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Prentice Alvin Audiobook
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(3.00) - 9,945 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Orson Scott Card’s Tales of Alvin Maker have created a moving fantasy world from the dream of America and the simple magics of the people who settled her. Here is a world where folk magic is as much a part of life as hard work and religion, and where the red man and the white still have hope for living in peace with the land and each other. It is a fantasy unique to literature, yet as inevitable as breathing. It is a work that will live forever in your heart.
Alvin’s mortal enemy, the Unmaker, has found hearts and hands willing to do its bidding, while Alvin and the Prophet’s people were making their last stand. Now young Alvin returns to the town of his birth and begins his apprenticeship with Makepeace Smith, committing seven years of his life in exchange for the skills and knowledge of a blacksmith. But Alvin must also learn to control and use his own talent, that of a Maker, or else his destiny will be unfulfilled.
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"I was really unsure about this book at first. It took me a while to get into it and I was a little uncomfortable with it. Like the second book, it seemed very racists, maybe even more so, but if you think about this time in American history, the thoughts and feelings would be right. This was pre civil war. By half way thru, I was totally sucked in. The last quarter of the book, I didn't want to put down. I feel like they all end abruptly and unfinished and don't quite pick up where they left off, although they eventually catch you up after the detour they take you on."
— Patricia (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“The most important work of American fantasy since Stephen Donaldson’s original Thomas covenant trilogy.”
— Chicago Sun-Times -
“A beguiling book…robust but reflective blend of folktale, history, parable and personal testimony, pioneer narrative. The series promises to be a story of deep delight.”
— Publishers Weekly -
“A tribute to the art of storytelling…highly recommended.”
— Library Journal on The Tales of Alvin Maker -
“The best fantasy series now in progress.”
— Publishers Weekly on The Tales of Alvin Maker -
“Card’s epic tale of a magical, alternate America demonstrates his skill in graceful storytelling. Recommended, along with Seventh Son and Red Prophet, for most fantasy collections.”
— Library Journal -
“With the third installment in his tales of Alvin Maker series, Card’s alternative frontier America epic continues to be a significant event in fantasy publishing.”
— Booklist -
“Card has uncovered a rich vein of folklore and magic here, to which his assured handling of old time religion and manifest love of children is admirably suited; an appealing and intriguing effort.”
— Kirkus Reviews on The Tales of Alvin Maker
Awards
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Winner of the 1990 Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel
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Nominated for the 1990 Mythopoeic Award
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Finalist for the 1990 Hugo Award for Best Novel
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Nominated for the 1989 Nebula Award for Best Novel
Prentice Alvin Listener Reviews
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" still like this series and want to know where it goes. The way they talk can make it slow to read, but I feel invested in the characters. And things are starting to heat up! "
— Caithlin, 2/18/2014 -
" I would give it 3.5 if I could. The ending is what is holding me back from giving it more. I thought for a moment this was the last in the series and it made me mad how it ended. Now that I know there are more in the series I will read and re-evaluate. It just felt like a very abrupt ending to me. "
— Nicole, 2/7/2014 -
" Great book, I'm really loving this series. "
— Tomi, 2/4/2014 -
" Kinda meh, not bad. If you loved the first two read it, but don't expect much. The whole golden plow thing at the end wasn't very fleshed out and didn't have a lot of reasons for it (from the characters perspective, I get what the Author was trying to do with it). "
— Noah, 1/24/2014 -
" Good, but melodramatic. Alvin completes his apprenticeship with Makepiece Smith the smith at Hatrack River where Alvin was born. The torch Peggy arranges a path toward her and Alvin's futures. There is a lot about slavery and evil whites. A big flaw is the character of Peggy, idealized almost out of existence. The Peggy narrator, with a mawkish presentation, made it worse. "
— Beverly, 1/23/2014 -
" Card gets into some more mature themes. Nothing inappropriate, just difficult realties of human behavior. "
— Trent, 1/15/2014 -
" I love this series. All the books are really good, but I like 1 & 3 the best. Card blends Fantasy and Early American History so well that it almost seems like things might have actually been that way. "
— Karen, 1/10/2014 -
" Alvin Miller's life becomes enmeshed with a country schoolteacher and the child of a runaway slave as he is marked for destruction by the Unmaker. Still most satisfying fiction. "
— Rae, 1/8/2014 -
