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Heartfire (Tales of Alvin Maker #5)

3.64 of 5 stars 3.64 · rating details · 7,256 ratings · 116 reviews

Peggy is a Torch, able to see the fire burning in each person's heart. From the moment of Alvin Maker's birth, when the Unmaker first strove to kill him, she has protected him. Now they are married. But Alvin's destiny has taken them on separate journeys. But only one slender path exists that leads through the bloodshed, and it is Peggy's quest to set the world on that pat...more

336 pages

Published 2001 by Orbit (first published 1998)

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Dec 31, 2012 Nathan Burgoine rated it 2 of 5 stars

Note: I won't be finishing this series, given the author's homophobic stance - I'm not going to fill his pockets. But these were my thoughts on the book before I knew how horrible a man the author was:

Though not quite as up to snuff as the other books in the Alvin Maker series to date, this one wins praise for paying as much attention to Verily Cooper and Peggy the Torch as it does to Alvin and Calvin themselves.

Peggy is taking on slavery, trying to use her gift to see the possible futures of pe...more

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Oct 25, 2012 Sherri rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In this the 5th book and the penultimate in the Alvin Maker series, Card takes us on the road with Alvin Maker and his friends Arthur Stuart, Mike Fink and Verily Cooper (named after the scripture, 'Verily I say unto you...).

Alvin and his group of friends travel into the country of New England to get some answers about the Crystal City Alvin wants to build. This is dangerous as New England is known for its laws against practicing witches. While Alvin isn't a witch, he knows that the powers he ho...more

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Jan 03, 2011 Juli rated it 5 of 5 stars

Well, it's consistent, I like the odd numbered books in this series best. This was excellent. While book 4 dragged in places, book 5 had a great pace. The new characters introduced were well developed and added nicely to the story overall. I enjoy that few of Card's characters are all bad - they're complex, as real people are. Some of the characters that disgusted me at the beginning of the story fascinated me by the end. I also loved the imagery used, especially with the slaves and their heartf...more

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Nov 05, 2012 Brandon rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: completed-books-brandon

This series is starting to get a bit disappointing. In Heartfire, Calvin didn't quite make the waves that I hoped he would. Instead, Card produced another average book in the series that from start to finish makes little progress in the overall conflict. And the overall conflict seems mediocre at this point as well - the conflict is simply how Alvin will build the Crystal City someday. I understand that Card meant to write an American epic poem or something and that perhaps he succeeded. However...more

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Oct 28, 2012 Katie rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Alvin Maker series just gets better. This episode we get witch trials, the struggle to end slavery, new intriguing characters that sort of dovetail with the Ender book I just read, A War of Gifts, and some movement toward a resolution, better or worse, with Alvin's brother Calvin, his seeming opposite so much of the time. I also get many giggles out of the alternate history aspects. When "Tom Jefferson" and John and John Quincy Adams and (view spoiler) appear or get...more

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Sep 05, 2009 Joy rated it 3 of 5 stars

5th in the Alvin Maker series. Alvin and his friends travel to New England, renowned for its virtue, and comes up against the New England witch hunters. They twist a natural knack to be seen as Satanic witchery. In the meantime Peggy travels to Camelot, a kingdom ruled by the exiled King of England, where slavery flourishes. Alvin's brother Calvin follows Peggy to see if he can use her against Alvin. All of them confront the looming war, the only path to the destruction of the institution of sla...more

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Apr 13, 2009 Michael rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audio-book, fantasy, series-challenge, read-in-2009

After a rather lackluster entry for the fourth installment, I had high hopes Orson Scott Card's Tales of Alvin Maker would get back on track in book five.

Yes and no.

Yes, the story actually moves the overall plot arc forward a bit. But it also suffers from the same criticism I head of "Alvin Journeyman"--too much time spent philosophizing about the current state of things or having debates that don't really do much in terms of plot progression or character revelation.

I get it, already....Calvin...more

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Jun 21, 2011 Splen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: anyone

Recommended to Splen by: nobody, fan of O.S.C.

