What if discourse between the Right and the Left broke down? What if the sides in every politcal debate became more and more polarized? What if less and less people were willing to respectfully disagree with those outside their political party? What if every time a Democratic president is elected, all the Republicans accused him of being a secret communist? What if every time a Republican was elected, he was called a fascist?

Card moves from these premises, which are already (clearly) present in the US, and draws them out as the principals which begin a second Civil War. This time, not between the North and South, but the rural and the city: the conservative and the progressive.

Although the story itself is good (4/5 Stars), the afterward is standalone worth 5 stars. If you do nothing else, swing by the library and read the afterward.

The afterward is a brief eyeopening essay about the state of political discourse, and where we are heading. It will chill you and call you to reflect on your own behavior.

I didn't really enjoy this. I love Card's writing style. It's smooth and clear and interesting ... but there were so many jarring things. It was far too preachy for me and I even agree with the what is being preached!
The action was decent. I did want to know what happened but the characters were almost interchangeable and I didn't care if they lived or died. They were just pawns in a morality play anyway.
The speed at which things happened was jarring. Not necessarily in the word count of how it happened but the in story time frame. Revolution just happened and it didn't feel like it was very important in the world of the story. The whole thing seemed implausible. It might have been better set in a fictional universe ... but then he couldn't preach to us about Red vs Blue. It seems like there should have been more rioting in the streets leading up to the events of the story. There was no sense that this was a different America than today's America and that made such a rebellion so implausible that it took me out of the story.

I'm a big fan of Card but this was disappointing.

I felt like I was getting stupider as I continued reading this book. I wish I had stopped reading after each page kept confirming that awful feeling, but I just refused to believe that one of my favorite authors could write something so completely predictable and one-dimensional. There's no character development, and the story doesn't really develop anything interesting. What if the Left moved from just having mean, nasty thoughts of contempt and disrespect for Real Americans - the military and the police - and instead, with funding from a George Soros-like character, built a Leftish militia and then stabbed America in the back?

As a fan of OSC's sci-fi and fantasy, I enjoy some philosophical or theological-like passages, some interesting things to think about, in his works. But this is just a political rant, and not a thoughtful or interesting one. It's like a cheap ripoff of a Tom Clancy style where the action is fast-paced yet verbose, but everything is predictable.

I didn't know about OSC's politics before. I just enjoyed his books, and never thought to Google him otherwise. After having this thoughtless rant masquerading as a story sneak up on, I looked --- and I see why he cast a Princeton professor as an anti-Christ figure. To anyone interested in OSC's politics, I recommend his website, and urge you to skip this book.

Political thrillers just isn't a genre I normally enjoy. I expected to really dislike this book and be bored to tears. But surprisingly I thought it was okay. Not great but okay. And that is only because there was a lot of action among all the political drama crap. That action is what kept me interested in the story and is why I gave the book at least 2 stars. Unfortunately I am not invested enough in the story to read the sequel.

I almost didn't ready this 2 book series because of all the negative reviews. I can usually read through the motivations of the reviewer to discern whether I would like a book or not. Many 1 star reviews are obviously on the opposite end of the political spectrum, but their claims to horrible writing, development, etc... made me think it was more than politics. Nope. While these books aren't the best that Card has written, they aren't as bad as the negative reviews say.

I know I had more thoughts on the story, but it's been a few weeks since I've finished it and I'm not very good at remembering what I was going to comment on. Sigh.. I do remember that the ideas the story presents for debate were valuable. The main married couple belong to different political parties, so Card did try to present ideas from both sides.

Orson Scott Card wrote this to go with the Chair Entertainment franchise's Empire. It deals with a civil war in a near future USA.
The future-of-this-country premise is close enough to the current path of government to scare me.
There are conspiracies within conspiracies. And the consequences that come from being on either side of the conspiracies.

I loved the characters. The good guys were people I would like to know myself. They were more believable because the dialogue Card writes is never stilted and has that smart-alecky humor we love to use in our family.

Most definitely a thumbs up.

As one of the brightest of his generation of writers, this "story" is a great disappointment.

He still is a great storyteller, but this...this...this.....inplausable, poorly thought out, silly plot is just junk.

If this was a first novel, it would never have been published.

Sometimes when browsing a book store, you know you can pick up and purchase a book written by a trusted aurthor. Scott Card used to be in that catergory. After this mess, his most definitely is not.

Poor effort. Silly premise. Just a political rant.

Shame.

Novela de 4,5. Scott Card vuelve a demostrar que da igual el tema de partida con el que empiece, al final borda un relato muy coherente con unas tramas que te mantienen atrapado. Novela en la que el golpe de estado no la dan "los típicos" y que tira de varios tópicos americanos. No obstante te atrapa y empatizas con los personajes. Los trasfondos políticos y militares están muy bien documentados. He disfrutado este Thriler sin ser ese género de mi interés (de CIFI tiene poco, la verdad).

