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    Seventh Son: The Tales of Alvin Maker, Book One
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    Seventh Son: The Tales of Alvin Maker, Book One
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    Seventh Son: The Tales of Alvin Maker, Book One
    Ebook346 pages5 hours

    Seventh Son: The Tales of Alvin Maker, Book One

    By Orson Scott Card

    4/5

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    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    American Library Association "Best Books for Young Adults"

    From the author of Ender's Game, an unforgettable story about young Alvin Maker: the seventh son of a seventh son. Born into an alternative frontier America where life is hard and folk magic is real, Alvin is gifted with the power. He must learn to use his gift wisely. But dark forces are arrayed against Alvin, and only a young girl with second sight can protect him.

    Includes an excerpt of Orson Scott Card's new novel, THE LOST GATE!

    The Tales of Alvin Maker series
    Seventh Son
    Red Prophet
    Prentice Alvin
    Alvin Journeyman
    Heartfire
    The Crystal City

    At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherMacmillan Publishers
    Release dateSep 15, 2003
    ISBN9781429964937
    Unavailable
    Seventh Son: The Tales of Alvin Maker, Book One
    Author

    Orson Scott Card

    Orson Scott Card is best known for his science fiction novel Ender's Game and its many sequels that expand the Ender Universe into the far future and the near past. Those books are organized into the Ender Saga, which chronicles the life of Ender Wiggin; the Shadow Series, which follows on the novel Ender's Shadow and is set on Earth; and the Formic Wars series, written with co-author Aaron Johnston, which tells of the terrible first contact between humans and the alien "Buggers." Card has been a working writer since the 1970s. Beginning with dozens of plays and musical comedies produced in the 1960s and 70s, Card's first published fiction appeared in 1977--the short story "Gert Fram" in the July issue of The Ensign, and the novelette version of "Ender's Game" in the August issue of Analog. The novel-length version of Ender's Game, published in 1984 and continuously in print since then, became the basis of the 2013 film, starring Asa Butterfield, Harrison Ford, Ben Kingsley, Hailee Steinfeld, Viola Davis, and Abigail Breslin. Card was born in Washington state, and grew up in California, Arizona, and Utah. He served a mission for the LDS Church in Brazil in the early 1970s. Besides his writing, he runs occasional writers' workshops and directs plays. He frequently teaches writing and literature courses at Southern Virginia University. He is the author many science fiction and fantasy novels, including the American frontier fantasy series "The Tales of Alvin Maker" (beginning with Seventh Son), and stand-alone novels like Pastwatch and Hart's Hope. He has collaborated with his daughter Emily Card on a manga series, Laddertop. He has also written contemporary thrillers like Empire and historical novels like the monumental Saints and the religious novels Sarah and Rachel and Leah. Card's work also includes the Mithermages books (Lost Gate, Gate Thief), contemporary magical fantasy for readers both young and old. Card lives in Greensboro, North Carolina, with his wife, Kristine Allen Card. He and Kristine are the parents of five children and several grandchildren.