Shelves: orson-scott-card

O.S.C. re-imagines an American historical period wherein
various groups of Americans (including Native Americans)
are imaginatively imbued with powers over nature,
a.k.a. 'knacks' and Folk-magic.
I say it is lovely.

Primarily Fantasy.
Also, Science Fiction -> Alternate History.

I first read and purchased (in Paperback)
the first five volumes of this series
a few months before Volume VI, the final book, was published
near its release on November 10th, 2003.
(I purchased the First Edition Hardcover o...more

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Jan 17, 2011 Shivering William rated it 3 of 5 stars

I could go into the subtleties--the similarities with past books in the series, what sets it apart, is Card repeating himself, does this even move the story forward. But honestly, I'm not sure this book warrants discussion. I honestly think it only deserves two stars, but because it's a cut above the rest of the fantasy out there, I'll give it a break.

But really, I don't think anything changed between this book and the last (besides a few choice moments with Gula Joe), and isn't that ultimately...more

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Oct 16, 2010 Bjoern rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010-reads, alternate-history, fantasy

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. As the years have gone by so also Orson Scott Card's writing has matured. This is a more adult Alvin than ever, calm, sophisticated, but nonetheless still devoted to his great goal, the building of the crystal city nobody could tell him how he would manage or where he would have to try.

And so while his wife is far away in the south, fighting against slavery and for the simple decency of treating no human being as a household good, Alvin sits through a spectacular process against witchcraft - his...more As the years have gone by so also Orson Scott Card's writing has matured. This is a more adult Alvin than ever, calm, sophisticated, but nonetheless still devoted to his great goal, the building of the crystal city nobody could tell him how he would manage or where he would have to try.

And so while his wife is far away in the south, fighting against slavery and for the simple decency of treating no human being as a household good, Alvin sits through a spectacular process against witchcraft - his own witchcraft or "knack" and his observations of the whole proceedings show quite unfavorable that every witchhunt will be successful, because when all the stops are pulled out there are only people left that have much to loose and some will be the most eager to sacrifice others just to stay unmolested themselves, until nobody is safe anymore. But there's also a point against bending the law to your likings, just because you feel uncomfortable with how the laws read, it could uproot the whole society if it is driven too far. The whole painting of society and society's faults shows a marvelous insight in 19th century America and the puritan set of mind, while at the same time argueing generally against bigottry, selfishness and self-deceit.

The other half of the story, Peggys fight against the enslavement of blacks in the southern kingdom of exiled King Arthur, includes similar moral lessons without driving them home by force but more by the comparrison of virtue and sinful behavior, by contrasting Peggy and Calvin who also dwells in Camelot at the same time, but whose motives aren't nearly as noble and whose acts are rather disgusting. When both find the leads to a terrible chapter of slavery in this world - slaves giving up their selves just to be able to live through oppression and humiliation - their different methods show most clearly in that Calvin from the start wants to use this secret to obtain his own ends whereas Margaret just wants to free the Slaves from this self-inflicted mutiliation of their souls out of misery for them. And so Calvin will find himself turned helpless by the very thing he wanted to use as his instrument, while Peggy finds herself before the choosing between Alvins future and Calvins existance.

So... right when the series reached a point where Alvin better must find what he's looking for, else his "search" would grow stale and start to bore more than entertain, Card found a way to introduce just another dilemma without interfering too much into the general storyline. There's lot of morale in this book, a big shot of religions too, but never so much to turn away the avid reader from watching how ... casually Alvin, the redneck in person, the simple minded fellow from the outback woods of "Hio", deals with questions of life and death, of faith and sin. It's already made up in his mind so there's no bothering nor fear with how it COULD come out in the end. and his steady course through this troubled waters gives the reader a holding line to which to cling while enjoying both sides arguments or deeds. Okay, most of the time that's easy... a foaming irrate irrational witchhunter or a slaveholder are no persons one could feel connected to these days, but then they DO have the laws on their side or they have the power to command the laws be rewritten as they wish.

