breakthroughs in defending against them. Overall it’s a typical Card cast of characters: incredibly bright, precocious children; idealistic fighters for freedom; and the corrupt, self-centered people who stand in their way.
The theme of deadly alien threat, counter-balanced with the grave problems caused by human selfishness and greed, plays out throughout The Swarm. For my money, Card and Johnston are taking much too long to spin out this tale, when you consider not just the 500+ pages in this novel but all of the other books you need to read to get the entire story. But all in all, it’s a well-told tale if you like SF space operas and you’re a fan of Orson Scott Card’s ENDERVERSE books. If you haven’t already read Ender’s Game, I strongly recommend that you start there, then read my favorite book in the entire series, Speaker for the Dead, and then decide from there if you want to get deeper into the ENDERVERSE. The SECOND FORMIC WAR series continues with The Hive, just published in June 2019. It’s on my short list for upcoming reads!
Initial post. OSC's publicist sent me a copy of his latest Enderverse novel, The Hive, and since I hadn't read the first book in that series (this one, The Swarm) and I hate trying to jump into series mid-stream, I dutifully trotted off to the library and checked out this book. What I didn't realize at the time was that I didn't go back far enough.
Orson Scott Card‘s ENDERVERSE has grown to sixteen novels and counting, along with several novellas and short stories, since he published Ender's Game in 1985 (or if you want to go back even further, since the original “Ender’s Game” short story was published in Analog magazine in 1977). Andrew Wiggin, or Ender, is the main character in only a few of these works; others focus on his brother Peter Wiggin, Ender’s protégé Bean, and other new or secondary characters from Ender’s Game. Which brings us to Mazer Rackham, the half-Māori war hero who plays a brief but pivotal role in Ender’s Game.
In 2012, Card, along with co-author Aaron Johnston, began writing prequels to the original ENDER series, beginning with Earth Unaware, set almost a century before Ender’s Game. Mazer Rackham is a key character in this series, but shares the stage with many others, particularly Victor Delgado, a space-born mechanic; Bingwen, a brilliant young Chinese boy training as a soldier to fight the alien Formics; and Lem Jukes, immensely wealthy son and heir of the first Hegemon.
I mention this background because, although The Swarm is designated as the first volume in the SECOND FORMIC WAR trilogy, readers should really consider it the fourth book in the prequel novels about the original Formic attacks on Earth. It’s possible to start your prequel reading with The Swarm, but the events and characters are so closely connected to the FIRST FORMIC WAR trilogy (Earth Unaware, Earth Afire and Earth Awakens) that I really can’t recommend beginning with The Swarm.
After barely beating off the Formics who invaded Earth in the First Formic War, the people of Earth have reorganized themselves politically and militarily, knowing that a larger invasion of Formics is inevitable. Lem Jukes’ father Ukko has become the Hegemon, a type of prime minister over the entire planet, and he’s been joined by a Polemarch, chief over the new International Fleet, and a Strategos, in charge of the defense of our solar system. As Victor and his shipmates discover a second invasion of Formics gearing up, hidden among the asteroids in our solar system, Mazer battles his superior officer’s greed and corruption that have resulted in punitive court-martial proceedings against Mazer. Meanwhile, Bingwen and other Chinese orphan boys are being whipped into soldiers by the merciless and driven Captain Li, who knows that their small size may make them invaluable warriors if humans need to battle Formics in their underground tunnels.
The plot of The Swarm is complex, jumping between these and other characters’ points of view. One of the more fascinating, and appalling, characters is Khalid, a murderous Somalian space pirate, whose brief subplot makes for compelling reading. (There will certainly be more to come from Khalid.) There’s also Wila, a young Thai biochemist who takes a lot of heat for her Buddhist-inspired empathy toward the Hive Queen of the Formics, but whose scientific and philosophical insights may lead to key breakthroughs in defending against them. Overall it’s a typical Card cast of characters: incredibly bright, precocious children; idealistic fighters for freedom; and the corrupt, self-centered people who stand in their way.
The theme of deadly alien threat, counter-balanced with the grave problems caused by human selfishness and greed, plays out throughout The Swarm. For my money, Card and Johnston are taking much too long to spin out this tale, when you consider not just the 500+ pages in this novel but all of the other books you need to read to get the entire story. But all in all, it’s a well-told tale if you like SF space operas and you’re a fan of Orson Scott Card’s ENDERVERSE books. If you haven’t already read Ender’s Game, I strongly recommend that you start there, then read my favorite book in the entire series, Speaker for the Dead, and then decide from there if you want to get deeper into the ENDERVERSE. The SECOND FORMIC WAR series continues with The Hive, just published in June 2019. It’s on my short list for upcoming reads!
Initial post. OSC's publicist sent me a copy of his latest Enderverse novel, The Hive, and since I hadn't read the first book in that series (this one, The Swarm) and I hate trying to jump into series mid-stream, I dutifully trotted off to the library and checked out this book. What I didn't realize at the time was that I didn't go back far enough.
November 11, 2016
An interesting idea for the beginning of a story ruined by completely uninteresting characters, and series shattering continuity errors.
