''Prentice Alvin'' (1989) is an

alternate history Alternate history (also alternative history, althist, AH) is a genre of speculative fiction of stories in which one or more historical events occur and are resolved differently than in real life. As conjecture based upon historical fact, altern ...

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving Magic (supernatural), magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy ...

novel by American writer

Orson Scott Card Orson Scott Card (born August 24, 1951) is an American writer known best for his science fiction works. He is the first and (as of 2022) only person to win both a Hugo Award and a Nebula Award in consecutive years, winning both awards for both ...

. It is the third book in Card's ''

The Tales of Alvin Maker ''The Tales of Alvin Maker'' is a series of six alternate history fantasy novels written by American novelist Orson Scott Card, published from 1987 to 2003 (with one more planned), that explore the experiences of a young man, Alvin Miller, who r ...

'' series and is about Alvin Miller, the

seventh son of a seventh son ''Seventh Son of a Seventh Son'' is the seventh studio album by English heavy metal band Iron Maiden. It was released on 11 April 1988 in the United Kingdom by EMI Records and in the United States by Capitol Records. Like '' The Number of the ...

. ''Prentice Alvin'' won the Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel in 1990, was nominated for the

Nebula Award The Nebula Awards annually recognize the best works of science fiction or fantasy published in the United States. The awards are organized and awarded by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA), a nonprofit association of profe ...

for Best Novel in 1989, and the

Hugo Award The Hugo Award is an annual literary award for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year, given at the World Science Fiction Convention and chosen by its members. The Hugo is widely considered the premier a ...

for Best Novel in 1990.

Plot summary

After being released from his time with Ta-Kumsaw, an Indian leader who taught Alvin the ways of the

Indian people Indians or Indian people are the Indian nationality law, citizens and nationals of India. In 2022, the population of India stood at over 1.4 billion people, making it the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most p ...

, the young boy sets out to start his apprenticeship as a Smith in the town in which he was born. There, he meets a young half-black boy by the name of Arthur Stuart, the son of a slave and a slaveowner who has been adopted by the owners of the local guesthouse. Another new friend comes in the form of Miss Margaret Larner, who he later discovers is the "torch" who had helped him to be born so many years ago, and he has been strangely linked to her since that day. Eventually, Alvin is forced into helping Arthur to escape some slavehunters, which requires him to change Arthur's DNA slightly, just enough to prevent the hunters' knacks from identifying the runaway child. Alvin also creates a plow of living gold, which is bestowed with magical properties, as his journeyman piece to release himself from his apprenticeship as a Smith (and also as a Maker). The story ends with Alvin and Arthur leaving the town and returning to Alvin's home in the west.

References

External links

About the novel ''Prentice Alvin'' from Card's website

Prentice Alvin
at Worlds Without End 1989 American novels The Tales of Alvin Maker series novels Alternate history novels 1989 fantasy novels {{1980s-fantasy-novel-stub

Plot summary

See also

References

External links