This Story about the clash of born or natural authority against the grasped or organized authority of the ill-meaning profiteers could have turned sour from too much lecture, but at least this time Card managed to sweeten the story with his characters, their world views and the wonderful contemporary atmosphere he brings before the readers inner eye. And all the time telling a "what if" type story about how the world would have changed if almost everybody would have access to supernatural powers...(less)

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Apr 08, 2009 Nicholas Whyte added it

http://nhw.livejournal.com/282327.html[return][return]This is the fifth book in a fantasy series where traditional European folk magic is real and working in early nineteenth century America. For the first time, a helpful map shows that New England remains a puritan, law-based protectorate of England (still under Commonwealth rule) with John Quincy Adams in charge and his elderly father John as a senior judge; after the sudden death of his predecessor, William Henry Harrison, Andrew Jackson pres...more

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May 29, 2010 Werner rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans of alternate-world fantasy

Shelves: alternate-worlds, fantasy, books-i-own

This fifth volume of the series finds Alvin and Peggy now married, and expecting the birth of their first child, but separated for much of the book by separate missions far apart geographically. His continuing quest for understanding of how to build the "Crystal City" of his vision will take him and his small group of companions to New England, to observe a model human community founded on solidly moral and religious principles. But this is a New England where the Puritan theocracy never fell, a...more This fifth volume of the series finds Alvin and Peggy now married, and expecting the birth of their first child, but separated for much of the book by separate missions far apart geographically. His continuing quest for understanding of how to build the "Crystal City" of his vision will take him and his small group of companions to New England, to observe a model human community founded on solidly moral and religious principles. But this is a New England where the Puritan theocracy never fell, and which still hangs "witches" --including anybody who has any visible supernatural knack. Meanwhile, Peggy still hopes to emancipate the slaves AND prevent the looming bloody war over slavery that all the possible threads of the futures she foresees tell her is impending. That will take her on a journey to Camelot (known in our world as Charleston, SC) to seek an audience with the King-in-exile, a mission as dangerous in its own way as Alvin's. And in the background (and sometimes the foreground) is always the wild card posed by Alvin's jealous younger brother Calvin, possessed of significant but untrained powers as a Maker himself, but capricious, vain and lacking in morals and maturity.

A lot of the trademark strengths of this series are evident here, including Card's strong storytelling skills, sometimes singing prose, and attention to ethical and psychological verities. The latter underlies his outstanding characterizations, both of his wholly fictional characters --new ones here include the slave girl Fishy, the confused and conflicted Purity, and the malevolent witch hunter Micah Quill (whom you want to reach into the page and strangle)-- and the ones who are counterparts of real people in our world, with the same personalities but their situations changed by the changed circumstances here, including Honore de Balzac, John James Audubon, Denmark Vesey, and an aged John Adams. (Readers should remember that this is a version of history in which Adams and Jefferson didn't reconcile in old age; so the jaundiced view of Jefferson that Adams expresses, and the ideas he attributes to him, don't necessarily reflect Card's own view.) And a strong point of his characterizations is the recognition of the mixture of good and bad, saint and sinner, that can live in us all. "There's no one who doesn't have memories he wishes he didn't have," Peggy says at one point. "And there are crimes that arise from --from decent desires gone wrong, from justified passions carried too far. Crimes that began only as mistakes. I've learned never to judge people. Of course I judge whether they're dangerous or not, or whether they did right or wrong, how can anyone live without judging? What I mean is, I can't condemn them. A few, yes, a few who love the suffering of others, or who never think of others at all, worthless souls who exist only to satisfy themselves. But those are rare. Do you even know what I'm talking about?" (I think I can answer that with an affirmative, from my own observations of life!)

