I will gradually review each book in turn and adjust my rating as I go.

Book 1
This was a very odd start, the situation is a bit perplexing and the characters best described as strange for the most part. Everything happens very fast but I was left wondering who, what, where, when and why? I'm intrigued to see where it's going but I'm certainly not hooked by the end of the first book. It had a very simplistic and almost superficial feel to it overall that left me wanting a bit more meat to the bones the author provided. At this stage its sitting firmly in two stars 'Ok' category.

Book 2
Loads better! The story was interesting and the relationships between the brothers was explored more. There was plenty of action and intrigue and the links with our earth and myths and history was a nice touch. Still felt a tad superficial but definitely improving. Now sitting at 3 stars.

Book 3
The intrigue increases and the families politicking becomes more obvious. But we still don't find out much more actual details. This is a book of character progression and gap filling rather than continuation of the plot to a huge degree. The ending is about the only real new shocker. Still 3 stars.

Book 4
The main plot is going well now, we've had backstabbing (literally) a bit more background information on the world of Amber and how it came to be and a fair bit more insight into the rest of the family. The main plot is full of twists and turns and really keeps you guessing. Id say now at 4 stars.

Book 5
This rounds things off nicely for Corwin with conflict some more mystery and lots of big reveals at the end. The end sequence is puzzling in parts but intriguing as we see elements of Norse mythology. I'm hoping we'll see more of Corwin and his Pattern in the Merlin books but I guess i'll have to wait and see.

Book 6
Merlin's first book is an intriguing start with plenty of action and intrigue, things have moved on since book 5 so there's a little bit of catch up to bring us up to date but otherwise we see how Merlin has lived and the troubles that are starting against him and Amber. A good solid first book that seems a bit more detailed and gritty than the first series. I like that we see how the integration of Amber and chaos have affected the world and how Merlin's joint heritage and powers are explored.

Book 7
Doesn't really feel like this stood out much, a great continuation of the story but no stand out moments for me. In a way I didn't feel like this was a separate book it just felt like the story had been split. A few new things discovered and the plot thickens a little.

Book 8
The plot advances a bit with some interesting twists and some still un-forseen dangers ahead. Good continuation with some nice character advances and plot movement. This second half of the tale definitely still feels like 1 big book chopped into 5 parts and so doesn't necessarily conform to the solid beginning middle and end you'd expect.

Book 9
This went a bit weird here. We now have a sentient Pattern and Logrus who are interfering and playing tricks on poor Merlin to try and get their way. The whole weird journey's are turning out to be a bit of a recurrent theme now and getting a bit boring as they often only serve to muddy the waters than revealing anything interesting. I preferred the way the Pattern was represented in the first story arc where it was a mystical thing created by someone out of chaos but not sentient.

Book 10
It all draws to a close....ish. Well I wont say it was satisfying but it was definitely not dull. Corwin returns and peace is sort of maybe restored. We are left not knowing really whats going to happen with the 2 patterns and logrus, not really knowing what all the magical ring stuff was all about and not knowing how things really turned out. It all seemed a bit rushed at the end. I'm going to reduce my overall rating to 3, I did enjoy it but it sort of lost the plot a bit at the end.

A product of its time. Yet timeless in its perfect imperfection. Amber... Corwin... Forever.

Roger Zelanzy possessed one of the most imaginative and creative minds in literature. So much so that despite his amazing prose and ability to describe his world, much of it remains difficult to see in my own head.

I didn’t really know what to expect when I began reading this as I had only seen it a few times and didn’t know much about it.

Corwin’s story blew my mind, and I consider books 1-5 some of the best fantasy ever written.

I didn’t enjoy the first two books of Merlin’s cycle as much, but the final 3 were quite satisfying despite some extended stays in weird worlds that felt as if it dragged on a bit.

I agree with many fans who think that Roger was setting this up for something huge before he passed away. That loss is undoubtedly one of incredible impact to the fantasy genre. All we can do is pretend to know where he was headed with the story as no author could ever take us back to Amber or the Courts in an appropriate fashion.

Overall I was definitely ready for this book to end and I would probably recommend a friend to read the first five books, take a break with another book or two, and then follow up with Merlin’s story rather than read through this omnibus all at once. The change over from Corwin to Merlin is abrupt and at first painful (love you so much Corwin!).

However this was a brilliant book and I recommend it to anyone who will listen to me.

Probably one of the best fantasy stories I’ve ever read.