Unless you REALLY enjoyed the characters from the previous trilogy about the First Invasion, you will probably want to pass on this one until the rest of the Second Invasion trilogy is out. I found it to be horribly boring, and full of characters that I haven't given a shit about for years, if I ever did to begin with. The only part of this book that I found even mildly entertaining was Mazer Rackham's storyline, and even he was somewhat bland and colorless in this book. I mean, the guy is one of the most badass characters in the Enderverse and what does he do in this book? Complain. Period.
Don't care about Victor, his family, and their drama. His family overstayed their welcome in the previous trilogy to a ridiculous degree and I'm still annoyed by that. Certainly don't Care about Lem, he's still a slimy, contemptible piece of shit. Absolutely do not give any shits about Bingwen, and never did. And I forget her name, but the new character, the Thai chemist, oh my god, I hate this character. This character has no reason to exist, except to have ideas contrary to every single other human being, because the plot says it will be important for the coming war. She's an extremely lazy and badly written character. We never see how she came to any of these world-changing realizations or discoveries, she just knows them all, because the plot says someone needs to tell Mazer Rackham about them for the final battle. And I don't mean to shit on other religions or anything, but when an alien menace appears on earth and begins murdering innocent people by the millions... THAT ALIEN CREATURE IS NOT ON THE PATH TO ENLIGHTENMENT ACCORDING TO YOUR RELIGIOUS BELIEFS!!! I mean, even the book immediately points out how absolutely fucking stupid this character is for believing it through another character's dialog, and pokes every sort of hole in the belief possible, but then she just keeps talking about it like it's not the most idiotic thing she's ever said in her life. Some characters you just want to reach into the book and strangle to death, and this is one of them.
Canonically, Mazer Rackham noticed that the Buggers/Formics/whateverthefuckyouwanttocallthemnow were acting oddly, Earth was losing, badly, and he was on one of the last ships left in the fight. He made a last second guess that maybe a queen was controlling them all and attacked the mother ship, winning the war. NO ONE KNEW OR EVEN SUSPECTED BEFORE THAT MOMENT IN THE FINAL BATTLE!!! FUCK THIS STUPID FREAKING NEW CHARACTER!!! And that doesn't even take into account that in Ender's time, decades later, it is not common knowledge at all, and here, every single person on Earth seems to know about it. The continuity errors here are absolutely enormous. Hey, if you want to go back and tell the back story, that's fine. But it CANNOT directly contradict the material that you have already published. I'm looking at YOU George Lucas!!! If you can't make it work as a good story on its own without making continuity shattering changes to preexisting material then DON'T WRITE IT!!! How is this a difficult thing to figure out? Seriously!!!
This book is probably necessary for the overall plot of the trilogy, but it's a bit of a chore to read through with boring characters, and lazy writing. It also breaks previously set continuity in a big way. My advice would be to wait for the rest of the trilogy before touching it, and treat it as non-cannon to the overall series, unless you're a huge Enderverse fan and absolutely have to read anything and everything connected to it as soon as you learn of their existence. Throughout the entire book I was thinking to myself, "why am I reading this when I could be re-reading Ender's Game right now instead...?"
Unless you REALLY enjoyed the characters from the previous trilogy about the First Invasion, you will probably want to pass on this one until the rest of the Second Invasion trilogy is out. I found it to be horribly boring, and full of characters that I haven't given a shit about for years, if I ever did to begin with. The only part of this book that I found even mildly entertaining was Mazer Rackham's storyline, and even he was somewhat bland and colorless in this book. I mean, the guy is one of the most badass characters in the Enderverse and what does he do in this book? Complain. Period.
Don't care about Victor, his family, and their drama. His family overstayed their welcome in the previous trilogy to a ridiculous degree and I'm still annoyed by that. Certainly don't Care about Lem, he's still a slimy, contemptible piece of shit. Absolutely do not give any shits about Bingwen, and never did. And I forget her name, but the new character, the Thai chemist, oh my god, I hate this character. This character has no reason to exist, except to have ideas contrary to every single other human being, because the plot says it will be important for the coming war. She's an extremely lazy and badly written character. We never see how she came to any of these world-changing realizations or discoveries, she just knows them all, because the plot says someone needs to tell Mazer Rackham about them for the final battle. And I don't mean to shit on other religions or anything, but when an alien menace appears on earth and begins murdering innocent people by the millions... THAT ALIEN CREATURE IS NOT ON THE PATH TO ENLIGHTENMENT ACCORDING TO YOUR RELIGIOUS BELIEFS!!! I mean, even the book immediately points out how absolutely fucking stupid this character is for believing it through another character's dialog, and pokes every sort of hole in the belief possible, but then she just keeps talking about it like it's not the most idiotic thing she's ever said in her life. Some characters you just want to reach into the book and strangle to death, and this is one of them.
