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Red Prophet  By  cover art

Red Prophet

By: Orson Scott Card
Narrated by: Scott Brick, Stephen Hoye, Stefan Rudnicki
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Publisher's summary

In this thrilling sequel to Seventh Son, Alvin Maker is awakening to many mysteries: his own strange powers, the magic of the American frontier, and the special virtues of its chosen people, the Native Americans.

Alvin has discovered his own unique talent for making things whole again. Now he summons all his powers to prevent the tragic war between Native Americans and the white settlers of North America.

Don't miss the first Alvin Maker book, Seventh Son.
©1988 Orson Scott Card (P)2007 Blackstone Audio Inc.

Critic reviews

  • Locus Award, 1989

"Suddenly the saga of Alvin Maker begins to thrill." (Washington Post Book World)
"Set in an alternate world steeped in natural magic, this sequel to Seventh Son continues to demonstrate the author's love for American folklore. Recommended." (Library Journal)
"Harsher, bleaker, and more mystical than Seventh Son, this novel superbly demonstrates Card's solid historical research, keen understanding of religious experience, and, most of all, his mastery of the art of storytelling." (Booklist)
"Red Prophet is but a section of a vast American fantasy epic. It is vividly written, and the principal actors (Alvin, Ta-Kumsaw the Prophet, and Alvin's Gandalfesque mentor Taleswapper) are all complete and memorable characters." (Philadelphia Inquirer)

What listeners say about Red Prophet

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Who could believe

By the grace of some higher being I have been blessed by two great series from the same Author. Orson Scott Card has been the writer of my twenties and hopefully as I turn Thirty (two weeks from now) he will continue for another decade (at least). I started this unabridged version of Alvin Journey Maker mere minutes after finishing it's predecessor (the time it took me to jump to my laptop, search in Audible and pay for the @#$@ thing :) and with the sad knowledge that there was no unabridged book three. After a week of driving and listening, and driving for the sake of listening (and ignoring 'Husband' for the sake of listening) I finished this exquisite movie of characters and adventure to find that only five days before, the third book, Prentice Alvin, had been released.
So instead of telling you how great, wonderful, fantastic and interesting this book is (well DUH!) I'd like to send a message to the Author, and the narrators of this series (and the Ender series because thankfully you guys stick together). You are all brilliant (though I still can't tell you apart), your readers love you and Please Please Please continue the wonderful work.

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22 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Entertaining alternate history

Originally posted at FanLit.

Red Prophet is the second book in Orson Scott Card’s THE TALES OF ALVIN MAKER, an alternate history set in a frontier America in which folk magic is real. In the first book, Seventh Son, we were introduced to the main protagonist of the series, Alvin Miller who, because he’s the seventh son of a seventh son, is a gifted healer. We meet Alvin as a baby and follow him into boyhood. At the end of the story he has a vision of a shining man who gives him moral guidance.

In Red Prophet we learn that the shining man is Lolla-Wossiky, an alternate version of Tenskwatawa, spiritual leader of the Native American Shawnee tribe. His brother Tecumseh is their chief. While Card focused on the religious implications of a magical American frontier in the first book, the focus here is on the interaction between the “Whites” and the “Reds” and culminates with The Battle of Tippecanoe.

At the beginning of the story, William Henry Harrison, governor of Carthage City, is dealing with the Native Americans his own way — with poison. He purchases huge quantities of whiskey and sells it to the “Whiskey Reds.” Because they have a low tolerance for alcohol (it’s genetic), they become alcoholics and many die. Andrew Jackson is disgusted with Harrison’s sneaky tactics; he wants to do the more honorable thing and just shoot them all.

Tecumseh, who realizes that alcohol is killing his people and knows of Jackson’s plans, decides to lead his people against the Whites. He allies with the French in Canada, led by the effete Marquis de Lafayette and Napoleon Bonaparte (yes, Napoleon’s in America). Lafayette, however, has his own agenda. He secretly loves the idea of democracy and he admires the American spirit. He wants to use Bonaparte to bring democracy to France. (This storyline is amusing, especially when read by the narrators I listened to in Blackstone Audio’s version.)

Alvin Maker, who is on his way to his apprenticeship, meets Tecumseh and becomes involved with the war. Not only is he instrumental in affecting the outcome of The Battle of Tippecanoe but, with the help of Lolla-Wossiky, the Red Prophet, he sees visions of possible futures and learns more about his powers.

