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Tales of Alvin Maker #7
Master Alvin
The final volume in the Alvin Maker series. Card has mentioned that he is working on this book but has given no specific dates.
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About the author
Orson Scott Card
884 books20.8k followersOrson Scott Card is an American writer known best for his science fiction works. He is (as of 2023) the only person to have won a Hugo Award and a Nebula Award in consecutive years, winning both awards for his novel Ender's Game (1985) and its sequel Speaker for the Dead (1986). A feature film adaptation of Ender's Game, which Card co-produced, was released in 2013. Card also wrote the Locus Fantasy Award-winning series The Tales of Alvin Maker (1987–2003).
Card's fiction often features characters with exceptional gifts who make difficult choices with high stakes. Card has also written political, religious, and social commentary in his columns and other writing; his opposition to homosexuality has provoked public criticism.
Card, who is a great-great-grandson of Brigham Young, was born in Richland, Washington, and grew up in Utah and California. While he was a student at Brigham Young University (BYU), his plays were performed on stage. He served in Brazil as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and headed a community theater for two summers. Card had 27 short stories published between 1978 and 1979, and he won the John W. Campbell Award for best new writer in 1978. He earned a master's degree in English from the University of Utah in 1981 and wrote novels in science fiction, fantasy, non-fiction, and historical fiction genres starting in 1979. Card continued to write prolifically, and he has published over 50 novels and 45 short stories.
Card teaches English at Southern Virginia University; he has written two books on creative writing and serves as a judge in the Writers of the Future contest. He has taught many successful writers at his "literary boot camps". He remains a practicing member of the LDS Church and Mormon fiction writers Stephenie Meyer, Brandon Sanderson, and Dave Wolverton have cited his works as a major influence.
Card's fiction often features characters with exceptional gifts who make difficult choices with high stakes. Card has also written political, religious, and social commentary in his columns and other writing; his opposition to homosexuality has provoked public criticism.
Card, who is a great-great-grandson of Brigham Young, was born in Richland, Washington, and grew up in Utah and California. While he was a student at Brigham Young University (BYU), his plays were performed on stage. He served in Brazil as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and headed a community theater for two summers. Card had 27 short stories published between 1978 and 1979, and he won the John W. Campbell Award for best new writer in 1978. He earned a master's degree in English from the University of Utah in 1981 and wrote novels in science fiction, fantasy, non-fiction, and historical fiction genres starting in 1979. Card continued to write prolifically, and he has published over 50 novels and 45 short stories.
Card teaches English at Southern Virginia University; he has written two books on creative writing and serves as a judge in the Writers of the Future contest. He has taught many successful writers at his "literary boot camps". He remains a practicing member of the LDS Church and Mormon fiction writers Stephenie Meyer, Brandon Sanderson, and Dave Wolverton have cited his works as a major influence.
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August 3, 2025According to Tor publishers, Master Alvin is due to be published 28th April 2026…
March 27, 2026
This is the seventh book in the series about Alvin Maker, the seventh son of a seventh son, born with some powerful "knacks." It combines folklore, history, family ties, indigenous people (called reds... for consistency with the original books published as early as 1987), and adventure in a pre-Civil War period.
I remember reading the first six books in the series many years ago and wondering about the future of the Crystal City. Despite the time lag since book six, I was able to jump into the story with no problem. Of course, I'm older now, and the story struck me as more preachy than I remember. Still, it's full of good messages - caring for the earth, caring for each other - and the consequence of acting out of fear or spite.
If you're unfamiliar with the series, start from the first book and be happy you can read them all without waiting 23 years for the final installment! If, however, you remember reading the earlier novels, then jump in and enjoy this fine conclusion to this epic American fantasy series.
The audiobook has a couple of narrators who do an excellent job. After the epilogue, there is commentary by the author, describing his experience bringing the Alvin Maker series to a conclusion, followed by his very first attempt at the story... written in verse!
My thanks to the author, publisher, @MacmillanAudio, and #NetGalley for early access to the audiobook of #MasterAlvin for review purposes. Publication date: 28 April 2026.
I remember reading the first six books in the series many years ago and wondering about the future of the Crystal City. Despite the time lag since book six, I was able to jump into the story with no problem. Of course, I'm older now, and the story struck me as more preachy than I remember. Still, it's full of good messages - caring for the earth, caring for each other - and the consequence of acting out of fear or spite.
If you're unfamiliar with the series, start from the first book and be happy you can read them all without waiting 23 years for the final installment! If, however, you remember reading the earlier novels, then jump in and enjoy this fine conclusion to this epic American fantasy series.
The audiobook has a couple of narrators who do an excellent job. After the epilogue, there is commentary by the author, describing his experience bringing the Alvin Maker series to a conclusion, followed by his very first attempt at the story... written in verse!
