Product Description
Commander Benjamin Sisko is just recovering from the death of his wife when he is assigned command over the former Cardassian, but new Federation space station, Deep Space NineTM. This space station is strategically located not only because of its orbit about Bajor, but also because of its proximity to the only known stable wormhole in the galaxy.After meeting the other Bajoran and Starfleet personnel assigned to the station, including a former Bajoran freedom fighter and a shapeshifter, Sisko finds himself in that very wormhole and in the midst of a metaphysical experience as the alien inhabitants of the wormhole questionthe concepts of time and love.Sisko, filled with humanistic hubris, begins to explain these experiences, and resolve his painful past. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The novelization loses something from the TV show
Deep Space Nine is a space station orbiting the planet of Bajor. The Federation is taking over from the departing Cardassians and have sent Benjamin Sisco to run it. Sisco brings along the baggage of still grieving his dead wife and trying to raise his son alone. His crew include Star Fleet officers, a Bajoran major and a shape shifter. Not long after arriving he discovers nearby the only known stable wormhole. With it, ships can travel to and from the Gamma quadrant, 70,000 light years, in a matter of seconds. However, the wormhole was constructed and is inhabited by a race of beings who may not want other races using it.

This was the first episode of the TV series Deep Space Nine and I remember enjoying it when it was on. The novelization isn't bad, but some of the energy of the story and the actors is lost on the page. Nana Visitor, who played the Bajoran major on the series, reads the novel here and does a nice job changing voices for each character, which can't be easy to do. She's dramatic and forceful when she needs to be, but not overly so. ... Read more

Product Description
An X-PHILE'S guide to the mysteries, conspiracies and really strange truths behind the show that was written by N.E. Genge. ... Read more

Product Description
The first title in the "Star Trek - Deep Space Nine" series. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

Great, fast-paced
Great, fast-paced and quick read. Its from the first (pilot) episode from the DS9 series. Even if you have watched it on TV a million times, this page-turner will likely garner your interest. For DS9 and Star Trek fans alike, or even at good entrance point to the Star Trek universe. Characters are real and you can see them as if they were on your television screen.

Highly recommended.

How it all began
The story opens as Benjamin Sisko and his son Jake arrive at Sisko's new assignment on Deep Space Nine.Sisko is ambivelent about his new Star Fleet posting and what greets him at the station does not encourage him to stay.The Cardassians had stripped both the planet and station of everything of worth before their departure.As the DS9 crew began to assemble and attempt to restore order to the situation each was struck by the enormity of the problem(s) that faced them.Then, depending on your point of view, either the Celestral Temple (Bajoran heaven) or a stable wormhole was discovered near the station.Whatever it was called it was a pathway to the Gamma quadrant, a short cut that would place Bajor at the crossroads of major traderoutes.It would also make Bajor a highly coveted prize that many civilizations would be willing to fight over.

If this story sounds familiar it is because this is a novelization of the first episode of DS9.It follows the televised episode quite faithfully but also provides lots of background information and goes into much deeper into what each character is thinking during the action than is possible in a television program.For fans of the series it is great to get these backstories and for those new to the series who may have missed to pilot episode this provides the basic premises of the series.

Skip chapter one
Of all the recent novelisations I've read recently this one is one of the best. Beyond being a faithful adaptation of the pilot of Deep Space Nine, it actually bothers to give good descriptions and character insights / motivations. My one suggestion is to start with chapter 2. Although the pilot does actually start 3 years in the past with the Borg attack, the first chapter stalls the rest of the story. There is enough referral to the backstory that the first chapter really isn't needed in the book. I dare you future readers to start the book with chapter 2.

DS9 #1 Emissary - The beginning of the best series!
Deep Space Nine #1 "Emissary" brings forth the beginning of Star Trek's best and most controversial series to the franchise.I say controversial in that at times, this series whether when it was airing or on DVD and in print it seems to be treated as the red headed stepchild of Star Trek.This doesn't matter though, because in the end, the very principles that make up Star Trek Deep Space Nine; its character conflicts and its dealing with certain aspects not dealt with on the other series ultimately makes it the most beloved by the fans that have stuck with it.

