these four books start off great then slowly go down hill fast

Please see my review for Ender's Game (Ender Book 1), Ender's Shadow (Ender Book 5), and Shadow of the Hegemon (Ender Book 6). I think that those books--and the rest of the Shadow series, and then First Meetings in the Enderverse--ought to be read before Speaker for the Dead (Ender Book 2), Xenocide (Ender Book 3), and Children of the Mind (Ender Book 4), because even though the three books in this boxed set were written before the Shadow books, the Shadow-series action takes places long before the events in Ender's later life, the events chronicled in Speaker for the Dead, Xenocide, and Children of the Mind. I have to say that I think that I prefer the Shadow series right now, but that may be only because they're fresher in my mind. The Ender's-series sequels in this boxed set still rate five stars, though, even though in my opinion Xenocide and Children of God aren't *quite* up to the very high standards of Ender's Game and Speaker for the Dead. I've recently read Mary Doria Russell's The Sparrow and Children of God, which deal with the same kinds of societal and personal tragedies consequent upon well-meaning assumptions about new cultures. Both authors tackle similar subjects in different but satisfying ways, and neither shrinks from depicting the horrors of the universe or the personal agony of difficult moral choices and the consequences of those choices. Both also deal with religion in novel ways--in Xenocide, for example, the relationship of obsessive-compulsive disorder to religious experience is an ancillary theme. All three of these books are well worth the read. Very highly recommended!

Great series of sci-fi books.

Two parallel story lines. 4 books in each. My personal preference is down the Ender's Shadow line.

The books down the Ender's Saga line get a little bit weird after Book 1, but still worth it.

A separate review is posted under "Speaker for the Dead."

Great characters. Great series. Great Scott.

Very enjoyable series.

Enjoy this series as it goes further into the series it gets more philosophical but the story is still entertaining and the philosophy is interesting as well.

I really dug this whole Speaker series and wrapping up with Children of the Mind definitely did not disappoint. I don't know why I can only find it in this three pack thing, but the whole thing is good.

Ender's Game saga is amazing, a real epic journey. The rest of the series is more about the philosophical aspect of human.

"Fourth and final book in the Ender series. Humans, Piggies and Buggers get along, and even find a fourth species. All without being destroyed by the rest of humanity."

This branch of the Ender series is not as fun a read as Ender's game or the shadow series. Although the story goes a little slower, the ideas that are presented take more thought. The use of philotes is an interesting idea used in an interesting way. These aren't a fast or easy read, but I think they are still worthwhile.

really enjoyed the first book.