The Chronicles of Amber by Roger Zelazny (a book series review)

Hello dear readers and fellow bloggers! Today I shall review ten novels. Yes, ten novels. I’ve read all ten of them more than once, some of them at least five times. I’m writing about The Chronicles of Amber series by Roger Zelazny, one of my all-time favourite series. It is composed of ten novels, all of them available in numerous publications and translations. The series started in the 1970s and lasted until 1990s. The series has also been published as a single book encompassing all of the ten novels. It is also worth mentioning that traditionally the series is divided into two parts, as novels one to five are narrated by Corwin and novels five to ten by Merlin. Consequently, the first five are known as Corwin cycle, and the last five as Merlin cycle. In addition, there are also Amber short stories and other work by Roger Zelazny. It is quite a series.

 I’ve reviewed numerous works of Zelazny on this blog, but not the series that started my love for this writer- The Chronicles of Amber. At least not up to now.  I kept postponing writing this review. Sometimes it is hardest to write about the things you love the most. Why is that? Perhaps because we’re afraid not to be able to do them justice. I think this is one of those series that was so ahead of its time, that I’m still trying to wrap my mind against its legacy. I'm happy that I own hard copies of practically all novel in the Amber series. There is only one or two that I’m missing in my collection but I can always borrow them from my library. I've been wanting to buy the complete edition of this series, but for some reason I prefer reading it in this form. I suppose it makes me appreciate them a bit more, reading them on their own.

Originally, I planned to write ten separate reviews for every novel in the series. However, I realized that the novels are so interconnected it is best to review them all together. Moreover, with my current blogging frequency that would take some time. I remember when I was reviewing The Witcher books. For months, it was practically all that was on my blog, one Witcher book review after another. I recently got back to the Witcher series to review the final novel in the Witcher series, and I might do so again since the author might keep publishing more work.

The Amber series is another matter; it is a completed series and Zelazny is no longer with us. Roger was very prolific, though, so you might expect more Zelazny book reviews from me. Just not from this Amber series, as it is finished. There are short stories, though and that might be the subject of another post. However, this will probably be the only Amber novels review by yours truly.

Speaking of my reviews, here are my reviews for other books written by Roger Zelazny. 

https://modaodaradosti.blogspot.com/2023/07/roger-zelazny-novels-to-read.html

7 NOVELS  BY ROGER ZELAZNY

1) THE ISLE OF THE DEAD 5/5 - Published in 1969, it was nominated for Nebula award for the best novel. While The Isle of the Dead didn't win the Nebula award that year, it did win the French Prix Apollo in 1972. It is one of those science fiction novels that are worth the hype.

2) EYE OF CAT 5/5- Set in future, Eye of Cat is centered on a Navayo protagonist Billy Singer.  Larger than life protagonists are what Zelazny writes best and Billy is certainly such a character.  A novel also needs a plot. Therefore, the galaxy's most celebrated and skilled hunter, i.e our Billy Singer, find himself faced with a challenging task.

 3) LORD OF LIGHT 5/5- This novel is basically a story of a human colonization of an unknown planet. A spaceship filled with human crew arrives to an untouched planed. The crew conquered the planet, labeling the intelligent life forms demons and establishing themselves as sole rulers. Their technology soon enables them to live forever and they model themselves after gods in Hinduism. Only one man stands in opposition and that man is one of the original crew. 

4) THIS IMMORTAL 5/5- This Immortal (aka ...And Call me Conrad) is a science fiction novel that manages to be subtly philosophical, delightfully funny and wonderfully poetical.  It's really a gem of a novel that gives an interest spin on classical science fiction theme of the first contact and the future of humanity. The mythological elements of the novel create an interesting link with human history and culture. 

5) A NIGHT IN LONESOME OCTOBER 5/5- Such a brilliant and unique book! The writing is simple but at the same time poetical. Narrated by a watchdog Sniff whose owner is Jack (the Ripper), the story is extremely engaging. Snuff makes for a fantastic protagonist of the novel. Right from the start, we learn that Snuff was something else prior to being 'summoned' by Jack to perform the duty of a watchdog- exactly what Snuff was is somewhat of a mystery. A demon or a mythological creature of some kind?

6) IF AT FAUST YOU DON'T SUCCEED BY ROGER ZELANZY AND ROBERT SHECKLEY 4/5

If at Faust You Don't Succeed is a religious satire of sorts, so it might be offensive to some who are easily offended. That being said, I think it's a great novel. I do like how Roger can make fun of religious concepts but at the same time keep his writing intelligent and balanced. There is a lot of humour in this book, but it is well written and has a place within the story. 

7) DAMNATION ALLEY, A NOVEL BY ROGER ZELAZNY- 4/5 Originally envisioned and published as a novella in 1967, Damnation Alley was republished as a novel in 1969. Now, I haven't read the original novella so I cannot compare the two, but I did a bit of research before I started writing this review. What I found is that Zelazny decided to turn his novella into the novel Damnation Alley only on insistence from his publisher. It seemed Zelazny wasn't completely satisfied with it and preferred the novella.  As I said, I haven't read the original novella so I really cannot compare but I felt something was missing here. 

2 Short Stories to Read by Roger Zelazny

1) Unicorn Variation 4/5

2) A Rose for the Ecclesiasts 5/5

The author of the Amber series specifically forbit anyone writing sequels, and although there were some prequels authorized by the family (and estate), I doubt I’ll ever read or review them. Zelazny’s fans are very vocal about not liking the prequels, and that is understandable because the author himself was very vocal about not wanting anyone to continue the series.

There are four prequels to the Amber Universe written by John Gregory Betancourt, an author I’m not familiar with but that has also written Star Trek novels.  There is a lot of negative feedback about Amber prequels written by Betancourt, but I would have probably skipped them even if there were positive reviews. I mean isn’t authors continuing other people’s work just fan fiction?  I generally don’t like when authors continue writing other people’s series, but sometimes my curiosity gets the better of me, especially if it is a beloved series and I end up reading it anyway. Such was the case with the Dune series. I read the books published after the death of Frank Herbert written by his son and another guy whose name I can’t recall and I’m too lazy to look it up. I never reviewed these post Herbert's Dune books because I don’t think there’s not much to review. The post Herbert’s Dune is simply not Dune, it’s mediocre science fiction at best.

However, let's get back to Amber. Going back into this Amber series, I can see how someone can dislike it. The protagonist Corwin is a pretty dark guy at start. He calls his sisters the B-word and is keen on murdering his brothers.  He’s also kind of overly macho and arrogant. Moreover, Corwin seems to belong to the most dysfunctional of families. He is the kind of character that will put off some readers, and I think he is intended to be that way. It’s a risk Roger Zelazny took. It is the contrast between the Corwin of the first and the fifth novel that makes this series so amazing. However, to get to that point you need to put up with a protagonist who is more a dark than a grey guy. I don’t think this was as obvious to me when I was reading the series the first time, but Corwin is a horrible person at the start of the series. Corwin literally admits it himself, and calls himself a bastard.

 

“I walked among Shadows, and found a race of furry creatures, dark and clawed and fanged, reasonably manlike, and about as intelligent as a freshman in the high school of your choice-sorry, kids, but what I mean is they were loyal, devoted, honest, and too easily screwed by bastards like me and my brother. I felt like the dee-jay of your choice.” *

*quoted
Nine Princes in Amber,  Roger Zelazny

Speaking of the first novel, I realized that I’d already written a review for it but haven’t published it on my blog. In fact, I have written reviews for the whole series a while back on a book reviewing site. It’s been years since I used a certain site for reviewing books. If you’re wondering why, it was originally because I couldn’t access my account. It was all before all the shady business and criticism of this particular site. Still, after this site kind of became a sponsored fake review site, I was never motivated to rejoin it.  I’m not naming it because at this point it isn’t even worth mentioning or advertising.  I did, however, visit it today to see if I reviewed any novels there and sure enough, I found a review for Nine Princes in Amber published in 2016, so exactly a decade ago. There were also reviews of other novels published across a few years. I will use these reviews while writing my new reviews, because why not? The more text, the merrier.