For several years now, when Pocket Books and Paramount have needed an author to novelize a script for one of the movies or television episodes, J.M. Dillard has been the "go to" author for most of them and she has performed brilliantly in every effort."Emissary" was her third novelization and one of her best.She perfectly captured the characterizations at this pivotal time in the series, the beginning.

As with all of her other novelizations, she does an outstanding and commendable job of not only bringing to print what was on screen but adding personal thoughts to and "between the scenes on screen" scenes.

Of course, beyond the great amount of praise and credit for J.M. Dillard for this novelization there is an even higher amount of accolades due to Michael Piller for the teleplay and basic story being written by himself and Rick Berman.

The cover art for "Emissary" is right on for this particular novel as it displays an entire cast picture which at the time of this novelizations release was very helpful.

The premise:

"Emissary" is of course the novelization of Star Trek Deep Space Nine's pilot episode.Here is where we meet the characters that will take us, the fans, through the entire gamut of emotions for several years to come.

Commander Benjamin Sisko who has been stationed on Earth since the tragic events of Wolf 359 in which his ship, the USS Saratoga, where he was serving on as first officer, participated in the defense of Earth from the Borg.As with most starships on that dreadful day, the Saratoga was destroyed and Sisko was able to escape with his son Jake, but his wife, Jennifer lost her life.As any man would, he's been suffering that loss since that day.As he has accepted the command of Deep Space Nine, he's also considering leaving Starfleet.

With that catalyst in mind, "Emissary" begins with Commander Sisko's arrival and the arrival of the rest of the cast to include introductions to Major Kira Nerys, Odo and Quark.Sisko also has a fateful meeting with Kai Opaka, the Bajoran spiritual leader.

What follows from there is nothing less than the best pilot episode of all of the series and one of J.M. Dillard's best novelizations.I highly recommend this novelization for your Star Trek collection.{ssintrepid}

As usual, J.M. Dillard does a fine job.
This author is unquestionably the best at novelizing episodes or movies. The same author has done many Star Trek novelizations, and they've all been fine jobs. This one is no different; I admit that it's been a while since I saw the episode, but this certainly FEELS faithful to what I remember. The characters certainly come across well, and the storyline seems essentially unchanged. ... Read more

Product Description
Published to coincide with the fourth series of "The X-Files". ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Interesting And Fun Look Behind The Stories Of The First Two Seasons
The Unofficial X-Files Companion covers the stories behind some of the plots in the first two X-Files seasons.Genge goes episode by episode and in each one shares fun episode trivia, quotes, real-life stories behind the stories, and quizzes.She does a good job of summarizing some of the real-life material that the X-Files writers took from when developing the show's stories.One thing I think she could have done would have been to include a synopsis of each episode and what happens in the plotline.Overall, an interesting book for any X-Phile to enjoy;also makes a good coffee table book for discussion into matters paranormal and controversial.

Truth is stranger than fiction, and more fun too
This book dates from the end of season 2, so if you're a fan, it won't tell you much about The X-Files that you don't already know.  But the real point of the book is that the synopsis of each episode jumps off into a medium-long article discussing the science and history surrounding an issue or two in that episode.  There's a load of cool stuff in this book, on subjects like chromosomes, forensic science, hypnosis, various folklores, the CIA, the circus, and what might happen when you get shot in the head.  It's all interesting and fun to read, and will take you right back to how exciting it was when the show was just getting started.I only wish Ms. Genge had written similar books covering the other seasons!

Great book, but know what you're buying
I purchased this book knowing what was it was: an episode by episode examination of the bizarre phenomana that is present in each X-File. If youare interested to know how much of The X Files is real and how much isfake, this is definately worth the price. There is another book that exists(I believe it is The Science of The X Files, or a similar such title) thatdoes not even come close to how absorbing, entertaining, and informative The Unofficial Guide is. If you are looking for an episode guide, find itelsewhere. The central theme of this book is The X Files in the real world,and if you are at all interested, buying this book will be well worth theprice.

X-tra Clever
This aduio book was so well writen that I thought I was in an episode myself.