This time, though, I didn't give the book the five stars I gave the preceding series volumes. That's only because I felt Card dropped the ball by not paying attention to some significant details, both in his world-building and his chronology. The previous book was explicitly clear that Appalachee had been admitted to the U.S. as a slave state (in fact, Jackson, who was from there, became President in that book). But at the outset here, we're told that the question of Appalachee's admission to the U.S., and the continuation of slavery there, are still moot points (and a serious bone of contention between the U.S. and the Crown Colonies). For a reader who takes the details of the alternate world seriously, and regards Card's attention to alternate history as a strength of the series and a key part of its appeal, that kind of sloppy mistake is a defect of craftsmanship that bulks large --and should, because I think readers should demand attention to detail from writers! Also, in the earlier part of the book, Card appears to forget that given the chronology here, Arthur Stuart is only twelve years old --his voice wouldn't be changing at that age nor, probably, would he have been interested in girls (kids in that era weren't fed on hormone- drenched meat, and didn't suffer from precocious puberty as a result). But those flaws didn't keep me from really liking the book!

A major interpretive issue with this series is the role Card's Mormon beliefs play into it, and to what extent Alvin is a clone of our world's Joseph Smith (not, IMO, a very big extent, though a comparison exists). The only indication of a direct influence of Mormon theology so far in the series appears in one place here, where Alvin reflects to the effect that God, having made the world, wanted the people in it to "be Makers with Him." (Alvin's magical knack involves considerable power to re-shape matter at the molecular level by "looking" into it and willing the small particles to line up the way he wants, but Card posits that people in general may have some talents along this line and can learn to exercise them by training and practice.) This line can be interpreted as a reference to the Mormon idea of salvation as (for men) eventual deification --and given Card's Mormonism, it's not improbable that he sees it that way. But it's one line in a 336-page book --and it can be interpreted (if you want to apply D. H. Lawrence's "trust the tale and not the teller" adage :-)) in a less extreme way. (From an evangelical perspective, there is a very real sense in which God does want us --and even equips us-- to be "makers" with him: he gives us talent, creativity and imagination that involves bringing into being a great many products of human craftsmanship, inventiveness and hard work that wouldn't exist without us, and that we can take satisfaction in.)(less)

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Oct 02, 2011 Craig Williams rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I have to say, I really enjoyed this book! I hadn't read a book in this series for at least a year, yet found it incredibly easy to get right back into the groove of it, due to Card's ability to effortlessly weave reminders of important events without it breaking up the story at all. It only took about two chapters before I completely recalled who everyone was and what happened in the last few books. Heartfire seemed way too short, considering the gravity of some of the subjects it was dealing w...more

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Jan 07, 2011 David Melbie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Fans of historical fiction, with a fantasy theme

Recommended to David by: Robert Silverberg

This series is great. I am finding these books easy to read and the story line is awesome. Of course, I am entering a lot of these reviews many years after the fact so I do not have a good memory of specifics, but I really did enjoy the Alvin Maker stories, my first venture into reading any kind of historical fiction. I recommend these to any fans of historical rewrites. This is a particular interesting one.

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Nov 22, 2010 Hilary rated it 3 of 5 stars

I have worked my way through this series recently and found that Orson Scott Card remains one of my favorite fantasy writers. If you can get past the cheesy jackets on the Tor paperback editions, they are far higher quality writing than you might expect. The series is a delightfully original twist on possible alternate historical American experiences with a spiritual underpinning. A fun read.

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Jan 18, 2010 Ilene rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction-science

Book 5 complete! I love this series. I think the reason why I don't constantly give each book a 5 is because by now I am used to the great characters and story line of the series so I am not as surprised by the great characters, language and story lines.

Don't let the book cover art dissuade from trying out the series. Alvin does not walk around shirtless in the books.

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Nov 20, 2008 Heather rated it 3 of 5 stars

Sadly, the series gets duller and more off-track as it goes along. I've noticed that with Card's longer series. The first book grabs me with a bang, but it gradually goes south from there. The story slows down and he takes way too many side-tracks -- seems like he can't conclude. I'm not very excited about the next one, although it will be the last in the series.

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Aug 29, 2011 Derrick rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2007, fantasy, historical

A good ending, imo, to the Alvin Maker series. Alvin has gathered a group of people with knacks who believe in the Crystal City like he does. But the book ends as they are setting out. Card does not make the mistake of actually showing the Making of the City, for that will be Heaven on Earth, and no man knows how to accurately write that out.

