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pc953's review against another edition
3.0
Ending not with a bang just just a fizzling out. After finishing book number 5 I really had low expectations for the finale to this series. The story was spread out so thinly, and it felt like so little had actually been constructed to bring around a satisfying conclusion.
So much of the happenings of this final book felt forced, as if they just needed to occur vs organically being developed. Of course one could make an argument that the concept itself is played with in the book by Peggy. However it just felt flat.
I found myself wanting to finish this book, not so I could read the ending, but so that I could be done with the series. Am I disappointed I read it? No, but I just wish the whole series lived up to the promise of the first few books.
So much of the happenings of this final book felt forced, as if they just needed to occur vs organically being developed. Of course one could make an argument that the concept itself is played with in the book by Peggy. However it just felt flat.
I found myself wanting to finish this book, not so I could read the ending, but so that I could be done with the series. Am I disappointed I read it? No, but I just wish the whole series lived up to the promise of the first few books.
kathydavie's review against another edition
5.0
The sixth, in the fantasy series, Tales of Alvin Maker, Alvin finally discovers the truth about building the Crystal City and of the maker that exists in all of us.
In many ways, this is a sweet end to this series but the way in which Card leaves us is frustrating with all the new questions he's left: what nasty mischief will Jim Bowie get up to, will Calvin ever get over himself, do the reds get to hang onto everything west of the how long does the Crystal City last...please, at least long enough for Alvin's grandkids!
Card is amazing in his clever twist on early American history and the flavor of Paul Bunyanesque tall tales. I particularly like the tolerance he promotes amongst whites, blacks, and Indians. I became so involved with the characters: Alvin's kindness and desire to learn and give while the suffering poor Peggy went through as a torch and yet she did her best to do good, Arthur was such a cheeky young man with a piercing perspective and how they call came together keeping each other in line while supporting Alvin's goal of creating a city where all were truly equal and all were makers.
The dialog was a hoot. Another example of Card's extraordinary abilities as a writer in developing a believable style of speech for each of his characters from Tenskwa-Tawa, the English lawyer, Verily Cooper, Mike Fink, and Abe Lincoln to the regional dialects of New England to Nueva Barcelona (our New Orleans y'all).
You can't help but have to read this book if only to enjoy the variety of "knacks" which people use in their daily lives, wish there were more Alvins around with his ability to perform long-distance surgery, affect the weather, and create or destroy anything, and discover what part of our past Card is going to wriggle into this twisted story.
A lovely tale of morals presented in a very entertaining manner. I'm looking forward to Master Alvin.
In many ways, this is a sweet end to this series but the way in which Card leaves us is frustrating with all the new questions he's left: what nasty mischief will Jim Bowie get up to, will Calvin ever get over himself, do the reds get to hang onto everything west of the how long does the Crystal City last...please, at least long enough for Alvin's grandkids!
Card is amazing in his clever twist on early American history and the flavor of Paul Bunyanesque tall tales. I particularly like the tolerance he promotes amongst whites, blacks, and Indians. I became so involved with the characters: Alvin's kindness and desire to learn and give while the suffering poor Peggy went through as a torch and yet she did her best to do good, Arthur was such a cheeky young man with a piercing perspective and how they call came together keeping each other in line while supporting Alvin's goal of creating a city where all were truly equal and all were makers.
The dialog was a hoot. Another example of Card's extraordinary abilities as a writer in developing a believable style of speech for each of his characters from Tenskwa-Tawa, the English lawyer, Verily Cooper, Mike Fink, and Abe Lincoln to the regional dialects of New England to Nueva Barcelona (our New Orleans y'all).
You can't help but have to read this book if only to enjoy the variety of "knacks" which people use in their daily lives, wish there were more Alvins around with his ability to perform long-distance surgery, affect the weather, and create or destroy anything, and discover what part of our past Card is going to wriggle into this twisted story.