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    Reviews for Seventh Son

    4/5

    51 ratings36 reviews

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    • 3/5
      A story of 19th Century America-as-it-might-have-been, and of a little boy who is born the 7th son of a 7th son and with the potential to be a great power against the "unmaker" of the universe. The story is promising but I will probably not pursue this series because, frankly, I get very tired of Card's preachiness. He uses his characters to "hold forth" about his personal philosophies to an extent that I found wearing. Quite a pity, since this could have been an excellent book.
    • 3/5
      This book presents an alternate-history account of a nineteenth-century America in which magic is a potent force, the Brits quelled the revolution and the Indian plays a significant role. Our hero, Alvin, has supernatural powers and is only just beginning to understand their import and how to use them. More, later, I guess. It won a lot of awards, but to me was an average book. It kept my interest but did not inspire page turner status. Other characters support or attempt to destroy him. Let's go to book 2.
    • 3/5
      I remember getting the first three in this series as a Christmas present from my Grandad. I had meant him to get me the Homecoming series, he must have though I had left my sense behind asking for a native american/quaker fantasy... although it wasn't as bad as it sounds...
    • 3/5
      This is the first in Card's 'Alvin Maker' series.
      It takes place in an alternate Colonial America (one where Washington got beheaded for treason). The 'alternate history' elements, however, are incidental - the story itself has to do with one young boy, Alvin Jr, who's a seventh son of a seventh son, and has unusual powers, even in a large family who don't think that 'supernatural' powers are that unusual. Alvin swears, at a very young age, not to use his power for evil or selfish reasons - but nonetheless, there seems to be some power bent on his destruction.
      The book focuses more on moral and ethical dilemmas than on action - but it never failed to hold my interest. It also did a very good job of portraying religious people of varying beliefs without ever getting 'preachy' - although one might say that Card definitely says, here, that people can be good without being perfect, and that the righteous can also be mistaken.
    • 2/5
      Interesting premise, but even after 100 pages, I did not like it. Life's too short to continue, even though I loved this author's Ender books.
    • 4/5
      My father recommended this book to me, saying that it was an alternate history of American and native American history which caught my interest immediately. This book doesn't really touch upon it however, and focuses more on Alvin's childhood. The second book is where the alternate history will really be noticeably I'm told. I enjoyed this book a lot; it kept me engaged the whole book. The ending is a little ominous and I am eager to get my hands on the next book.
    • 4/5
      throughout it all, I kept trying to draw parallels between the plot and Joseph Smith. I'm not sure if those connections are supposed to be there, or if I'm just reading too much into it. Unfortunately, I don't know enough about Mormonism to really tell.

