I think this is an entertaining read for those that have read the other Ender books, however, I would highly recommend that people read SPEAKER FOR THE DEAD prior to starting the Shadow books or this “sequel.” I think SPEAKER and the 2 subsequent novels are far more mature and interesting follow-up to ENDER’S GAME than is ENDER IN EXILE.

In reading Card’s AFTERWORD, he points out that he has rewritten the last chapter of ENDER’S GAME to deal with the discrepancies that ENDER IN EXILE and other SHADOW books have introduced. He says he didn’t change the chapter, just the timeline and details. This rewritten chapter will be included in a future reprints of ENDER’S GAME.

And doing a search on the web, you were correct to point out that Allesandra Toscano seemed “added in.” It was. Chapter 5 was originally and Ender short story. Scientist Sel Menach was also introduced in a short story.

I think if someone has read all the other books and just wants to stay in the Ender Universe, then this is a descent enough follow-on, especially for the Bugger part of it. But if someone is just starting out in this series, I strongly suggest reading in the order that Card wrote them. It’s quite a trip.