A lovely tale of morals presented in a very entertaining manner. I'm looking forward to Master Alvin.
pictusfish's review against another edition
2.0
It's like he took so long to write this one that he forgot how to write the story and it just lost all its personality.
margyly's review against another edition
5.0
If you enjoy the Ender series, be sure to read the Alvin Maker series.
benlundns's review against another edition
3.0
An okay ending to an okay series. Made me miss the Ender series though. All the "folksy" talk and the 2 dimensional characters gets tiring after a while.
neglet's review against another edition
A pretty good volume in a remarkably built series. Character and world-building are the strength here; plotting is not as good as the earliest volumes. Also worthwhile if you like alternate history.
davidkeithley81's review against another edition
3.0
Final book (?) of the “Alvin Maker” series. I am so glad I was able to complete the entire series this time! Having said that, I felt that “Crystal City” was probably the weakest entry. I enjoyed the novel, it just didn’t pop for me. I do think Card ties up most of the major loose ends. I truly hope one day he writes the mystical “Master Alvin”, but if not, I am satisfied.
randomprogrammer's review against another edition
2.0
pitiful end to an increasingly mediocre series.
especially in the first 4 or so books, the characters were woefully one-dimensional, like a moralizing children's tale that is required to have clear delineations of right and wrong, good and evil. This makes for a tepid read, where even if there's technically action or plot, it somehow manages to bore.
And as the series reached it's end, long built-up relationships and conflicts just fizzled out pitifully. The supposed great conflict arc between the two brothers had no climax, much less a conclusion. And the way the two used their powers was consistently lame. The first couple books were great, as a young Alvin explored the limits of his skills. But grown-up Alvin was such an unbelievable bore. And writer Orson Scott Card completely lacked the ability to wow the reader with the scenes that were certainly intended to be amazing.
A shitty bridge across water is the coolest thing Alvin ever does? Um, you mean like ice? As a maker how just tells molecules how they should be, and they carry on the instructions, the basic fundamentals of the magic system make it clear that creating an ice bridge should be trivial. And yet for some silly reason we are asked to be amazed by this "crystal" bridge he builds. Not to mention this lame-ass plow he carries around everywhere.
I suspect that much of the lame plot stemmed from a need to maintain some type of symmetry with Mormon myths and "symbolism" in early books.
I've recently recommended some other Orson Scott Card books to people, like Speaker for the Dead and Xenocide, and I shudder to think that childhood may have clouded my vision, and in fact these books are as bad as the Alvin Maker series.
In summary, Orson managed to take a freaking awesome premise -- magical realism in early 1800s frontier america -- and bore the reader to tears with one-dimensional characters, lame mormon shout outs, characters that refused to use their magic in interesting ways, and a weird absence of a meaningful climax or resolution.
especially in the first 4 or so books, the characters were woefully one-dimensional, like a moralizing children's tale that is required to have clear delineations of right and wrong, good and evil. This makes for a tepid read, where even if there's technically action or plot, it somehow manages to bore.
And as the series reached it's end, long built-up relationships and conflicts just fizzled out pitifully. The supposed great conflict arc between the two brothers had no climax, much less a conclusion. And the way the two used their powers was consistently lame. The first couple books were great, as a young Alvin explored the limits of his skills. But grown-up Alvin was such an unbelievable bore. And writer Orson Scott Card completely lacked the ability to wow the reader with the scenes that were certainly intended to be amazing.
A shitty bridge across water is the coolest thing Alvin ever does? Um, you mean like ice? As a maker how just tells molecules how they should be, and they carry on the instructions, the basic fundamentals of the magic system make it clear that creating an ice bridge should be trivial. And yet for some silly reason we are asked to be amazed by this "crystal" bridge he builds. Not to mention this lame-ass plow he carries around everywhere.
I suspect that much of the lame plot stemmed from a need to maintain some type of symmetry with Mormon myths and "symbolism" in early books.
I've recently recommended some other Orson Scott Card books to people, like Speaker for the Dead and Xenocide, and I shudder to think that childhood may have clouded my vision, and in fact these books are as bad as the Alvin Maker series.
In summary, Orson managed to take a freaking awesome premise -- magical realism in early 1800s frontier america -- and bore the reader to tears with one-dimensional characters, lame mormon shout outs, characters that refused to use their magic in interesting ways, and a weird absence of a meaningful climax or resolution.
charlibirb's review against another edition
3.0
This one flagged, for me. Lots of loose ends, felt like a lot of cop outs. Not a very satisfying conclusion, but not the worst, either. Overall, the series is worth it, but Card's break showed.
spickett's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Wow it took a long time for something to happen with the plow! But it wasn't enough. Orson Scott Card seems to be trying for impressive word play and playing at philosophy, but it doesn't quite hit the mark or ring true for me personally. Clearly it has for many though - maybe I'm just not a maker.