Earth Afire: The First Formic War
Orson Scott Card and Aaron Johnston, 2013

Ender’s Game, written by Orson Scott Card in 1985, is probably still my favorite book. Highly recommended. I read it for freshman English class at St. Xavier High School. Ender’s Game tells the story of the Second Formic War—a war waged by children against an alien species threatening Earth. I don’t want to give spoilers for Ender’s Game —you should read it!— so I’ll stop there.

Earth Afire is the second book in what is most likely a trilogy of books describing the First Formic War. Earth Unaware was the first book, which I read a couple years ago. Earth Afire follows Card’s tried and true method of having multiple competing storylines involving personal struggle and determination that eventually coalesce. Like many books in the Ender’s Game universe, Earth Afire uses at least one storyline that involves an intelligent, precocious child. We also see the initial efforts of Mazer Rackham, the hero of The First Formic War in Ender’s Game.

Overall, a pretty good book. Not the best in the series by a long shot, but a good read nonetheless. I would have had certain storylines be more realistic to the probable actions of the non-major characters, but that’s okay. A very interesting book series keeps on keeping on.