Orson Scott Card

The long-awaited conclusion to the Alvin Maker series, from New York Times bestselling author Orson Scott Card

Using the lore and the folk-magic of the men and women who settled North America, Orson Scott Card has created an alternate world where magic works, and where that magic has colored the entire history of the colonies. Charms and beseechings, hexes and potions, all have a place in the lives of the people of this world. Dowsers find water, the second sight warns of dangers to come, and a torch can read a person's future—or their heart.

In a world where "knacks" abound, Alvin, the seventh son of a seventh son, is a very special man indeed. He's a Maker; he has the knack of understanding how things are put together, how to create them, repair them, keep them whole, or tear them down. He can heal hearts as well as bones, he builds a house, he can calm the waters or blow up a storm. And he can teach his knack to others, to the measure of their own talent.

In this final novel in the Alvin Maker series, Alvin’s journey leads him himself across the river—visiting his old friend the Red Prophet, across the country, and even across the Atlantic, where Irish folk with knacks are being persecuted. Through trials and tribulations, Alvin must learn when to use his extraordinary powers, and when to not, as he strives to safehold his people from a darkness that threatens everything they’ve built in the Crystal City, and in their very hearts.