Orson Scott Card knows how to tell a story. He weaves a plausible (but unique) universe, interesting characters, and intriguing plot. Can't wait for the second book.

Full review here.

A fascinating book of fantasy, set in Los Angeles and loosely based on A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Card consistently turns out some of my favorite prose.

OSC envisions a near future where a powerful political mastermind kicks off a Red State – Blue State civil war. The crisp prose we’ve come to expect from Card, the story nearly believable.

Hidden Empire is an entertaining enough read, but ultimately doesn't provide enough thought or plot to make it a really compelling story. It wrestles with one big question that's worth asking: for a world leader impacting things on a global scale, do desirable ends actually justify some pretty rotten means? Is it acceptable to manipulate, lie, cheat, and kill some of your own if a greater global good is accomplished as a result?

However, that question only really occupies one small chunk of the story, and the rest of it fell flat for me.

Conclusion: less than compelling, far from OSC's best work, but if you're an OSC fan it's worth a quick read.