" Probably the best one so far. "
— Ferial, 12/15/2013 -
" I just couldn't face another one. The religious parallels got just to sickeningly blatant. "
— Zjourney, 12/6/2013 -
" Part of the Alvin Maker series. A great read. In pioneer times everyone has a talent, or magical ability. a great book. "
— Shayne, 11/21/2013 -
" I am loving this series. I really like how this particular book in the series brings Peggy into the foreground. "
— Ilene, 9/27/2013 -
" Alvin's apprenticeship as a blacksmith, but it is also his apprenticeship as a Maker. Very good story, but a little to graphic right at the beginning. "
— Derrick, 9/23/2013 -
" The third and so far the best in the Alvin Maker series. I couldn't help reflecting on my own baptism experience as Alvin remakes Arthur. This is some brilliant writing and storytelling. "
— Scott, 8/6/2013 -
" An excellent edition to the series with some of the best plot elements. "
— Jordan, 8/5/2013 -
" WATCH OUT. Uncut type scenes not okay for young readers! "
— Wendy, 6/15/2013 -
" I really enjoy this series. "
— Shannon, 6/8/2013 -
" my favorite of the series, with Alvin growing into his power. "
— Bryan457, 4/8/2013 -
" A little padded at times, but Card can tell a good story. "
— nathaniel, 3/15/2013 -
" It was amazing! I couldn't put it down. I was to stuck inside the book to write down all the wonderful quotes and thoughts I found inside of it. So while reading, make sure you get a pen, paper, and maybe a snack close by so that you'll be ready. "
— Emilyn, 1/24/2013 -
" I just really like Orson Scott Card's writing. This story is a little strange but I keep reading because I love the character development. "
— Priscilla, 7/22/2012 -
" So glad to be finally reading this series.... On to the next! "
— Debbie, 12/6/2011 -
" I love how this book continued to build on Alvin's development. Yet, Card doesn't turn him into superman. "
— Dave, 6/29/2011 -
" Can't wait to read the next one. "
— LS, 5/17/2011 -
" great series, original story in my opinion "
— Roger, 4/25/2011 -
" Alvin Miller discovers he has incredible powers for creating and shaping things around him.<br/><br/>A recurring and main theme of the books is the conflict between Creators and Destroyers—namely, Making such as Alvin does, and Unmaking that he confronts. "
— Toni, 3/29/2011 -
" I just couldn't face another one. The religious parallels got just to sickeningly blatant. "
— Zjourney, 2/15/2011 -
" The third and so far the best in the Alvin Maker series. I couldn't help reflecting on my own baptism experience as Alvin remakes Arthur. This is some brilliant writing and storytelling. "
— Scott, 2/7/2011 -
" I almost didn't get past the first chapter of this book but it did get better. If it wasn't part of a series, I wouldn't have bothered, but I'm still intrigued by Card's use of symbolism and LDS references in trying to create an American mythology. "
— AmyLyn, 1/25/2011 -
" Nice story. Orson Scott Card is a great storyteller. Historial fiction style with a magical twist "
— Carina, 1/20/2011 -
" This one was harder to read than the others. Some hard to read scenes of gore and rape. Still a really great story. "
— Susanne, 1/12/2011 -
" great story, as always I enjoyed Card's character development. Took some unexpected turns but it was all the more exciting for it. Really interested in the rest of the series. "
— Evan, 12/16/2010 -
" awesome. osc writes always so good "
— Ender, 12/5/2010 -
" This was nice. Card has such a lovely way with the colloquialism of the world he has created in Tales of Alvin Maker. Touching on African magic along with the magic of the Maker, Card writes a very philosophical story with Bunyanesque overtones in his tale of the iniquities of slavery.<br/> "
— Kathy, 10/30/2010 -
" Worth reading. Not as good as 7th Son, and not nearly as good as Red Prophet. For some reason OSC seems obsessed with breasts in this book; I'm not sure what to make of that. "
— Tony, 10/10/2010
About Orson Scott Card
Orson Scott Card, the author of the New York Times bestseller Ender’s Game, has won several Hugo and Nebula awards for his works of speculative fiction. His Ender novels are widely read by adults and younger readers and are increasingly used in schools. Besides these and other science fiction novels, Card writes contemporary fantasy, American-frontier fantasy, biblical novels, poetry, plays, and scripts.
About the Narrators
Gabrielle de Cuir, award-winning narrator, has narrated over three hundred titles and specializes in fantasy, humor, and titles requiring extensive foreign language and accent skills. She was a cowinner of the Audie Award for best narration in 2011 and a three-time finalist for the Audie and has garnered six AudioFile Earphones Awards. Her “velvet touch” as an actor’s director has earned her a special place in the audiobook world as the foremost producer for bestselling authors and celebrities.
Stefan Rudnicki first became involved with audiobooks in 1994. Now a Grammy-winning audiobook producer, he has worked on more than five thousand audiobooks as a narrator, writer, producer, or director. He has narrated more than nine hundred audiobooks. A recipient of multiple AudioFile Earphones Awards, he was presented the coveted Audie Award for solo narration in 2005, 2007, and 2014, and was named one of AudioFile’s Golden Voices in 2012.