I picked up this novella in the library one day, thinking, hey, here's a story in the Enderverse that I haven't read yet. I read it in about an hour, thought, not great, not bad, maybe a 3-star read. I get on Goodreads, pull up "A War of Gifts," and there it is: I've already given this book a 3-star rating. And I didn't recognize it at all.

So this raises some interesting questions: Was I thinking about a different Ender story when I originally rated it? Was it so unmemorable that I read it a few years ago, rated it and then completely forgot it? Am I an unknowing time traveler? (I really want that last answer to be the right one.)

Anyway. I once read a quote from Orson Scott Card in which he said that he s to find two unrelated ideas that grab him, and then combine them into one story. It seems pretty evident that that's what he did here. There's one plot thread about the religious fundamentalist preacher with feet of clay, whose obedient son is trying to get himself turfed out of Battle School, where the military is training kids and teens to fight the alien Formics (the main setting in Ender's Game). And there's the other thread about the kids in Battle School trying to find subversive ways to keep observing Christmas and, maybe, their religions ... which is against Battle School rules. These stories mesh reasonably well, but it's a bit awkward, especially when you add Ender saving the day (or at least the boy).

There's also a chapter about Peter Wiggin that has no real place in this story, though it's interesting and shows the seeds of his future character development.

Overall, it's a decent read if you're a fan of the Ender Wiggin books, but I wouldn't advise you to spend any significant amount of money on it.science-fiction58 s Jim C1,599 25

This is a novella that is part of the Ender's Universe saga. This one takes place during Ender's time in battle school. In this one we meet Zeck who comes from a very religious family and does not believe in war. There is also a minor plot about religious observances at battle school and these two plots eventually interact.

I d this story but also had problems with it. The parts that I d definitely outweighed the parts I did not. The meat of the story is good as we follow Zeck from his home to battle school. Viewing his home life before battle school was a nice way to get background information about his life and to see why the way he is. I really enjoyed the theme and plot of his story. What happens when someone is a pacifist and forced into the arena of war? I do wish the author went with this a little more. Instead he established a message behind the character's motives and this did not land with me. I could say the same about the secondary plot. I get the message and what the author was shooting for. But for me it sort of felt he was preaching. I might be nitpicking here with this as I want a message from science fiction or fantasy books. But it felt the author went a little too much on the side of preaching and it seemed he was forcing his own personal opinion about religion on the reader.

This is worth reading just to see some of the characters from the original book and to see how their time was in battle school. Overall it doesn't add much to the complete arc. But as a side companion and allowing us to spend some more time with known characters while introducing new ones it definitely works.31 s Olethros2,665 490

-De intrascendencias y otras brisas de invierno.-

Género. Novela corta.

Lo que nos cuenta. El libro Guerra de regalos (publicación original: A War of Gifts, 2007) agrupa en el mismo volumen una extensa presentación de Card, su obra, la saga de Ender y la importancia de la misma (al menos, su importancia para el editor), junto al primer capítulo de la novela Ender en el exilio y, por supuesto, la novela corta (o relato largo) que da nombre al volumen y en la que conocemos a Zack Morgan, un muchacho nacido y criado en una comunidad religiosa fundamentalista y pacificista que, con la intención de que lo echen de la Escuela de batalla, crea un malestar basado en supuestas discriminaciones religiosas. Trabajo perteneciente a la saga de Ender que se coloca, a nivel temporal de sus contenidos, dentro de la primera parte de la novela El juego de Ender.

¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:

https://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com...17 s J-Lynn Van Pelt593 27

For everyone who is a loyal Ender fan, this novella will not disappoint! In this interesting story of faith, we get to journey back to Battle School again. While the story centers on a new character from Rat Army, Zeck, many of my favorite characters from the original series are present, including Ender and Dink. I loved getting another glimpse at Ender's journey and Dink's non-conformity.

But, what makes this story compelling is the moral debates at its center. Zeck refuses to fight in Battle School because his zealot preacher father taught pacifism. But, the irony is that while Zeck was taught pacifism, his father brutally beat him. Zeck still holds the emotional and physical scars of those beatings and tries everything within his power to get the other students to hate him and the administration to send him home. Along the way, he inspires Dink to lead a rebellion against the school policy of no religious or cultural observances which is at the core of this book. A sort of morality play set in futuristic space, the short story brings up some interesting points about hypocrisy and zealotry within religious beliefs.

But, Ender fans will cheer the loudest when he figures out how to help Zeck face his past. Ender proves to us why he is the right leader to save humanity.christian-kid-and-ya-lit multicultural-kid-and-ya-lit science-fiction ...more15 s Nilo58 11

Se podría decir que se trata de una especie de capítulo especial con el cual podemos adentrarnos un poco más al estilo de vida en la escuela de batalla y el cómo conviven unos con otro partiendo del hecho de proveenir de diferentes culturas y por supuesto, para ver más de Ender siendo el líder nato y empático que es al ayudar a Zeke, el protagonista de esta historia. El eje vertebrador del relato es la religión, especificamente centrada en las celebraciones decembrinas. Una pena que sea relamente corto como para servirce de una historia más profunda.12 s Craig5,359 129

I read this one when it first appeared a decade ago and listened to the audio version last week during a long drive. It's a fine Christmas story even if Connie Willis didn't write it. It's set while Ender is at the Battle School during the first volume of his saga, but doesn't seem to me to conflict any with that story; this is a very short interlude. It seemed to me to highlight Card's own philosophy and perhaps conflicted perceptions, while making sage and subtle observations about the nature of abuse and friendship. I recommend it highly for the season. 8 s Marty ReederAuthor 2 books44

What is it with Orson Scott Card's Ender books, particularly the Battle School ones? Card is always an insightful author, but nothing ever rings as true and as strong as when he takes his readers up to that same spot where his ride to fame took him three decades ago. A War of Gifts isn't even a novel. It's an extended short story, really. And it should be commercial drivel, since it was specifically made for the Christmas season. There are a lot of things it should have been, but instead it was a succinct, powerful tale that legitimately makes Ender into as much a hero as any of his other stories. This is not a throwaway, seasonal fluff story, as far as I'm concerned. It belongs right up there along with the rest of Card's best works, as well as any other author's.

Sometimes, it seems as if Orson Scott Card refuses to give up on this Ender Universe, and certainly it has paid his bills for many years now, but I don't care what the motivation is, the results are extraordinary, and if he doesn't want to stop, then I will only encourage him more.front-room-bookshelf7 s Donna Craig995 35

While the opening scene, an overblown caricature of a sermon set in an overblown caricature of a fundamental Christian church, is hard to get through, it does give the reader needed insight into Zeck, one of the story’s main characters. I’m glad I stuck it out. After that, the plot rolls along into a peek at Christmas season amongst the Ender’s Game boys. All holiday celebrations and religious practices are forbidden to the trainees, but the Christmas spirit cannot be contained. The boys rebel by giving gifts.
A fun, quick little read about the triumph of the joy of giving. I wish I had read it closer to Christmas
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