      It was a good story though, and I do want to keep going.
    • 4/5
      excellent start to a series. I enjoyed the unique look at good vs. evil and magic in frontier America. I will definitely be reading more from this series.
    • 5/5
      Card's historical America-that-could-have-been is well thought out and beautifully described. Each character adds to the story in such a way that also helps to make the country grow, just as what would happen in a new place with new ideas, only as readers we get to experience it intimately. When you read you feel as if you know the characters, their families and situations just as if you had stopped in for dinner on a long journey to somewhere new. Descriptions are written as they would have been thought up in the time, adding to the natural feel of the story.The culture created around this alternate America was clearly well thought out. You have the magical aspect that is rooted in superstition and tradition pushing against the Christian ideas that are introduced as the country grows and churches are built where there was once only open country and a few houses. Neither one is right or wrong over the other, they simply both exist and although there are some families that clearly pick one over the other, it is also good to see homes like Alvin's where tradition and the church have found a way to survive together as an accepted way of life. Could the magical way have been real at one point in time and we simply lost that ability to recognize it? Reading Seventh Son certainly can make you believe it would all have been possible.I have both the book and the audio version (read by Nana Visitor) and though I know the story well, I find myself regularly turning on the audio or picking up the book to experience everything over again. The audio is so beautifully delivered that when reading the actual book, my mind hears the audio as I read, making both experiences even more magical as they are joined together. This is a story that does not get old, a reader can easily relive it with fondness and wonder again and again.
    • 4/5
      This is a fantasy set in an alternate history America--which is part of what makes it so fun. OK, a lot of what makes it so fun. Things seem to have split off from our Timeline at the time of the English Civil War. There's a Lord Protector and Crown Colonies in 1800--but also an American Compact. Benjamin Franklin was reputed a wizard, George Washington was beheaded for treason and Thomas Jefferson a guerrilla fighter, and in American territories Native Americans are full citizens. Oh, and there's magic. One with a definite American folk magic feel. It's a world oh so different than the usual faux Medieval European fantasies that you so commonly find. And here we have Alvin the Maker--Seventh Son of a Seventh Son. The book opens with his birth and the novel follows him until he's ten years old. Alvin is magical. At one point he makes an oath to use his magic only for others--which so annoyed I was ready to drop the book. What's so wrong with doing for yourself, or so good about doing for others? Doesn't it matter more whether what you do to yourself or others causes harm? But that oath has consequences. And I was particularly charmed by the character of Tailswapper--an alternate universe William Blake, the famous poet and engraver. It's never stated outright, but it's a nice touch. This definitely left me wanting to find out what happens next in this world.
    • 2/5
      While I enjoy most alternative histories to see what if, this book has a brick to it that I would like to avoid. Card develops a good history for the US, but the problem I run into is his insistence of handing one of his characters the brick of religion that he smacks into each of the characters, though more frequently the reader. I understand that the character is a preacher, but I don't want to be preached AT when reading a book. I had plans of continuing with this series, but now doubt that will happen.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      I didn't know hardly anything about the story of Alvin Maker before jumping into this book. I knew it was some sort of fantasy adventure story set in the early days of America's history and westward expansion. What I didn't know is that this was an Alternate History story set in a world with a slightly different timeline of events as well as different notions and ideals. For example, the Revolutionary War that we know happened a bit differently in this story and there ended up being only 7 states in the new United States as well as a number of different countries created from the other colonies and territories. In addition to the different history (which I suspect may play a larger part in future books?) there is also the presence of magic and supernatural occurrences. People are said to have "knacks" which enable them to see or do different things. The book starts by introducing us to a young "Torch", a girl named Peggy who is able to see the various "elements" of things and people, especially their heart. She is also able to see possibilities in a person's life. As such, they like to have her present when a child is born so she can look into the heart of the baby and get some sense as to the future potential of the child and where the child may need help or guidance. It is through her that we meet the title character of the book, young Alvin Miller Jr, the Seventh Son of a Seventh Son. Peggy sees his heart fire from a distance while still in his mother's womb and then is present at his birth and through her "knack" she saves his life during the birthing process. She sees a myriad of possible futures for him all fraught with threats and dangers but also with great potential. She sees his possible future as a "Maker", a person with a special knack to not only see or influence people or events but also to literally change and create things. As Alvin and his family move away from Peggy's family, there is a suggestion that Peggy will be a part of Alvin's life in the future.Through this book we follow Alvin as he grows from baby until about 10 years old with most of the story focusing on him and his family once he's a 10 year old boy. They are living in a small wilderness village that is just starting to grow. A pastor from England has recently arrived and is building a church and trying to quell the superstitious beliefs in magic and "knacks." A wandering man named "Taleswapper" has arrived in town and spends the season living with the Millers and helping out. There are a number of interesting adventures that