Red Prophet (Alvin Maker #2)
by Orson Scott Card
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 2096)
Read in September, 2007
recommends it for:
Lovers of "noble savage" cliches
It's a shame that there are so few good alternate history books that I have been able to find. This one, Red Prophet is a prime example. The second part in the popular Alvin Maker series, it explores an alternate early 19th century America in which Oliver Cromwell's Puritanical revolution succeeded in the long run and frontier folk magic works.
So far, so good. I really enjoy the historical details that went into this work, the stories that get slipped in about Benjamin Franklin, ...more
So far, so good. I really enjoy the historical details that went into this work, the stories that get slipped in about Benjamin Franklin, ...more
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The library Journal states this as the description. "Young Alvin Miller's magical talent for making things whole becomes the focus of a desperate race to prevent a bloodthirsty war between the Indians and the white settlers in North America. Set in an alternate world steeped in natural magic, this sequel to Seventh Son continues to demonstrate the author's love for American folklore."
I wondered if this book might be offensive to Native Americans, how it seemed to me to have some cl...more
I wondered if this book might be offensive to Native Americans, how it seemed to me to have some cl...more
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I liked the first book the Alvin Maker series, Seventh Son well enough for its folksy look at a young alternative America, filled with homespun magic knacks and big families dreaming even bigger of a better life. In Red Prophet, we get to see the flipside of the white man's knackery compared to those of the red man. It's a fascinating portrait of good versus evil, drawn along the fault lines of selfishness, ambition, misplaced good intentions, ignorance, and principle. The characte...more
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Read in May, 2007
recommends it for:
everyone, man woman and child
i prefer the alvin the maker books to the enders game series, i decided after picking up this little gem at the seward park library, because they are better. have you read alvin the maker? the reason it is way cooler than enders game, is because card reimagines american history; as if there were folk magic in the colonial times. it's like little house on the prairie mixed with the hobbit. that's what "seventh son", the one i'd read in middle school, is about.
as far as i can tell...more
as far as i can tell...more
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Read in May, 2008
This book was stronger, to me, than the first book. Probably because it took me back to my childhood when I tore through any book about Native Americans. I was completely fascinated with their culture, their history, their heroes, their myths. Card plays on our romantic notions of the Native American culture and transforms the Romance into full blown magic. In other words, I always sort of suspected that the Native American lived in this magical world much different from ours, and Card fleshes i...more
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Read in January, 1989
recommends it for:
Fantasy fans
I didn't enjoy this book as much as the first book in the series, Seventh Son. It seemed to me like Card was leading the story off on a tangent. Also, the whole Battle of Tippy-Canoe, where a whole bunch of 'Reds' were massacred by some whites, including members of Alvin's own family, just left me feeling quite disturbed. Card turning some of Alvin's closest family members into murderers was too much for me. Other than that, it was a very good book and written quite well. The book kept my intere...more
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Read in March, 2008
I had a hard time at the beginning of this book. But once I really got into it a couple of chapters, I really liked it. It's very Fictional History, but has a great story to tell. And for all you LDS readers out there. It's got a lot of BOM stories going on. I thought some of that was funny (even though I don't think he intended it to be).
I'll probably go back and read Seventh Son again because it's been so long. If I'm going to read the series I want to make sure I'm clear on the stor...more
I'll probably go back and read Seventh Son again because it's been so long. If I'm going to read the series I want to make sure I'm clear on the stor...more
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To keep going with Alvin's life, you need to read this one, but I think its the least riveting of the series. But still, I totally love Lolla-Wossiky's journey from misunderstood drunken "tame" red, into Tenskwa-Tawa, the red prophet. It was also fun to read about Ta-Kumsaw, as I used live in Ohio and am familiar with the lore surrounding his real life counterpart, Tecumseh. I like also, in this book, how how Card incorporates real historical figures into the stories in interesting
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Red Prophet is a great sequel to and is just as intriguing as the Seventh Son. I like that the first part of the book takes place during the same time frame as the Seventh Son, but dealing with characters that don’t interact with Alvin or his family in the Seventh Son until the middle to end of the book. One scene is the exact same, but from another character's point of view, which I really enjoyed because it added more depth to the story.
