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November 9, 2004
The Crystal City, by Orson Scott Card
After waiting four years for the sequel to Heartfire, Orson Scott Card finally delights us with the further tales of Alvin Maker in The Crystal City. From the beginning, we are transported into the wonderful world of magical alternate history as only Uncle Orson can show us. Alvin and his brother-in-law, Arthur Stuart, are in the Spanish town Nueva Barcelona (once known as New Orleans) on a mission of unknown determination, by Alvin's wife, the “Torch,” Peggy Smith.
Card writes in his usual Alvin series voice, providing frequent jabs and slapstick conversation among the characters, who argue among themselves in admiration. Although I think the snappy dialogue went a tad overboard in this book, I was nevertheless entertained with the story.
The book is an easy read, and went too quickly. After the early difficulties in the book, I think things wrapped together far too neatly toward the end. And it appeared that Card was rushing this one. It seems that something has been left out.
I have to remind myself that the Alvin books are written easily, so that youth can read them, and not be upset that we didn't explore the depths of characters who should be behaving like adults.
At 340 pages, it's well worth the short time it takes to read it. I understand that Orson Scott Card has one more book in the series and then he'll wrap it all up. Let's hope he takes less than four years to write this one.
Purchase the book, or find out more about it here: The Crystal City (Tales of Alvin Maker, Book 6)
Posted by Bastique at November 9, 2004 4:46 PM