The book is well written as an alternate history around 1800
where magic has taken the place of science in the new world.
Little Alvin (the 7th of the 7th) has a cloud of water hanging over his head. Families that big in modern times are pretty unheard of and alive in the frontier are also pretty rare as the women tended to die in child birth.
or after. I guess I'm just not into PSI / Magic sci fi anymore...

Seventh Son is a wonderful book. It is the first book in a wonderful series. I read it in just two afternoons, it was so great, I could hardly set it down. If you are a fan of Orson Scott Card's books, then you must read this one. All the major characters are well developed and the scenery is describes wonderfully. You will not regret diving into the tale of Alvin Maker.

Okay, so it's pretty clear to the LDS readers that this story is actually a blatant rip-off of the life of Joseph Smith, Jr, founder of the LDS religion.

However, after you roll your eyes, you can appreciate the imagination that Card has used to write this incredible story of a different version of America where the country is altered and folk magic runs amok. Even though this is noticeably imaginary, Card makes it work with his coloquial writing that sucks you in like a professional storyteller that has been wandering the backwoods.

Alvin Miller is born the seventh son of a seventh son, thus he is the focus of great power in this tale set in an alternate version of the American frontier where folk magic, hexes and yarb lore are all real and taken quite seriously by characters in the story. Alvin has so much power that one of the elemental forces of nature, water, pits itself against him - in the form of The Unmaker - and seeks to kill him at every opportunity.

Fans of James Fenimore Cooper - look elsewhere; fans of Rip Van Winkle and other American folk legends - this is the book for you.

I could not believe the amount of words in this text. I love long books, when they have a lot to say. One could probably tell this story in about 50 pages. It is unnecessarily descriptive, and all the description adds nothing to the experience of the reading of the book.