randomprogrammer's review against another edition
2.0
pitiful end to an increasingly mediocre series.
especially in the first 4 or so books, the characters were woefully one-dimensional, like a moralizing children's tale that is required to have clear delineations of right and wrong, good and evil. This makes for a tepid read, where even if there's technically action or plot, it somehow manages to bore.
And as the series reached it's end, long built-up relationships and conflicts just fizzled out pitifully. The supposed great conflict arc between the two brothers had no climax, much less a conclusion. And the way the two used their powers was consistently lame. The first couple books were great, as a young Alvin explored the limits of his skills. But grown-up Alvin was such an unbelievable bore. And writer Orson Scott Card completely lacked the ability to wow the reader with the scenes that were certainly intended to be amazing.
A shitty bridge across water is the coolest thing Alvin ever does? Um, you mean like ice? As a maker how just tells molecules how they should be, and they carry on the instructions, the basic fundamentals of the magic system make it clear that creating an ice bridge should be trivial. And yet for some silly reason we are asked to be amazed by this "crystal" bridge he builds. Not to mention this lame-ass plow he carries around everywhere.
I suspect that much of the lame plot stemmed from a need to maintain some type of symmetry with Mormon myths and "symbolism" in early books.
I've recently recommended some other Orson Scott Card books to people, like Speaker for the Dead and Xenocide, and I shudder to think that childhood may have clouded my vision, and in fact these books are as bad as the Alvin Maker series.
In summary, Orson managed to take a freaking awesome premise -- magical realism in early 1800s frontier america -- and bore the reader to tears with one-dimensional characters, lame mormon shout outs, characters that refused to use their magic in interesting ways, and a weird absence of a meaningful climax or resolution.
especially in the first 4 or so books, the characters were woefully one-dimensional, like a moralizing children's tale that is required to have clear delineations of right and wrong, good and evil. This makes for a tepid read, where even if there's technically action or plot, it somehow manages to bore.
And as the series reached it's end, long built-up relationships and conflicts just fizzled out pitifully. The supposed great conflict arc between the two brothers had no climax, much less a conclusion. And the way the two used their powers was consistently lame. The first couple books were great, as a young Alvin explored the limits of his skills. But grown-up Alvin was such an unbelievable bore. And writer Orson Scott Card completely lacked the ability to wow the reader with the scenes that were certainly intended to be amazing.
A shitty bridge across water is the coolest thing Alvin ever does? Um, you mean like ice? As a maker how just tells molecules how they should be, and they carry on the instructions, the basic fundamentals of the magic system make it clear that creating an ice bridge should be trivial. And yet for some silly reason we are asked to be amazed by this "crystal" bridge he builds. Not to mention this lame-ass plow he carries around everywhere.
I suspect that much of the lame plot stemmed from a need to maintain some type of symmetry with Mormon myths and "symbolism" in early books.
I've recently recommended some other Orson Scott Card books to people, like Speaker for the Dead and Xenocide, and I shudder to think that childhood may have clouded my vision, and in fact these books are as bad as the Alvin Maker series.
In summary, Orson managed to take a freaking awesome premise -- magical realism in early 1800s frontier america -- and bore the reader to tears with one-dimensional characters, lame mormon shout outs, characters that refused to use their magic in interesting ways, and a weird absence of a meaningful climax or resolution.
charlibirb's review against another edition
3.0
This one flagged, for me. Lots of loose ends, felt like a lot of cop outs. Not a very satisfying conclusion, but not the worst, either. Overall, the series is worth it, but Card's break showed.
spickett's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Wow it took a long time for something to happen with the
Spoiler
plowSpoiler
! But it wasn't enough. Orson Scott Card seems to be trying for impressive word play and playing at philosophy, but it doesn't quite hit the mark or ring true for me personally. Clearly it has for many though - maybe I'm just not a maker.jacalata's review against another edition
3.0
I think I enjoyed this both more and less because of how long it was since I'd read the rest of the series.
cozycreativewitch's review against another edition
4.0
I liked it. A lot. Good concepts, good ideas, good questions. Good story too, not least of all by any means. But I strongly feel that the story itself got lost somehow in the telling. Perhaps Card is a bit like Peggy- he ended up knowing too much and eventually got lost in it, not knowing what to tell. Too many stories in him. Not enough time in the world. I know he turned out to be more than a little like Alvin himself. He saw the vision clearly, first of all, and felt the making of it, but somehow it got away from him over time. Too many things happened that he did not expect and he had to search for the natural ending to things. Not what he expected. And not exactly what he seemed to offer when he began the writing of the series. But mighty fine, all the same. As I said, I liked it. A lot.
brinnet's review against another edition
3.0
An enjoyable series, but I think the last book fell a little flat. Not bad, just not as engaging as the first many books. Perhaps Card was getting tired of writing a tale he'd been worked no on for years and years. At times it seemed rushed, and sometimes repetitive (especially because I marathoned through them -- the recaps got old). Still, it's worth getting through to the end of the series.
Bottom line: This series really is about the journey, rather than the destination.
Bottom line: This series really is about the journey, rather than the destination.
argent_'s review against another edition
3.0
The Tales of Alvin Maker series has always been one I take an issue with because of how... set up it often feels. Conversations between the characters don't feel organic at all, emotion is inconsistently conveyed, and the plot is often deus ex machina-ish. This being said, while all those things are true for this book, the book itself didn't feel as bad as some of the previous ones. I hear there is supposed to be a sequel at some point, and I hope so - because the story feels unfinished as is.
giantarms's review against another edition
3.0
Oh look finally some things happen.
Overall, I don't need to read these ever again. I liked the characters, but there got to be too many of them so that people you liked just disappeared eventually. Too many books were hung up sitting in jails and courtrooms and too much time was spend with people chatting idly about each other's grammar. There are only so many times "HYUK I AM A BUMPKIN WHAT KIN TALK GOOD ENGLISH WHEN I'VE A MIND TO" can be amusing. Started to sound like an English major's screed.
Anyhow, I actually own the first two books. I think they shall head off to the secondhand bookseller's.
Overall, I don't need to read these ever again. I liked the characters, but there got to be too many of them so that people you liked just disappeared eventually. Too many books were hung up sitting in jails and courtrooms and too much time was spend with people chatting idly about each other's grammar. There are only so many times "HYUK I AM A BUMPKIN WHAT KIN TALK GOOD ENGLISH WHEN I'VE A MIND TO" can be amusing. Started to sound like an English major's screed.
Anyhow, I actually own the first two books. I think they shall head off to the secondhand bookseller's.