Rating: 
Summary: Good introduction to the series
Review: I first read this several years ago, but I recently got the new book and the series and thought I should re-read the others before starting it. This book was good even the second time.This book is a little short, and the plot doesn't really have much of a resolution, it really just serves as an introduction to the story of Alvin Maker. And it does this very well. The reader is introduced to a world where many superstitions are true, where the seventh son of a seventh son is powerful force, and becomes the focus of the story. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a good fantasy series, but don't try to read it as a stand-alone story.
Rating:
Summary: Mormonism's Magical Roots
Review: After buying Orson Scott Card's <Seventh Son> as a stocking stuffer for my son, I was surprised to discover that it was first published in 1987, the same year D. Michael Quinn's pathbreaking scholarly study, <Early Mormonism and the Magic World View>, appeared. Other reviewers have noted that many aspects of <Seventh Son> have analogs in the life of Joseph Smith, Jr., the founder of Mormonism. I would have to agree. As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (and a student of early Mormonism), I can't help but feel that Card is here attempting to both understand and explain the cultural and religious landscape of early America that produced the spiritual visionary Joseph Smith.
Rating: 
Summary: Alternative history/fantasy...worth reading!
Review: Im a big fan of "alternative history" novels like "Guns of the South" etc...that is why I really got into the first two to three books of this series. Seventh Son, the first novel in the series, is excellent. Definitely a "must read" for the fans of the fantasy genre. I love the creativity that has gone into reworking the history of the United States and famous Americans of the period like Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson etc..
The quality of the series drops off after book three, so I would be tempted to stop after that. But the deterioration of the quality of the series doesnt mean that Seventh Son isnt worth reading.
Rating:
Summary: Nice! Read it!
Review: I loved Seventh Son. The characters are colorful and deep, none have only one dimension. The hero, Alvin Jr., knows mischief and selfishness like any child does, and Preacher Thrower, who is unknowingly working for mankind's greatest enemy, is a kind man at heart. This novel is obviously an introductory novel, and does a great job of presenting the characters and themes. I can't wait to read the rest of this series!!
Rating: 
Summary: And the Story is?
Review: When I got done with this book I thought of it as a kind of preface perhaps, considering it just gives the background for the main characters - Alvin Miller Jr., Peggy (not much of a main character now, but she will be in the other books) and Taleswapper. In the book Card tells what the "powers" of a 7th son of a 7th son are, and tells about the "unmaker" who constantly tries to kill young Alvin. Anyway, I believe this book is a preface because there is no adventure or story.
Rating:
Summary: Why a seperate volume? slow start, promises much
Review: First off- the problems:
The book is written in a colloquial style (1800 USA) that, at first, is distracting and hard to read. Occasionally sentences which might sound fine read aloud look odd and a hard to read when written. After a while one gets used to it (or Card eases up a bit) and it ceases to be a problem.
Secondly- I am not sure why this is a separate book, except for the obvious commercial possibilities. It seems to me that with a little editing, this could be "part one" of a larger book (this is only a couple hundred pages after all). Instead you are forced to fork over your money for what would be the first 4 chapters of any other book. However, the tale does unfold (ohhhh so slowly) in a nice way. The concept of a North America after a failed 1776 revolution is interesting, and one hopes that Card explores this more in future volumes. The characters are a little wooden, only the "Taleswapper" seems to escape one dimensionality. In the end the fact that this book is 100% set up makes it rate a "not worth buying but worth checking out of the public library" for me.
Rating:
Summary: Heavy Destiny at his Watery Birth
Review: Card's first book in the Alvin Maker trilogy lures and quickly hooks the reader into a realm of dark fantasy, set in frontier America. Plunging into an alternative version of our colonial history, the story delineates realistic characters who are trapped in a universe of unexplored and uncharted wilderness--both geographic and moral. Their battle is greater than the usual God vs Satan struggle as denounced from New England pulpits. Subtle, mysterious forces focus on the birth of a baby during a river in sudden flood. As the child matures it becomes apparent that he is the pawn of powers greater than even the preacher imagined. Al, Jr. becomes the fulcrum of of a metaphysical tug of war, soon realizing that he has been gifted (or cursed) with special powers as the seventh son of a seventh son. But how will he use them, since Water seems to be his personal nemesis? The boy is safe nowhere... It's not easy for readers to identify the forces of good and evil in this particular struggle for the boy's soul. His world is layered with superstition, Indian folklore and the immortal forces who maniupulate humans casually in the pursuit of their diabolical agendas. The only thing constanst is that we desire Alvin Jr. to survive, but which side will ultimately claim him in the primordial spiritual battle? Does he even have a choice? Protected by his family, a traveling Taleswapper and an unknown girl who can "see" the future (or variants thereof), Alvin at 6 discovers that he has the Knack. Yet he is never safe from the predatory seeping of water or the fluctuating evil designs of his own father, who truly adores him, but is occasionally compelled to harm him. Expand your fantasy horizons, by
embracing this different American history--one which might have been--interspersed with Folks who have special psychic talents:
to Fend, to Ward, to Hex for safety, who instantly respect a Torch or a Maker. What on earth--or under--is viciously seeking to Unmake creation itself and destroy Christian harmony? Can one smalll boy the earth?