Okay this book wasn't what I expected it to be.
I expected total coverage of things about the show, but the book was mainly about strange true things that the show is based upon (ie. the episode about the eng twins is true). I recommend this to readers who enjoy reading background info. The book became boring at times and the writing wasn't that great. The portrayal was not asanywhere as good as the show itself. For real philes this isn't a must buy. ... Read more

Product Description
AUDIO CASSETTE,, 4 CASSETTES, APPROXIMATELY 6 HR PLAY TIME,, ... Read more

Product Description

Capturing all the rueful irony and racial ambivalence of small-town Mississippi in the late 1950s, Melinda Haynes' celebrated novel is a wholly unforgettable exploration of family, identity, and redemption. Mother of Pearl revolves around twenty-eight-year-old Even Grade, a black man who grew up an orphan, and Valuable Korner, the fifteen-year-old white daughter of the town whore and an unknown father. Both are passionately determined to discover the precious things neither experienced as children: human connection, enduring commitment, and, above all, unconditional love. A startlingly accomplished mixture of beauty, mystery, and tragedy, Mother of Pearl marks the debut of an extraordinary literary talent.Amazon.com Review
Oprah Book Club® Selection, June 1999: Twenty-eight-year-old Even Grade is a black man who wasorphaned as a child; 15-year-old Valuable Korner is a white girl whomight as well have been. Petal, Mississippi, circa 1956, seems anunlikely spot for these two to connect, but it soon becomes apparentin Mother of Pearl that a friendship across race lines is justone of many miracles waiting to happen in this small Southerntown. Melinda Haynes's remarkable debut novel begins in a hot August,when young Val's lifelong friendship with Jackson McClain is startingto change into something more profound, and Even is falling crazy inlove with Joody Two Sun, a mixed-race woman with amazing powers.

Woven in and around these two central love stories are myriad othercharacters, other tales. There is 16-year-old Joleb Green, forexample, whose mother was incapacitated by a stroke when he was born,and who was raised by the black housekeeper, Grace. There is Even'sfriend Canaan, an older black man who spends his time reading Greektragedy and writing his work "The Reality of the Negro"; Valuable'smother, Enid, the town whore; and Neva and Bea, a lesbian couple whohave helped to raise the girl. Until this year, blacks and whites haveoccupied separate universes, for the most part; then Joleb Greensuffers a terrible accident, and it is Joody Two Sun who saves hislife and Grace who restores his soul. At the same time, a pregnant Valarrives on Joody and Even's doorstep, hungry for the understanding andacceptance she cannot find at home. Though at first Even is resistant,Val's humanity soon transcends her color in his mind:

Even chuckled and shook his head, happy for a reason hecouldn't distinguish other than at that moment of Canaan'snear-perfect cast, all seemed right with the world, as right as athing can be what with a white girl camped out in the middle of theQuarter with no plans of leaving.

Melinda Haynes has taken on a Herculean task, crafting amulticharacter story that reaches across racial barriers to encompassan entire community. She doesn't shy away from the ugliness inlife--bigotry of every stripe, mean-spiritedness, betrayal,thoughtless cruelty, and death--but what interests her is thepotential of the human heart to find space within itself for the mostunexpected people. With its strong, lyrical language and fullyrealized characters, Mother of Pearl is a fine novel and aterrific introduction to a new literary voice. --Alix Wilber ... Read more

Customer Reviews (254)

An Author Who Writes Outside the Box
This book was different than anything I've ever read.It was sometimes difficult to understand, but became clearer as you continued.The author has a wonderful style all her own - the fact that a white woman wrote this is astounding.The story has very interesting characters.I thought the "accidentally incestuous" relationship in the book would have some big climax, but it just faded away.The participants in that relationship never even found out they were related.That was surprising to me, and the book would have been more exciting if something had happened with that.

Mother of Pearl
I found this book to be just OK.I was trying to find the right words to use to describe what I felt while reading this book. The term that finally came to mind was "CUMBERSOME".For most of the book I couldn't keep track of what was going on.I still can't even tell you what the point to this story was.I think that there were just too many characters focused on in this book - each character seemed to have a full life story given and quite a few of them had NOTHING to do with the main character or her story.These extra characters made the read rather confusing.After getting better than 3/4 of the way through the book, I found myself skipping to the end to just get it over with already.

