Rating: 
Summary: Each book in this series gets worse and worse
Review: Make no mistake, I loved "Seventh Son" and felt that my whole appreciation of the fantasy genre was increased tenfold, and it was already quite high. The next two volumes were OK. I felt they were losing sight of the original storyline, but that it might pick up again in later volumes. I was wrong. I wrote a scathing review of the fourth book last year, and I had high hopes of redemption with "Heartfire," but this is one of the worst and strangest books I've ever read.Where to begin. . .Another boring trial, new characters that do nothing, a heroine named "Chastity" who becomes, instead of a strong female, the girlfriend of Verity as soon as she joins the cast. Most laughable of all, the opinion that witch trials were necessary! In a world where magic is real, I suppose he means, but still. It makes no sense. Alvin goes along with the witch trial because he is in favor of religious government. An acceptable opinion, given proper arguments, which are not provided... That Alvin and friends would go the New England Colonies to study an ideal society and government makes me twitch with anger. There is a line in "Heartfire" that talks about children in Puritan Massachusetts, something about how there wasn't the sound of an unhappy child anywhere. At first I thought Card was making a joke about how strictly children were treated; parents could and did whip their kids for talking out of turn or not following the rule "seen and not heard." But Card was actually seriously claiming that Puritan children were so well loved and cared for that one never heard them crying... ... I would have liked to read an intelligent defense of Puritanism, but Card does not provide one. There is a Quaker character in the book, but Card doesn't mention what happened to Quakers in the Mass. Bay Colony. (Or, if that didn't occur in this alternate world, why not). Also, for an author of an alternate-history series, Card doesn't seem to have much grasp of American history. By the 1800s, Puritanism was already dying out as more and more non-Puritans immigrated to New England. He doesn't explain why that wasn't happening in his alternate version. Also, Rhode Island would never have been part of a Puritan nation... "Heartfire" stunk for other reasons. The various plots went nowhere. Peggy has become prissy and annoying. I was offended by Card's depiction of slaves in Camelot: Peggy frees them from placid captivity only to make sure they remain placid instead of revolting. What I found most dreadful was the captive wife of the free black character whose name I've forgotten. He kept her chained to the wall, had tried to kill her by hitting her over the head, leaving her mentally incapacited. Alvin heals her; but instead of leaving her husband and seeking her own life of freedom, it is hinted that she will forgive him and come to love him! You don't have to be a feminist or even a human rights' advocate to find something wrong with that. It's as if Card is saying that it's good and Christian to forgive terrible cruelty and continue to live in servitude to a man--and it's not. She could forgive her husband and still leave him and still be Christian or a devoted follower of Alvin. I could go on and on, but this is waxing rather long. Moral disagreements aside, the plots resolve horribly or not at all. Most of the time the characters discuss where they should go next and pick places for no reason. Alvin has become superpowerful and therefore uninteresting. The only people who have sex are evil or at least severely flawed. Even Peggy an Alvin don't engage in telepathic conjugal relations! They're newlyweds--they should! The most intereting character, Calvin, becomes pathetic. One last complaint--I have yet to see a woman from history in this series. John Adams is there, but no Abigail. And Card seems unable to stick to one historical period; it's a mishmash of 1600s witch-trial Puritanism, the "founding fathers," Napoleon, and the beginnings of the Civil War. I've never been so disappointed in a series before.
Rating: 
Summary: This was a disappointing book.
Review: My expectations in this book were disappointed. The books opens as if it is the middle of a book and goes from there. In my opinion there wasn't a proper opening, just the middle and the end. I also feel that there was a lacking of purpose in this book. It does advance the story, but takes a long time to get there. The story could have been tightened up and included in the previous book. While I will buy and read the next book in the series. If this was the first book in the series, I wouldn't do so. All in all, a disappointing book that is not up to Mr. Card's usual standards.
Rating: 
Summary: The canvas increases
Review: Once again, we visit the alternate America of 150 years ago that Card created, where history has taken some odd turns, partly because of talents called "knacks." This tale has two storylines: Alvin and friends in the Puritan country of New England, and Margaret in the southern land of Camelot and King Arthur to combat slavery. Alvin is accused of witchcraft, put on trial by an evil witcher, and defended by Verily Cooper. Margaret has little luck convincing others to cease using slaves, but does have dealings with Calvin, Alvin's younger brother and possible assassin. As usual, the appreciation of this book is double: the people and the land they wander in. Here John Adams was never president but is the jurist who must preside at Alvin's trial, John Audubon runs afowl of John Stuart (Alvin's ward) who won't let him kill the birds he needs to paint, Honore de Balzac is charmed by Margaret and will help put France on the side of those opposing slavery, and King Arthur in Camelot yearns to be King of England rather than the Crown colonies in the Americas. At the end Alvin is reunited with his wife Margaret, the companions are planning their next steps to build the Crystal City, Calvin has gone off to contemplate the lessons he has learned, and war looms to decide the issue of slavery. Card is rumored to be working on the next volume in this series: I hope he moves it off the back burner -- soon. I haven't been this charmed by a series in a long time.
