This book was a great read - and as usual, Card is inventive and unorthodox. What appears to be an anti-religious tirade settles into a more considered point of view. Meanwhile there are some interesting diversions into things that actually make a society strong and meaningful, and into issues surrounding native Americans, whilst all the time taking the overall story of a seventh son of a seventh son forward.

Not Card's best work, but certainly not his worst either - and well worth reading. ( )

My personal feelings about the author aside. The first book was a fun read. Unfortunately, each successive book in the series got more and more disappointing. ( )

Continuing on in the tales of Alvin Maker, seventh son of a seventh son, Card brings us a tale that could stand alone of its own right, but continues on with the mythos of Alvin Maker's world.

We meet a disgraced indigenous American whose addicted to whiskey, named Lolla-Wossiky, who aspires to be free of addiction and be somewhat respected by his older brother, Ta-Kumsaw.

Alvin and his older brother, Measure, are on a journey to a blacksmith, under whom Alvin will apprentice, but along the way, they get entangled in the local affairs of the indigenous people and their discrepancies with the colonists and other invading forces.

Set in a world where the American revolution never happened, and an air of magic affects the people in the land, Card paints a stunning alternate history that will surely appeal to most readers of fantasy, alternate history, as well as colonial fiction. If you're particularly verse in history, Card has scattered several delightful bread crumbs throughout the work that you're almost certainly going to enjoy.

Recommended for any fan of Card's, or any fan of alternate history. ( )

I have enjoyed collecting these marvel comics. ( )

This book looks at the Native Americans.
I myself have a fascination with Vegetarians vs meat eaters.
Tenska-Tawa tells Alvin that when he needs meat, he calls to an animal. When the animal offers itself, he can kill it and eat it. He hates that the white man just randomly kills and kills more than he needs.