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bittersweet_symphony's review against another edition
4.0
The second time around, The Alvin Maker series remains one of the richest and, perhaps, most believable fantasy worlds I've spent time in.
I'm not typically that interested in court-room stories. Thankfully, book 4 doesn't spend too much time in the actual court proceedings involving Alvin "Maker" Smith against a host of suspicious allegations.
It's worth noting with each book in this series, that much of its inspiration mirrors that of the real-life events (and myths) surrounding the life of the American prophet of Mormonism—Joseph Smith.
A few of the parallels:
-Alvin being in possession of a gold object with supernatural properties (Joseph Smith with the Gold Plates that he found through guidance by an angel).
-Alvin is prosecuted for stealing gold from Makepeace Smith, a master blacksmith he apprenticed under (JS had a history as a treasure-seeker, who more or less deceived others about his abilities to dowse for gold, but never found gold).
-Alvin is charged with having "improper relations" with a young teenage girl while he's in his twenties (JS likely had sexual liaisons with Fanny Alger, a 15-year girl who lived in his home briefly and was plurally married or sealed to multiple girls in the teens.) As for Alvin, we learn that these allegations are the imaginings and dreams of a teenage girl's unrequited crush.
-Alvin's younger brother Calvin is his foil, a counterfeit "maker" who resents and conspires to overthrow his brother (JS had a brother named William who moved in and out of JS' inner circle, lusting after JS' power and mission as a prophet, capitalizing on it to his own selfish benefit).
-Mike Fink is a river ruffian with unrivaled physicality and superhuman strength that becomes Alvin's fiercely loyal bodyguard, willing to demonstrate his violence, in necessary, to advance Alvin's mission (Joseph Smith has Orrin Porter Rockwell, a childhood friend, who fulfilled this role throughout JS' life and continued to be the "Destroying Angel" in Deseret after Smith was killed).
-Alvin continues his efforts toward building the "Crystal City" which will be built on the edge of a vast river, a heavenly city of sorts (Smith gathered thousands of Mormons to Nauvoo, Illinois, a city on a bluff bending on the edge of the Mississippi River, Nauvoo being one of the largest and most romantic of cities in the West).
-While many people in America have "knacks" at the time, extra-natural or magical abilities, but there are unusually high coincidences of people with extraordinary knacks that happen to live in the two towns where Alvin grew up or apprenticed (Mormons talk much about the high frequency of truth-seekers and people with exceptional spiritual abilities living around the places where Joseph Smith grew up and gather Mormons).
-Verily Cooper is a well-educated lawyer who, upon hearing about Alvin's "makering abilities" from Calvin, leaves England and ventures to America to find Alvin to learn more about knacks from him. He eventually finds Alvin and becomes his devoted lawyer and close friend (Olivery Cowdery is a well-educated school teacher who travels to meet Joseph Smith after learning about Smith's special abilities and eventually become's Smith's right-hand man, also becoming a successful lawyer).
There are many more examples. Put simply, this series is doubly a joy for fantasy enthusiasts and students of Mormon studies.
There are two more books that have been written left in the series but I believe Orson Scott Card still plans to write the final volume. Looking forward to it.
Alvin Maker would make for a dynamite fantasy, folk magic tv series.
I'm not typically that interested in court-room stories. Thankfully, book 4 doesn't spend too much time in the actual court proceedings involving Alvin "Maker" Smith against a host of suspicious allegations.
It's worth noting with each book in this series, that much of its inspiration mirrors that of the real-life events (and myths) surrounding the life of the American prophet of Mormonism—Joseph Smith.
A few of the parallels:
-Alvin being in possession of a gold object with supernatural properties (Joseph Smith with the Gold Plates that he found through guidance by an angel).
-Alvin is prosecuted for stealing gold from Makepeace Smith, a master blacksmith he apprenticed under (JS had a history as a treasure-seeker, who more or less deceived others about his abilities to dowse for gold, but never found gold).