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May 15, 2009 Diane rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

Continues developing the characters from earlier novels, plus it introduces a couple of new ones, and they're all interesting. But structurally this is very similar to the previous novel, with a trial taking up much of the plot. Still, I'm glad to see there's a sixth book I haven't read yet, because this one does not feel like the end of the series.

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Jul 15, 2011 Patrick rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: history buffs

I read a short novella by Orson Scott Card on the birth of the main character, Alvin Smith/Alvin Maker. Loved the idea of an alternate America after the loss of the Revolutionary War and folklore magic. There are six books in there series and I ripped through them. The only bad thing about the books, he ended the series.

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Jul 20, 2011 Dan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I enjoyed this book more than any other in the series since Seventh Son. I enjoy the courtroom drama Mr. Card cooked up. I'm a little concerned that he insists on dragging as many famous people into his alternate history as possible. Also, the beginnings of reconciliation between Alvin and Calvin is very good to see.

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Jul 21, 2010 Doug Cannon rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Excellent story, excellent book. Nothing terribly moving about the book, just a good book with a good story. The parallels to J.S. are humorous and interesting to see, but not a big part of the story. I will read the 6th book too, I have enjoyed the series.

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Feb 19, 2009 Lisa rated it 1 of 5 stars

I didn't like this book because I couldn't get into it.
I had to stop reading it.
The characters seem shallow and there is way too much dialog.
Maybe I'll try book #1 and see if there is just as much dialog.
I like books with more description.

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Sep 18, 2012 Data rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: alpha, series

Having skipped around a bit in this series, I find I like this bit alternative history better than some of the others that OSC has written. I am drawn to the character Margaret; she seems a truer person than some of the rest of those we've met in this series.

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Jun 24, 2009 Davecon rated it 3 of 5 stars

5th book in the Alivin Maker series. Pretty good! All about Alvin going east and getting tangled up with Quill the witch hunter and trying to legally abolish witch trials. Peggy is down south trying to abolish slavery without starting the Civil War.

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Jan 19, 2010 Alexander Sprague rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book seems to spend a lot of time talking about things I really do not care to much about. It does not focus on the characters as much, instead introducing a few that seemed to be scrapped from another story. Altogether very good though.

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Mar 31, 2011 Toni Wulfekuhl rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: tom-read

Alvin Miller discovers he has incredible powers for creating and shaping things around him.

A recurring and main theme of the books is the conflict between Creators and Destroyers—namely, Making such as Alvin does, and Unmaking that he confronts.

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Mar 17, 2010 Christian rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

Way to crap on your own series, Orson. This book is a blank to me, except that it went beyond boring me--it made me just not care anymore about the entire series. Crystal city? Whatever, man. Good for you if you build it. Or not.

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Nov 19, 2008 Andra rated it 3 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this book, but not as much as some others in the series. In the first books, comparing Alvin's story with Joseph Smith's life was really fun, but now it's getting a little old.

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Jul 27, 2009 Ron rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: maps, fantasy

Rampant Jordan-ism. If there's a spot on his map, he has to set part of his story there--populated with new characters and challenges--even if it has next to nothing to do with the main story.

It ought to be rated a two, or maybe even one one, except that Card is such an extraordinary storyteller.

Just read and enjoy.

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About Orson Scott Card

Orson Scott Card is the author of the novels Ender's Game, Ender's Shadow, and Speaker for the Dead, which are widely read by adults and younger readers, and are increasingly used in schools.
Besides these and other science fiction novels, Card writes contemporary fantasy (Magic Street, Enchantment, Lost Boys), biblical novels (Stone Tables, Rachel and Leah), the American frontier fantasy series Th...more

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Quotes from Heartfire

“My father always said that government is like watching another man piss in your boot. Someone feels better but it certainly isn't you.” — 18 people liked it

“Do not shout at me, Mr. Quill," said John [Adams]. "Justice may be blind, but she is not deaf.” — 9 people liked it

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Heartfire (Tales of Alvin Maker #5)

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