Not as expected
The editor's review made this book sound interesting, but reading it was a chore I abandoned around page 70.The dialogue was difficult to understand as were the characters and all the jumping back and forth.I read for enjoyment not to rattle my brain asking myself, "What is that all about?"Sorry, Oprah, your recommendation didn't hit the mark for me this time.

Be Patient!
This is one of the best novels I've ever read, at least in the top 10.You must be patient with this book, as it's slow-starting.You also have to suspend disbelief, as the author takes much license with some of the characters.What characters they are, though.I don't think I'll forget Joody Two Sun, ever.This book was well worth the initial slow pace.I'd recommend it to anyone.

Captivating Story...Engaging Characters...Refreshingly Different
This review refers to "Mother of Pearl" by Melinda Haynes...

This was a story so captivating, I could hardly put the book down.I was drawn to all the characters who were engaging and refreshingly different.

The setting is the small town of Petal,Mississippi during the early 1950's. The town's population divided by racial lines, and the denizens, and main characters of the story,both white and black, and although leading very different lives, are, due to happenstance, about to find much in common.

I loved the very real, yet unique characters and the way they talked, and the way we were privvy to what was going on in their heads. The language really seemed to add a great deal to this Southern story.Even the names given to these interesting people are unique and original.The side stories of how they came by their names add fun facts as well. Names like Joody Two Sun, Canaan Mosley, Neva Moore(this name always made me think of a line from Poe's "The Raven";'nevermore')and Valuble Korner and Even Grade, the two characters who's stories bring together an eclectic group. Val and Even meet through a mutual acquaintance.Joody Two Sun. A witchy women with powers to "read" a person. She is camped with her fire and stones by the river, and seems to possess magical and mystical qualities. Both the 15 year old, pregnant Val and the 27 year old Even, strangers to each other, are drawn to Joody for different reasons, and soon the friends of both become involved with each other as the story unfolds.

Although the story basically revolves around Val and Even's circumstances, there are other sub-plots woven through that may at first seem unrelated to any of the events, but are knitted together finely. I thoroughly enjoyed the read, although at times it seemed to jump around quite a bit. But once you get used to the style of Haynes, you can just enjoy the happenings in Petal. There's a little something of everything here. Drama, Humor, Romance, Adventure.

Recommended for those looking for something refreshingly different, yet quite engaging...Enjoy.....Laurie

also recommended:
The Blues For Annie Mae
River, Cross My Heart (Oprah's Book Club) ... Read more

Product Description
Alvin has returned to the town of his birth, Hatrack River, as the blacksmith's apprentice. He must discover how to be a Maker, and hopes that Peggy the Torch, who has magically protected him all his life, will help. The author's "Ender's Game" and "Speaker for the Dead" won Hugo and Nebula awards. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (22)

great fantasy series
I enjoyed the whole Alvin Maker fantasy series.Orson Scott Card is one of my favorite writers!

Progressing Well
Prentice Alvin is a wonderful edition to the tales of Alvin Maker. There is less action than in the first two books, because this book is meant to progress the characters more. Alvin practices and improves his making skills. All while he is prenticed to a terrible master. The unmaker gets more creative in his plots to get rid of Alvin. And the Hatrack community gets some new additions. If you liked the first two books, than you must read this one.

Golden Plow Jumps the Shark
Prentice Alvin is the third book about Alvin Maker (nee Miller) set in an alternate American frontier where folk magic and hexes are real. In this story, teenaged Alvin finally makes it to Hatrack River township to begin his apprenticeship to the town blacksmith and meets the love of his life, Peggy Guester, the torch girl who saw his birth and has been protecting him from supernatural attempts on his life. Alvin also becomes the protector / father figure for Arthur Stuart, a young man born into slavery.

Card tries to incorporate Alvin's progression towards his fate as a demi-god promised in book one, but it reads like a square peg being forced into a round hole. And the whole business with the golden plow... well, as they say about television shows, this is where Alvin Maker jumps the shark.

Smaller scope, less impressive story
The Alvin Maker series starts to lose a little steam in this third installment, which directs Alvin's attention to the problem of slavery in Card's alternate America.Finally beginning his apprenticeship, Alvin befriends an abolitionist family, especially Arthur, the mixed-race boy they adopt.Peggy the Torch also takes center stage for a while, although her choices are such that we wonder if it's really such an advantage being able to see the future.As Alvin has learned in the prior volume, Red Prophet, saving the world is a tall order, perhaps more than he can accomplish by himself.So he endures his apprenticeship to the unpleasant Master Makepeace Smith, while continuing his academic education through the agency of a mysterious schoolmarm, and refrains from using his growing magical power.