-Alvin is charged with having "improper relations" with a young teenage girl while he's in his twenties (JS likely had sexual liaisons with Fanny Alger, a 15-year girl who lived in his home briefly and was plurally married or sealed to multiple girls in the teens.) As for Alvin, we learn that these allegations are the imaginings and dreams of a teenage girl's unrequited crush.
-Alvin's younger brother Calvin is his foil, a counterfeit "maker" who resents and conspires to overthrow his brother (JS had a brother named William who moved in and out of JS' inner circle, lusting after JS' power and mission as a prophet, capitalizing on it to his own selfish benefit).
-Mike Fink is a river ruffian with unrivaled physicality and superhuman strength that becomes Alvin's fiercely loyal bodyguard, willing to demonstrate his violence, in necessary, to advance Alvin's mission (Joseph Smith has Orrin Porter Rockwell, a childhood friend, who fulfilled this role throughout JS' life and continued to be the "Destroying Angel" in Deseret after Smith was killed).
-Alvin continues his efforts toward building the "Crystal City" which will be built on the edge of a vast river, a heavenly city of sorts (Smith gathered thousands of Mormons to Nauvoo, Illinois, a city on a bluff bending on the edge of the Mississippi River, Nauvoo being one of the largest and most romantic of cities in the West).
-While many people in America have "knacks" at the time, extra-natural or magical abilities, but there are unusually high coincidences of people with extraordinary knacks that happen to live in the two towns where Alvin grew up or apprenticed (Mormons talk much about the high frequency of truth-seekers and people with exceptional spiritual abilities living around the places where Joseph Smith grew up and gather Mormons).
-Verily Cooper is a well-educated lawyer who, upon hearing about Alvin's "makering abilities" from Calvin, leaves England and ventures to America to find Alvin to learn more about knacks from him. He eventually finds Alvin and becomes his devoted lawyer and close friend (Olivery Cowdery is a well-educated school teacher who travels to meet Joseph Smith after learning about Smith's special abilities and eventually become's Smith's right-hand man, also becoming a successful lawyer).
There are many more examples. Put simply, this series is doubly a joy for fantasy enthusiasts and students of Mormon studies.
There are two more books that have been written left in the series but I believe Orson Scott Card still plans to write the final volume. Looking forward to it.
Alvin Maker would make for a dynamite fantasy, folk magic tv series.
kathydavie's review against another edition
3.0
Unexpected start to this one. Alvin and Calvin are the primary protagonist and antagonist in this one. Calvin rushes out of Vigor to find his own master and escape the scheming Alvin. Meanwhile, Alvin is pushed out of Vigor by scandalous words only to find himself in deep trouble over his golden plow in Hatrack. Europe makes its appearance with old and new characters while Calvin does one of the few nice things he's ever done and making Alvin's dream a greater possibility. Truly fortunate as Verily, truth is needed in Hatrack if Alvin is to survive.
alwaysreadmore's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Orson Scott Card once again creates beliveable, complex characters; consistent worldbuilding; and interesting twists on real historical fiqures. The plot is well-crafted. The prose is sophisticated.
itsfreelancer's review against another edition
4.0
Rating a book is never easy. And the worst mistake one does is my comparing a book with another. This book deserves a solid 4 star.
Orson Scott Card is no Brandon Sanderson or Patrick Rothfuss. Those guys get 5 stars just for being them. Everything is different from their books. From the pace of the tale to the language it speaks to you, from the intricate magical systems to minimalist plot lines. I've seen people give 3 stars to Robin Hobb just because it didn't entice them as much as Abercombie's words did.
Keeping everything in mind and upon reading book 4 of Alvin Maker, I was actually thoroughly pleased to have read it. Alvin continues his journey of being a Maker finds himself in jail (of all places) with some serious folks deadfast against him. This book also finally starts the story of Calvin, Alvin's brother. Reminds me of Kane and Abel, those two. Funny how disharmony always begins at home. So we have the two brothers going separate ways trying to be the best of the best men in this world, while the Unmaker aka the really evil dark lord or some shitbag enigmatic presence is trying his best to destroy what they create.