Canonically, Mazer Rackham noticed that the Buggers/Formics/whateverthefuckyouwanttocallthemnow were acting oddly, Earth was losing, badly, and he was on one of the last ships left in the fight. He made a last second guess that maybe a queen was controlling them all and attacked the mother ship, winning the war. NO ONE KNEW OR EVEN SUSPECTED BEFORE THAT MOMENT IN THE FINAL BATTLE!!! FUCK THIS STUPID FREAKING NEW CHARACTER!!! And that doesn't even take into account that in Ender's time, decades later, it is not common knowledge at all, and here, every single person on Earth seems to know about it. The continuity errors here are absolutely enormous. Hey, if you want to go back and tell the back story, that's fine. But it CANNOT directly contradict the material that you have already published. I'm looking at YOU George Lucas!!! If you can't make it work as a good story on its own without making continuity shattering changes to preexisting material then DON'T WRITE IT!!! How is this a difficult thing to figure out? Seriously!!!
This book is probably necessary for the overall plot of the trilogy, but it's a bit of a chore to read through with boring characters, and lazy writing. It also breaks previously set continuity in a big way. My advice would be to wait for the rest of the trilogy before touching it, and treat it as non-cannon to the overall series, unless you're a huge Enderverse fan and absolutely have to read anything and everything connected to it as soon as you learn of their existence. Throughout the entire book I was thinking to myself, "why am I reading this when I could be re-reading Ender's Game right now instead...?"
September 8, 2016
Good fun for Enderverse fans, so 4* for that crowd. Not the best in the series and not worth it on its own.
What is different in this episode is that the International Fleet is completely dysfunctional. In the other books, the governmental authorities have a level of omniscience and infallibility that is godlike. Generations ahead of time, they can predict future battles, adopt the appropriate strategies and select the perfect leaders to win the war. I think, sadly, that it's a sign of the current times (2016) that this is too implausible even for science fiction, and so the future has changed to match the present culture of corruption and incompetence. It will be interesting to see how they overcome that in the story.
What is different in this episode is that the International Fleet is completely dysfunctional. In the other books, the governmental authorities have a level of omniscience and infallibility that is godlike. Generations ahead of time, they can predict future battles, adopt the appropriate strategies and select the perfect leaders to win the war. I think, sadly, that it's a sign of the current times (2016) that this is too implausible even for science fiction, and so the future has changed to match the present culture of corruption and incompetence. It will be interesting to see how they overcome that in the story.
Read
May 28, 2017Note to myself: don't get the audiobook. You can hear the narrator's breath. I understand the best narrators use editing software to remove their breaths. This was released in 2016. You'd think current day publishers and narrators would solve this. I will wait until the rest of the 3 books are out then consider buying print - not audio.
July 18, 2019
I have been anticipating the continuation of the prequels to Ender's Game since the last trilogy ended. However, so far I am somewhat disappointed. This book wasn't bad, it was just - meh. The story didn't advance as far as it could have. It was definitely written as the first book in a trilogy rather than a stand-alone in a trilogy. I like trilogies or book series, but I think it is a cop out when the author purposefully drags things out to fill up space and make a series of books from one stories. Orson Scott Card didn't like it when Peter Jackson did that to the Hobbitt, and that's what it seems like is happening with this next trilogy - Johnston and Card purposefully dragged stuff out to have a long enough book.
Now time for some real criticism. I don't consider the background the book a spoiler, so I am not hiding anything yet, but I will hide what I do consider spoilers. In the epilogue Johnston explains that they decided that the main conflict in this book would be Mazer's first court-martial. That would have been all well and good, if that's what they did. It might have been interesting to have a science fiction court-room drama book - like Grisham in space or A Few Good Men. Instead, they barely spent any time preparing for his court-martial or even in the court room. And what time they did spend dealing with Military Justice, I cringed every step of the way. I understand that the Fleet military justice system is still in its infancy and is attempting to merge the justice systems of several different countries, so it won't look like the US military justice system. But as a JAG for the United States Air Force there was a lot that frustrated me. If English is the language of the fleet, I would expect that an English/American justice system would be the primary model. If that is the case there is a lot that needs to be corrected. Did Card or Johnston even consult with a JAG officer? Johnston said he consulted with many military members, but did not mention a JAG. I would be happy to provide some advice if they need a JAG consultant for Mazer's second court-martial. I would be happy to go through everything that was wrong with the system they created, but I won't do that here. But I will note one:
The other conflicts out in space with the formics were not bad. There were some intense scenes and interesting world building. I did find the dialogue between characters, specifically Victor and Imalla dragged quite a bit. Card in his old age is more interested in relationships than action, and I find relationship building to be a good thing in some stories. However, I found myself speeding up my audible app, just to get through it faster.
Okay, now to end on a high point. I liked the the Battle School foreshadowing.
Just know that while I was disappointed in this book, it didn't disappoint me enough to keep me from reading the next book when it comes out.