 

Nine princes in Amber 5/5

Published in 1970, Nine Princes in Amber started the series. The title is very fitting to this particular novel. Nine princes are all brothers. Not all of them share the same mother, but they are all sons to king Oberon who has gone missing. They also have sisters. One of the princes is the protagonist of the novel- and it is he who tells the story for this novel is is written in first person narration. Corwin the protagonist is a witty guy, suspicious of everyone’s motives, but often funny and/or poetic:

“Some natural scepticism as to the purity of all human motives came and sat upon my chest.”*

 

I saw the Old Moon with the New Moon in her arms, hovering above a row of poplars. The grass was silvery and sparkled. The night was bargaining weakly with the sun.*

In my original review I wrote how I remember, like it was yesterday, the exact moment I picked up this book in a library. I still remember it. I do, the dreamy cover, the whimsical sounding title and the promise of something unexpected. I distinctly remember this book (Nine Princes in Amber) having a certain aura to it. Sometimes you can tell a book by its cover. I had a feeling that it was a novel I was destined to read, and I was not disappointed.

I later bought this novel and other novels in the series. Mind you, this was a time when books were neither cheap nor easy to find. At least not for young Ivana. These hardcover editions were pricy, but when I stumbled upon them some four years later, I bought all I could find. Hardcovers. I read and reread them. However, I digress. I said that I remember reading the first novel in the Amber series like it was yesterday, only it wasn't. I was fifteen, and now I’m forty, so do the math. It was some time ago. Of course, I reread it in meantime.  I fall in love with the Amber series years ago, and I’m still in love. Still, there is something magical about that first read.

Having read this book multiple times, I still think it’s brilliant. I also love that I went in not knowing what it is about. No spoilers. I think that’s the best way to read it. Does that mean that you should stop reading this review if you haven’t read the series? Yes, actually.  Trust me on this one, it is best to read it without knowing anything about it. So, if you don’t want any spoilers, now it is your time to scroll past the text and just look at the photographs, I guess. Spoiler alert. I won’t retell the novels, key elements of the plot or tell you exactly how they end and why, but if you want to read them and be surprised by key aspects of the story, don’t read past this point.

 

I think what makes this novel so brilliant is how it is set up as a crime novel. The funny thing is that it actually works like a crime novel. However, it is not a crime novel. It is fantasy. Not any kind of fantasy, either. I guess the moment that still captures me after all these years is Corwin’s initial reaction to the world Amber. If was so dramatic, both for him and myself. Realizing there is more than this world we live in.

 Getting acquainted with the concept of Amber for the first time all that time ago, my initial reaction was a very favourable one. I thought this novel was absolutely mind-blowing. My thoughts today? They’re pretty much the same, in all honesty I can say that my original impression never really changed. I still think this novel was groundbreaking in so many ways. Yes, there were other multiverse fantasy novels before, but nothing like this one, nothing so fascinating on a psychological level. Do we create Shadows (Shadow words) or do Shadow (Shadow worlds) create us? Are we drawn to the Shadows or are they drawn to us? Honestly, these are still very exciting questions for me to ask.

 

If anything, I’ve grown to love this novel even more. While I was reading Nine Princes in Amber for the first time, I felt like something life-changing has just happened to me. Perhaps I was not mistaken. I remember telling everyone at some high-school party how cool this book is. They all seemed to agree with me as far as the coldness of the whole concept of shadowy words goes. I’m not sure did I actually get anyone to read it, or were they just vibing for other reasons.

As I said, I love the genre mixing in this one, the way this novel opens as (an attempted) murder mystery and all of the sudden takes a turn towards fantasy multiverse is ingenious. Cloak and dagger kind of writing that keeps you on your toes continues through this series focusing on a Machiavellian royal family with the ability to walk in the Shadow world. It seems that only those of royal blood have the ability to walk in the Shadowy worlds. Our planet Earth is one of the Shadows for them, a place they can visit.  Whether the royal family members create these worlds or simply find them is still an ongoing debate in a way. I think Zelazny wanted to leave it open to interpretation.  All the family members are quite different one from another. The first impression is that they are brothers and sisters that seem to have little in common, but are willing to cooperate one with another.

I already mentioned that the protagonist isn’t exactly a nice guy at first. We might feel bad for him because of his amnesia and all, but soon we discover he can take care of himself. That’s all he seems to want to do. For Carl aka Corwin, it’s all about looking out for the number one.

The protagonist named Carl (but will later on discover his real name is Corwin) wakes up in quite a predicament. He’s in a hospital, having no recollection of himself. There is some shady business going on, as he is kept sedated. Corwin realises someone wants him locked up in this private facility that is not really an ordinary hospital.  His amnesia lasts for quite some time, making the events in the novel more mysterious and interesting. It’s not a momentarily thing, he has to fight his amnesia through most of the novel. Even when he remembers who he is, there are still things he cannot remember from his long life. Things that will elude him for years. Anyhow, at the start of the novel we as readers are in the dark with Corwin, struggling to make sense of things, trying to unravel the complexities of his situation.

Corwin escapes the hospital without much ado as he happens to be extremely strong. Having found the address of his sister in the hospital that kept him against his will, Corwin gets to her home shortly. Corwin may have lost his memory but not his style. He relies on his instincts to get as much information out of his nervous sister Flora as he can.

Corwin at the start of The Nine Princes in Amber reminds me on heroes of noir novel, he seems like a tough and resourceful kind of guy that, like a cat, always lands on his fit and lives to fight another day. However, very early in the story Corwin gets his rug pulled under his feet and all it takes is one word:

Amber.

“Amber was the greatest city which had ever existed or ever would exist. Amber had always been and always would be, and every other city, everywhere, every other city that existed was but a reflection of a shadow of some phase of Amber.” *

I swear I could feel the hairs on my hands standing while I was reading about his initial reaction to this word and the funny thing is that in that this early in the story he (and we as readers) is totally clueless about what this word means, but as the mere mentioning of this word caused a storm in his head, he feels it must be an answer to all the questions he yet has to learn how to form. All roads lead into Amber.

We won’t learn what that means for a while and neither will Corwin. Still, I could sense it must be something big. His strong reaction suggested as much. His conversations with Random were also fascinating to read. Random asks him whether he will try to take the throne, and while Corwin still has no idea what his youngest brother is talking about, he considers it.

“Are you going to do it?" he asked.  "Maybe I said.
Don't 'maybe' me, baby. It's written all over you. I'd almost be willing to go along, you know. Of all my relations, I like sex the best and Eric the least."
I lit a cigarette, while I considered.”*

*Quoted from Nine Princes in Amber, a novel by Roger Zelazny

 

 

Corwin is depicted as someone whose instincts are usually spot on. He intuitively knows that he is not to trust his siblings and that they might in fact be trying to kill him. Wasn’t it a clever plot device to have a protagonist who is unaware of the fantasy elements in the story itself? The realization of the complexity of his world is something that he comes in terms with step at a time and in this way, we as readers, are saved from reading long explanations and descriptions.

 

We’re shown, rather than told- and some say this is indicative of good writing.

While they might not always be the case, I dare say it is in this novel.


Flora’s and Corwin’s conversations were interesting to read. I also felt bad for Flora because he was very dismissive towards her. On the other hand, Flora practically admits that she tried to get Corwin killed, so his coldness with her is perhaps to be expected. Still, the question is whether he is any better than her? But then again, how can you not like a man who loves libraries? Even when he starts wars?

“Besides, I like libraries. It makes me feel comfortable and secure to have walls of words, beautiful and wise, all around me.

I always feel better when I can see that there is something to hold back the shadows.”*

 

*Quoted from Nine Princes in Amber, a novel by Roger Zelazny

 

Corwin initially remembers all of his siblings when he finds their Tarot cards in Flora’s library. Tarot cards are a big part of the world building. They are called Trumps and feature portraits of the royal family. Tarot cards of the royal family are magical and they enable them to communicate one with another.