My thanks to the author, publisher, @MacmillanAudio, and #NetGalley for early access to the audiobook of #MasterAlvin for review purposes. Publication date: 28 April 2026.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
3 stars, Metaphorosis reviews
Summary
Alvin Smith, a Maker with extraordinary powers, has created a Crystal City for himself and other people whose 'knacks' make them persecuted. But before he can find them a final home, he'll venture out across the ocean to help others in need.
Review
I've been a fan of Orson Scott Card's writing since I read his first published story, "Ender's Game" in Analog in 1977. I've written about how those magazines played a role in focusing my reading attention on SFF, and Card's story was a key part of that. I continue to think, including in a recent re-read, that his novel Songmaster is a work of genius. Of course, no one can keep that level of success up for ever, so while I've read a lot of his work, including some of his historical fiction, I've seen the quality of his work (or perhaps my appreciation of it) decline. And of course his politics are quite different than mine, but if I only read people I agree with, I'd have very little to read.
All that said, even back when, I wasn't a fan of the Alvin series. I appreciate Card's desire to write an American fantasy (discussed in an afterword here), but it didn't resonate much with me. I bought and read the first six books, but the opener, Seventh Son, is a handy rough marker for me of when Card lost his magic. I read the books, but I didn't like them, or care much about Alvin. And since the series began, his other books have been very hit or miss. His other latest work seems to me to be the work of an author who's no longer trying as hard as he used to. Or maybe he's just lost his spark.
I frankly thought the series was done, so was surprised when this book came out. And while I wasn't a fan of the series, I wanted to see if time (I read book six twenty years ago) and a fresh view would change things. But note that I recalled enough of the feeling of the series that I definitely did not want to go back and re-read it, though the books are sitting on my shelf.
To get down at last to the review - my feelings haven't really changed. I found this final book readable, but never gripping. While Card works hard to make his characters, even the powerful, near-divine Alvin, human and lifelike, I found the supporting characters' devotion to Alvin (and to some extent to his wife Margaret) grating. I'm glad to have read this conclusion, but I'm pretty confident I'll never go back.
Along with the near sycophancy, the story has other problems. To me, Alvin's decision to travel to Ireland comes out of nowhere and isn't a great fit for the book. Because Card makes it obvious in this book that he's building on Joseph Smith and Mormon history - something that I honestly, and perhaps dully, hadn't picked up on before - I was tempted to blame that. But the internet tells me Joseph Smith never went to Ireland. So I can't explain it. Card skimps on the final treatment of Calvin, Alvin's bitterly envious younger brother, at the very same point when he's indulging in long, repetitive set-piece speeches. The result is an ending that feels long and overly drawn out to make philosophical points while glossing over important character elements that the story previously made central.
Card notes that in this and the reissued earlier books, he inserted existing same-world short stories. Perhaps this, or other editing he mentions, some sequences feel out of place, and there's some mild repetition.
While I missed or understated the Mormon element until now, there are other elements that verged between overstated and fun - such as parallels to Jesus and implicit jokes about Eliza crossing the ice. Card's afterword makes clear that he had very definite plans from the start, so perhaps I'm seeing things that weren't intended, but I do think are there. The afterword itself has an oddly defensive tone. It doesn't go explicitly into politics, and perhaps again I'm seeing what's not intended, but I certainly read it as informed by popular criticism of Card and his beliefs. In other ways, as well, it reads as by a man who's, if not arrogant, at least very confident of his decisions, yet doth protest too much.
I think Card has been a fantastic writer - among the very best, and I think his earliest work has stood up well over time. The Alvin series, however, dear as it may be to Card's own heart, has never been his best work, and that remains true of this final book. It's of a piece with the rest, so if you enjoyed the earlier books, you'll enjoy this. If you know and like Card from his earlier work, I can't recommend this. If you know Card only from his later books, I think you might be confused by this; it's deeper and more careful, but I can't say it's better.
While this series may earn at best a shrug and an 'eh' from me, I urge you to read Card's earlier work, of which I remain a strong fan - Songmaster, A Planet Called Treason, Capitol, Hot Sleep, etc. - you'll be glad you did. And parts of The Worthing Chronicle series, which includes those last two, have some overlap in tone and concept with Alvin - just done better.
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
Summary
Alvin Smith, a Maker with extraordinary powers, has created a Crystal City for himself and other people whose 'knacks' make them persecuted. But before he can find them a final home, he'll venture out across the ocean to help others in need.
Review
I've been a fan of Orson Scott Card's writing since I read his first published story, "Ender's Game" in Analog in 1977. I've written about how those magazines played a role in focusing my reading attention on SFF, and Card's story was a key part of that. I continue to think, including in a recent re-read, that his novel Songmaster is a work of genius. Of course, no one can keep that level of success up for ever, so while I've read a lot of his work, including some of his historical fiction, I've seen the quality of his work (or perhaps my appreciation of it) decline. And of course his politics are quite different than mine, but if I only read people I agree with, I'd have very little to read.