Now time for some real criticism. I don't consider the background the book a spoiler, so I am not hiding anything yet, but I will hide what I do consider spoilers. In the epilogue Johnston explains that they decided that the main conflict in this book would be Mazer's first court-martial. That would have been all well and good, if that's what they did. It might have been interesting to have a science fiction court-room drama book - like Grisham in space or A Few Good Men. Instead, they barely spent any time preparing for his court-martial or even in the court room. And what time they did spend dealing with Military Justice, I cringed every step of the way. I understand that the Fleet military justice system is still in its infancy and is attempting to merge the justice systems of several different countries, so it won't look like the US military justice system. But as a JAG for the United States Air Force there was a lot that frustrated me. If English is the language of the fleet, I would expect that an English/American justice system would be the primary model. If that is the case there is a lot that needs to be corrected. Did Card or Johnston even consult with a JAG officer? Johnston said he consulted with many military members, but did not mention a JAG. I would be happy to provide some advice if they need a JAG consultant for Mazer's second court-martial. I would be happy to go through everything that was wrong with the system they created, but I won't do that here. But I will note one:
The other conflicts out in space with the formics were not bad. There were some intense scenes and interesting world building. I did find the dialogue between characters, specifically Victor and Imalla dragged quite a bit. Card in his old age is more interested in relationships than action, and I find relationship building to be a good thing in some stories. However, I found myself speeding up my audible app, just to get through it faster.
Okay, now to end on a high point. I liked the the Battle School foreshadowing.
Just know that while I was disappointed in this book, it didn't disappoint me enough to keep me from reading the next book when it comes out.
August 16, 2016
Damn you, Card and Johnston. Damn you for creating such a uniquely vibrant world that sucks me in like literally no other. Damn you for putting out only one of these a year that I'm almost literally forced to read in a single sitting.
Now that that's over with, The Swarm, the most recent entry into the Ender's Game prequel series-es, was an absolutely outstanding component of the series that you absolutely cannot fully appreciate without reading (and probably enjoying) every other book in the Enderverse. This presents a host of problems as a book, but I'll disregard those for now, because reviews are subjective and this particular reviewer is a long-time fan of said Enderverse.
As a component of the wider series, The Swarm fills one of the most genuinely fascinating narrative roles I've ever had the pleasure to encounter. Brief diversion: I love to play games while I read a book; largely, I read the last few pages of a book and try to constantly fill in the blanks as I read it from the front. This approach is regarded as wildly sacrilegious by many, but makes reading a much more active challenge for me, which makes me pay attention to every little detail the author(s) chuck in that much more. The Swarm provides a borderline unparalleled opportunity for this game, as it masterfully spins the world that Card and Johnston built in the First Formic War series into the universe that birthed Ender's Earth, dropping hints, clues, and origin stories left and right. This kind of backstory prequel work tends to be very hit-or-miss for me from most authors, relies wholly upon the gelling of said origins in context of both the narrative of the book in question and the wider universe, a massive challenge for any creative to undertake; additionally, distinct characters are relied upon even more heavily in these cases, as they're the reader's only viewpoints into this plot-dense transition time.
And holy cow, does The Swarm check EVERY box above, and absolutely blow its peers out of the water. The same characters I fell in love with in The First Formic War series have grown up over the meantime, and their new status quos feel perfectly natural and fitting to who they are. Established relationships feel like destiny in action, new relationships drag me in immediately, new characters grab my attention from their first couple of paragraphs, then totally undercut my expectations, just as I've come to (not) expect from this tag-team writing duo.
As many other reviewers have pointed out, there is not much action in this book, and it's largely table-setting; but it's table-setting undergone in a borderline perfect manner, which is something to be truly celebrated as a key component of the series. With each entry into their wonderful prequel series, the Enderverse grows exponentially fuller and more vibrant, literally all a long-time fan could ask out of a book like this.
Now that that's over with, The Swarm, the most recent entry into the Ender's Game prequel series-es, was an absolutely outstanding component of the series that you absolutely cannot fully appreciate without reading (and probably enjoying) every other book in the Enderverse. This presents a host of problems as a book, but I'll disregard those for now, because reviews are subjective and this particular reviewer is a long-time fan of said Enderverse.
As a component of the wider series, The Swarm fills one of the most genuinely fascinating narrative roles I've ever had the pleasure to encounter. Brief diversion: I love to play games while I read a book; largely, I read the last few pages of a book and try to constantly fill in the blanks as I read it from the front. This approach is regarded as wildly sacrilegious by many, but makes reading a much more active challenge for me, which makes me pay attention to every little detail the author(s) chuck in that much more. The Swarm provides a borderline unparalleled opportunity for this game, as it masterfully spins the world that Card and Johnston built in the First Formic War series into the universe that birthed Ender's Earth, dropping hints, clues, and origin stories left and right. This kind of backstory prequel work tends to be very hit-or-miss for me from most authors, relies wholly upon the gelling of said origins in context of both the narrative of the book in question and the wider universe, a massive challenge for any creative to undertake; additionally, distinct characters are relied upon even more heavily in these cases, as they're the reader's only viewpoints into this plot-dense transition time.
And holy cow, does The Swarm check EVERY box above, and absolutely blow its peers out of the water. The same characters I fell in love with in The First Formic War series have grown up over the meantime, and their new status quos feel perfectly natural and fitting to who they are. Established relationships feel like destiny in action, new relationships drag me in immediately, new characters grab my attention from their first couple of paragraphs, then totally undercut my expectations, just as I've come to (not) expect from this tag-team writing duo.