The moment when Corwin finds the card and remembers his family members was well written. Looking at the cards Corwin remembers their colours, for all the family members have their own signature colours. Corwin’s colours are black and silver. Even as Corey, after he escaped the hospital and didn’t have any of his memories back, Corwin knew his colours and bought black pants and silver shirts. Seeing his siblings, Corwin senses whether he loves them or not: Randon, Julian, Gerard, Eric, Benedict, Caine, Bleys, Brand, Flora, Deidre, Llwella and Fiona.

There is a brother than wants Corwin killed, and for much of this novel, Corwin wants to kill him as well.  Not all of the brothers want to kill each other, for some of them will be allies in trying to get others killed. The titular nine princes in Amber could all potentially be the king in Amber. That is the driving force between the scheming it seems. There are also four sisters (Florimel, Deirdre, Fiona, Llewella), but they don’t seem to want to get the crown for themselves, at least not at this moment. Florimel or Flora is the one we meet first, and she is presented as Eric’s pawn. Fiona is not present in Nine Princes in Amber, but she will play a part in other novels. It is hinted she is strong willed and perhaps braver that Fiona. Llwella does not want to have anything with the rest of the family and lives in a city under the sea. Deirdre is dear to Corwin, and he is dear to her, but she also seems to want to keep her distance. At any rate, Deridre disappears as quickly as she appears. She quotes Shakespeare poetically when she is saved by Corwin and Deirdre, but is sort of cut off by Random.

 

Anyhow, soon after Corwin’s ‘not so warm’ heart to heart talk with Flora, another character steps in the game. Random, his younger brother, and one of my favourite characters in the series. True to his name, Random arrives out of the blue and brings trouble with him. The mystery of Amber is about to be told, but I won’t speak about how it will happen, because I want to avoid spoilers.

The Nine Princes in Amber starts up as a crime novel and a mystery, but it ends up being an amazing fantasy one with an awe-inspiring cast of characters. So, who are the nine princes in Amber? Benedict, Eric, Corwin, Julian, Gerard, Julian, Cane, Bleys, Brand and Random. As the novel progresses, Corwin either meets with them, fights them or tries to contact them in vain. Corwin wonders if his time on Earth has made him soft compared to his brothers

 

“I was willing to die fighting, but it was senseless for all these men to go down with me. Perhaps my blood was tainted, despite my power over the Pattern. A true prince of Amber should have had no such qualms. I decided then that my centuries on the Shadow Earth had changed me, softened me perhaps, had done something to me which made me unlike my brothers.”

 

Let’s start with the oldest brother- Benedict. He is missing from this first novel, but will play an important role in the other novels. He was one of my favourite characters. If I had to choose between Corwin’s brothers, Benedict and Random are my favourite ones. They couldn’t be more different one from another, though. Corwin loves them both, and that is saying something because he does not have many friends among his family members.

Let us now mention the brother that Corwin hates the most. Eric is Corwin’s antagonist for much of the novel. He wants Corwin dead, and the feeling is mutual. As much as Corwin hates Eric he has to admit that Eric is extremely capable man. Corwin even considers him a superior swordsman. Eric is the main candidate for a king, and Corwin sees himself on the throne. As the novel progresses, it becomes more obvious that it is the battle between the two. With the king Oberon missing, Eric is the one who sits on the throne.

“What an enormous chutzpah you possess," I told him. "What makes you better than the rest of us, and more fit to rule?" "The fact that I was able to occupy the throne," he replied. "Try and take it.”

*Quoted from Nine Princes in Amber, a novel by Roger Zelazny

 

Then there are two brothers who are loyal to Eric: Julian and Caine. Corwin barely escapes Julian, a passionate hunter, with this life. Again, I won’t get into the plot but I will say there are fractions. Some siblings side with Corwin, some with Eric, and some remain neutral. Caine is portrayed as calculating and as Julian, Caine’s on Eric’s side. Neither of these two left a good impression on me. However, now that I think about it, was any of them in the right? Was Corwin in the right? Who says he had a better claim to the throne than someone else?

Bleys is as charming as Corwin and seems to be on his side. I liked his characters, but like Corwin I didn’t feel like I could trust him. Still, Bleys had a royal aura about himself. Now that I think of it, all the siblings did. As different as their characters were, they all had that royal vibe going on.

Brand is absent from this novel, and it seems like he does not want to be connected. He was described as an extreme mix of kind and cruel, light and dark, so I imagined him as a sort of Byronic hero/villain. He becomes an important character later on.

Gerard is a brother everyone seems to respect and love, agreeing that he is the best of them all. Unlike other brothers, Gerard is only interested in protecting Amber and the family members. Benedict is similar to Gerard in sense that he has no ambitions to rule and wants to protect Amber, but Gerard is warmer and more protective of his siblings. Gerard is described as extremely physically strong, but perhaps not as intelligent as his other royal brothers.

Random is the youngest brother, and he is a trouble maker but one that is easy to love.

When you compare all the brothers’ ethics, Gerard and Benedict seem to be the one most guided by duties and least by their personal ambitious. Benedict is a military genius and a master tactician. Gerard together with Caine commands the navy.

 

 

That would be the characters, now let us wrap up this review. My review for the first novel in the series is going to be the longest of all, but I think it makes sense because there is much to say about Nine Princes in Amber.  From multiverse to walking the Pattern, the world building in The Chronicles of Amber is exceptional.

 

“There is Shadow and there is Substance, and this is the root of all things. Of Substance, there is only Amber, the real city, upon the real Earth, which contains everything. Of Shadow, there is an infinitude of things. Every possibility exists somewhere as a Shadow of the real. Amber, by its very existence, has cast such in all directions. And what may one say of it beyond? Shadow extends from Amber to Chaos, and all things are possible within it. There are only three ways of traversing it, and each of them is difficult.”*

To restore his memories and powers, Corwin has to walk the Pattern. I liked how all the royals have to walk the Pattern to get their powers. It felt more realistic then all that power being handed to them. Walking the Pattern takes immense courage as one wrong step could kill you.

 

“In a room the size of a ballroom the Pattern was laid. The floor was black and looked smooth as glass. And on the floor was the Pattern.
It shimmered like the cold fire that it was, quivered, made the whole
room seem somehow unsubstantial. It was an elaborate tracery of bright power, composed mainly of curves, though there were a few straight lines near its middle. It reminded me of a fantastically intricate, life-scale version of one of those maze things you do with a pencil (or ballpoint, as the case may be), to get you into or out of something. Like, I could almost see the
words “Start Here,” somewhere way to the back. It was perhaps a hundred
yards across at its narrow middle, and maybe a hundred and fifty long.
It made bells ring within my head, and then came the throbbing. My mind recoiled from the touch of it. But if I were a prince of Amber, then somewhere within my blood, my nervous system, my genes, this pattern was recorded somehow, so that I would respond properly, so that I could walk the
bloody thing.”*

 

*Quoted from Nine Princes in Amber, a novel by Roger Zelazny

 

The premise of Nine Princes in Amber was and still is absolutely brilliant, particularly the Amber casting Shadows (and the developments and implications after and before that). At that particular point in time (that is the seventies), parallel universes and multiverses weren’t really a thing yet.  From what I know, Michael John Moorcock is the author credited with creating multiverse in the sixties. Of course, the idea of parallel universes was presented in different religions and mythologies, but as far as science fiction and fantasy goes, it was not that common before Zelazny. I dare say that the Amber series played an important part in popularizing the metauniverse writing. Today there is a lot of metauniverse literature. Moreover, the way this novel explored the multiverse was (and it still IS) something quite original.