Related to the slavery issue is the problem of the outsider trying to fit in to society.Alvin and Peggy hide their extraordinary powers so as not to attract unwanted attention to themselves.Arthur, unable to hide his difference, has to undergo radical change in order to live a free man.Alvin accepts the abuse of his Master, perhaps as a pale echo of slavery, or perhaps as an indictment of the apprentice system and servitude generally.And ultimately, they all pay a price.

But if great power bestows great responsibility, our heroes fail the test.By hiding their powers under a bushel, Alvin and Peggy minimize themselves, and perhaps that's their goal.But by masquerading as ordinary people pursuing pedestrian lives, they become substantially less interesting to the typical sci-fi fantasy reader (and possibly others as well) and while Card may be making his point, he isn't necessarily telling a great story.The Alvin of Prentice seems to have little in common with the Alvin of Red Prophet, and what's more he's taking a step backwards, whereas good storytelling requires a progression.After the brutal massacre in Prophet, this small, personal story just doesn't have the impact we've come to expect.Looking back, it seems clear that Prentice should have been the second volume and Prophet the third, but clearly this series wasn't plotted out ahead of time, and Card's just letting the story formulate as he goes along.There's enough adventure and dramatic tension in this book to make it a decent read, and the series overall is powerful enough to keep us going, but this volume is not quite up to Card's usually high standards.

Focus on character development..Excellent continuation.
In this third book of the Alvin Maker series, we see Alvin grow into a man.Comparatively, the first two books took place over a shorter time span and put more effort into developing the fascinating world Card has created.In PRENTICE ALVIN, there is much more emphasis on character development and maturation.Characters really come into their own in this book as well as develop some very intriguing relationships among themselves.Interactions between Alvin, Peggy, Arthur Stuart, Makepeace Smith, and others make this book a joy to read and gives you a depth of understanding of those characters that make them come to life.

The bulk of the book describes events that happen during Alvin's apprenticeship to the blacksmith of Hatrack River.The Unmaker returns to hound and molest Alvin, and a few characters from the first two books are brought back and built up.Cavil Planter is a new a very interesting character that has disillusioned himself into thinking that he is doing to work of the Lord while committing heinous crimes.Central to the story is the introduction of the pickanniny mimic Arthur Stuart, who will undoubtedly have far-reaching consequences for the rest of the series.

The book is fast and entertaining, with the same great characters you love and a couple more that are sure to please.I can't wait to read the next installment! ... Read more

Product Description
The first tale of Alvin Maker, "Seventh Son", introduced people to a very familiar but just slightly different pioneer America where magic works, and many people have special talents. In "Red Prophet", listeners learn more about those talents, both the minor gifts of the white people and the much grander gifts of the Indians. Abridged. November '98 publication date. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (41)

Loving the series
The pacing is a lot quicker that Seventh son.You'll have trouble putting this one down if you enjoyed Seventh Son.

Atrocious bilge
Wooden Characters. Chaotic plot which feels hastily scribbled together. Politically correct ( noble Reds and evil Whites) rigmarole is nauseatingly trite. Read Ender's Saga and leave the rest of this author's stuff in the remainder bin. Where is belongs.

entertaining historical fantasy
Entertaining historical fantasy.Orson Scott Card obviously put a lot of thought to the alternative historical events not even depicted in the book.This is the most action packed volume in the series.

Slow To Start But...
Red Prophet is very slow to start. I do not understand why Mr. Card spent so much time talking about Hooch, when it ends up that he is not a major character and serves very little purpose for the plot. However, after the slow start, WOW! This book is so intense that I could hardly set it down. I did not think that it would be better than Seventh Son, but I was very wrong. It is well worth the slow start just read the last wonderful half of this book. You must read this book if you enjoyed Seventh Son.

Another imagineering of America history
Card's incredible reimagining of frontier America takes an amazing and touching turn into the world of Native Americans. Not only is the imagination and the folksy feel great, but Card manages to get inside the heads of his characters like no one else.