As many other reviewers have pointed out, there is not much action in this book, and it's largely table-setting; but it's table-setting undergone in a borderline perfect manner, which is something to be truly celebrated as a key component of the series. With each entry into their wonderful prequel series, the Enderverse grows exponentially fuller and more vibrant, literally all a long-time fan could ask out of a book like this.
May 15, 2019
masterful storytelling. the characters here are so insightful, and the alien race's technology marvelous. the infuriating careerist military leaders and criminals are loathsome, the goodness and wisdom and character of the heroes are inspiring. I don't know if I've ever read a book that engaged my interest, imagination, and wonder so fully, other than the other books in this series. My thanks go out to Card and Johnston.
December 18, 2021
A solid addition to the Enderverse, fills in some interesting background to the story that leads to Ender. I found the characters easy to follow and enjoy. Easy reading. 3 Stars
April 12, 2017
Starts out OK but to make a long story short, it should have been shorter! There is much to be said for a build up to the next book, but this one was not really developing the characters much from the previous novel. You are required to read the previous one or else you will be lost, not a good sign for any author.
I'm wondering if Orson would have done better without a co-writer here. The story is very slow-paced, the characters I really don't care much about.
I did like the adventure of exploring the asteroids the Formics are using for weapons against Mankind. And that a giant ship is approaching. At the end of the novel, the ship is still approaching and the Formics have yet to do much of anything!
I might go onto the next one, not sure yet!
I'm wondering if Orson would have done better without a co-writer here. The story is very slow-paced, the characters I really don't care much about.
I did like the adventure of exploring the asteroids the Formics are using for weapons against Mankind. And that a giant ship is approaching. At the end of the novel, the ship is still approaching and the Formics have yet to do much of anything!
I might go onto the next one, not sure yet!
April 21, 2018
I really enjoyed this, far more in fact than I enjoyed the works on the first Bugger wars. The characters seemed far more developed and the narrative all but flew past. The issues with the IF are well explored and although Mazer is perhaps wasted a bit, the events that surround him are interesting enough that you don’t really mind.
April 11, 2022
Good enough that I'll read the next one. Not so good that I'll remember it forever, but very competent and moves along at a good clip.
May 20, 2019
Getting back more to what I want the Ender books to be-- politics, hard science, etc.
There's a lot of nano tech, and extensive videos of the Formics here that I found myself wondering how they didn't make it into the set-in-the-future Ender's Game book. The authors have already created an alternate history (gay people and cel phones don't exist, for example, though it's never explicitly stated) timeline to set the Ender books in. Why not just stick with that?
The cognitive dissonance of the authors is also interesting-- military is a bureaucracy full of selfish careerists, but "support our troops".
There were perhaps too many characters here, with new ones introduced, but getting only 1 or 2 POV chapters each. Following 7 POVs in one book was alot to keep track of. The chapter headings with historical-writing snippets are helpful and well-done again at least.
Also, learn to kill your darlings. By this book, I actually wanted certain characters to die. They had just defied the odds way too much for me to suspend disbelief any more. Let them make a noble sacrifice and be done. I want to cheer when someone lives through something, not roll my eyes.
Anyway, all that aside, we do follow Mazer, Lem, Victor, Amala, and Bingwen as they do strategic, interesting things and narrate complex social/cultural relationships. And that's why I keep reading.
There's a lot of nano tech, and extensive videos of the Formics here that I found myself wondering how they didn't make it into the set-in-the-future Ender's Game book. The authors have already created an alternate history (gay people and cel phones don't exist, for example, though it's never explicitly stated) timeline to set the Ender books in. Why not just stick with that?
The cognitive dissonance of the authors is also interesting-- military is a bureaucracy full of selfish careerists, but "support our troops".
There were perhaps too many characters here, with new ones introduced, but getting only 1 or 2 POV chapters each. Following 7 POVs in one book was alot to keep track of. The chapter headings with historical-writing snippets are helpful and well-done again at least.
Also, learn to kill your darlings. By this book, I actually wanted certain characters to die. They had just defied the odds way too much for me to suspend disbelief any more. Let them make a noble sacrifice and be done. I want to cheer when someone lives through something, not roll my eyes.
Anyway, all that aside, we do follow Mazer, Lem, Victor, Amala, and Bingwen as they do strategic, interesting things and narrate complex social/cultural relationships. And that's why I keep reading.
September 11, 2019
Ender's Game is always on those lists of the Top Science Fiction Novels of All Time, but to tell you the truth, I kind of feel like it's overrated. Not that it's bad, because it's not bad, it's good, but it's not great. It's structure and the way it ends drain the drama out of it in my opinion (I won't say more about it, because I don't want to spoil it). So, when I say that I actually liked The Swarm better than Ender's Game, don't read too much into it.
I thought The Swarm was very entertaining. I enjoyed all the characters and their stories. I liked the way Aaron Johnson (because let's face it, Orson Scott Card didn't write this) went about revealing the mysteries of the Formics and their technology. I enjoyed the book's peppy pacing and the bits of action (though there could have been more of them).