First of all, I’m not sure that even today I can think of a novel that has managed to achieve something that feels this credible, this well plotted and constructed. There is something psychological and philosophical about the way this series explains and questions parallel universities. What to say about walking the Pattern? That’s perhaps my favourite part of the novel. Zelazny managed to add a lot of psychological and philosophical questions into the novel.  Indeed, often in my life, I’ve wondered how much are we the creators of our own reality, how much of what we see is just our projection and just how much of the world gets changed with our projection. These are all questions that this novel made me ask. Do we create our own reality? Does reality create us? What is truly real? The power of writer’s imagination really shines in the Amber series.

The second thing that I really love about this novel is protagonist, Corwin. His character development in this one is perfect, if not completed. His character development in this first novel is by no means drastic for the real character development is reserved for the sequels, and Corwin really becomes a well-rounded character in the last fifth novel in the series.  Still, he kind of steals the show, even when you’re wondering why the heck are you cheering for him? Corwin says things like:  “I would never rest until I held vengeance and the throne within my hand, and good night sweet prince to anybody who stood between me and these things.”

In Nine Princes in Amber the character development is so subtle you can almost miss it. The way amnesia affected Corwin’s personality is fascinating. In a way he preserved his personality even when he lost his memory (he’s an old soul one might say).  Not exactly a nice soul, though.

 

Anyone who tried to hurt me, to use me, did so at his own peril and now he would receive his due, whoever he was, this one. I felt a strong desire to kill, to destroy whoever had been responsible, and I knew it was not the first time in my life that I had felt this thing, and I knew, too, that I had followed through on it in the past. More than once.

Amnesia is certainly shown in a convincing manner, yet this amnesia made him question not just everyone else but also first and foremost himself. The way Corwin acts is the way he always acted but there is a worm of a doubt. Corwin is starting to question himself. What will come of it? If you’re anything like me, by the time you finish this novel, you will surely be very eager to learn.  I don’t think I have ever had a crush on a literary character, but this one really got under my skin. As a history geek, I loved how Corwin kept mentioning historical figures from Earth’s history. It seems that Corwin met everyone from Freud to Van Gogh during his long life on Earth.

“The blood billowed above them, and I suddenly realized I had known mad, sad, bad Vicent Van Gogh,   and it was really too bad that he couldn't have painted this.”*

 

Thirdly, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. If Corwin is a great character (and he is masterfully developed and portrayed), then trust that his family might be a subject of interest. In other words, leave it to his family to make the things a lot more interesting. This is a highly dysfunctional and Machiavellian family, but what a joy to read about them! Court and dagger sort of thing but done in Roger’s style! Every sibling was as fascinating as the next one and among much cruelty, there is also sincere respect. They are who they are. Who they are isn’t always pretty. In fact, most of the time, it is kind of disturbing.

There are no classical good guys in this one, not even the protagonist himself.

“As I stood on a hilltop and the evening began around me, it seemed as if I looked out over every camp I had ever stood within, stretching on and on over the miles and the centuries without end. I suddenly felt tears come into my eyes, for the men who are not like the lords of Amber, living but a brief span and passing into dust, that so many of them must meet their ends upon the battlefields of the world.”

 

Finally, there is the language- pure poetry. This novel is absolutely lyrical. The way that lyricism clashes with Machiavellian politics creates quite an interesting contrast. The story is told from Corwin’s point of view, so he as characters, thanks to his creator, sounds deviously charming and painfully eloquent pretty much all of the time. Not that I think of it, it must be why he is so darn loveable, even when he is a starting a war.  The style of writing is absolutely perfect for this novel because it gives it both its dreamy quality and its credibility (considering who Corwin is- a practically important being).

Roger wrote this one beautifully and the sequels are not any different. “As I sailed into Shadow, a white bird of my desire came and sat upon my right shoulder, and I wrote a note and tied it to its leg and set it on its way. The note said "I am coming," and it was signed by me.
A black bird of my desire came and sat upon my left shoulder, and I wrote a note and tied it to its leg and sent it off into the west. It said, "Eric- I'll be back," and it was signed: Corwin, Lord of Amber. A demon wind propelled me east of the sun.”*

*Quoted from Nine Princes in Amber

 

 

 

The Guns of Avalon 5/5

 

Where is Avalon, and what it is in this sequel? One of Shadowy worlds that Corwin visited in the past, a place that matters to him, fills him with nostalgia. A world that brings out a poetic side to our protagonist and narrator.

"Beyond the River of the Blessed, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Avalon. Our swords were shattered in our hands and we hung our shields on the oak tree. The silver towers were fallen, into a sea of blood. How many miles to Avalon? None, I say, and all. The silver towers are fallen."*

 

The Guns of Avalon open with Corwin set on starting a war again, or rather planning the occupation of Amber with the help of a special gunpowder. Normally, guns do not work in Amber, but Corwin knows a place. He also knows a guy. Throughout the series, it is emphasized how Corwin lived many lives on Earth and always choose military careers or medicine as his occupation. Corwin’s sort of like the guy in the Highlander series or any of the other books featuring an immortal character. Corwen still suffers from amnesia about the car accident or murder attempt that started this series, but he can remember his life on Earth. Walking the Pattern brought back most of his memories and also his many skills. He has years of experience to draw back on, but so do his enemies. Some of his enemies might even be unknown to him.

 

“"I am told it began as a tiny ring of toadstools, far to the west. A child was found dead in its center, and the man who found her—her father—died of convulsions several days later. The spot was immediately said to be accursed. It grew quickly in the months that followed, until it was half a league across. The grasses darkened and shone like metal within it, but did not die. The trees twisted and their leaves blackened. They swayed when there was no wind, and bats danced and darted among them. In the twilight, strange shapes could be seen moving—always within the Circle, mind you—and there were lights, as of small fires, throughout the night. The Circle continued to grow, and those who lived near it fled—mostly. A few remained. It was said that those who remained had struck some bargain with the dark things. And the Circle continued to widen, spreading like the ripple from a rock cast into a pond. More and more people remained, living, within it. I have spoken with these people, fought with them, slain them. It is as if there is something dead inside them all. Their voices lack the thrust and dip of men chewing over their words and tasting them. They seldom do much with their faces, but wear them like death masks.”*

 

 

 

The Amber family is still dysfunctional, with the majority of siblings tyring to murder and imprison one another. Only Benedict and Gerard are conserved with safety of Amber and not getting closer to the throne.  Both of them seem to tolerate Eric being on the throne because war among brothers seems a worse option.

 The princes of Amber are not mortal like ordinary men, but they do tend to kill one another or get themselves killed, so their immortality is not guaranteed. Their hands are also not clean. Corwin himself is the first to admit that he’s hands are bloody.

"In the mirrors of the many judgments, my hands are the color of blood. I sometimes fancy myself an evil which exists to oppose other evils; and on that great Day of which the prophets speak but in which they do not truly believe, on the day the world is utterly cleansed of evil, then I too will go down into darkness, swallowing curses. Until then, I will not wash my hands nor let them hang useless."*

 

*  Quoted from Guns of Avalon, a novel by Roger Zelazny

 

 

This sequel introduces Dara, a fabulous female protagonist...and there is a lot going on even before she appears. However, her appearance changes the tone. You can feel it is something special.

 

 

 

This is how you write a sequel, I’m tempted to say. The Guns of Avalon really do take up from where Nine Princes in Amber ended brilliantly. The story doesn't slow down a bit, but rather it develops purposefully and dives further into the Amber universe.

 

“You may call them parallel worlds if you wish, alternate universes if you would, the products of a deranged mind if you care to. I call them shadows, as do all who possess the power to walk among them. We select a possibility and we walk until we reach it. So, in a sense, we create it."*

 

We learn that Amber influences all the Shadow worlds, and the presence of royal members strengthens them. Sometimes Shadows of Amber children are formed, mimicking their original imperfectly, like clones. So, when Corwin meets someone who seems to know him, he is aware that perhaps they have known his shadow or a clone.

