I have realised that reviews on the blog have become less and less frequent recently. I used to do two or three comic book reviews a day, then I started doing daily reviews, then they just fell off the radar. It's pretty dumb really, because a quick look at the site stats shows that most of the hits I receive are for reviews that I have done. So, sorry about that! This is probably due to a combination of busyness, laziness, and procrastination. The trinity of bad blogging!
Anyway, less moaning, and more reviewing...
Today I am going to be reviewing The Tales of Alvin Maker, Book II: Red Prophet. This is only the second book review that I have done on Hypergeek, the first being Haunted Liverpool by John Reppion.
The Tales of Alvin Maker is a series that I have been meaning to read for a long time now. I first heard of the series in 1988 on Iron Maiden's seventh studio album, Seventh Son of a Seventh Son. Several songs on the album were based upon the plot of the novel Seventh Son, by Orson Scott Card, and the rest of the songs on the album shared a similar folk law theme in common with the book.
It took me many years to get around to reading Seventh Son, and I finally read it last year, and I fell in love with the story almost instantly. The story is based on an alternative version of American history. What was historically Colonial America is divided into a number of separate countries, including a smaller United States, with much stronger American Indian influence in its culture and society, between New England and Virginia and extending westwards to Ohio (New England itself is still a colony of a republican England where the Restoration never occurred), and a monarchy on the Eastern seaboard founded by the House of Stuart in exile. In addition, many of the historical figures are either caricatures or bear only superficial resemblance to their real world equivalents. In this America, pagan beliefs and folk law tales are a reality. People uses hexes and wards to keep evil away, and some people develop "knacks", like the power to read and control minds, the ability to start fires from afar, the ability to see the future etc.
The series revolves around the life of a boy named Alvin Miller, who is born the seventh son of a seventh son. A unique combination of powerful arcane number which gives him incredible powers for creating and shaping things around him. In the first book, Seventh Son, we witness Alvin's birth, and watch him grow through his adolescent years, whilst coming to terms with the powers he has. We also learn that, as a maker, Alvin's greatest enemy is the "Unmaker", a creature beyond the concepts of good and evil, who wishes only to destroy all of creation. We also learn that whilst Alvin has command over Earth, Air, and Fire, the "Unmaker" is able to touch Alvin through Water, and Water is repeatedly a bane in his life. Alvin's pregnant mother was almost killed in a river flood on the night of his birth, water causes a beam to rot and fall on to him, and water tries to kill him many more ways throughout the book. In the first book we also meet some key players in the series, such as: the traveling bard, "Taleswapper", who helps Alvin realise his true potential, and importance to the world; Reverend Thrower, who is the town priest, and is manipulated by the "Unmaker" to think that God wants Alvin to die; and the shining man, who is an apparition seen by Alvin one night after he used his powers for ill, this encounter made Alvin vow that he would never again use his powers for himself. In the first book we also hear rumours of a town of "Reds" across the Wabash river, lead by a one eyed prophet. At the close of the first book, Alvin is sent away by his parents to learn to be a blacksmith's apprentice, in the town on the Hatrack River where he was born
With Red Prophet, Orson Scott Card takes a very unique approach, in that it isn't directly a sequel to Seventh Son. The story actually begins several years before the departure of Alvin from his hometown, and is centered around two "Red" brothers named Ta-Kumsaw, Lolla-Wossiky, based on real leaders of the Shawnee tribes in the 1800s. Ta-Kumsaw is a highly respected warrior who is determined to drive all of the white men from America, without exception. His brother however became severely scarred, as a young boy, after witnessing the murder of his father by Governor Bill Harrison. During this encounter he lost an eye, and also lost his connection to the "Green", or the land, which all true "Reds" have. At the beginning of the story he is a habitual drunk, forced to beg for liquor from Bill Harrison, the man who killed his father. After a confrontation between the Governor and Ta-Kumsaw, Lolla-Wossiky is forced to flee into the countryside, carrying only a barrel of liquor. His brother is disappointed with Lolla-Wossiky, but we soon discover that Lolla-Wossiky only drinks liquor because if he doesn't, black noise fills his brain and blurs his vision. This black noise is the same phenomenon that Alvin experiences in Seventh Son, when the "Unmaker" is close at hand. Lolla-Wossiky decides that he must go and find his dream beast, apparently all "Reds" must find their dream beast so that they can wake up from the sleep of ignorance, and really see the World. Lolla-Wossiky's search leads him North to the town of Vigor church, which is where the story crosses over with the story of Seventh Son. Lolla-Wossiky realises that he actually needs to act as the dream beast for a young "White" child, something unheard of, and the boy will also act as his. This leads to the scene in Seventh Son when Alvin encounters the "Shining Man". After this encounter Lolla-Wossiky realises his true purpose, and becomes the prophet, Tenskwa-Tawa, or, The Open Doorway. With his brother Ta-Kumsaw, he then begins gathering all the different tribes of "Reds" together to create the settlement of Prophet's Town. This is the point where the book really becomes a sequel, as we then follow Alvin after his departure from the town of Vigor church at the end of Seventh Son. Governor Bill Harrison, in a move to secure power in the region, and ignite hatred against Prophet's Town has paid some "Whiskey Reds" to kill and rape some white women and children and to pin the blame on the folks of Prophet's Town. As fate would have it, these "Whiskey Reds" encounter Alvin and his brother, Measure, on their journey out from Vigor Church. The boys are heavily beaten, and the names of Tenskwa-Tawa, and Ta-Kumsaw are carved into their horses' saddles, to be returned to the town people and incriminate Prophet's Town. Before they are killed though, the boys are rescued by Ta-Kumsaw and taken to Prophet's Town. Things then get very interesting as we see examples of Tenskwa-Tawa's prescient visions, and we find out that Alvin is half Red in spirit, and has a connection to the land that no other white has. The rest of the book is filled with lots of interesting semi-historical based politics, and a retelling of the actual historical event of the slaughter at Tippecanoe, and the War of 1812.
When I first started reading this series I found that it was a little hard to get into. Fantasy books are usually based in invented Worlds with completely fictional characters. The evil elements of the stories are usually played by sorcerers, Orcs, Trolls, gres etc. etc. This series is quite different though, as the books are set in the real American frontier and feature altered versions of real historical figures. Several actual historical events also occur within the plot, but they are slightly altered, in both setting and outcome. It takes a little getting used to, but once I got into it, I have to admit that I really enjoyed the originality of the story, and the way that the author plays around with history, folk law, and superstition. Orson Scott Card also replaces the magical system seen in so many fantasy novels with something much more folk law based. Instead of Wizards, Mages, Clerics etc. etc. we get entirely new creations, such as "torches", who can see the life forces of people, and under certain conditions, their myriad alternate futures; "Sparks", who can start fires from afar; "Makers" and many more. Historical figures appear in abundance, such as Alvin's friend, "Taleswapper", who is actually based on William Blake. Napoleon Bonaparte also plays a big part in the story, and has a "Knack" of his own, which makes Men trust every word that he says, and love and respect him.
If you haven't read any of this wonderful series, I would highly recommend you pick up the first book in the series and give it a go. I am planning to pick up volume 3 of the series, Prentice Alvin, very soon. The series is scheduled to finish this year with volume seven of the series to be titled Master Alvin.
This was a really magical story that captured my imagination, and surprised me with its amazingly fresh approach to the fantasy genre, and it's peculiar brand of originality. It definitely gets the Hypergeek seal of approval.
5 out of 5