The Swarm is classified as book one in the Second Formic War series. I assumed, based on its status as "book one" that I could jump right into it without worrying about any books that may have come before. I was wrong. The Swarm references a large number of earlier events and clearly assumes you know all about them already. Apparently, I should have read the books of the First Formic War series first. The good news is that I enjoyed The Swarm enough that I absolutely want to read them.
I thought The Swarm was very entertaining. I enjoyed all the characters and their stories. I liked the way Aaron Johnson (because let's face it, Orson Scott Card didn't write this) went about revealing the mysteries of the Formics and their technology. I enjoyed the book's peppy pacing and the bits of action (though there could have been more of them).
The Swarm is classified as book one in the Second Formic War series. I assumed, based on its status as "book one" that I could jump right into it without worrying about any books that may have come before. I was wrong. The Swarm references a large number of earlier events and clearly assumes you know all about them already. Apparently, I should have read the books of the First Formic War series first. The good news is that I enjoyed The Swarm enough that I absolutely want to read them.
February 23, 2018
Builds well. Fills in gaps nicely. Pays tribute to characters from both the original story and those we’ve met in the Formic Wars series. In short, it functions very well for what a story has to do in its slot in the timeline of prequels.
Stylistically, I hand it to Johnston—he got me to cry with the beauty of one chapter’s end. That’s all I’ll say, so as to avoid spoilers, but he deftly used a character who’s been built up over the past few books to effectively tug at heartstrings and make me commit my emotions. I don’t often cry from the events in the extended Ender series, so when those moments come, I relish them.
And one final note I feel compelled to make, especially for those keeping score from the recent books: The authors’ LDS-inspired views of Family Uber Alles™ still show up in this text, but on the whole they’re kept well enough in check that I don’t roll my eyes. Romantic dialogue got a wee bit shallow on a couple occasions, but things moved along soon enough. The importance of family in this volume exists less as a moral lesson to the reader and more as a hat-tip to folks in uniform. The romantic tensions we see aren’t glaring examples of how to raise a wholesome family with 18 kids; they’re an exposition of the challenges of being in love while being at war. The families, in other words, are so essential to the characters that we can’t live with the people and come to understand them without also understanding their (views of) relationships. I appreciate the minor shift in emphasis, and I think it works well to take the shine off a coating applied to previous stories in this series.
Overall, this was one of the more enjoyable books in the recent set. Admittedly, not terribly much happens, plot-wise. Most of the events obviously set us up for things to come—the grand climax of the whole series has already been written and is in this book’s future—but enough events bear significance, especially given the context within that full series, that it holds up well. An enjoyable, worthwhile read, if you need something quotable. :)
Stylistically, I hand it to Johnston—he got me to cry with the beauty of one chapter’s end. That’s all I’ll say, so as to avoid spoilers, but he deftly used a character who’s been built up over the past few books to effectively tug at heartstrings and make me commit my emotions. I don’t often cry from the events in the extended Ender series, so when those moments come, I relish them.
And one final note I feel compelled to make, especially for those keeping score from the recent books: The authors’ LDS-inspired views of Family Uber Alles™ still show up in this text, but on the whole they’re kept well enough in check that I don’t roll my eyes. Romantic dialogue got a wee bit shallow on a couple occasions, but things moved along soon enough. The importance of family in this volume exists less as a moral lesson to the reader and more as a hat-tip to folks in uniform. The romantic tensions we see aren’t glaring examples of how to raise a wholesome family with 18 kids; they’re an exposition of the challenges of being in love while being at war. The families, in other words, are so essential to the characters that we can’t live with the people and come to understand them without also understanding their (views of) relationships. I appreciate the minor shift in emphasis, and I think it works well to take the shine off a coating applied to previous stories in this series.
Overall, this was one of the more enjoyable books in the recent set. Admittedly, not terribly much happens, plot-wise. Most of the events obviously set us up for things to come—the grand climax of the whole series has already been written and is in this book’s future—but enough events bear significance, especially given the context within that full series, that it holds up well. An enjoyable, worthwhile read, if you need something quotable. :)
May 16, 2019
Ideally, one should read this book after Ender's Game, Ender's Shadow, and the First Formic War series. I don't think I've read all of that series, but there are sufficient clues to what happened. As for Ender's Game and Ender's Shadow, this book takes place before either and can be read independently of them, though the reader would miss a number of winks and nods toward those books, including some satisfactory foundation-laying.
I found this an absorbing read, suspenseful enough that I (a suspense wimp) looked ahead a few pages at least once to find out what happened to a character in which I had some emotional investment. The political and military maneuvering is for the most part laid out clearly. I look forward with some impatience to the second book in this series.
The two authors, Orson Scott Card and Aaron Johnston, collaborate seamlessly.
I found this an absorbing read, suspenseful enough that I (a suspense wimp) looked ahead a few pages at least once to find out what happened to a character in which I had some emotional investment. The political and military maneuvering is for the most part laid out clearly. I look forward with some impatience to the second book in this series.
The two authors, Orson Scott Card and Aaron Johnston, collaborate seamlessly.
August 17, 2016
I've read every book in the Enderverse, while I enjoyed The Swarm I must admit it is relatively weak in comparison to other books in the series . Fans of the First Formic War series will enjoy revisiting many of the same characters in this series but not much else. There's plenty of the Card charm and intrigue but it's clearly written to be a trilogy and as a result there's not much of a climax and I have a feeling only hardcore fans will enjoy it.