"Amber casts an infinity of shadows, and my Avalon had cast many of its own, because of my presence there. I might be known on many earths that I had never trod, for shadows of myself had walked them, mimicking imperfectly my deeds and my thoughts."

 

The world building absolutely makes sense, and with every sequel more so. Corwin still wants to be the king. So, he plans at attack on Amber (something he also did in the first novel, I won’t let you know how that ended but it didn’t end well for him.  Corwin now plans to use some secret knowledge he has, something to do with guns, and gunpowder. To get it Corwin must travel to Avalon. This shadowy world where he once lived will often catch him unprepared. The plot is well written and there is definite character development on side of Corwin.

“ "Mon Dieu!" he said. "I am pleased never to have had you for an enemy.

 Are you certain you are not the Devil?

"Yeah, sure," I said. "Don't you smell the brimstone? And my right hoof is killing me."
He actually sniffed a couple times before he chuckled, which hurt my feelings a bit.*”

 

 

In the first sequel, Corwin was a charming bastard, a more sophisticated and eloquent version of macho heroes, but in The Guns of Avalon we see a more human side to him. Corwin's inner struggle between his newly developed conscience and his strong obsession with winning the Amber throne was interesting to watch to say the least.

 

“Why had no one ever come up with a way to change the basic nature of man? Even the erasure of all my memories and a new life in a new world had resulted in the same old Corwin. If I were not happy with what I was it could be a proposition worthy of despair.”*

The more I think about it, the more I admire the precision of Zelazny’s writing. Every novel in his Amber series is so well constructed and paced. They are neither too long nor too short, just the perfect length. Many fantasy writers could take cue from Zelazny. You don’t need to desperately overwrite everything to make a reader so tired he becomes a part of your world out of sheer exhaustion. I mean- leave something to the imagination! Indeed, the novels in the Amber series are really a joy to read. Upon rereading, I particularly enjoy seeing not just how all the pieces of the puzzles match but how timely Zelazny brought them into action.

 

                       “Time, too, is a function of Shadow, and even Dworkin did not know all of its ins and outs. Or perhaps he did. Maybe that is what drove him mad.”*

Consistent with the other books in the series, The Guns of Avalon is written in first person narration. However, even though Corwin’s eye, we get to learn more about other characters. The dialogues play a huge part in this. They are well written and natural sounding, and that is really important because that’s the only time we can actually see those characters speaking for themselves. Otherwise, we obviously see them through Corwin’s eyes. Some new characters are introduced in this one as well. I already mentioned Dara being the most important (and possibly most fascinating of all of them but there are others as well. You’ll also get to read some wonderfully written shadow walking and get a glimpse of what is to follow.

“One does not live as long as I have lived without achieving that quality of consciousness which strips naïve feelings as they occur and is generally loathe to participate in the creation of sentimentality.”*

Meetings between Amber royal family members are fascinating to read. They are often a mixture of warmth and coldness, with some empathy on one side and tension and untrust on the other. For me it was great whenever Benedict and Corwin got together because it is clear that Corwin loves his brother. It seems that Benedict likes Corwin as well, but he does not trust him. Benedict has no reason to, and he is really not wrong to suspect that Corwin will go after the throne. Still, there is sympathy between the brothers and respect. Both are military men, and share some things in common.

“Despite our major hatreds and petty animosities, we Amberites are a family-conscious bunch, always eager for news of one another, desirous to know everyone’s position in the changing picture. A pause for gossip has doubtless stayed a few death blows among us. I sometimes think of us as a gang of mean little old ladies in a combination rest home and obstacle course.”*

 

I loved seeing more of Benedict, him being one of my favourite brothers of a highly fascinating and fabulously dysfunctional royal family. Connecting Benedict and Dara was a good move, even if some might find it all a bit incestuous. However, with the time flowing differently in different shadows, Dara might not be as closely related to Benedict as she initially seems. She’s more a cousin, then a close relation.  I suppose things might also work out differently with Amber genetics. Well, at least this time Corwin didn’t swoon over his sister. Yes, Corwin liking Deidre is something he admits to somewhat reluctantly but consistently through novels. Interesting, Deidre shares Corwin’s colour: silver and black. However, Deidre does not appear in this novel. In fact. Deidre only shortly appears in the fifth novel.

  Interestingly, there is more than one love interest in this novel. There are two distinct love episodes, and while one ends soon after it started, the other one (one featuring Dara) will be elaborated more in other novels. The first one is sort of nostalgic and tragic, linked to a place that meant something once and that is changed due to Corwin’s doing. There is a sense of guilt throughout this novel. Corwin is growing conscience. He still has his signature sense of humour, though: “While I had often said that I wanted to die in bed, what I really meant was that in my old age I wanted to be stepped on by an elephant while making love.”

 

What else can I say without spoilers? In the Guns of Avalon, you’ll see some interesting plot twists, learn more about Corwin’s family members (and himself), see him and others grow up a bit as a new threat befalls Amber. When Amber is in danger, they seem to be able to put their fighting aside.

 

 The Amber siblings desperately needed to grow up a little bit so that was satisfactory, seeing they can actually come to their senses when there is a real threat to them all. A threat serious enough to stop a bunch of brothers and sisters trying to kill themselves over their father’s throne and not caring whom and what (and by whom/what I mean whole worlds) they bring down with them? Well, yes.

Really, The Guns of Avalon are just as good as the first book in the series. You can see that the author actually took the time to plan out things, rather than improvising and overwriting sequels like so many fantasy author do today.

I read Nine Princes in Amber as an adolescent, but it was a few years before I figured out there were sequels. Imagine my joy at discovering so many sequels. I think I was around nineteen or twenty when I stumbled onto sequels, and I bought all I could find. Good times. Some book series just stay with you.

Instead of a conclusion, I’ll leave you with my favourite quote from it, a moment in which Corwin grasps his mortality for the first time: ...It was almost a mystical experience. I do not know how else to put it. My mind outran time as he neared, and it was as though I had an eternity to ponder the approach of this man who was my brother. His garments were filthy, his face blackened, the stump of his right arm raised, gesturing anywhere. The great beast that he rode was striped, black and red, with a wild red mane and tail. But it really was a horse, and its eyes rolled and there was foam at its mouth and its breathing was painful to hear. I saw then that he wore his blade slung across his back, for its haft protruded high above his right shoulder. Still slowing, eyes fixed upon me, he departed the road, bearing slightly toward my left, jerked the reins once and released them, keeping control of the horse with his knees. His left hand went up in a salute-like movement that passed above his head and seized the hilt of his weapon. It came free without a sound, describing a beautiful arc above him and coming to rest in a lethal position out from his left shoulder and slanting back, like a single wing of dull steel with a minuscule line of edge that gleamed like a filament of mirror. The picture he presented was burned into my mind with a kind of magnificence, a certain splendor that was strangely moving. The blade was a long, scythe like affair that I had seen him use before. Only then we had stood as allies against a mutual foe I had begun to believe unbeatable. Benedict had proved otherwise that night. Now that I saw it raised against me I was overwhelmed with a sense of my own mortality, which I had never experienced before in this fashion. It was as though a layer had been stripped from the world and I had a sudden, full understanding of death itself.

 

 

The Sign of the Unicorn 5/5

The Sign of the Unicorn seems to multiply Corwin’s problems. It seems that he has got what he wished for. Corwin, be careful what you wish for. Eric is out of the picture, but Corwin’s problems are far from resolved.

 

“Of troubles I considered myself amply possessed. But those who have do seem to get. Some spiritual form of compound interest, I suppose.”*

*Quoted from The Sign of the Unicorn

 

Just when it seems Corwin might get what he wished for, things become endlessly complicated for him. A body has been found, and can you guess who is the prime suspect?  As usual Corwin’s relatives are up to no good despite the fact that the threat to Amber (and all of them) is not going anywhere. There was a moment in The Guns of Avalon when it seemed they were all joining hands, but appearances can be deceptive.

