Red Prophet
100. Red Prophet by Orson Scott Card (Historical fantasy) ? p.
In this book, Card continues to tell the story of Alvin Maker, a young White boy who is more than he seems, with a magic beyond what anyone has seen, and an implacable enemy to go with it. The Tales of Alvin Maker is about more than its titular character, though–with this series, Card has set out to create a fantasy grounded in pioneer America, rather than medieval Europe. In this process, he’s created an alternate history and a rich mythology, full of magic and wonder. Red Prophet is less about Alvin Maker than it is about Tecumseh and the Battle of Tippecanoe–or at least, the versions of them that exist in this series.
So far, this is a great series, one that has some wonderful stories in it. I think, though, that those stories would likely resonate more with actual Americans, who presumably know and care more about American history than I do. (An alternate Canada appears in this book, but it’s so different from the real Canada, and so peripheral to the story, that it doesn’t interest me in any particular way.)
Card gives his characters distinct speech patterns and accents, which was a little jarring for the first few pages. Once I got used to that, though, it helped make the story come alive. And that’s one of the best things about this series–all the stories are alive in the way that all really good myths and legends are alive.
Rating: 9 out of 10
Pages read: ?
Tags: 50 Book Challenge 2008, A ~ Z Reading Challenge, Cardathon Challenge Redux, Orson Scott Card, Tales of Alvin Maker
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.