suggest perhaps Alvin's life has a greater purpose and potential than anyone knows. He is frequently in deadly situations and escapes death through some inexplicable event. There are also some supernatural occurrences in the form of visions and visitations influencing the actions of the characters.Seventh Son is filled with a lot of interesting ideas in a unique and creative setting. I enjoy the idea of early America mixed with real magic (as opposed to the magic scares of the Salem witch trials and other events). I'm not quite sure what to make of the alternate history in terms of different political boundaries or historical events. They don't seem to add anything to the story at this point. Perhaps the alternate history will have more bearing on the future books in this 6-book series. While this isn't a high fantasy world I do enjoy and applaud Card for the creative world of magic and mysticism that he's created here. There are some cool and intriguing rules and behavior that make this a unique tale.My only complaint is that I wanted the story to keep going. There is definitely a lot of meat in this book in terms of character, setting and general world/plot development. But I really wanted the story to go farther before this first book ended. I'm told that this book series was originally envisioned as a short story (or a shorter series of books) but as Card undertook the writing, he just felt the work explode around him and provide so much material. I don't feel like he was dragging his feet in any means but I think I wanted more to happen in this first book. Still, the overall story is fabulous and I am eagerly looking forward to continuing on to find out what happens to Alvin next. At this point I am definitely hooked.****4 out of 5 stars
    • 4/5
      Overall, I was impressed. I expected less, and was pleased with the result. There's a lot of directions Card could have taken this, but overall, he did a good job. There are definitely parallels between this story and the life of Joseph Smith, but it's not a blatant cut-and-paste of history combined with his own imagination.
    • 4/5
      This is story of young Alvin Miller, the powerful seventh son of a seventh son, who lives in an alternate-history version of early America where folk magic and religion exist, often uneasily, side by side. There's not really a great deal to the plot, and this is clearly only the opening chapter in Alvin's story, so there's not a neatly satisfying ending. But for all that, I enjoyed it. The magic and history of this world were interesting enough in themselves to keep me reading, and the characters and their lives are grounded in enough detail to feel real. It's also quite well written, with a touch of rustic dialect that's handled deftly enough to create just the right atmosphere, but never laid on thickly enough to become annoying. Like some of Card's other works, this one is clearly influenced by his religious background -- there are prophets and angels, apparently, and perhaps some theological points to be made -- but those elements fit the fantasy world of the book well, and various religious attitudes are handled in a fairly thoughtful and nuanced way. It's certainly a far cry from Card's dire and tedious Mormons in Space books (or, as he calls it, the Homecoming series).I think I'm probably going to have to seek out the rest of these.
    • 3/5
      Too bad it wasn't only from one point-of-view...
    • 3/5
      Very interesting story. Easy to read. Looking forward to the rest of the Alvin Maker books.
    • 5/5
      I highly enjoyed it. The idea of folk magic being real, and in direct opposition to Protestant Christianity is very interesting. Card makes great use of dialect. I was very aware of it, but it wasn't hard to read and really added to the story. It's true that the loose ends aren't completely tied up at the end, but it does make for a good cliffhanger. I still found the ending to be satisfying, though.
    • 5/5
      In some ways, the Alvin Maker series is superior to the Ender series. People are always searching for the American Tolkien, a sweeping story that will incorporate the mythos of America in the way Tolkien captured the Celtic, Norse and Germanic traditions that came to influence English society. Make no mistake, Alvin Maker does not reach that high bar. But it still does something magical. The book feels distinctly American. It does not shy away from the mistakes and tragedies of early American history, yet the message is overall positive. It shows us in the light of what we can be at our greatest. More importantly, Alvin Maker makes for a damn good story.
    • 4/5
      I'm not sure what I was really expecting from this book. All I knew about it was that it had something to do with early America, and magic. I ended up really liking it. It was more religious than books I normally read, but not in a preachy way. I really liked the way every character or force in the book could be, by the end of the story, categorized into good or bad, maker or unmaker. I felt the maker vs. unmaker (order vs. chaos) dichotomy was much deeper and more interesting than good vs. evil.I'm not sure I agree with the book's ideas on fire vs. water, however. While water can certainly be destructive, it is often necessary for making as well. And I'm not sure I can think of any way in which fire makes things. Maybe this will develop in later books.
    • 4/5
      An interesting premise. I enjoyed the characters, the story was a bit thin but it is setting up a series. Looking forward to reading the rest of the series.
    • 5/5
      I have seen this series compared to Stephen R. Donaldson's Thomas Covenant series, and I can see why; the scope of the saga that begins here is every bit as broad, and the stakes for the world as high. The main difference here, and the one that might make it more appealing to YA readers, is that this journey begins with the birth of Alvin Maker. Following Alvin from his childhood makes him an even more accessible character for YA readers, and gives great sense of depth to the story. The setting, also, makes this series even more appealing; here is a world we recognize--an America not so very different from the one we live in, which makes it even easier for the reader to suspend disbelief and sink into this alternate world. Readers can't help but want more when they reach the end of this first installment in Alvin Maker's life.
    • 4/5