It's a spellbinding story of a folksy fontier, magic, and the passion of the human spirit and psychology. ... Read more

Product Description
In this widely acclaimed series, Card has created an alternatefrontier America where folk magic really works.The adventure that began in Seventh Son continues in"Alvin Journeyman," the fourth book in the series, when Alvin is drivenfrom his home by false accusations back to Hatrack River where he muststand trial for his life. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (38)

I Never Knew Court Rooms Could Be So Intense
This is a wonderful addition to the Alvin Maker tales. It is about his trial when Makepeace accuses him of stealing "his" plow. With many schemes, conspiracies, and deceiving, this book is wonderful. I never thought that a good book could be written involving a court room trail, but this book proved me wrong. If you have enjoyed the other Alvin Maker tales, than you must read this one. It will not disappoint you.

Another great addition to the series, a joy to read.
Card's return to the story of Alvin Maker came more than five years after the publication of Prentice Alvin.He says that he wasn't sure he would ever come back and finish the tale, but after being repeatedly urged to do so by fans, decided to give it a go.In this book, the story slows down dramatically, focusing on a seemingly periphery storyline and stalling the overall direction of where Alvin's life is going.While some important events take place here, the pace of the story doesn't progress as quickly and is not as focused as before.Still, this is a great book, written with the same extraordinary skill and feeling as the others in the series.

ALVIN JOURNEYMAN focuses on a rather bizarre time in Alvin's life where he is accused of wrongdoing and has to stand trial for something that he is completely innocent of.While Card tries to make the issue seem serious (by utilizing Peggy the torch as a warning of dire consequences), he isn't able to convey to the reader any real danger for Alvin.Another part of the book (and the better half in my opinion) tracks the development of Alvin's brother Calvin.Bent on making his own name as a powerful Maker, but without acknowledging his brother's superiority, Calvin sets out to France to learn from Napoleon.His adventures are entertaining and suggest great and tragic happenings in the future of the series.

Perhaps the most enjoyable aspect of this book is the often hilarious manner in which the characters interact.Wholly believable, the "ol-timey" dialogue of the people in Card's alternative world brings this story to life and makes the book a joy to read.In this manner, the story itself becomes less important and even if you don't feel like it is leading anywhere, the book is still very fun.

...
Another great addition into the incredible world of folklore America. Alvin's purpose becomes more clear as he involves himself with other characters with amazing talents. There is romance, adventure, and even some witty humor.It's impressive how Card can take the history of his own faith, twist it with his originality, and make a surely delightful little adventure.

Big Disappointment
The second and third books in the Alvin Maker series were progressively less engaging than the original, but all ALVIN JOURNEYMAN has in common with the compelling story SEVENTH SON is the character names. This story brings us no closer to Alvin learning how to teach others to use their gifts or to build The Crystal City. Much of the book is spent on Alvin stubbornly refusing to defend himself in a protracted jailhouse scene, then a courtroom trial - not in plot or character development. Alvin, an everyman character who started out so likeable, is downright annoying in this book.

Sorry I listened to the naysayers...
I didn't buy this book right away after I finished Prentice Alvin because of the negative reviews I read on here. And boy am I sorry! I really loved this series and it was bothering me not to know how it continued. So one day when I was in the bookstore and saw it there I bought it.

I literally just finished reading it 15 minutes ago and I'm here to tell anybody who is looking at the reviews to see if its a good book that it IS!! I don't get how anybody could have read the other three and then said there was something wrong with this one. So much happened to further Alvin's journey and yeah he did have to suffer through that trial and he found a new enemy in his own brother. But I thought it was wonderful that through all of the bad that a lot of good took place. More good than bad. Just like real life. Hopefully.