July 4, 2021
I have a BookTube channel where I review books, give reading suggestions, and more! Check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/dragonarmybooks
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The Swarm is the first entry in The Second Formic War series, but really it is just the fourth entry in what I'm deeming The Formic Wars series. After barely repelling the Formic invasion in Earth Awakens, Victor Delgado, a spaceborn mechanic, Bingwen, a brilliant young Chinese boy training as a soldier, Lem Jukes, now CEO of Jukes Limited and son of the first Hegemon of Earth, and Mazer Rackham, elite soldier whose heroic actions in the First War are concealed, only known by a select few, continue to prepare for the impending second invasion that is a lot closer than they previously expected.
I actually enjoyed The Swarm. Don't get me wrong. It's not great literature, but I do think it is a superior book to any of the three in The First Formic War trilogy. In part, I've spent more time with the main cast of characters so I know them better and after four books in their characters are a bit more fleshed out. But the other part is that it's just better writing and storytelling, period. The Card/Johnston duo seem to have learned some of what went wrong with the first trilogy and have made changes to give us a more character-centric, fleshy story, if that makes any sense.
Like Earth Unaware, The Swarm is a big build up without any major payoff. While that's unfortunate, it does make big promises for the next book in the series...which I'll get to straightaway.
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The Swarm is the first entry in The Second Formic War series, but really it is just the fourth entry in what I'm deeming The Formic Wars series. After barely repelling the Formic invasion in Earth Awakens, Victor Delgado, a spaceborn mechanic, Bingwen, a brilliant young Chinese boy training as a soldier, Lem Jukes, now CEO of Jukes Limited and son of the first Hegemon of Earth, and Mazer Rackham, elite soldier whose heroic actions in the First War are concealed, only known by a select few, continue to prepare for the impending second invasion that is a lot closer than they previously expected.
I actually enjoyed The Swarm. Don't get me wrong. It's not great literature, but I do think it is a superior book to any of the three in The First Formic War trilogy. In part, I've spent more time with the main cast of characters so I know them better and after four books in their characters are a bit more fleshed out. But the other part is that it's just better writing and storytelling, period. The Card/Johnston duo seem to have learned some of what went wrong with the first trilogy and have made changes to give us a more character-centric, fleshy story, if that makes any sense.
Like Earth Unaware, The Swarm is a big build up without any major payoff. While that's unfortunate, it does make big promises for the next book in the series...which I'll get to straightaway.
March 26, 2017
I waited too long to write this. The specific details are fading.
The Swarm is another solid book in the series. Like the first formic war series, it's interesting knowing the ultimate results hundreds of years later. And yet again the story that unfolds has many twists and unexpected details.
One new thing I picked up that seems common in other Ender books is what I'd call a sketchy emotional sub plot. In this version it's a couple characters that in one encounter go from engaged to confused and unsure about their status. It seems shallow, yet it's not distracting from the overall plot.
Old characters are the center of attention, similar to the last series and many plotlines are left incomplete in anticipation of the next couple books. It's all ramping up again, and the most important plotlines reach a satisfying climax to lead us to the next book.
I'm looking forward to the completion of the series. I don't think any of these are life changing, but for an Ender Universe fanboy they are definitely worth the time.
Pros: Pleasing the fanboys, interesting and logical plot. Building anticipation!
Cons: Maybe not a con, but the pacing is a little slower than I expect and hope for. Not much bad to say though.
The Swarm is another solid book in the series. Like the first formic war series, it's interesting knowing the ultimate results hundreds of years later. And yet again the story that unfolds has many twists and unexpected details.
One new thing I picked up that seems common in other Ender books is what I'd call a sketchy emotional sub plot. In this version it's a couple characters that in one encounter go from engaged to confused and unsure about their status. It seems shallow, yet it's not distracting from the overall plot.
Old characters are the center of attention, similar to the last series and many plotlines are left incomplete in anticipation of the next couple books. It's all ramping up again, and the most important plotlines reach a satisfying climax to lead us to the next book.
I'm looking forward to the completion of the series. I don't think any of these are life changing, but for an Ender Universe fanboy they are definitely worth the time.
Pros: Pleasing the fanboys, interesting and logical plot. Building anticipation!
Cons: Maybe not a con, but the pacing is a little slower than I expect and hope for. Not much bad to say though.
March 10, 2021
I can't help myself. I try to read just about everything from Card's Ender Universe. I find the characters perfect to a fault. They overcome insurmountable odds through flawless decision making and encyclopedic knowledge of every topic bearing any consequence to the storyline. It's clear to me that I'm not on the same level as these heroes of Earth. How many times can you get that close to death and still come out on top? Perhaps the whole story is founded on survivor bias. I'll be moving on to the Hive next. I can't help myself.
March 4, 2019
Another entry in the "Ender-verse". Orson Scott Card never fails to deliver.
