Alvin Journeyman

By: Orson Scott Card

Narrated by: Blackstone Audio

Length: 15 hrs and 4 mins

Publisher's Summary

Alvin is a Maker, the first to be born in a century. Now a grown man and a journeyman smith, Alvin has returned to his family in the town of Vigor Church. He will share in their isolation, work as a blacksmith, and try to teach anyone who wishes to learn the knack of being a Maker. For Alvin has had a vision of the Crystal City he will build, and he knows that he cannot build it alone. But he has left behind, in Hatrack River, true friends as well as enemies. And his ancient foe, the Unmaker, whose cruel whispers and deadly plots have threatened Alvin's life at every turn, has found new hands to do his work of destruction.

Don't miss other titles in the Tales of Alvin Maker series.

©1995 Orson Scott Card (P)2007 Blackstone Audio Inc.

Critic Reviews

"The best fantasy series now in progress." ( Publishers Weekly)
"This superb and welcome book continues the saga at the same high level as before....[The Tales of Alvin Maker] promises to be [Card's] most notable creation." ( Booklist)

Great Every Time

I've listened to this book (actually the whole series) multiple times. Card is a great writer and the voices are awesome. The Alvin Maker series is one great series worth listening to over and over.

4 of 5 people found this review helpful

Great series, but Orson tends to get long winded

I just finished Journeyman in this undeniably beuatiful series, but at several places in the book I got itchy and irritated. Orson Scott Card tends to weave more and more pious-sounding religious undertones into the story and, at least to my taste, diverges from his narrrative at several very suspenseful places to long-winded, not really interesting explanations, philosophical analyses and what have you. This is not to say you should stop reading the series, just that I often thought: man, get ON with it!
Nevertheless: a story that captures you.

2 of 3 people found this review helpful

The 18th Century Age of Exploration Recast

I found this book to be a remarkable and engaging recast of the American Frontier progression across the continent. The mystical fascination of alchemical gifts, 'knacks,' provides some of the actual background that excited the early Mormon movement into a more universal, modern compositon in the Alvin series is an inspiriation for those of us with similar interest if not religious affiliation. A great read years ago and audio revisit now.

Many lose ends tied. Great story set up

The way so many things were tied back together was flawless. Card has a magnificent way of creating personalities and has some true insight into the human psyche.

1 of 2 people found this review helpful

Multiple readers = little boredom

The part of the story that fascinates me most, is how he twists and turns the plot so there's no way to know what is coming next. I love the historical periodic setting. And I especially love the potential that he builds into each character. I'm really learning to love these guys, it's a great story.

1 of 2 people found this review helpful

A good addition

All I can say is this is another well wirtten and preformed piece of the Alvin Maker Story. Thou Mr. Card is clearly a master of novels of all kinds, he gives us here something far better than a Journeyman's piece.

2 of 6 people found this review helpful

Getting better

The story line is improving, but still too much wordiness and too little substance, particularly with Cal

0 of 1 people found this review helpful

Law & Order: OSC

Basically just Law & Order: Orson Scott Card edition. It was enjoyable enough because of the character personas established in the previous books, but there were too many boring, mostly uneventful parts

0 of 1 people found this review helpful

alvin

it was ever good and you git some history.

0 of 6 people found this review helpful

Bit slow compared to others in series...

Although I enjoyed this book, it did drag considerably in places. There is no big plot structure in this book and quite a bit of it is a continuation of the 'Golden Plough' storyline from the previous book - fine, it's a sequel, but each of the previous books had a distinct story and this worked well. This one seemed a bit sketchy on plot, the only exception being Calvin (the evil younger brother) and his exploits abroad - with Napoleon?! Although a Journeyman, Alvin went absolutely nowhere.

I enjoy all the authors books, and this one did a good enough job, but it is only for his real fans, or those that are determined to finish the series whatever. At the rate the storyline is winding down, by the last book we will be reading about Alvin doing his laundry, completing a crossword and the occasional bathroom break. Jazz it up OSC!!