2 books left and the best bits are yet to come. I'm hoping for a showdown.
Orson Scott Card is no Brandon Sanderson or Patrick Rothfuss. Those guys get 5 stars just for being them. Everything is different from their books. From the pace of the tale to the language it speaks to you, from the intricate magical systems to minimalist plot lines. I've seen people give 3 stars to Robin Hobb just because it didn't entice them as much as Abercombie's words did.
Keeping everything in mind and upon reading book 4 of Alvin Maker, I was actually thoroughly pleased to have read it. Alvin continues his journey of being a Maker finds himself in jail (of all places) with some serious folks deadfast against him. This book also finally starts the story of Calvin, Alvin's brother. Reminds me of Kane and Abel, those two. Funny how disharmony always begins at home. So we have the two brothers going separate ways trying to be the best of the best men in this world, while the Unmaker aka the really evil dark lord or some shitbag enigmatic presence is trying his best to destroy what they create.
2 books left and the best bits are yet to come. I'm hoping for a showdown.
callmecat's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed the courtroom drama. And the ending. It was a good story. I wish I could hurry up and finish the series but someone else is renting the books before me and I have to wait on them. ugh!
larix10dua's review against another edition
3.0
Not quite as exciting as the first three, but still looking forward to the next one!
dianelikesfrogs's review against another edition
2.0
For quite some time now, I have been trying to pinpoint the exact date when one of my favorite authors, Orson Scott Card, officially made the jump from writing understated, powerful novels about fundamentally good, human, exquisitely rendered characters in fantastical settings, to writing over-analyzed crap with too much dialogue, too much pontificating about political machinations and without a single bloody word edited out.
Having read both Prentice Alvin and Alvin Journeyman within the past 24 hours, I am pleased to announce that it definitively happened sometime between 1988 and 1995.
I am just plain pissed to say that the amazing and wonderful Alvin Maker series appears to be another innocent bystander, felled in this senseless self-destruction of literary talent.
Having read both Prentice Alvin and Alvin Journeyman within the past 24 hours, I am pleased to announce that it definitively happened sometime between 1988 and 1995.
I am just plain pissed to say that the amazing and wonderful Alvin Maker series appears to be another innocent bystander, felled in this senseless self-destruction of literary talent.
margyly's review against another edition
5.0
If you enjoy the Ender series, be sure to read the Alvin Maker series.
hagbard_celine's review against another edition
3.0
So, most of this book seems to re-litigate some of Joseph Smith's sexual controversies. That's a weird thing to do for several hundred pages.
But our hero Alvin Smith totally didn't boink an old lady and a child. So hooray for him. Scholars within and without the church, however, seem to have the receipts on Joseph's, um, prolific proclivities.
Still continuing the series.
But our hero Alvin Smith totally didn't boink an old lady and a child. So hooray for him. Scholars within and without the church, however, seem to have the receipts on Joseph's, um, prolific proclivities.
Still continuing the series.
benlundns's review against another edition
4.0
OSC a la John Grisham. This book revolves around a court case as Alvin returns to Hatrack River for the third? time. For all the talk of being the whole American Frontier, Alvin seems to move between Hatrack RIver and Vigor Church almost exclusively.
Anyway, court case so OSC puts on his lawyer hat as Makepeace Smith gets Alvin into more trouble. I liked this book more then the previous 3 mostly because I feel like some major things happen, and things start to get moving. Maybe it's because I am a fan of courtroom books already, maybe it's because I feel like things can finally get moving, whatever it is, I'm excited for what happens next.
Anyway, court case so OSC puts on his lawyer hat as Makepeace Smith gets Alvin into more trouble. I liked this book more then the previous 3 mostly because I feel like some major things happen, and things start to get moving. Maybe it's because I am a fan of courtroom books already, maybe it's because I feel like things can finally get moving, whatever it is, I'm excited for what happens next.