      The Tales of Alvin Maker are very interesting alternate history books. While not a retelling of the life of the founder of the Mormon church, Joseph Smith, Jr. , they contain many elements that are meant to remind people of him. Card is a Mormon, and his books ring with Mormon theology in many of the same ways that the Narnia books resonate with a more traditional Christian faith. That is not to say that you need to be a Mormon to appreciate his work (I am not), but I found I liked it better when I thought about the stories in the light of Mormon understandings. I give the series as a whole 5/5, but this is not the best book in the series. And, as a warning, I would encourage young children away from this work. I might say that in my opinion the series as a whole has a PG-13 rating. This book may not be too bad but further down the series there are some rather graphic scenes.
    • 4/5
      Alvin Miller, Jr is the seventh son of a seventh son. He’s born into an alternate version of 19th Century America–one in which the Revolutionary War hasn’t happened and where folk magic is a strong, powerful and very real force.Alvin is a maker, a strong and potentially powerful force in the world. And he’s got an equally strong, unrelenting enemy, the Unmaker who stop at nothing to ensure Alvin doesn’t grow up and into his power. Much of the novel looks at the efforts the Unmaker uses to try and destroy Alvin. It also examines the story of how Alvin comes to realize he has abilities and how he can and can’t use them. At one point, Alvin selfishly uses some cockroaches to terrorize his sisters, leading to several fo them dying. At this point, Alvin makes a vow to not use his powers for selfish gains, a decision that becomes pivotal in the final stages of the novel.As with “Ender’s Game” the strength of Orson Scott Card’s story is his ability to relate authentic, believable young characters. While not quite as complex as Ender, Alvin is still interesting and relatable while still feeling and acting like a young boy would in the circusmtances. Alvin doesn’t seem to realize he has a destiny, though he does realize he has something that sets him apart from others around him.The story is far more episodic than “Ender’s Game” though. The first portion of the novel, relating the day Alvin, Jr is born was originally a short story. Card then decided to expand the universe and does so here, as we check in with Alvin at various other points in his life. It ends up feeling a bit too episodic at times and while the novel is supposed to introduce us to Alvin and his universe, I still can’t help coming away feeling like the overall experience was incomplete. Alvin learns to use his powers, yes. And we know that the Unmaker is after Alvin, set to destroy him. But beyond that, nothing much really happens to Alvin, except for a number of potential attacks on him that we get to see Alvin avert. A few more happen off stage as well, referenced by various characters during the course of the story.This feels like a long prologue to a greater saga. I know there are five other novels in the story but I found myself yearning for something a bit more substantial once the final page was turned. It’s easy now that I can go out and find the next book, but I imagine those who read the story when it was first published walked away frustrated at having to wait at least a year for the next installment to hit bookstores.
    • 4/5
      My personal feelings about the author aside. This first book was a fun read. Unfortunately, each successive book in the series got more and more disappointing.
    • 4/5
      Alvin Maker is the seventh son of a seventh son, which means that in this Alternate History 19th century America, he has great powers.He is born while his family is traveling out West, just as his brother clings to the last bits of his life before being rushed away in a river. Seventh Son takes us on a journey through Alvin's life, as Alvin contests the Unmaker, a sort of Satan-like adversary.Alvin is helped along the way by Peggy, a torch, Alvin's senior by five years, as well as Alvin's older brother, Measure. The Unmaker, however, is assisted by a wayward preacher by the name of Thrower.This book takes us on a journey through Alvin's early life, just as he is beginning to learn what Making truly is. We meet interesting historical characters alongside the fictional ones, such as Taleswapper, who is one William Blake. Seeded throughout are other gems sure to be appreciated by most history buffs.This book is sure to be a delight among fans of fantasy, alternate history, as well as other works by Card.
    • 3/5
      An interesting concept for an alternate-history America, but the whole book felt kind of flat to me. The characters were real enough, the plot if fairly light-weight (more of a prelude for later books), but I didn't get sucked in the way I did with Ender.
    • 3/5
      Alvin Maker is the seventh son of a seventh son, he has the gift of creating. He has an enemy - water -Also a fundamentalist preacher who doesn't believe in these paranormal gifts is trying to save Alvin.
    • 5/5
      The Alvin Maker series starts with Seventh Son, the story of Alvin Maker, Jr. He is the seventh son of a seventh son in a world where this holds great powers. For those who are interested in alternative histories, beliefs and folktales, this is one for you as well.While this first book is more an introduction to characters and has little plot in and of itself, I still found myself completely wrapped up in it. Perhaps that is the writer in me, wanting to learn how characters are created and developed. I did not want to put this book down, as I wanted to know everything there was to know about little Alvin, Taleswapper, and the other secondary characters in the family and the community. And I did learn a lot, but not enough.While there are certainly aspects of this tale for which I can foresee outcomes, I still am desperate to find out what I can’t even begin to predict. There is one question in my mind that I have little clue how Card will handle as Alvin grows into a man. I know that Little Peggy will play a role in future books, but to what extent?
    • 3/5
      I am a big fan of Orson Scott Card and a big fan of alternative history. While Card's story telling is always strong, I feel that this book was almost a prelude to the rest of the series (although admittedly I have not read any more yet). It is a quick read that did not seem to climax at any point. With the "prelude" out of the way I look forward to giving the next book in the series a chance to excite.
    • 3/5
      This might be a great series, but I did not like this book. It read more like a setup than a story.