All that said, even back when, I wasn't a fan of the Alvin series. I appreciate Card's desire to write an American fantasy (discussed in an afterword here), but it didn't resonate much with me. I bought and read the first six books, but the opener, Seventh Son, is a handy rough marker for me of when Card lost his magic. I read the books, but I didn't like them, or care much about Alvin. And since the series began, his other books have been very hit or miss. His other latest work seems to me to be the work of an author who's no longer trying as hard as he used to. Or maybe he's just lost his spark.
I frankly thought the series was done, so was surprised when this book came out. And while I wasn't a fan of the series, I wanted to see if time (I read book six twenty years ago) and a fresh view would change things. But note that I recalled enough of the feeling of the series that I definitely did not want to go back and re-read it, though the books are sitting on my shelf.
To get down at last to the review - my feelings haven't really changed. I found this final book readable, but never gripping. While Card works hard to make his characters, even the powerful, near-divine Alvin, human and lifelike, I found the supporting characters' devotion to Alvin (and to some extent to his wife Margaret) grating. I'm glad to have read this conclusion, but I'm pretty confident I'll never go back.
Along with the near sycophancy, the story has other problems. To me, Alvin's decision to travel to Ireland comes out of nowhere and isn't a great fit for the book. Because Card makes it obvious in this book that he's building on Joseph Smith and Mormon history - something that I honestly, and perhaps dully, hadn't picked up on before - I was tempted to blame that. But the internet tells me Joseph Smith never went to Ireland. So I can't explain it. Card skimps on the final treatment of Calvin, Alvin's bitterly envious younger brother, at the very same point when he's indulging in long, repetitive set-piece speeches. The result is an ending that feels long and overly drawn out to make philosophical points while glossing over important character elements that the story previously made central.
Card notes that in this and the reissued earlier books, he inserted existing same-world short stories. Perhaps this, or other editing he mentions, some sequences feel out of place, and there's some mild repetition.
While I missed or understated the Mormon element until now, there are other elements that verged between overstated and fun - such as parallels to Jesus and implicit jokes about Eliza crossing the ice. Card's afterword makes clear that he had very definite plans from the start, so perhaps I'm seeing things that weren't intended, but I do think are there. The afterword itself has an oddly defensive tone. It doesn't go explicitly into politics, and perhaps again I'm seeing what's not intended, but I certainly read it as informed by popular criticism of Card and his beliefs. In other ways, as well, it reads as by a man who's, if not arrogant, at least very confident of his decisions, yet doth protest too much.
I think Card has been a fantastic writer - among the very best, and I think his earliest work has stood up well over time. The Alvin series, however, dear as it may be to Card's own heart, has never been his best work, and that remains true of this final book. It's of a piece with the rest, so if you enjoyed the earlier books, you'll enjoy this. If you know and like Card from his earlier work, I can't recommend this. If you know Card only from his later books, I think you might be confused by this; it's deeper and more careful, but I can't say it's better.
While this series may earn at best a shrug and an 'eh' from me, I urge you to read Card's earlier work, of which I remain a strong fan - Songmaster, A Planet Called Treason, Capitol, Hot Sleep, etc. - you'll be glad you did. And parts of The Worthing Chronicle series, which includes those last two, have some overlap in tone and concept with Alvin - just done better.
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
review-netgalley
March 25, 2026(Review copy courtesy of Macmillan Audio, Orson Scott Card, and NetGalley.)
June 21, 2025
A worthy conclusion to a series I’ve been reading since I was 13 years old! Spoilers: I loved how much time we got with Alvin’s Native American friends, his frontier family, Taleswapper, Arthur Stuart (and even a few small but important scenes with my personal favorites, Verily and Purity — I wish they had been a bigger part of the story!) The journey to Ireland and back was fun, and I have to say, I could have read an entire novel of Alvin having witty theological debates with authority figures who underestimate him. The morally grey characters and outright villains were great; I enjoyed Calvin and Eliza’s twisted relationship, and Arthur’s confrontation with one important figure from his past was cathartic. I loved that so many threads tied together all the enemies that Alvin had made over the years (as detailed in previous books) and all came together in one grand conspiracy orchestrated by Reverend Thrower and the Unmaker, who seem to triumph, only to be defeated in the end by those with knacks choosing to create a safe haven of Makers where all people can belong. Alvin’s sacrifice and the denouement, especially Arthur’s and Margaret’s responses, were moving as well. A magical and bittersweet end to a great story. (For historical accuracy, I actually finished this on March 31st, when the last chapter was serialized in OSC’s “On The Fly.”)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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