So I say boo to the naysaysers! I will be reading ALL of the other books in this series no matter what anybody else says. ... Read more

Product Description
A new episode in the "Tales of Alvin Maker". Alvin's wife, Peggy, who has the ability to read the heartfire of others and know their futures, makes a perilous journey to the court of the exiled king of England in the southern city of Charleston. There she hopes to somehow influence him to change the dreadful future that she has seen--a war between the free nations and the slave nations of North America.Amazon.com Review
This is the fifth novel in Orson Scott Card's popular Alvin the Makerseries, based on an alternate America where some people are born withknacks, which resemble magical abilities. The protagonist of the series,Alvin, is a maker who not only can fix things (such as restoring awounded bird to health with his doodlebug) but is also something of anatural leader. Alvin and his small band of followers are on a quest tobuild the Crystal City, a place where those who have knacks can live insafety from the people who sometimes burn them as witches.While Alvin visits the nearly holy province of New England to find outjust how cities work, his wife Margaret, traveling under the name Peggy,journeys to the kingdom of Camelot, which was formerly known as Charleston,South Carolina. There she hopes to persuade the exiled King Arthur to help her abolish the practice of slavery. Heartfire is an excellent midseries novel that's sure to delight fans of Alvin. --Craig E. Engler ... Read more

Customer Reviews (52)

great fantasy series
Orson Scott Card is one of my favorite writers today.This Alvin Maker fantasy series did not disappoint me.I read one after the other until I finished them all.

No progress to the story, same great characters.
First I'd like to concur with many of the other reviewers here on Amazon.. the cover of this book is absolutely horrific.Besides being way to romance novel-like for any man to bring out in public, it also has no bearing on the story.Whatever is happening on the cover certainly doesn't portray any scene from the book, so my only question is "What the hell were the producers thinking, and how did OSC let this happen??"

But whatever, on to the book itself.Without a doubt this is the least inspiring and enjoyable book of the series so far.Mostly unimportant-seeming, the events chronicled here come off as being filler for the series.I'm not sure if Card just wasn't certain about where he needed to go with this story and had to publish something, or if he really believed a whole novel would be required to introduce a couple more characters and add detail to a bit more of his fantasy realm.Either way, this novel comes off as being short and inconsequential.The story as a whole doesn't seem moved forward very much from where it was after the third book in the series.

All that being said, I still give this book a generous rating because of Card's wonderful writing.The characters and their banter are still remarkably enjoyable, with Calvin, Arthur Stuart, Verily Cooper, and Honore Balzac providing most of the entertainment.You really find yourself caring for these fictional characters in this series, and that is no different in this book.Card obviously loves the characters he's created here, its just too bad he can't seem to determine what will happen to them.

You'll finish this book in just a couple of days, so its well worth your time, just don't expect it to bring too much progress to the story.

Can It Possibly Get Worse?
After slogging through the fourth book, I was wary of reading HEARTFIRE, the fifth book in the Alvin Maker series - but I bought the book and I was determined to finish it. If you consider reading this book, the Harlequin Romance-esque cover should be your first tip-off.

This book starts with newlyweds Alvin and Peggy separated with no real explanation given, Peggy has gone south to try and stop the coming war caused by slavery, and Alvin finds himself on trial - AGAIN. Basically an anti-slavery rant, the characters talk incessantly and nothing happens. Too boring for words.

There is another book after this one, can this series possibly get any worse?

No better than Journeyman, but we're still hoping...
Card's `Alvin Maker' series takes us down an alternate timeline to a pre-industrial America where magic, religion, and science compete for ascendancy. If you haven't read the first two volumes: `Seventh Son' and `Red Prophet' leave this page now and go check them out.Not only will further installments make little sense without that background, but they're nowhere near as good, and `Heartfire' is certainly no exception.The bottom line on the series is this - if you liked `Alvin Journeyman' you'll probably like `Heartfire', too.It features the same characters, and yet another courtroom drama, and no particular progress towards any specific goal.If you were disappointed enough by `Journeyman' that you're considering abandoning the series altogether, there's nothing in this book that you just have to come back for.

This reviewer has to admit to still being hooked despite the serious drop-off in quality since the series' inception.Card's "knack" lies in keeping us interested even when the plot doesn't seem to be gong anywhere.One still wants to know what comes next, perhaps optimistically thinking that he'll take us somewhere worthwhile if we just stick with him long enough.As of this writing, the series is still incomplete, so perhaps there's still hope.But the hope lies with Card's talent, and not in this scattered installment.