Orson Scott Card is a great storyteller and he’s got a big imagination. This alternate history is exciting, entertaining, thoughtful, and occasionally humorous. I thought Card’s depiction of the Native Americans’ magical connection with the land was beautiful and makes for a lovely American mythology. Many “Whites” who read Red Prophet will feel ashamed at how the Native Americans were treated by our ancestors. Some readers have accused Card of being racist (anti-European), but I didn’t feel this way and I noted that Card gives us many Caucasians to admire and shows us that not all “Red-White” interactions where destructive.

Orson Scott Card is particularly good at voice, dialogue, and character nuance. His heroes are capable of doing evil and his villains can have good motives. Characters don’t always do what we expect them to and there are times when we might even change our minds about how we feel about them. I look forward to seeing these characters grow throughout the series.

I’m listening to Blackstone Audio’s productions of THE TALES OF ALVIN MAKER which is performed, in alternating chapters, by Stefan Rudnicki, Scott Brick, and Stephen Hoye. All three of them are excellent readers. I’ve already purchased book three, Prentice Alvin, and book four, Alvin Journeyman, on audio.

Red Prophet, first published in 1988, was nominated for a Nebula and Hugo award. It won the Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel.

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9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

Interesting yet....

I know this is fiction and loosely based on some american history. Being an african american, it is kind of hard to listen to the imaginative world where it's ok to slaughter, rape, kill, and sell people to delevope the west. Even though I know those things happened.

It's still clasic Card. You decide.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Great writing, Awful Story

As if the disgustingly inaccurate tropes and stereotypes of Christianity in the previous book in the series were not enough, now Card has added a host of political lies into the mix--all the infernal propaganda that portrays "white men" as vile, angry, blood-thirsty, traitorous, lying, land-killing, beauty-hating monsters. And the "red man"? Why, he is beauty and honor personified. He is nothing less than the prototype of goodness, grace, unity, peace, and respect!

This book is a complete and utter fantasy of racist filth, that is so one-sided in its distribution of wickedness, its author should be deeply ashamed of himself.

Not only this, but it propagates the concept that committing certain sins means punishment forever, and that that is somehow good. No mercy. No forgiveness. Only lifelong humiliation, shame, and self-loathing. And THIS is so-called justice. What a cold, dark, and lonely world that is to live in, where redemption is just a figment of the imaginations of desperate souls doomed to a benighted existence of little better than terror and agony.

The fact that Card gave allowance to a few sparse white characters to be morally decent throughout the tale does little to nothing to diminish the brutal libel/slander against all whites as a whole. Even the "good" white men in the story, mostly, were only good to the degree that they had learned from the "red man."

By this book's skewed perspective, the white settlers of America were almost entirely evil, and the Native Americans were nearly perfect angelic protectors of the animals, land, humans, and all nature. By this book's reckoning: buildings are bad, churches are bad, roads are bad, civilization itself is bad--only those who seemingly walk one with nature are good.

Never mind the absolutely savage violence the Native Americans regularly practiced upon each other, the endless stream of tribal warfare, the butchery of women and children on occasion, and even the annihilation of whole tribes sometimes. And that is not considering the very real and widely varied torture practices that were extremely common in some tribes against each other and against whites. Some tribes were more peace-loving, some not. Some were aggressive to the whites from the start, some not. Some torrtured their enemies, some not. Some gloried in the taking of white scalps, some not. Just like ALL human races, Native Americans were neither better nor worse than any other race. And white people are ALSO neither any better nor any worse than any other race.

This book is a disgrace to the great aspiration Card claimed in his attempt to create a great American epic poem analogous to the Faerie Queen. They are not and could not and will not ever be put even remotely in the same universe of quality regarding beauty, truth, and goodness. This book is little more than a tale of beautifully spun hatred and lies.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

racist and boring

Author seems to have unresolved issues with religion and racism. I suggest therapy instead of publishing their fantasy journaling.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Excellent character development

Felt like a rushed conclusion though. I Loved the analogies Card presented. looking forward to listening to the next one. The readers are superb.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

tales of Alvin maker, book 2.

Great mix of religious beliefs with superstitious and supernatural. each chapter leaves you wanting more.
Big dreams of hope for a better future with understanding and tolerance, a need for learning to make the dreams come true.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Amazing

narrators were on point. story is enthralling. another great work from orson scott card.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Good story

Well read story as always. Very emotional story with a good story line. This series is an imaginative and well thought out story.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Good book

This is a pretty good book but book one is better, and if you have not listened to book one. Then do not bother for the storyline would be confusing and jumbled. All things considered I enjoyed this book.

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