Ender's Game is truly a classic of the sci-fi genre. Card's depth of understanding of his subject created a need in his readers for more. Although you can still see Card's influence in this book, it is clear there is a co-author. It is somewhat like the move from George Lucas' Starwars to Timothy Zahn's Starwars. The stories remain compelling, but become less about the original characters, and more about the universe the characters inhabit. This isn't a bad change, but it is a change.
Recommended for: Fans of the Ender Universe.
Ender's Game is truly a classic of the sci-fi genre. Card's depth of understanding of his subject created a need in his readers for more. Although you can still see Card's influence in this book, it is clear there is a co-author. It is somewhat like the move from George Lucas' Starwars to Timothy Zahn's Starwars. The stories remain compelling, but become less about the original characters, and more about the universe the characters inhabit. This isn't a bad change, but it is a change.
Recommended for: Fans of the Ender Universe.
January 27, 2021
Another excellent entry in the universe of Enders. The more I read these books, the more I feel this is actually Rackham’s universe. He’s an interesting character with just as much depth as Ender, and these prequel books really drill into that. I’m enjoying these quite a lot, and it’s also neat seeing why people hate “buggers” so much in Enders time - makes it much more understandable.
April 22, 2018
I really enjoyed the book, but it definitely feels like book one of a trilogy and doesn't stand alone well. I liked how Johnston used the character Lehm to poke fun at the "coincidence" that brought the main cast from the previous trilogy back together. If you enjoyed the previous trilogy like I did, I think we are set for another fun adventure as the next two books are released!
January 20, 2024
I enjoyed this story more as an independent sf war/political novel with lots of world-building than as an entry in the Ender universe. Even with my incomplete knowledge there were many inconsistencies of fact and tone that would probably annoy a more devoted fan. But the story held my attention and I enjoyed spending a little more time in the Formics’ world.
October 23, 2018
I listened to this one. The ending was too soon.
February 2, 2022
Good read. In the Ender's series, it's a given that humans won over formics. But in the later books we realize how intelligent the hive queen is and how organized her workers are.
Then we think how did humans win over them in the first place? Well we saw the answer to that in the first formic war. Millions killed. Sheer luck and lunacy.
The second time they look more organized, but so are the formics. It's looking to be a david vs goliath for now.
I find the excessive participation of Victor in everything daunting. The guy is a free miner,with informal education. How the hell he figured out hydrogen's effect on respiratory systems? He's a good mechanic, great, but that doesn't tell us anything.
At this point, Victor, Bingwen and Mazer can do absolutely anything, and that doesn't seem realistic.
Then we think how did humans win over them in the first place? Well we saw the answer to that in the first formic war. Millions killed. Sheer luck and lunacy.
The second time they look more organized, but so are the formics. It's looking to be a david vs goliath for now.
I find the excessive participation of Victor in everything daunting. The guy is a free miner,with informal education. How the hell he figured out hydrogen's effect on respiratory systems? He's a good mechanic, great, but that doesn't tell us anything.
At this point, Victor, Bingwen and Mazer can do absolutely anything, and that doesn't seem realistic.
June 12, 2021
Very good, looking forward to reading more!
January 30, 2018
Very good action s-f book. Nothing like Ender or Shadow series in terms of wisdom, but a good fun to read.
October 27, 2017
To start off I really enjoyed Ender's Game, the movie. I know it wasn't a big hit, but I like the nuances and what have you. As such, I figure I pick up something by Orson Scott and get into the universe.
I started with this as it was the first of the trilogy before the actual Ender's Game.
Well, cringe, it wasn't good.
What I liked, was some of the research of weapons as they figure out how to defeat the Formics (furry bug alien things). This went across Lem's and Mazer's story lines.
Also like the exploring and solving the mystery of the asteroids. Across Victor's and Mazer's story arcs.
What I didn't like...the massive story arcs of boredom
So to summarize, too much fluff and filler, not enough meat. Some basic logic fails as well. Many times along the way I was debating if I should quit and not finish, but kept talking myself back into it. If I am thinking like that, then I know the book wasn't good at all. The beginning and ending were good, the rest....
I started with this as it was the first of the trilogy before the actual Ender's Game.
Well, cringe, it wasn't good.
What I liked, was some of the research of weapons as they figure out how to defeat the Formics (furry bug alien things). This went across Lem's and Mazer's story lines.
Also like the exploring and solving the mystery of the asteroids. Across Victor's and Mazer's story arcs.
What I didn't like...the massive story arcs of boredom
So to summarize, too much fluff and filler, not enough meat. Some basic logic fails as well. Many times along the way I was debating if I should quit and not finish, but kept talking myself back into it. If I am thinking like that, then I know the book wasn't good at all. The beginning and ending were good, the rest....
December 30, 2016
Gah! Why is it that I just found out about this book and now have to wait for the next one?!?
It doesn't matter that we "know" the big picture of what happens. It's the how. I want to know HOW sooner than later.
As with all the best space operas, it is the people and the love and ultimately, family and perpetuating the human species that makes these lives worth living.
It doesn't matter that we "know" the big picture of what happens. It's the how. I want to know HOW sooner than later.
As with all the best space operas, it is the people and the love and ultimately, family and perpetuating the human species that makes these lives worth living.
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