Life of a Prince of Amber has its privileges but also dangers. Walking the Pattern and wondering the Shadows is a dangerous thing. We’re made aware of that when Corwin meets the Pattern again.

“For a moment I regarded the Pattern—a shining mass of curved lines that tricked the eye as it tried to trace them—imbedded there, huge, in the floor's slick blackness. It had given me power over Shadow, it had restored most of my memory. It would also destroy me in an instant if I were to essay it improperly. What gratitude the prospect did arouse in me was therefore not untinged with fear. It was a splendid and cryptic old family heirloom which belonged right where it was, in the cellar.”

*Quoted from The Sign of the Unicorn

 

 

Indeed, Corwin's troubles seem never ending, but at least Corwin isn't prone to passivity so that usually means plenty of action. Besides, as much as I loved Corwin, I had to admit that the guy had some things coming. Corwin had been a selfish if charming bastard so far, so when he got himself in a prickle, I didn’t feel I need to be too sorry for him. The Guns of Avalon awoke Corwin's conscience just in time to have him torn over choices he has to make.

 

 What is a story without a good moral dilemma, right?

The book opens up with a murder mystery. At the very start, we also learn a bit more about Random. Seeing that Random is one of my two favourite Corwin’s brothers in the series, I was only to happy to hear a story told from his perspective.

Corwin is the narrator of the first five books, but there is a part of this book when Random becomes a narrator in a frame narration sort of way.

“I brought my emotions to heel. One by one, you must deal with those things that come to hand, I told myself. That is all. Divorce the feelings from the speculations, or at least provide for separate maintenance.”

Random gets the chance to tell the story in his own words. In order to help Corwin get out of accusation for killing his brother, Random has to elaborate on a past adventure of his and this gives us an opportunity to listen to Random and get to know Random better. His role in the big scheme of things might not be as random as his name implies. Random describes how he had left Amber to avoid their father Oberon and how we walked the Shadows.

“Dad was still around, and when I noticed that he was getting into one of his grumpy moods, I decided it was time to take a walk. A long one. I had often noticed that his fondness for me tended to increase as an inverse function of my proximity.”*

Random also shares some of his favourite things to do:

“….we all have other things we like to do in between. With me, Corwin, it's drumming, being up in the air, and gambling—in no special order. Well, maybe soaring has a little edge—in gliders, balloons, and certain variations—but mood has a lot to do with that too, you know. I mean, ask me another time and I might say one of the others. Depends on what you want most at the moment.”

 

 

 

I quite enjoyed his episode. As in other books, we learn more about the characters as the story progresses. In addition, there are some new characters introduced. There is even an episode where Corwin returns to Earth that I quite enjoyed.

As far as the Amber Universe goes, there are many things going on. The plot keeps it interesting on its own, but that is not all. There is a philosophical aspect about this book as well, for example Sophocles’ cave analogy.

 

“ Solipsism, I suppose, is where we have to begin—the notion that nothing exists but the self, or, at least, that we cannot truly be aware of anything but our own existence and experience. I can find, somewhere, off in Shadow, anything I can visualize. Any of us can. This, in good faith, does not transcend the limits of the ego. It may be argued, and in fact has, by most of us, that we create the shadows we visit out of the stuff of our own psyches, that we alone truly exist, that the shadows we traverse are but projections of our own desires.... Whatever the merits of this argument, and there are several, it does go far toward explaining much of the family's attitude toward people, places, and things outside of Amber. Namely, we are toymakers and they, our playthings—sometimes dangerously animated, to be sure; but this, too, is part of the game. We are impresarios by temperament, and we treat one another accordingly. While solipsism does tend to leave one slightly embarrassed on questions of etiology, one can easily avoid the embarrassment by refusing to admit the validity of the questions. Most of us are, as I have often observed, almost entirely pragmatic in the conduct of our affairs. “*

 

The reader finds out new information that makes him realize how much he didn't know. There are some definite surprises in this one, both for readers and Corwin. He starts off as a bit bigger than life, but Corwin in The Sign of the Unicorn is about to learn some humility. It makes him more reliable and interesting, I'd say.

 

 What is more, Corwin makes startling discoveries about the nature of the universe. It seems not all is known about the world that casts of shadows. However, with every new answer, there are more answers coming up. On overall, I's say this novel shows a more vulnerable side to Corwin. For the first time, you see Corwin realizing that the crown might not be such a grand thing.

...“I can appreciate the feeling,” I said. “My own role sometimes makes me want to strangle the author. But look at it this way: inside stories seldom live up to one’s expectations. Usually they are grubby little things, reducing down to the basest of motives when all is known. Conjectures and illusions are often the better possessions.”

 

 

The Hand of Oberon 5/5

Published in 1976, The Hand of Oberon is the fourth novel in the Amber series. Corwin makes a startling discovery in this one. Well, not just Corwin but everyone. Still, he sorts of leads others into discovery, even if he is also being led into it. The Sign of Unicorn kind of ends with this discover, but it is only in The Hand of Oberon that we learn what it really means. We also learn more about his siblings. Fiona in particular has a role to play, as she reveals herself to be quite a magical prodigy, being trained by Dwarkin and all. The more into the series we get, it is harder to review it without making spoilers. It would be a shame to spoil this series for anyone, as the discoveries made along the way by Corwin and the others are really interesting. Is it a spoiler to reveal that Oberon still has a part to play?

“As I saw it, he owed me nothing now, nor I him—if one keeps a scoreboard tally on such matters. Therefore, it was friendship alone that bound us, a stronger thing than bygone debts and points of honor: in other words, a thing which gave him the right to bug me on matters such as this, where I might have told even Random to go to hell once I had made up my mind. I realized I should not be irritated when everything that he said was tendered in good faith.”

 I won' say how or why, but there is a reason why the father is referenced in the title. As The Hand of Oberon develops, many things from the previous novel become clearer. A traitor is revealed. Corwin is becoming to question everything. Was one of his brothers worse than others?

...“Heredity or environment? I wondered wryly.

 We were all of us, to some degree, mad after his fashion. To be honest, it had to be a form of madness, to have so much and to strive so bitterly for just a little more, for a bit of an edge over the others. He carried this tendency to its extreme, that is all. He was a caricature of this mania in all of us. In this sense, did it really matter which of us was the traitor?”

Well, it does matter, Corwin.  At least I think so. Corwin, I don’t know why are finding excuses for your brother. He endangered everyone. I think you might be realising how bad all you Amber children sometimes are. Still, the traitor pushed it a bit too far, didn't he? Nevertheless, it is good you're finally seeing sense Corwin, and being able to put your pride and ambitions aside.

 

That's possibly the best part of this fourth book in the series. The reader can really see Corwin's personal growth. The changes in him are subtle, but the end of the novel Corwin is a changed man. Where Corwin felt only hate and anger, now he is able to feel sympathy. Corwin is definitely becoming more emphatic. Perhaps even Freud would agree that he has made some progress in his relationship with his father. Similarly, Corwin is able to see his brothers not only as chess figures in a game he is playing, but as human beings.

.“I wish that some time, long ago, something had not been said that was said, or something done that was not done. Something, had we known, which might have let him grow differently, something which would have seen him become another man than the bitter, bent thing I saw up there. It is best now if he is dead. But it is a waste of something that might have been.”


What is what brought about this change in Corwin? Figuring out his relationship with his father? Making new discoveries about the nature of known world? Forming meaningful friendships? Learning about the true origins of Amber? Whatever be the cause, as new answers appeal, Corwin find himself asking more questions.

“It changed nothing to run a posthumous psychoanalysis. Acts and their consequences are the things by which our fellows judge us. Anything else, and all that you get is a cheap feeling of moral superiority by thinking how you would have done something nicer if it had been you.”

 I liked this philosophical twist in his thinking. As much as Corwin is inclined to ask psychological and philosophical questions, the chaotic world of Amber waits for nobody. Like sharks, princes of Amber need to keep moving to stay alive. So, does Corwin. Don't expect this one to be any less fast paced and eventful than the other ones. New surprises all along the way, but at the same time the writing becomes more philosophical.

