Heartfire

Tales of Alvin Maker, Book 5

By: Orson Scott Card

Narrated by: full cast

Length: 12 hrs and 8 mins

Publisher's summary

Peggy is a Torch, able to see the fire burning in each person's heart. She can follow the paths of each person's future, and know each person's most intimate secrets. From the moment of Alvin Maker's birth, when the Unmaker first strove to kill him, she has protected him. Now they are married, and Peggy is a part of Alvin's heart as well as his life. But Alvin's destiny has taken them on separate journeys. Alvin has gone north into New England, where knacks are considered witchcraft and their use is punished with death. Peggy has been drawn south, to the British Crown Colonies and the court of King Arthur Stuart in exile. For she has seen a terrible future bloom in the heartfires of every person in America, a future of war and destruction. One slender path exists that leads through the bloodshed, and it is Peggy's quest to set the world on the path to peace.

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

©1997 Orson Scott Card (P)2007 Blackstone Audio Inc.

Critic reviews

"Another in Card's superior fantasy series about Alvin Smith....one more absorbing entry in this brilliantly conceived and fetchingly rendered series." ( Kirkus Reviews)
"Alvin and Peggy's adventures are set against an intriguing backdrop of what America might have been....Card is a consummate storyteller able to create a believable world peopled with strong, solid characters." ( Voya)

As Always Card is brilliant

Terriffic story the entire cast is brilliant. The story is superb I love these books while in the car or on a flight.

Alvin Maker is my hero!

I can't get enough of this series - as is my truth with all the series by Orson Scott Card I've read thus far into my discovery of his limitless gift of writing. Captivating and endearing. I'm hooked.

book 6? I think YES

really enjoying this series. I look forward to hearing a great ending. thanks Orson Scott Card

good book

good evolution of Alvin as a character ,not really as much going on ,but good bringing in the magic of the african folk only touched on in pervious books. ill look forward to the conclusion in the crystal city.

Decent

Card has maintained a good story, though it is very slow moving. The great, amorphous mystery of the Crystal City still lies almost entirely in mystery at the end of the book, and not particularly in a way that illicits a grest deal of further interest. Rather, it has become mildly bothersome to have that plot point almost entirely put to one side for the last two or three books. The series ends up feeling more like a collection of random stories: "The Adventures of Alvin" or something, told in a very episodic fashion.

The development of the central plot is excruciatingly slow, often completely derailed in favor of seemingly random "side-quest" story lines. They do inevitably point to the Crystal City, but only insofar as Alvin accumulates more people that will be part of the City. Other than that, there seems to be little more connection.

Apart from that flaw, the story is pretty good. There is much less anti-white vitriol in this one. Of course, the hateful slave-owners are depicted in typical stereotypical fashion, and false religious Christians who are actually evil also continue to have center stage, but this time in the context of witch trials. This latter portion ultimately makes ridiculous the concept of Satan or any religiously traditional understanding of the supernatural, which I find to be rather disrespectful of religious ideas.

But, the story continues with new drama and satisfying resolutions to many intense situations. The romance is average. It's there but not very engaging.

All in all, it was far less offensive than the other books in the series, but it was not extremely interesting either. It was good, but only in an average way.

Great book

The book is very well written. Excellent performances from the narrators. I’m enjoying this book series.

Great Story Line

I thought with this being the fifth book, it could not keep my attention but I was wrong and pleasantly surprised!

The story will keep you guessing and on the edge of your seat wondering what will happen next. There was humor, suspense and shock as the characters began to grow in their nacks and adventures.

The only thing I thought could be better was the transition with the narrators. They would sometime switch in mid story which I thought was a little confusing and unnecessary. Otherwise, great book!

Another Great Book!

What can I say? Such a great book abdominal series. I'm off to start the next book now. Can't wait!

great book

I am enjoying this series of books
and are worth the time I. have enjoyed listening to it.

Great performance

I really do love Orson Scott card as a storyteller. And this cast did a superb job of bringing this book to life. I found myself making excuses to put off something else so that I could continue listening to the ongoing events at the moment in this novel.