This book I can honestly say was right up there with Ender's Game and Speaker for the Dead. I only wished I might of read it between those but at the same time I think it was also best that I read it in order of publication because I wouldn't of understood the references to the Bean Saga material. 
 This book really explains alot of stuff which happened right after Ender and Valentine's departure from Eros and his time as governor of Shakespear Colony where he finds the Hive Queen which features so prominently later on Speaker for the Dead. Mr. Card's attention to the details of what happened to the old soldiers of the war on the colony and how they greeted and were greeted by Ender was touching. His exploration of the effects of war on the individual after the wars end was also welcomed by me for sure, I know its effects, and it deeply resonated with me. So much of Ender's life and struggles resonate with me, which is why this series which deals with him specifically is one of my favorites.