# The Last Shadow

The Last Shadow is a 2021 science fiction novel by American writer Orson Scott Card, part of his Ender's Game series. It links the Shadow Saga (the parallel companion series) back to the original Ender series. This book brings the two series back together, and wraps up some of the plot threads left dangling in Shadow of the Giant (the fourth book in the Shadow Saga). The events in the book follow those in Children of the Mind, the final book in the Ender series.
Card has said that he began writing the first pages of the novel while quarantined during the COVID-19 pandemic. The novel was originally set to be titled Shadows in Flight, but Card decided to swap titles with the fifth book in the Shadow series (released on 17 January 2012), which serves as a bridge to the final book. The concluding events of Shadows in Flight were initially planned for the first chapter of the final book, with working title Shadows Alive.
Ender's Game series :
Chronology :
In chronological order
Earth Unaware
Earth Afire
Earth Awakens
The Swarm
The Hive
The Queens
"Mazer in Prison"
"The Polish Boy"
"Teacher's Pest"
"Pretty Boy"
"Cheater"
Ender's Game
'Recruiting Valentine'
A War of Gifts
Ender's Shadow
'The League War'
Children of the Fleet
Ender in Exile
Shadow of the Hegemon
Shadow Puppets
Shadow of the Giant
Shadows in Flight
"Investment Counselor"
Speaker for the Dead
Xenocide
Children of the Mind
The Last Shadow :
In publication order
Ender's Game
Speaker for the Dead
Xenocide
Children of the Mind
Ender's Shadow
Shadow of the Hegemon
Shadow Puppets
First Meetings
Shadow of the Giant
A War of Gifts: An Ender Story
Ender in Exile
Shadows in Flight
Earth Unaware
Earth Afire
Earth Awakens
The Swarm
Children of the Fleet
The Hive
The Last Shadow
The Queens :
vte    Chart :
| Short Stories | Novels | Comics | Audioplay | Film |
Ender's Game :
Formic Wars: Burning Earth (2011) :
Earth Unaware (2012) :
Mazer in Prison :
Mazer in Prison :
The Swarm (2016) :
Ender's Shadow (1999) :
Battle School (2009) :
* Ultimate collection (2012) |||||
Ender's Game Alive (2013) :
Ender's Game (1977) :
Ender's Game (1985) :
Battle School (2009) :
* Ultimate collection (2012) |||||
Ender's Game (2013) :
Ender's Stocking (2007) :
* War of Gifts (2009) |||||
Shadow of the Hegemon (2001) :
Ender's Homecoming (2008) :
* A Young Man with Prospects (2007) |||||
* A Young Man with Prospects (2007) |||||
* The Gold Bug (2007) |||||
Ender in Exile (2008) :
Children of the Fleet (2017) :
Speaker for the Dead (2011) :
* Gloriously Bright (1991) |||||
Speaker for the Dead (1986) :
1 2 3 The events of Ender's Game, Ender's Shadow and A War of Gifts take place in roughly the same time period. The events of A War of Gifts only take place during the time at Battle School).
1 2 The events of Ender in Exile and the Shadow Trilogy take place in roughly the same time period. - First part of Ender in Exile (2/3) takes place during the Shadow Trilogy. - Last part of Ender in Exile (1/3) takes places after Shadow of the Giant.
1 2 Note on the following (maybe not yet so common) Trilogies: "Speaker Trilogy": Original set of sequels to Ender's Game, also referred to as: - "Ender Quartet" (Ender's Game combined with "Speaker Trilogy"), also referred to as: - "Ender Quintet" ("Ender Quartet" combined with Ender in Exile). "Shadow Trilogy": Original set of sequels to Ender's Shadow, also referred to as: - "Bean Quartet"/"Shadow Quartet" (Ender's Shadow combined with "Shadow Trilogy"), also referred to as: - "Bean Quintet"/"Shadow Quintet" ("Bean Quartet" combined with Shadows in Flight), could be referred to as: - "Bean Sextet"/"Shadow Sextet" ("Bean Quintet" combined with The Last Shadow)
↑ Title is also mentioned in regard to a possible sequel for the film. :
vte :