"Everything possible to be believed is an image of truth"
Written: Mar 28 '03
Product Rating:
Pros: Interesting characters; Interesting Alternative History of America
Cons: Nothing resolved in this book
The Bottom Line: Seventh Son is an imaginative start to an Alternative History series, but unless you are willing to read the whole series you will feel unsatisfied.
shqipta's Full Review: Orson Scott Card - Seventh Son
Everyone remembers the battle of Shenandoah where George Washington proclaimed, “My American Sword will never shed a drop of American blood!” Those words we what solidified the American nation against the King of England, and those words were sealed by the blood of Washington when he was beheaded for treason. Actually, if you thought you remembered that quote from the battle of Shenandoah, you probably didn’t do so well in High School American History.
Seventh Son is set in an American where folk magic and superstitions actually work. Speaking of High School, I would have loved putting some curses on some of my teachers, or putting a hex on my room that kept my mom from coming in to see the mess. In Orson Scott Card’s version of America many people have powers called “knacks” that can be as simple as being able to cook extremely well, to allowing people to see the future. However, none of it is too far fetched, I mean I still wear my luck sock on every big exam I take and it hasn’t failed me yet. However, because of the magic the colonization of America happened very differently, and while there is still a revolution and the United States of America are formed, they are different that what some of us remember from High School.
This book is the first in the series called The Tales of Alvin Maker, and I know that there are at least four more because my wife bought them and read them.
My View
Card is an engaging storyteller, who keeps the book moving, but does not get out of control with unbelievable events. He does a good job of writing dialogue by a ten year old who gets her hand in some chicken drips (commonly known as fowl fecal matter), and a devout preacher who expounds the word of God. Some characters get a decent amount of development, while others really don’t get any, however, I believe that by the end of the series they will be developed.
This is a good first book in a series, but it does not have enough in it to be a stand alone book. Many books in a series at least some of the characters have some closure at the end of every book, but this one does not. There is a tremendous amount of detail that comes with trying to rewrite the entire history of the United States and developing a number of interesting characters that just does not fit in this little book. (only 241 pages).
I haven’t read the rest of the books yet, but I do have them and plan to start reading The Red Prophet as soon as I get this review done. I don’t think Card should have separated this book from the other books because there is just too much information to put in such a small book and it has the feel of the first few chapters of a larger book. (Imagine the first book in The Wheel of Time series being broken up into four separate books)
One of my favorite parts is where Alvin Jr. uses his powers to get a bunch of cockroaches to make a treaty with him that he won’t squish them if they won’t climb all over him. Then when his sisters play a joke on him, he convinces the cockroaches to go into their rooms and climb all over his sisters.
Background
The history of America isn’t laid out clearly in this book, you just get pieces here and there, but hopefully over the next few books it clears up a bit more. Many of the same people that are familiar in “real” American history also exist in Seventh Son, however, many of them had very different roles.
Many of the settlers of North America have come because European countries have outlawed superstition. In New England witches are hunted down and killed. However, in the Wobbish territory, where most of this story takes place there are a large number of people who practice magic. Some believe it is a tool to be used to better lives, others believe it is evil and should be avoided, and some simply try to explain everything that happens with science.
Lord Potomac (aka George Washington) was leading King Robert’s largest army against a poor ragtag band led by Ben Arnold. Washington’s troops were about to overrun Arnold’s little fort when Washington made the statement I alluded to earlier saying that he wouldn’t kill any Americans. He was executed for treason against the king, and became a martyr in America’s quest for independence. Other figures that many are familiar with are Thomas Jefferson, Aaron Burr, and Sam Adams.
Not all of the colonies joined with the United States however, there remain the Crown colonies in the south and New England in the north. The French are up in Canada and give the Reds (Native Americans) guns and money in exchange for English scalps.
Storyline
A young girl uses her knack to save a family attempting to cross the Hatrack river. The mother of the family is pregnant and ready to give birth at any minute, something the father has been looking forward to because the birth will be the seventh son of a seventh son, meaning that he will be very special. However, the river takes one of the boys and tries to drown him, but he manages to hold on just long enough for his brother to be born and still be a seventh son.
The story follows that baby as he faces danger from anything water related, pressure to convert to Christianity from a zealous preacher, and life with a huge number of brothers and sisters who love him, but realize that he is something special.
Alvin must learn to use his power to destroy a power that he has visions of, but doesn’t understand until taleswapper helps him figure out what his visions mean and what he has to do.
Characters
Alvin Jr.: He was born as the seventh son of a seventh son, and has a huge amount of magical power to make things. From before he was even born water was trying to kill him. As his family tried to cross the Hatrack river the water rose quickly and tried to sweep them down. By the time he was six he had already had a number of close calls with water related things. He also has visions, that scare him, but he doesn’t understand. He also has a supernatural visitor that makes him promise not to use his power as a maker for his own purposes, but rather to serve others.
Alvin Miller: Father of the huge Miller family, he has some of the powers of a maker and is the Seventh son of his father. He doesn’t believe in God and always seems to rub Reverend Thrower the wrong way. He is convinced that water is trying to kill his son Alvin Jr.
Faith Miller: Mother of the huge Miller family. She tries very hard to live as a Christian and forces her kids to go to church with her. She also has a keen eye in watching out for trouble with her kids. “Papa once said that when ma, was paying attention, she could hear a squirrel fart in the woods a half a mile away in the middle of a storm with the girls rattling the dishes and the boys all chopping wood.”
Miller Kids:
Vigor (Died saving his mother and Alvin Jr. from Hatrack river), David, Calm, Measure (He often helps Alvin Jr. make right choices), Wastenot (Wantnot’s twin), Wantnot (Wastenot’s twin), Alvin Jr. (Seventh son of a seventh son), Calvin (Baby of the family)
Eleanor (Wife of Armor-of-God, has a knack for cooking and healing, though
she has to hide it from her husband), Beatrice, Elizabeth, Anne, Mary
Taleswapper: A wandering old man who survives by the kindness of others. He has a knack for storytelling and he remembers everything and then tells stories to help others. He is a very wise man and helps Alvin Jr. understand his visions and powers.
Armor-of-God Weaver: Eleanor’s husband. He believes that people do have special powers, but he also believes that since the Christian church says not to use them they are bad and he refuses to let them be used in his house.
Reverend Thrower: Had a vision about wars in North America and how they would continue to deny the Christian church. Decided to go to wild lands near the edge of the settlements and start a grand church there to convert the unbelievers. He thinks the powers that many of the settlers believe in are just superstition and does all he can to convince the people there to ignore them. He has a supernatural visitor who guides him in deciding what to do and that has him direct his energies toward Alvin Jr.
Peggy:She saved Faith’s and Alvin Jr’s from the power of Hatrack river by using her power as a Torch. A torch is someone who can see the heartfire in others and know what they are feeling. She recognizes the huge amount of power in Alvin Jr.
Lolla-Wossiky: A one-eyed Red, who is also a prophet and visits Alvin Jr. one night to teach him about his powers. He has a very minor role in this book, but I felt he was worth mentioning because he will probably be a major character in future books.
Conclusion
This book was a different, yet fascinating fantasy novel. In many ways, it didn’t seem like a fantasy novel, because the magic powers were explainable and for the most part not unbelievable. However, this book by itself isn’t satisfying. Nothing is resolved and there are a number of stories that are only given a few pages to get started and then left. I hope that in the following books these stories are taken up, developed and resolved but since none of them were in this book it isn’t very good by itself.
I recommend this book if you are looking for a fantasy series to read, but if you are just looking for one book I wouldn’t recommend it because there is barely more than enough to develop the idea and a basic history.
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 A...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
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