Crystal City

By: Orson Scott Card

Narrated by: Stefan Rudnicki, M.E. Willis, cast

Length: 11 hrs and 26 mins

Publisher's Summary

From the end of the 18th century, Americans traveled west to find new homes and new lands. They brought with them the magics of plain people. It is from these roots of the American dream that award-winning writer Orson Scott Card has crafted what the Charlotte Observer called "a uniquely American fantasy." Using the lore and the folk magic of the men and women who settled a continent, and the beliefs of the tribes who were here before them, Card has created an alternate frontier America. Charms, beseechings, hexes, and potions all have a place in the lives of the people of this world.

Alvin Miller is the seventh son of a seventh son, born while his six brothers all still lived. Such a birth is a powerful magic; such a boy is destined to perhaps become a Maker. Rejoin the tale of Alvin and his wife Peggy as they work to create the Crystal City of Alvin's vision, where all people can live together in peace.

Don't miss the other titles in Orson Scott Card's Alvin Maker series.

©2003 Orson Scott Card (P)2004 Audio Renaissance

start with the first book

What did you love best about Crystal City?

Just love this author and the entire series. I've read and listened to them all. The narration is fantastic, l even got my boyfriend addicted to these books!

What did you like best about this story?

Just the continuation of a great story.

What about the narrators’s performance did you like?

Everything.

Any additional comments?

Please, please start at the beginning of the series it makes a huge difference. Seventh Son is the first book. You'll be addicted.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

This can't be the last of this series!

Having read all the books in this series, and loved each one, I have to say that this one, although written and narrated just as well as the others, leaves me with wanting more. There is too much unanswered for this to be the last book in the series. The narrators were exceptional, and I dearly loved the Christian overtones, which made one think about their own moral code. I was so happy to find a series that left out the usual 'hooks' of sex, blood, gut and gore.
I could not put down this series, buying them when I ran out of credits. Bravo Orson Scott Card!!!

6 of 7 people found this review helpful

I love Alvin Maker but don't like this audiobook

I have been caught up in the Alvin Maker storyline for many years, now, and listened to this story with a combination of frustration and interest. Frustration because the reading is too slow-paced and because Gabrielle de Cuir reads some of the parts and her voice is TRULY annoying, especially at the end where she is reading way too much emotion into the part. (Want some cheese and crackers with that WHINE?!?) All of this is made worse by high compression/low bitrate sound quality of the Audible version.

All together, this is an interesting installment in the life of Alvin Maker, but I don't know that I care for the direction Card is going.

10 of 13 people found this review helpful

I Was Ready For the Story to End.

The Crystal City is probably my least favorite of the Alvin Maker series. It got to the point where any obstacle was overcome by Alvin's, or somebody else's knack. It eliminates any tension or sense of danger to the characters when one knows that all they have to do is run real fast, make a fog, or miraculously heal someone. Even though he was very infuriating, and mostly downright stupid, Calvin became more interesting than his brother Al. Toward the end of the book, I really didn't care if they made the Crystal City or not.

3 of 5 people found this review helpful

Suffers from Awful Narration

If you've been listing to the previous audio books in this series, prepare for disappointment. It's really a shame Nana Visitor didn't read this last book; she really had the vocal characterizations down pat and brought the characters to life. Plus, her enjoyment of the tale really shone through.

However, unlike Nana Visitor, this new narrator's proper speaking voice really fails to deliver the "country voice" of many of the characters. Thus, it often sounds forced and serves as a constant distraction throughout the book.

In addition, the narrator's vocal characterizations fall flat and without dialogue attribution, it's often difficult to distinguish between characters involved conversations.

A dull, distracting reading awaits you in this audio book.

9 of 16 people found this review helpful

Alvin Maker #6

While enthralled and inspired by the first 5 books in The Alvin Maker series, Now The main characters have become a bit too petulant and sarcastic for my taste. I found their attitude vaguely annoying.

Great ending to a favorite story

I loved this as a Card fan. The performance was great, though they kept switching accents for Alvin. Would definitely recommend it.

I want more!

I tried my best not to finish this book, but Card makes it extremely hard to do so! The cast of narrator's doesn't help either! Thanks for another awesome listen!

Weakest entry in this storyline

At times, Crystal City is downright boring. Disappointing and anticlimactic. I'm an Orson Scott Card fan but this is his worst effort IMO

Great series

Just finished this series and really enjoyed the narration and the story. I love reading Cards books.

shame

I love this series but a lot lacking in this book... hopefully the next book will make up for it.