95. Seventh Son by Orson Scott Card (Historical fantasy) 241 p.

More than anything else, Seventh Son has reminded me how compulsively readable Orson Scott Card can be. I’ve been finding the Homecoming series a little slow going, but this book displays all Card’s talent, without the undertone of malice that dims my enjoyment of those books.

In a pioneer America that never was, a land where magic abounds and where history has developed a little differently from the history we know, a seventh son is born to a man who is himself a seventh son. Naturally, he possesses unique powers, but he is also in danger from many enemies, some in some unlikely places.

This book felt very much like the first in a series. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, since there are six more books to follow. Seventh Son is a good, solid read, but without the passion and flare to match up to Ender’s Game or Ender’s Shadow, say. What it does do is some nice world-building and characterization, a steady foundation for the rest of the series. If they live up to the potential hinted at in this book, I’m going to enjoy this series very much indeed.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Pages read: 27,831

Tags: 50 Book Challenge 2008, Cardathon Challenge Redux, Orson Scott Card, Tales of Alvin Maker