Rating:
Summary: The canvas increases
Review: Once again, we visit the alternate America of 150 years ago that Card created, where history has taken some odd turns, partly because of talents called "knacks." This tale has two storylines: Alvin and friends in the Puritan country of New England, and Margaret in the southern land of Camelot and King Arthur to combat slavery. Alvin is accused of witchcraft, put on trial by an evil witcher, and defended by Verily Cooper. Margaret has little luck convincing others to cease using slaves, but does have dealings with Calvin, Alvin's younger brother and possible assassin. As usual, the appreciation of this book is double: the people and the land they wander in. Here John Adams was never president but is the jurist who must preside at Alvin's trial, John Audubon runs afowl of John Stuart (Alvin's ward) who won't let him kill the birds he needs to paint, Honore de Balzac is charmed by Margaret and will help put France on the side of those opposing slavery, and King Arthur in Camelot yearns to be King of England rather than the Crown colonies in the Americas. At the end Alvin is reunited with his wife Margaret, the companions are planning their next steps to build the Crystal City, Calvin has gone off to contemplate the lessons he has learned, and war looms to decide the issue of slavery. Card is rumored to be working on the next volume in this series: I hope he moves it off the back burner -- soon. I haven't been this charmed by a series in a long time.
Rating:
Summary: The Stormin' Mormon is at it again!
Review: Orson Scott Card is a genious. While this addition to the Alvin Maker series is not the strongest of the 5 maker novels it is still a plunging venture into the world that is Alvin Maker. Once again, the story of Alvin unravels casting light on the intricasies within the power of seventh son of a seventh son. For the loyal Card reader, the novel is a quenching revisitation of the previous stories, and a delightful fling through another Alvin Maker fantasy experience. I can't wait for the next one!
Rating:
Summary: VERY GOOD BUT TIRED OF READING A SERMON
Review: ORSON SCOTT CARD IS A VERY GOOD WRITER AND I ENJOY EVERY BOOK HE PUTS OUT. ESPECIALLY THIS SERIES. HOWEVER IN THIS LATEST BOOK THE SUBJECT IS VERY GOOD AND WRITTEN WITH THE SAME PINACHE BUT I FEEL LIKE I AM READING A SERMON PART OF THE TIME. however still worth reading
Rating:
Summary: Almost sermonizing, struggles to contain the plot.
Review: Seems like we (and Alvin) think that Alvin is headed round the bend - he's so busy trying to be 'good' and keep sane, he's heading nowhere. We keep losing the thread of why he's wandering and have to be reminded occasionally of his aim. OK there were some nice touches in there, Audobon & Balzac especially, but I thought the trial was a bit too glib - I reckon that the pro-slavery contingent would have just taken over and had a hanging there & then in real life. But, if Alvin really is the second coming - I guess that makes it all OK. Enough of picky - the book is a good, flowing read, as most of the Alvin series are - Card is a master story-teller, dragging you into the soul of his characters, willing you to keep reading....
Rating:
Summary: Back to what Card does best
Review: Thank you unlce Orson for getting back to what you know how to do the best - create worlds and atmosphere unlike what we live in and fill it with larger than life characters. This is a wonderful book with the language of Hatrack river and sharp insight into a variety of human issues.
Rating:
Summary: Not the best book he's written. Still compelling
Review: The Alvin Maker series is one of the few series I will rush out to buy in hardback. I have just been fascinated with the first four books. So, when I saw 'Heartfire', I had to pick it up and purchase it right away. I liked this book a lot. It was not up to the standards of Seventh Son, and it was still good. Alvin going on trial again was a bit lame. The continuing development of the characters was nice, with at least 2 or 3 ongoing characters introduced and fleshed out. The book moved the story into new parts of Card's alternate North America and gave me a better sense of his worldview. The only downside is that this book was only a moving on experience, sort of like Back to the Future II. The main purpose of Heartfire seems to be to sell installment number 6. It was a good story. It just could have been a better story.
Rating: 
Summary: Acceleration is NOT the word for this product
Review: There's a point in almost any given fantasy series where it all grinds to a halt. The child prodigy grows up, characters accumulate, and the dialogue becomes about as interesting as oatmeal..that you ate yesterday. Orson Scott Card made his transition from an intriguing and thoughtful concept to Star-Trek movie camp in HEARTFIRE. But even while he resorts to tried and tired tricks--marriage, more characters--he manages to keep up the interest other his loyal readers.
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