The author Roger Zelanzny also makes a cameo in this one. One of the guards in the Amber castle is a writer named Roger, clearly a reference to the author himself.

"Good evening, Lord Corwin," said the lean, cadaverous figure who rested against a storage rack, smoking his pipe, grinning around it.

 "Good evening, Roger. How are things in the nether world?"

"A rat, a bat, a spider. Nothing much else astir. Peaceful."
"You enjoy this duty?"
He nodded.
"I am writing a philosophical romance shot through with elements of horror and morbidity. I work on those parts down here."
"Fitting, fitting," I said.

 

The Courts of Chaos 5/5

The most perfect ending to the most perfect fantasy cycle of all times. I reread all the books in the Corwin series, but none as often as The Court of Chaos. I lost count of how many times I have reread this one. Not only did it explain and connected everything nicely, the final novel in the series also manages to be the most beautifully written one.

The Court of Chaos have the most poetical passages, I feel. They capture the spirit and the charm of this series perfectly. As a said, it really is the perfect ending of Corwin's story. For me, The Courts of Chaos is, among other things, metaphysical poetry.

Many characters reaper in The Courts of Chaos, most notably Dara. The traitor brother will also have a role to play. Other family members won't stand aside either, as it to be expected.

At the start of the novel, we find Corwin in a library (his place of comfort), and soon enough Random meets Corwin. Random was a significant character in all the novels, and I felt that Random and Corwin really connected in the fourth one. It was interesting to see how the personal grown of one mirrored the other.

When Random pledges his alliance to Corwin in the first novel, they are both charming but selfish princes, and it is amazing to see them both grow up as people. In The Courts of Chaos, Corwin will have to play it solo for most of the novel, as he will be forced to hell ride like he has never hell ridden before, but by the end of the novel, Random will get the chance to shine again. I found the growing connection between them as touching as their personal growth. They have truly grown into different and better people.

In words of Corwin: “I saw my earlier selves as different people, acquaintances I had outgrown. I wondered how I could ever have been some of them.”

I said that Corwin will play it solo most of the way. This is the novel in which Corwin finally connects all the dots. He learns where has his father been all this time, and that's only the beginning.

“Do we make the Shadow worlds? Or are they there, independent of us, awaiting our footfalls? Or is there an unfairly excluded middle? Is it a matter of more or less, rather than either-or? A dry chuckle arose suddenly as I realized that I might never know the answer for certain.”

 

Corwin makes a choice to put the good of the realm before his own and even his father's ambitions. There is a timeless feeling to this last novel in the series, as is only befitting I guess for Corwin really managed to make himself a timeless flawed hero. Every time he walks the pattern, Corwin reveal more of his essence.

In this novel, Corwin has to do something beyond walking the Pattern, something nobody would have thought possible. He has to do it in desperate circumstances, and not sure of whether this immense possibly fatal feat will do any difference. Yet, Corwin does it, drawing strength from his happy memories.

 

.... I was not in love with anyone in particular at the time, though there were many girls—Yvettes and Mimis and Simones, their faces merge—and it was spring in Paris, with Gipsy bands and cocktails at Louis'.... I remembered, and my heart leaped with a kind of Proustian joy while Time tolled about me like a bell.... And perhaps this was the reason for the recollection, for this joy seemed transmitted to my movements, informed my perceptions, empowered my will....

 

In The Courts of Chaos Corwin reinvents himself. He truly becomes something more. He settles his score with his family, addresses all of them in his mind, ending with himself:

...“And the man clad in black and silver with a silver rose upon him? He would like to think that he has learned something of trust, that he has washed his eyes in some clear spring, that he has polished an ideal or two. Never Mind. He may still be only a smart-mouthed meddler, skilled mainly in the minor art of survival, blind as ever the dungeons knew him to the finer shades of irony. Never mind, let it go, let it be. I may never be pleased with him.”

 

The Trumps of Doom 4/5

The Trumps of Doom is the sixth novel in the Amber series and the first novel in the Merlin (or Merle Cycle). All of the novels in this cycle feel different because the narrator is different. Merle is young, unexperienced, and often confused. In many ways he’s different from his father Corwin. Less ambitious to start with, and definitely more emphatic and nicer on overall. However, Merle is no saint, he makes some relationship mistakes early on, and has to work hard to correct them.

It took me a bit to get used to Merle as the new narrator of The Chronicles of Amber, but soon I've grown to like him. His charm is different than Corwin’s, but it is there. Since the narration is again first-person narration, obviously the narrative also feels different. Merlin is into science, computers and programming. Science fiction and steam punk elements start to emerge in the second part of this series. It is no longer a typical fantasy setting, with horses, cloaks and swords. Merlin prefers jeans. There is literally a scene in this Cycle when Merlin changes into a pair of jeans and puts on a pair of boots.

“It was a pain in the ass waiting around for someone to try to kill you. But it was April 30, and of course it would happen as it always did.”*

 The way that this novel starts off reminded me a bit of the Nine Princes in Amber. If you remember, Corwin is trying to figure out who tried to kill him and the fact that he wakes up with amnesia doesn't help. Merle, on the other hand, doesn't have amnesia but there is much he doesn't know either. Who is trying to kill him and why? Every year on his birthday, someone tries to kill Merle.

At the start of the novel, Merle is living on shadow Earth, being a brilliant computer expert and a student. I actually like that Merlin is, in many way, different from his father. If he was just a copy, this series would be far less interesting. Unlike Corwin in the first novel, Merle is very much aware who he is, but you also get the vibe he is not entirely sure what it all means. It is almost as Merle wants to forget about his true origins while he is playing the student part and really who could blame him? His family life and relations are as hopelessly complicated as Corwin's, so in that Merle is his father's son.

“I shook out my cloak and brushed myself off. I traveled for perhaps half an hour then, leaving the place far behind me, before I halted and took my breakfast in a hot, bleak valley smelling faintly of sulfur.
As I was finishing, I heard a crashing noise. A horned and tusked purple thing went racing along the ridge to my right pursued by a hairless orange-skinned creature with long claws and a forked tail. Both were wailing in different keys.
I nodded. It was just one damned thing after another.”

 

Trumps of Doom is a very good novel. I liked it less than the other books in the series just because the plot wasn't as strong. It's not because of Merlin, as I said I liked him and it didn't took me long to get used to him as a narrator. It is possible that I enjoyed it a bit less because this first book is more introductory. It seems a bit less dynamic. Somehow the return to Amber without Corwin feels kind of wrong.

“ “Now you know what an absolute monarchy is,” she explained to Bill. “You can see how power corrupts.”
“I was corrupt before I had power,” Random said, “and rich is better.””

Still, you get to hear a lot of interesting conversations in this one, see notable characters from the Amber chronicles make an appearance. Moreover, you get a chance to learn more about the book's protagonist. So, all in all, it is a very good novel.

 

 

Blood of Amber 5/5

 

Published in 1986, Blood of Amber is such a brilliant novel. It is well written, extremely eventful and interesting. In other words, a fine addition to the series. By introducing clever plot twists, this book creates not only fascinating mysteries and questions but it also does a great job of adding depth to the characters. I enjoyed it immensely and read on with great interest. Merlin in the first book wasn't easy to relate (for some reason), but once he finds himself neck deep in problems, it's hard not to feel sympathy for him.

Besides, Merle has inherited his father’s sense of humour:

So, “What do you want, anyway?” I called out.
Immediately, that metallic voice replied, “Your blood, your soul, your mind and your body.”
“What about my stamp collection,” I hollered back. “Do I get to keep the First Day Covers?”*

Merle is as buried in problems as Corwin did, but no much of his own doing. I mean Corwin was kind of looking for troubles at times. Merle on the other hand, seems more of a victim of other people’s schemes. As I said, I like how different Merlin is from Corwin. Merlin speaks and even thinks differently, and that's good because it keeps the reader on his/her toes. If I remember well, Blood of Amber opens with Merlin trying to escape his imprisonment. It's quite a ride from there. There are many iconic episodes in this one, and found myself warming up to Merlin more than I did in the first one. The poor guy just can't catch a break.

