Prentice Alvin

by Orson Scott Card
Prentice Alvin cover
Good Books rating 2.83
Fantasy
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  • ID: 6416
  • Added: 2025-11-16
  • Updated: 2025-11-16
  • ISBN: 9781405524100
  • Publisher: Hachette UK
  • Published: 2012-12-20
  • Reviews: 3

Prentice Alvin returns to his birthplace as a blacksmith's apprentice, but his journey is far from ordinary. As he learns the arts of a Maker, he seeks the guidance of the seer Peggy to harness his growing powers. However, Peggy's visions foretell a future filled with hardship, forcing Alvin to conceal his abilities while evil forces threaten those he holds dear. Orson Scott Card weaves a rich tapestry of folktale, history, and personal narrative in this highly acclaimed series. The Tales of Alvin Maker blend fantasy and history, creating a world that is both enchanting and deeply reflective.

Reviews
The StoryGraph · jpv0 · 2025-11-16
mixed 3.50

The magic system becomes more defined, but the story feels uneven. The narrative is engaging but lacks the depth of previous installments.

The StoryGraph reviewer, jpv0, notes that the magic system in Prentice Alvin becomes more defined, which is a positive change. However, the story feels uneven, with some parts being more engaging than others. The narrative is enjoyable, but it lacks the depth and complexity of the previous installments in the series. The reviewer appreciates the effort to expand the world and its rules but wishes the story had maintained a more consistent level of engagement throughout.

Quick quotes

    This feels like Card went from just letting the magic be fuzzy and unspecified to wanting a basis for how the magic actually worked.

    The narrative is engaging but lacks the depth of previous installments.

    The story feels uneven, with some parts being more engaging than others.

Feminist Quill · 2016-01-14
negative 2.00

The plot is boring and the series starts to spiral out of control. The character development is lacking, and the story feels disjointed.

Feminist Quill finds that Prentice Alvin is where the Alvin Maker series begins to lose its way. The plot is boring, dealing with issues that don't significantly advance the story or the characters. The reviewer feels that the series starts to spiral out of control, with the narrative becoming disjointed and the character development lacking. The story feels more like a collection of loosely connected events rather than a cohesive narrative, which can be disappointing for readers invested in the series.

Quick quotes

    Prentice Alvin is undoubtedly where the Alvin Maker series begins to spiral out of control.

    For the most part, the plot is boring, dealing with issues that don't significantly advance the story or the characters.

    The story feels more like a collection of loosely connected events rather than a cohesive narrative.

Fantasy Literature · 2012-11-02
mixed 3.00

The book is well-written but feels like a detour from the main story, focusing more on lessons and world-building than advancing the plot. The pacing is slow, and the narrative feels stretched.

Fantasy Literature points out that this third installment in the series is well-written, as expected from Orson Scott Card, but it doesn't significantly advance Alvin's story. Instead, it feels more like a lesson or a detour, exploring the world and its magic system in depth. The pacing is slow, and the narrative feels stretched, which might frustrate readers looking for more action or progression in Alvin's journey. The reviewer appreciates the richly imagined setting but wishes the plot had moved forward more dynamically.

Quick quotes

    Overall, this third book in the series is well-written (as always) but doesn't do much to advance Alvin's story and felt more like a lesson to the reader.

    The pacing is slow, and the narrative feels stretched, which might frustrate readers looking for more action or progression in Alvin's journey.

    The narrative explores themes of growth, morality, and the struggle between good and evil in a richly imagined alternate history setting.

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