Seventh Son

Rating:
Summary: This 'classic fantasy' may be Card's little masterpiece!
Review: OS Card is a storyteller par excellénce and Seventh Son is the second of his early works to showcase his genius to the world,(the first was Enders Game). Unfortunatly Card seems to loose interest in any particular genre shortly after mastering it and this four piece series(Alvin Maker Series) should only have been 3 books long. But in Seventh Son Card achieves a simple brilliance that will outlive him. The work is a seamless blending of scholarship and the storytellers art that will enthrall any reader while challenging the most discriminating---and can easily stand, as a work, on its own. It is onion-layered in meaning and illustrative of Cards deep understanding of human nature and his speculative intellect. Where was this kind of work when we were forced to read Salinger or Burroughs in High school? Hurrah for Card and books like Seventh Son!

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Summary: Fantasy and American History
Review: This is the only fantasy book I've every read that takes place in America, on the frontier. It is VERY well written, and I have read everything I could get my hands on by Card since. Be warned, you could get some serious questions about God and religion vs. magic and the universe

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Summary: This book is almost magical
Review: Young Alvin almost does not become what he was meant to be, (the seventh son to a seventh son) because the earth and all of nature alike tries to kill Alvins older brother befor Alvin can be born. This book is so full of a mistical kind of magic once I picked it up I could not put it down.Mr. Card is one of the best authors there is, and this is the best book I have ever had the pleasure of reading and I read ALOT. In case you are womdering, yes Alvin is born befor his brother dies and does become a very magical person even though he has to fight nature all his life just to stay alive. There is also a very misterious young girl in this story who helped with his birth. Now if you think I have given away the whole story, I haven't there is much much more. This IS a must have/read. -Angela Cooper

Rating:
Summary: Fanstasy on the frontier: this is a intriguing tale
Review: Alvin Miller is the seventh son of a seventh son. Living in a world where knacks and hexes really work, this means he has the potential to be a Maker, having powers greater than many. But will he survive to make use of them? Read this first book in the Tales of Alvin Maker, and find out why many people have taken Card's fictional frontier community to heart. For the story is about Alvin, but it also has a rich cast of true to life charecters, with motives, desires and feelings that are moving and interesting as well.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent!
Review: Seventh Son is the first in the Alvin Maker series (Seventh Son, Red Prophet, Prentice Alvin, and Alvin Journeyman). The story is about an alternate American history, where the events of the early 1800s twist into a different time continuum. Alvin Miller is the seventh son of a seventh son; the story follows his family from their migration from the Northeast to Indiana, where they begin to settle a town and start a new life on the frontier. The difference is that hexing and magic aren't completely dead, and some of the pivotal characters of the time are just slightly altered. Alvin himself has a special gift for pulling things together and making them right, which naturally makes him an enemy of the devil, or chaos, whichever you prefer. As usual for Card, the plot and characters are compelling and the story is well told. Highly recommended

Rating:
Summary: Amazing! Orson Scott Card never disappoints
Review: Seventh Son is set in the early 1800s--a tale of "a magical America that might have been." In this world, hexes and spells work. Alvin Miller Jr. is the seventh son of a seventh son, a very magical birth indeed. Alvin is no ordinary child--all his life, he has had a "knack" for making things (hence the name of the series, Alvin Maker). When a Presbyterian preacher from Scotland builds a church near the Miller homestead, things turn worse for young Alvin. The preacher alienates Alvin Sr. immediately, preaching that hexes and the like don't work and are just foolishness. The preacher, Philadelphia Thrower, is told by a Visitor that he must turn Alvin to God's way before he is fourteen years old. Thrower seems to hate Alvin, constantly trying to 'reform' the mischievous boy, making Sundays a nightmare. Then a wanderer named Taleswapper comes to town...

This is a really great book! I loved it, and I can't wait to read the next one. Once you pick it up, you can't put it down! Orson Scott Card is a wonderful writer. I've *never* been disappointed by one of his books. Seventh Son is a superb (did I spell that right?) novel!

Rating:
Summary: Alvin Maker is a phenomenal series
Review: The Tales of Alvin Maker has definately escalated itself to my favorite book series. The reason this book gets four stars is it is boring compared to the others. Red Prophet was completely original and the best in the series. However, every saga needs it's begin, and Seventh Son had some very memorable characters like Taleswapper, Reverend Thrower, Armor-of-God Weaver and Lolla Wossiky. I highly recommend this series to anybody who a strong advocate of history and/or fantasy.

Rating:
Summary: Wishful thinking
Review: Ah rekon it'd be fair to say that this yere tale is an alternative fantasy history of the ole USA as close as no never mind.

It's a frontier story set in the mid-continent, featurin tha birth and strange childhood of Alvin, a suspiciously accident-prone lad who just has this yere Talent for unknowingly makin' things with a little magic. He and his ilk are much to the frustration of the Rev. Thrower, who's a high-falutin' newly arrived English sophist, and probably a dang Cavalier to boot, against whom good Tom Jefferson and the Cheriky people be a-fightin', watched by the governor of Canada, the Marquise de la Fayette (hold, he's more important in tha next un, RED PROPHET).

Instead of putting it right out, as a Turtledove might, Card has the good sense to hide much of his alternative view and let it sort of just seep its way into the story. The leisurely pace encourages a good bit of ambiance of early white America, with Apalachee style homespun and folksy wisdom and ways, really the backstory for the whole series. The history is wonderfully askew, with a quite different political landscape for familiar landmarks, and there's already steam power, in "Irrakwa" gun factories! Eventually Alvin does have a terrible vision, finds his purpose, and is about to start his wayfaring saga. Those readers who think God spoke long ago and preachers have "got the Bible safely interpreted" may have trouble with the way Card has God "show his hand of power" through differently-enabled practical people.

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Summary: An alternate-reality in early America
Review: While a departure from some of the sci-fi themes in Card's other series, this book and its successors are still distinctly OSC.

Set in an alternate-reality of early America, before the civil war, the story follows the life of Alvin and his family. He is the seventh son, which in this world gives him special abilities. As with most of OSC's stories, there is a dark side to Alvin's life - a constant pursuit by an evil power that he calls the Unmaker, which causes the death of his oldest brother just as Alvin is born. This is a world where some people have a "knack" or special powers, and nothing keep evil away like a good old hex on your front porch and above your window. And no matter how much good Alvin does with his life, the Unmaker is always there, tearing things down, laying snares, inspiring evil men to do evil deeds.

Its a fascinating story, and I've thoroughly enjoyed the entire series. OSC does a great job of keeping you on the edge of your seat.

Rating:
Summary: Alvin Maker is a phenomenal series
Review: The Tales of Alvin Maker has definately escalated itself to my favorite book series. The reason this book gets four stars is it is boring compared to the others. Red Prophet was completely original and the best in the series. However, every saga needs it's begin, and Seventh Son had some very memorable characters like Taleswapper, Reverend Thrower, Armor-of-God Weaver and Lolla Wossiky. I highly recommend this series to anybody who a strong advocate of history and/or fantasy.