“Life is full of doors that don't open when you knock, equally spaced amid those that open when don't want them to.”

 

 

Sign of Chaos 5/5

Published in 1987, Sign of Chaos is a wonderful example of how to reference iconic works. There are a lot of references to Shakespeare and other classics in this series, but this one takes it to a whole new level. The Alice in Wonderland episode in itself is worth five stars. That has to be one of my favourite scenes, not just in this book series, but of all times. It's so brilliantly written. As typical of Zelazny, Blood of Amber ended practically mid-sentence. Sign of Chaos takes up from where Blood of Amber ended beautifully. The previous sequel was quite eventful, and this one is no different.

“If you had a choice between the ability to detect falsehood and the ability to discover truth, which one would you take?”

This is a question Merle asks himself, after a talk with his older and wiser brother Mandor. Speaking of Mandor, he is one of my favourite characters in the Merlin Cycle.

There was a time when I thought they were different ways of saying the same thing, but I no longer believe that. Most of my relatives, for example, are almost as good at seeing through subterfuge as they are at perpetrating it. I’m not all that sure, though, that they care much about truth. On the other hand, I’d always felt that there was something noble, special, and honorable about seeking truth––a thing I’d attempted with Ghostwheel. Mandor had made me wonder, though. Had this made me a sucker for truth’s opposite?

 

I like how things just keep on getting more complicated. In the Amber family things are never peaceful, serene or normal, and when you add the shadows and the Courts of Chaos to the mix, you can see why our protagonist has his work cut out for him. I like how Merle still manages to make friends, for example the queen of Amber, Random’s wife, obviously favours him in a motherly sort of way:

I knew that she knew that I just wanted to talk to him alone for a few minutes. And she was certainly aware that I knew it. And we both knew she trusted me, which brightens my existence, as well as complicating it.

Magic can't help Merle, he will need more than magical powers (and an awesome AI as a sidekick) to stay alive. Merlin also grows as a person in this one, I feel.

Merle is starting to see how some of his earlier actions can have serious consequences.

The more I read into the sequels, the more I liked how different Merlin is from Corwin. Zelazny's writing is always poetic, but linguistically speaking Merlin hasn't got anything in common with Corwin. Sure, they are both witty, but they talk and think differently.

“The doorway to the left—the one that let upon my bedroom—seemed to be outlined in red and pulsing. Did that mean I was supposed to avoid it or rush in there? That’s the trouble with mystical advice.”

 

 Merlin narrative voice is quite different and his approach to things as well. Corwin was an old soul (and quite literately so), whereas Merlin is distinctly a young person. Despite his magical powers, his double identity as a noble youth of both Amber and Chaos, and his shadow walking creation, Merlin is sometimes quite naive in a young person sort of way. However, it makes perfect sense.

 

Merlin being more trusting and less prideful in general, he is willing to stand out for his friend Luke, despite the risks. At the same time, Merlin is certainly intelligent. He is able to see the bigger picture, although not all of it obviously- where would be the fun in that? All in all, this is a great novel. Zelazny at his best. Enough said.

 

Knight of Shadows 5/5

Published in 1989, this novel is more philosophical and dreamier than the rest. In fact, Knight of Shadows takes the flight into the metaphysical. A large portion of the book consists of Merlin being forced on a quest where the god like imaginary representing Order and Chaos forces (or better to say tries to force) Merlin to align himself with one of them.

“You can make me play,” I said, “but you cannot make me choose. My will is my own.”

 

Merlin isn't exactly enthusiastic to choose between the two. This whole experience feels a bit psychedelic at times, but is beautifully written. The writer let his imagination played a bit wild here, maybe too wild for some, but I like such imaginative writing.

The previous books in the Merlin's circle were full of conspiracies and plot twists I didn't want to comment on because I wanted to avoid spoilers. So, I'll just say they were interesting. At the start of Knight of Shadows, Merlin makes startling discoveries about the nature of the know Universe. There is always more to find out about how Chaos and Amber function.

“You don’t trust anybody, do you?”
“Family tradition,” I replied, “backed up by recent experience.”

I greatly enjoyed this one. For some it might be too metaphysical, but I liked learning more about Merlin. Seeing the other side of him, his identity link with the Chaos world was fascinating. With every book in the series, we also get to learn more about his family in the court of Chaos. This one isn't as eventful as other books in the series, but I liked it a lot. I would say that Knight of Shadows is the perfect preparation for the final book in the series.

 

Prince of Chaos 5/5

Published in 1991, this novel takes its reader on quite a ride into Chaos. Reading this final book in the Amber series was a bitter sweet experience, just because I knew it was the last. Apart from that, it's an impressive novel, both on its own and as a part of the series. I liked that Merle finally seems to be close to some answers. Sometimes it seems like everyone kept leaving him in the dark.

Things that had tantalized me for much of my adult life seemed near to explanation now. I was not happy with all of the possibilities that tumbled through my mind. Still, no matter which ones came out on top, it would beat ignorance.

 

Prince of Chaos is masterfully written and perfectly paced. I loved Merlin's character's development. His complex family relationships are wonderfully portrayed as well. Even the villains get to speak for themselves in this one.

“Do you think she’s up to something?”
“Probably,” he said. “I can’t recall a time when she hasn’t been.”

 

Dara has an important part to play in this one. She surprised me I have to say. Still, I simply adore the way she was written, as this mysterious lady that is always out of reach, whose motives we can never quite grasp.

 

My book reviews for the Merlin Cycle were a bit shorter than those for the Corwin Cycle because I tried really hard to avoid the spoilers. However, I would say that Merle’s family life is an interesting as Corwin’s. Merle’s bromance with Luke that runs through all the series is also interesting. Luke and Merle are quite different, yet they are true friends. It reminded me of the relationship Randon and Corwin had. On the other hand, Merle’s relationship with his brothers is blacker and whiter than Corwin’s. Merle has one brother he likes, only it is not his real brother at all. Mandor is the oldest brother in the family, and for some reason he seems to really like Merle.  His halfbrother  is Jurt, and he hates his guts. Jurt is just a plain villain, and he is also kind of a cardboard villain to be honest.

 

“No matter what you are and no matter what’s been done to you, there will have to be some element of choice for you, sooner or later. You are greater than the sum of your parts, Merlin. No matter what went into your birth and your life up to now, you’ve got eyes and a brain and a set of values. Don’t let anybody bullshit you, not even me. And when the time comes, if it comes, make damn sure the choice is your own. Nothing that’s gone before will matter then.”

I did think that the ending was a bit sudden. Sure, Corwin's story has ended in mystery, but there it seemed more appropriate. Here I had a feeling the author has so much more to say. A while back, I read some of the later short stories placed in this Universe, and suddenly it all made sense. I wonder why at least one of those short stories isn't a part of this novel today because it would make things more clears. Still, maybe it is better this way. It keeps the options open. Usually, I’m a fan of ambiguous endings but here I was left wanting for more.

After finishing the Merlin cycle, Zelazny wrote five short stories (from different viewpoints) that in a way continue this tale and they certainly add something to it. Who knows what else this author has planned? What a shame Zelazny couldn't finish his Amber related writing. I feel like he had so much more to say. I do recommend you to read those short stories, once you finish with this series. They are delicate and beautiful pieces of writing.

Instead of a conclusion, I'll end with a quote that I hold very dear:

“I don't know that I ever wanted greatness, on its own. It seems rather like wanting to be an engineer, rather than wanting to design something - or wanting to be a writer, rather than wanting to write. It should be a by-product, not a thing in itself. Otherwise, it's just an ego trip.”

 

 Thank you for reading and visiting! What was the last book you've read?