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic Fantasy
Review: I loved this book and have read the entire series. I wanted to write a review after seeing what someone said about this being based on the Book of Mormon. That's not true! It's inspired by the Mormon Prophet, Joseph Smith... well, sort-of. You can't even tell, unless you know a lot about him. (Alvin, for example, was the name of one of Joseph Smith's brothers.) I loved the evil religious zealots in here who hated the "knacks" that Alvin had and their hatred for any use of spells by anyone, even if the spells were really useful and helped people. They're modeled after the Mormon haters who raped, killed and destroyed property, partly because Mormons were growing quickly and were anti-slavery in a slave state, but also because they didn't like Joseph's "Gold Bible" (golden plates). (Later in the series, Alvin makes a living "golden plow"! HA!). The villains are really obnoxious, which really makes you root for Alvin. There are several things in here that only Mormons would get, but I thought they were there just so Mormons would see them and it makes it more fun. They don't detract from the enjoyment in any way and non-mormons won't even notice them. There's no preaching about how everyone should read the Book of Mormon or become a Mormon! The evil in this book is universally human and the character is trying to do good and is not a Mormon at all. In fact, he visits a Native American religious leader at one point in the series. There are so many close-minded people in the world and these characters fighting against Alvin were aggrivating and created tension largely because they were realistic. Alvin's powers (and everyone else's actually) really make this book fun. It's an alternate universe of 19nth century America, except way more exciting. I highly recommend this.
Rating:
Summary: Card's religious foray into a parallel 19th century....
Review: I'm assuming that most people reading this review are fans of Card's Ender's Game and are wondering what else he has been up to. This book takes place on the western frontier of America circa 1801. In this parallel universe an alternate history has been written that is similar to our own but here common folk have magical powers that make life a little more interesting. Alvin is the seventh son of a seventh son and this is powerful and special birthright in this universe. This story is the first of five and much of it is exposition for the series. A couple of things make this world interesting and Card's creativity shines through. Individuals in this world have special powers that range in power and usefullness. Some people have the ability to make a spark and light fires, one person has the abiltiy to find the best point to dig a well. Others have knacks for making protective hexes, or seeing your soul (called heartfire). Of course Alvin is not your average kid and his powers exceed and surprise thorugout the story in various entertaining manners. I really like the way Alvin is a character with exceptional morals dealing with various forces while trying to understand his adolescent view of the world. This first book sets the stage for two excellent followups before Card looses some steam and goes awry. The fourth book is average and the fifth book is downright bad. The family interaction is precious and Card gets away from this later on. The religious aspect of this series is it's biggest downfall and the books where religion is more prominent are the weekest of the series. The Alvin Makers series is a loosely based on the Book of Mormon and Card tends to get a bit preachy at times (especially in the first book). This takes the book down a star as Card's dogma isnt necessary to the story or the actions of the characters. There are also mixed and hypocritical religious views within the stories that are too complex to go into here and needless to say religious zealots, born-again Christians and Orthodox Jews might get offended. Bottom Line: This is good stuff if you can stomach the preaching and sentimental corniness. Books 2 and 3 are the Jewel of the series but these aren't really stand alone books.
Rating:
Summary: Worth Reading Seven Times
Review: My experience of Card's fiction has been limited to the first four Ender books. Card's weekly reviews and essays show a man with intelligence and perspicacity, and made me look forward greatly to Seventh Son. I was not disappointed. Seventh Son presents us with an early 19th century America where Oliver Cromwell lived to 97, which kept the Protectorate alive and prevented the Restoration. The bulk of the action takes place near the Wabash River in our Indiana, and there are plenty of references to William Henry Harrison, Tecumseh, Jefferson, Patrick Henry, et al., and a very moving story of George Washington. Poet William Blake appears as a major character and Ben Franklin has a cameo. The true heart of the story revolves less around characters than around the relationship between people and God, between Good and Evil, and humanity's ability or lack thereof to distinguish between them. Organized religion does not fare too well here, so those easily offended by criticisms of Christian churches would do well to avoid this one. Those open to discussions of spirituality, however, are well-served here. The characters serve as conduits for said discussion - at times subtly. We are not hit over the head with it, but it is truly the major theme of the novel. This is not Ender's Game or Speaker for the Dead, however. There are some flaws, not least of which is that in many ways the novel reads like Ender's Game or Speaker for the Dead transplanted to the American frontier. There is a similar focus on family dynamics and child prodigy Alvin is a bit too much like Ender (well, let's be honest, he is indistinguishable from Ender). Card's narrative also slips in and out of dialect, presumably as the point of view shifts between characters but not always consistently, resulting an occasional "clunky" style as another reviewer has commented. Neither problem changes the fact that Seventh Son is worth the time of anyone who enjoys intellectually provocative literature.
| 
