What The B@@K? #15 Shadow of the Hegemon by OSC

What’s Shadow of the Hegemon (Ender’s Shadow Sequel) About?

Bean, Petra, and the gang from battle school are back. While Ender is far away, it’s his brother Peter who takes center stage in world affairs. The book focuses on the political turmoil that ensues after the defeat of the alien Formics. With Earth no longer united by the need to fight a common enemy, powerful nations and individuals begin competing for global dominance.

Bean and Peter face Bean’s archnemesis, Achilles, who has captured Petra. Peter seeks to become the world's Hegemon—a leader with global influence. As Battle School graduates return to Earth, Achilles kidnaps them as a part of his plan for world domination. Bean must navigate political intrigues, military strategies, and shifting alliances to save Petra and prevent Achilles from gaining too much power.

What are Your Top Thoughts? (What Jeff liked/Didn’t Like)

I am a big fan of the first two books in the Shadow series, Ender’s Game and Ender’s Shadow. OSC didn’t disappoint with the third installment. Like the first two, this book is full of great storytelling and dialogue. OSC has a gift for weaving complex events into a seamless story and hooking the reader with relatable dialogue. Watching Bean’s progression both captured my rational and emotional side.

There isn’t too much I didn’t like about this book other than it wasn’t the first two. The character development of Peter isn’t as in-depth as Bean or Ender, that’s probably because we learned so much about Peter in the first two books. And if I am being honest, I just don’t like Peter as much as the other two, so I felt less interested in this book compared to the other books.

Book Discussion

Themes we’ll be discussing today: 

• What is good and what is right?

• Force vs. Persuasion

• Reason vs. Emotion

• And these relationships from the book:

  • Bean and Carlotta

  • Bean and Achilles

  • Achille and Petra

  • Bean and Peter

Questions & Conversation Starters:

In no particular order (references are from the mass market copy):

• Carlotta is no ordinary nun

  1. References: chapter 6 pg 90, chapter 9 pg 156, chapter 9 pg 163

• Of Peter and Achilles, which do you think would become a father in future books?

• Reducing people down to levers

  • References: chapter 8 pg 126, Chapter 8 entirely, Chapter 9 pg 166

• Have you ever noticed that something’s amiss when smart people act stupidly? Did you ask why or ever figure out what they were up to?

  • References: chapter 13 pg 282

• How much of the geopolitics up to pg 360 is actually feasible less the kids? A catalyst, false flag, and a healthy dose of ambition can give us this war today…

  • Case and point, look at what OSC outlines with Taiwan and China, its exactly what happened in Hong Kong just a few years ago.

    • Reference: pg 269

  • Similar points about Europe and America’s response to Honk Kong and even notes NATO being more a problem than solution!

    • Reference: Chapter 20 pg 428

Standout Lines:

• First line that stands out to Craig: “Muddling through, that’s what human beings do.” – Bean

  • Further: “You could get used to each other get so habituated that you could speak their words right along with them, but you never knew why other people said what they said or did what they did, because they never even knew themselves. Nobody understands anybody.”

    • References: Chapter 4 Pg 63

• “If you can’t even understand yourself, what hope do you have of comprehending somebody as deformed as Achilles?” – Petra

  • References: Chapter 8 pg 153

• “I think I knew because there were too many smart people acting stupidly” – Bean

  • References: Chapter 13 pg 282

• “Your country is led by men without honor, and yet they are sustained in power by the honor of men like you. Who, then, betrays his country?” – Bean

  • References: Chapter 19 pg 419

Next Books

• November: The Time Machine by H.G. Wells

  • The Time Machine by H.G. Wells is a classic novel that falls under the genre of Science Fiction. It's the story of a scientist who invents a time machine and travels to the future.

• December: TBD in November

• January: TBD

Top Books We’re Thinking about:

1. Animal Farm by George Orwell is a novel that falls under the genre of Political Satire. It's a clever and insightful allegory about the rise of Soviet communism.

2. When Mockingbirds Sing by Billy Coffey is a novel that falls under the genre of Supernatural Fiction. It's a story of a young girl with a special gift and the mysterious events that surround her.

3. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig is a novel that falls under the genre of Philosophical Fiction. It's a thought-provoking exploration of the nature of quality the meaning of life.

4. Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut is a novel that falls under the genre of Postmodern Fiction. It's a complex and surreal exploration of the human condition.

5. Anthem by Ayn Rand is a novella that falls under the genre of Dystopian Fiction. It's a story about a future society where individualism is suppressed.

6. Lost Horizon by James Hilton is a novel that falls under the genre of Fantasy. It's a story about a group of plane crash survivors who discover a hidden paradise in the Himalayas.

7. Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson is a novel that falls under the genre of Adventure Fiction. It's a classic story about a boy who discovers a treasure map and sets out on a quest.

8. (added by listener request) Emergence by Craig T. Stewart

9. (added by listener request) What If the Constitution Was Never Ratified? By Chuck DeVore

10. (added by listener request) The Silent Wife by Karin Slaughter

Season 2 Book List:

1. September: How to Defeat a Demon King in Ten Easy Steps by Andrew Rowe is a novel that falls under the genre of Fantasy. It's a humorous story about a group of adventurers who set out to defeat a demon king.

2. October: Shadow of the Hegemon by OSC

3. November: The Time Machine by H.G. Wells

   • The Time Machine by H.G. Wells is a classic novel that falls under the genre of Science Fiction. It's the story of a scientist who invents a time machine and travels to the future.

4. TBD – Send us recommendations by commenting! (December) 

5. TBD – Send us recommendations by commenting! (January) 

6. TBD – Send us recommendations by commenting! (February) 

7. TBD – Send us recommendations by commenting! (March) 

8. TBD – Send us recommendations by commenting! (April) 

9. TBD – Send us recommendations by commenting! (May) 

10. TBD – Send us recommendations by commenting! (June) 

11. TBD – Send us recommendations by commenting! (July) 

12. TBD – Send us recommendations by commenting!