Red Prophet picks up where Seventh Son left off and shouldn't be read without previously reading the latter. Set in fictional colonial America, this is the land of alternate history where Americans have "knacks" or ability to do specific and limited magical acts.

There are various sub-plots throughout Red Prophet that include Napoleon, Andrew Jackson, and the infamous William Henry Harrison. Most of the story continues the story of Alvin, a seventh son of a seventh son who has peculiar powers and is befriended by the famous Indian leader, Tecumseh.

I felt this was the strongest book of the series and really separated itself from the rest of the pack. There are lots of elements going on and they all work. It's an exciting page-turner with a brisk pace and lots of action. It's a coming of age story where Alvin is learning to find himself and his abilities. It intelligently looks at American Indian's oppression by white colonial Americans. It has political intrigue elements wrapped up and brought together in the WHH and Napoleon sub plots. It also intelligently uses alternative history in a clever and satisfying way and at times is very dark and heartbreaking.

The sequels are worth reading (well at least the next two) but unfortunately don't achieve the same level as Red Prophet. It's a shame that you must read Seventh Son (although not a bad read at all) to really understand this properly because this book could of reached a much larger audience if it was a stand-alone.

This book was nominated for a Hugo and a Nebula award in 89'. It didn't win either, losing to Cyteen by C.J. Cherryh in the Hugo and Falling Free by Bujold (also nominated for a Hugo) in the Nebula. I haven't read Cyteen but this book was far superior to Falling Free in my opinion in what was an overall below average year for the awards.

Also I noticed a new reissue of the paperback coming to Amazon in August. Of course they jacked up the price to RIDICULUOS 14.95 list price, and seem to be discontinuing the mass-market version (only 5 left as of this review). Almost as appalling is the new cover art which is not only ugly, but is inappropriate for the mood of this book (compare it to the old version) and really is aimed at the "young adult" crowd which is limiting for a book like this.

Bottom Line: Card at his best here in what I believe is his 3rd best book after Ender's Game and Speaker For The Dead. Worth reading at least the first 3 of this series.

Orson Scott Card is definitively a great story teller. But from my point of view he has three kind of books:

1 - When he writes as his characters. He is great when he does it. "Ender's Game" and "Songmaster" are the best Scott Card I've read.
2 - When he is inspired by other books. "The Worthing Saga" is the main example of this situation. It's a great story, it's well told but yet when you read it, you may feel like you already knew it.
3 - When he is too much of himself. "Homecoming" series are the main exponent of this. It's like he is trying to convince you about something instead of telling a story.

Red Prophet is an example of type 3. The first book is quite better and between types 1 and 3.

It is worth the money you pay for it, but is not gonna change you. You may agree or you may not, but won't change your life what is what you really expect from reading.

I had bought the book for its' cover. I held onto it because I had not read it. Finally when I was beseiged by clean and sober Native Americans in my life who were showing better lifestyles to me than I had been living, I chose to devote some time to this book, an exercise in belief in a spiritual lifestyle.
Luckily, I was able to read the story, uninterrupted, with a desire for understanding of the intermarriage of the home culture and the invading one. Well, I ended up homeless for quite some time after that experience, but glad to say i now have more compassion for my garden, if not for the rat that raids it, but I finally have the intercultural rhapsody that was the blessing offered in this book. Thanks O.S.Card. God bless you.

Red Prophet lives up to the expectations that I had after reading The Seventh Son. All the wonderful things that I said about the first book continue to apply. We get to see a "what-if" America where magic actually works, and our history is revealed in alternate ways (like George Washington having been executed at the start of the revolution). This series has been a lifeline for me in the fantasy genra.

The good of Red Prophet:
1) Alvin is finally coming into his powers a little. No more accidental board splitting - now he runs to the melody of greensong and goes to places where no white man has ever been.
2) In this book, we run into historical celebrities like Napoleon, the Marquis De La Feyette, more from William Blake (Taleswapper), Andrew Jackson, and Tippy-Canoe Harrison. Its neat seeing the writer's interpretation of these historical figures, and they were well done, if not completely accurately (as the author states about Harrison, for example).
3) The characters are never, every one dimensional. The good guys aren't all good, and the bad guys - even the worst guys - have limits to their vileness. In fact, there's an ever-present feeling of the power of redemption throughout this book which I found appealing. I kept hoping that certain people would rise to the occasion - no spoilers though!

The bad of Red Prophet:

1)I would have liked to see even more of Taleswapper. He's the most interesting side-character in the entire series. I think Card avoids heavy usage of him because it requires incredibly diligent writing, and its just plain difficult. And I totally appreciate his work here.
2) I was disappointed with Alvin's dad and brothers when they did "a certain act". I thought that it was out of character and not really believable, and thus I felt led along a path, patiently counting the pages until the believable story began again.

The second volume of Alvin Maker continues the saga in fine, albeit bleak fashion. Tensions are escalating between Whites and "Reds" in an alternate frontier America where various folk magics really work. As usual one of my favorite authors shows his effortless storytelling brilliance in a tale that's vivid, intense, and at times heart wrenchingly moving.