Great Book
It's getting colse to the end and I don't want it to end.Great book. ... Read more

Product Description
American Library Association “Best Books for Young Adults”

From the author of Ender’s Game, an unforgettable story about young Alvin Maker: the seventh son of a seventh son. Born into an alternative frontier America where life is hard and folk magic is real, Alvin is gifted with the power. He must learn to use his gift wisely. But dark forces are arrayed against Alvin, and only a young girl with second sight can protect him.
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Customer Reviews (85)

Get a Life, Publisher
Utterly ridiculous that the publisher requires you buy this paperback before purchasing the remainder of the series on eBook

Not a Badly Written Book for an Anti-gay Bigot
Decent storytelling, but I just couldn't get out of my mind the rather extreme right-wing, pro-war and anti-gay statements and positions of Orson Scott Card. I had never read anything by Card before, and deep into the book I googled him, as I often do when reading a new author. Seems he is a rather controversial man, and based on what I found on the internet, his political and spiritual values are far from my own. I read fiction for pleasure, but also hopefully to expand my mind, heart and imagination in a positive way. For this reason, I try to steer clear of authors known to be bigots and warmongers. Knowing that some of a fiction writer's basic values are antithetical to mine does often negatively color the experience of reading that writer's work. If you are also taken out of a story because you find the author's political and spiritual views upsetting, I recommend you give this book a pass.

Not Available on Kindle even though the other 5 are??!!??
I think this is an excellent book, as well as the series being great; however, after purchasing my new AmazonKindle, I discovered that I could download the Alvin Maker series Volumes II through VI, but not Volume I - Seventh Son.How does that make any sense at all?I am extremely frustrated about this.

fiction, Orson Scott Card
First of an interesting series. I got bored with the complexity of the series after 3rd or 4th book. The premise is the special powers of a seventh son of a seventh son and his challenges in using those powers. Also fascinating because he divides up the U.S. as different nations instead of a united nation. His divisions make sense and his characters, as always, are very good, even the women (which is usually hard for a man.)

Interesting, But Incomplete
Orson Scott Card shows his strength, once again, at portraying important children well, but to little overall effect in this volume.Everything seems to be set-up for something else, not included in this story.Peggy is established as an interesting child, then dropped for much of the book.Alvin's powers and his character are revealed in the last two thirds of the book, but he doesn't really get to do anything.Reverend Thrower and Taleswapper are interesting, if a bit strongly characterized, but their introductions and motivations are all a bit abrupt and a bit mysterious at the same time.We are given an alternate America, but one which is different for reasons not important to the story, as far as we see here.While there are compelling segments and characterizations, this book is incomplete--mere exposition for books to come, leaving me unsatisfied and unwilling to pursue the rest of the tale. ... Read more

Product Description
Purchase includes free access to book updates online and a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Not illustrated. Excerpt:Allen Forest Zoo (Hindi: / ) is a zoo in Kanpur, the industrial hub of Uttar Pradesh in North India. It is the largest open green space in Kanpur. As such it can be classified as the lung of Kanpur. Originally a natural habitat for fauna, it is unique as one of the few zoos in India which have been carved out from a natural forest. The zoo is also referred to as the Kanpur zoo. Kanpur zoo ranks among the best Indian zoos with unparalleled flora and fauna diversity. Being professionally maintained by dedicated forest conservationists, it records a massive footfall from all age groups and communities in Kanpur. It is an ideal destination for picnics, nature walks, outdoor recreation as well as teaching school students about natural habitats, environmental issues and responsible eco-friendly living. The Zoological Park in Kanpur, (Cawnpore, Manchester of Asia, in British colonial period) was the brainchild of one Sir Allen after whom the zoo bears its name. Sir Allen was a member of the then Indian Civil Service. A botanist par excellence, Sir Allen had conceived an idea to open the zoo in a natural forest, but his plans got stuck in the debris of Red-tapeism and didn't materialize. When the zoo was opened in 1971 by the government of independent India, it was decided that the zoo would be named after him. As the city of Kanpur has expanded, the Allen Forest Zoo is now strategically located a mere two kilometers away from the citys epicenter. In earlier colonial records, it is mentioned as being close to Nawabganj, some distance away from Bithoor. The zoo is an oasis of idyllic green, a natural lake and ancient trees. Thus Kanpur city can boast having Asia's biggest (area wise) natural zoological garden. ... More: http://booksllc.net/?id=19505292 ... Read more