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Read in February, 2000
recommends it for:
Cheesy fantasy lovers
This book - nay, this whole series - from the cover to the writing, made me think the title should have been "The Blacksmith's Arms" and pictured Fabio on the front of it. The fantasy aspect of it was interesting and actually kept you engaged, but the description of Alvin's physique and his romance with whats-'er-face made me think this was co-written with Nicholas Sparks. I didn't read the last book in the series, and I don't know if I will.
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Read in May, 2008
recommends it for:
Sci Fi / Fantasy / History Folks
In this book, we're getting somewhere with the story. The alternate/skewed version of early US History is great and further reinforces the fact that I need/would like to "re-learn" early US History.
Battle of Tippecanoe, Tecumseh, Tenskwatawa, William Henry Harrison, Old Hickory, Bonaparte, Marquis de la Fayette, etc. all play a part in this book. Toss in the requisite totally out there fantasy stuff and this is a great book.
Battle of Tippecanoe, Tecumseh, Tenskwatawa, William Henry Harrison, Old Hickory, Bonaparte, Marquis de la Fayette, etc. all play a part in this book. Toss in the requisite totally out there fantasy stuff and this is a great book.
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Read in April, 2008
Uh oh. Card is starting to lose me here. Between the increasingly ridiculous "folk magic" driven plot and literally being beaten over the head by the author's iron glove of shame for the rape of Native American society, I barely had time to realize that this wasn't that great. It's just like watching Daniel Day-Lewis in Last Of The Mohicans: you keep saying to yourself, "This should be better."
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Read this during my Orson Scott Card phase and after reading an Alvin short story and then the first in this series. Figured I would try one more book since the series was fairly long.
As I said for the first book:
Very light read. Written to read like a american folklore story. Just not heavy enough to hold me.
Stopped the series after the book. Just never got into it.
As I said for the first book:
Very light read. Written to read like a american folklore story. Just not heavy enough to hold me.
Stopped the series after the book. Just never got into it.
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Read in January, 1991
This is the second of a fantasy series that follows the life of someone very much like Jospeh Smith in a world of fantasy and magic. You really need to read this series in the order it was written. There are also references to Book of Mormon like battles and an Ammonite-like refusal to fight. Throw in Mke Finka nd Davy Crockett and you have an interesting series.
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The Alvin Series is an interesting idea of an alternate history where all the settlers of America have a knack, aka unique magical ability. Alvin is a Maker, the ultimate power and has a destiny to fulfill. This series is interesting showing as much action as deep thinking. A good series to get you thinking.
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Read in June, 2008
recommended to June by:
Elissarecommends it for: not sure
Parts of this I really enjoyed, other times I put it down and left it for a while. I have a harder time with alternative history fiction. I also wonder how Native Americans would react to it.
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Read in January, 1994
Amazing story. I love the native americans here. They are powerful (as they were) and they ultimately retain their dignity in a way I can only wish had really occurred. Again, the alternate view of history is fascinating and we're watching Alvin grow up and learn to use his "makering" skills.
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I really like this when I read it years and years ago. Although now I wonder about this series depiction of First Nations people, I dont remember any specifics but I have a feeling there was some patronising "noble savage" type stuff. So I really don't know what to think about these books.
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Read in August, 2007
I read the first book in this series when I was 15 or so, and I tried to read this one time and again, yet couldn't get into it. Well, I finally got over that and I'm already to the 5th in the series. I love Card's work (though feel less positively about his politics/personal beliefs.
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I know, I say this about a lot of Card's books, but seriously folks, this series I would recommend to everyone. So fascinating. Card takes the history of the frontier and adds folk magic to it and voila, a perfectly compelling and poignant story. This series is just pure genius.
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