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Seventh Son Audiobook
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(3.71) - 28 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Using the lore and the folk magic of the men and women who settled a continent, and the beliefs of the tribes who were here before them, Card has created an alternate frontier America; a world where a particular kind of magic really works and where that magic has colored the entire history of the colonies. Charms and beseechings, hexes and potions, all have a place in the lives of the people of this world. "Knacks" abound: dowsers find water, sparks set fires, blacksmiths speak to their iron, the second sight warns of dangers to come, and a torch can read the heart-fire of anyone within reach. It is into this world, in a roadhouse on the track westward, amid the deep wood where the Red man still holds sway, that a very special child is born.
Young Alvin is the seventh son of a seventh son, born while his six brothers all still lived. Such a birth is a powerful magic; such a boy is destined to become something great—perhaps even a Maker. But no Maker has been born for many a century, and there is no lore to tell how the Maker's knack works. At the age of six Alvin doesn't seem to have any special talent at all, unless it's the knack he has of working with stone and wood, crafting tools and ornaments; unless it's his ability to paint a hex just right; unless it's the way he has with animals…
Yes, Alvin is something special; and even in the loving safety of his home, dark forces reach out to destroy him. Something will do anything to keep Alvin from growing up.
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"Another amazing first chapter to an epic series of books by Orson Scott Card. Where Ender's Game dealt with science and technology, Seventh Son is more about spirituality and understanding of creation. It's a beautiful little book, and the follow up novels are just as good. "
— Andrew (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“We are talking about the most important work of American fantasy since Stephen Donaldson’s Thomas Covenant trilogy.”
— Chicago Sun-Times -
“Seventh Son begins what may be a significant recasting in fantasy terms of the tall tale of America.”
— Washington Post Book World -
“The book uses a collection of narrative voices to tell this intriguing tale, each of which is presented by a star narrator. They pass the story among themselves seamlessly…the narrators make the characters vivid and move the plot along smoothly.”
— AudioFile -
“A tribute to the art of storytelling, this is highly recommended.”
— Library Journal -
“A consistently gripping tale featuring solid historical research and a keen understanding of religious experience. Another major effort by a world-class talent. Highly recommended.”
— Booklist -
“Truly marvelous and beautiful.”
— Kliatt -
“In Seventh Son Card achieves the near-miracle of bringing something new to fantasy.”
— Locus
Awards
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An ALA Best Book for Young Adults
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Winner of the 1988 Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel
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A 1988 World Fantasy Award Nominee for Best Novel
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Winner of the 1988 Mythopoeic Award
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Finalist for the 1988 Hugo Award for Best Novel
Seventh Son Listener Reviews
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" I have a knake.. :) "
— Wendy, 5/12/2011 -
" Interesting enough to read. Not much excitement yet though, but nice all the same. "
— LS, 4/27/2011 -
" great series, original story in my opinion "
— Roger, 4/25/2011 -
" Interesting and intriguing first chapters. Hadn't read stories by Orson Scott Card of this kind, had read only Ender's, but this is a wonderful narrative. "
— Nachillo, 4/23/2011 -
" This seemed to move very slowly (could have been because I was listening to it). I think there's a good story in there, Card just uses too many pages to tell it! "
— Megan, 4/11/2011 -
" Love Orson Scott Card! A unique twist on what "could be." "
— Sharon, 4/10/2011 -
" I was pleasantly surprised at how into this book I got toward the end. I don't know when I'll get to the rest of the series, but it's definitely on my 'to read' list. "
— Brooklin, 4/6/2011 -
" 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 -
" Started to read this book but by page 90, I had to take a break from it. Way too slow. But I did come back to finish the book and it finally started to get interesting. Still slow but interesting enough for me to want to keep reading to find out what happens to this boy. "
— Summer, 3/26/2011 -
" I liked this book, but not enough to continue with this series. The fight between church and magic was just too much and gave me knots in my stomach. Alvin Jr.'s character was very lovable, but the pull to know what happens to him next is still not enough to get me to read more of this series. "
— Joy, 3/26/2011 -
" I always kind of figured I <em>might</em> read this. And now I have. And it...wow. Lots of things I disagreed with, but in the most amazing ways, and ways the author made me feel were...accepted. "
— Chy, 3/23/2011 -
" Another excellent read by Ordinary Scott Card. His books get in to my head and stay with me. "
— Jennifer, 3/22/2011 -
" Interesting start to a series, but not as captivating as some of his other work. I will read the next book and see how it is. "
— Katy, 3/19/2011
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
Scott Brick, an acclaimed voice artist, screenwriter, and actor, has performed on film, television, and radio. He attended UCLA and spent ten years in a traveling Shakespeare company. Passionate about the spoken word, he has narrated a wide variety of audiobooks. winning won more than fifty AudioFile Earphones Awards and several of the prestigious Audie Awards. He was named a Golden Voice by AudioFile magazine and the Voice of Choice for 2016 by Booklist magazine.
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.
Stephen Hoye has worked as a professional actor in London and Los Angeles for more than thirty years. Trained at Boston University and the Guildhall in London, he has acted in television series and six feature films and has appeared in London’s West End. His audiobook narration has won him fifteen AudioFile Earphones Awards.
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.