While reading this book, I don't know what to do. I don't like it and I thought I was dying in a war. I'm not against of any Card's novels but I can't help to be annoyed while reading this. Plus, I don't have political taste or whatever related to government and this book is so so preachy. In the positive side, I've learned a lot about Card's ideology of political state in the America not only that, it can also be compared to our (Philippines) current political issue. Why there are still NPA and Abu Sayyaf lurking and killing innocent Filipinos.

If you like reading newspaper and watching TV news with repeated headlines and news that are obviously too affectionate to its own state, you might enjoy the pleasure of reading this book. We Filipinos suffered a lot because of political issues from Marcos' regime to Macapagal's diabolic repossession of its nation and why I should read this book again? For my pleasure to entertain myself not to be posses by history's bad memories again and again, of course there are exceptions to some other books and school works.

If I ask my parents of their past they always mentioned every president who works with his or her nation and their mistakes, same with text books from elementary to high school and to the teachers who never stop from teaching students the dark history that some said they were already covered with a veil. I think new generations were just trying to be positive, trying to change the present by making the past as an open secret. Why we should need to think of the past if we can change our present by looking through possibilities that we may done in the near future? Maybe I'm young to speak of those words but for me I think we need to let go of the past and try to think of our future.

Stop! Discussing ideas may cause unlimited amount of comments and never ending arguments. If this book shows America suffers from two parties (Democratic and Republican), we may suffer being over over democracy, poisoning our mind and dying for nothing. Empire, compasses the mind of Orson Scott Card while reading his ideology of his nation by playing his own puppet, killing each other for the safety of the community.

Major Reuben Malich, leads a group of Special Forces team somewhere outside America and it was successful that he was promoted because of his bravery and by saving a civilian. After that, he went back to New Jersey and continue studying and met Averel Torrent, the next president, with a big glowing political mind supported by both parties. Reub work at the Pentagon and he received orders from above and met Bartholomew Colesman, side kick and his trusted pal.

After the White House bombed from a rocket launcher, the President and the other council died and he received a news that the V-President died from a car crush. As he continues saving people and his life with Cole, the nation become overly reacted to the event and one at a time people died. After a long range of disappointing events Cole continue the story and discovered a secret place were co-Americans build and delivered special weapons.

I find it boring because most of the part of the book is composed of dialogs especially arguments between religion and philosophical point of view of America. The one that really hit my back, was when the author compared America to Rome. A nation who become powerful and destroyed because of its people, same with America in the near future, 5,000 years of building strong walls and a day to destroy everything. Also expect lesser action and facts that may be deadly to share and there are soldiers who died and become hero and lost while time passes by.

I've reread my review over and over again and it reminds me that sometimes I need to be careful of what I'm saying. Being stupid and being open online, it may cause me thousand of stalkers all over the world. My idiotic mind speaks while writing a stupid review. After this you will see me counting my hair while begging in the dirty street of Manila or worst.


If I only have an Xbox maybe I'll enjoy reading this book while trying to finish the game. Stupid me, I'm not a gamer type but I play with my little brother sometimes. Loved Arcade Games. Shadow Complex.

Rating - Empire by Orson Scott Card, 1 Sweets and the time I wasted reading this book with boring dialogs. (If you like Orson Scott Card, please, before reading this you need to expect that this book is different from his other books, the only similarity is the political point of view of the characters. Number 1 on my worst book list. Thanks to my reading buddy Pedro este Rollie - review - of Goodreads - Filipinos.)

Challenges:
Book #21 for 2011
Book #13 for Off the Shelf!

n  n

I was shocked to find out that this book was written in 2006. It felt like Mr Card had his finger on the pulse of today's current events. The potential is there, and it's very unsettling. There were a couple of major shockers that made me go back to make sure I had heard correctly! I listened to this book quickly because it was so engrossing. I'm looking forward to reading the sequel to see where it takes us!

3.5 stars

That we are generally oblivious to the excesses of our own side merely demonstrates how close we already are to a paroxysm of self-destruction. (Afterword, p.350)

Enjoyed this far more than I thought I would when it came out in 2006, back when many of us in the States feared that W. wouldn't give up the White House at the end of his 2nd term. But when people are seriously talking about some sort of civil war in the U.S. following the 2020 election, this book reads like a clarion call for us to remember our common humanity despite our differences and to consider those who benefits from stoking our growing mutual suspicion and hostility, rather than as a "right-wing screed." The Progressive Restoration might read as a parody of the extreme Left in the U.S., but it might also read as prophetic, depending on how the last decade and a half have unfolded for the reader.) Oh, and it is a decent, page-turning thriller too.

"Don't you understand? When you have the Truth, then anybody who opposes you either ignorant or evil. You rule over the ignorant and you kill or lock up the evil. Then you can make the world run according to your perfect Truth." (p.184)

The president and vice-president of the United States are killed in a terrorist plot following anti-terrorist plans developed by U.S. Army Major Reuben Malich, Civil war developes in American. But who is the real instigator and what is their agenda>