Corwin wakes up in the hospital with amnesia, so he doesn’t understand why everyone he meets is trying to kill him. With wit and daring, he learns that there is a plot to steal the throne of Amber. He is a primary candidate and the Earth is only one of many shadow realms of the “real” world Amber.

Give it a try. The complete series is contained in this one book. -Wendy M.

Zelzany's work is fantastic. The Amber series has great world building and development that really captured me and kept me moving along through the series. This is one of those times that I am glad I knew nothing before launching into the book - I was right with the main character in the very beginning, trying to figure out what's going on, what's happening, and who to trust. I do think the plot does become overly convoluted at times, especially in the second half of the book where character swing from mortal enemies to friends quite quickly. I felt at times the plot just became bogged down, and characters were simply in the work because the plot demanded it, but their presence and development were shallow. Overall, a really enjoyable read that I would recommend.

I'd read the first series many years ago, that is to say the first five novels comprising the exploits of Corwin of Amber, and adored it. Much later I found out that he'd written a second set of five novels about Amber and Chaos, so I went ahead and bought The Great Book of Amber: The Complete Amber Chronicles, 1-10. The first time around, in re-reading the first five and reading the second five for the first time, I felt somewhat disappointed in the latter half. I'm guessing part of it is because the beginning to Corwin's story is very much a "Jason Bourne" type deal. The main character wakes from a long sleep with almost no recollection of anything that has gone on before that moment. It's a great hook to the story, made all the better by the fact that the story begins in a perfectly normal hospital on a perfectly normal Earth. The revelations that hit him over the next few chapters draw the reader further and further in, until we realize that everything we understood at the start is false, and that Corwin is anything but a perfectly normal person, and Earth itself is merely a shadow world; a dim reflection of Amber.

The second time around, however, I found I could get past the "where's Corwin?" problem, and found Merlin's story a lot of fun as well. There are some odd points and unresolved issues in the second set of books, but overall I find the entirety of the series quite fun to read--more than once.

It's a great story from an author who should receive far more attention than he does.

The Amber series is one that I try to read at least every couple if years, meaning this is probably my tenth time through. It's very telling that I wish very much that Zelazny was around to finish what apparently was meant to be a trilogy. I love the premise of walking and manipulating the shadows, I love the characters and I really enjoyed the development of Ghostwheel. Even after ten readings, I still find this fantasy world to be unique and compelling.

Do you remember Lite Bright? That invention about 20 years ago where kids would put colored pegs into predetermined spots on a piece of paper? The light would shine through and the kids would think how neat the image looked with all those fancy pegs and lights. But as those same children get older, they began to learn about famous paintings, sculptures, and other forms of art. And thus the Lite Bright, due to an inherently simple premise and no ability for the children to add details of their own, fell by the way side.

The Lite Bright is the perfect analogy for this series. Like the Lite Bright, it has the major outline points you would look for in a great story. But, then when you go to look for something besides an outline, to see the details that personify the work, you are left vainly grasping at straws.

There has to be a reason so many people like this series, but for the life of me I can't figure out what it is. I cordially invite anyone who disagrees with me to please explain why in the comments because I really do want to understand this conundrum.

In all honesty, this isn't the worst writing I've ever seen, but it's definitely some of the laziest. The devil may be in the details, but so is the story! Zelazny apes the common threads in ancient mythologies (based on Joseph Campbells The Hero with a Thousand Faces) and seems to think that's enough. He never has an interesting dialogue or debate between characters and the characters never seem to grow so much as fundamentally change off screen and come back wildly different.

The romantic relationships between Corwin and any of the female romantic interests were laughably bad. I honestly didn't realize he had a thing for his sister until about the 4th book. Maybe, to develop that potential romantic sub plot a bit, an author should have the characters actually speak to one another? That's not an exaggeration either. They only speak to each other for part of a single chapter in the first book and it's immediately followed by a love seen between Corwin and someone we never hear about again. That's a bit of a snarky comment, but I honestly can't see how Zelazny though Corwin's relationships with Lorraine, Dara, or Deidre were anything but pitiful shadows of what they could have been. And the kicker is how Zelazny has Corwin secretly longing for all of these women in perfect relationships that he can never have (seeing Lorraine in the moon/cloud city, seeing Deidre in that same city, feeling romantically inclined to Dara who shows up for also maybe 30 pages in the whole series.)

I stopped reading once I finished book 5 and I have no regrets on that front. The only reason I made it through book 5 was that I kept making excuses for what Zelazny was trying to do stylistically. But after awhile it became apparent to me that I was just fooling myself. The book was a passionless, 2 dimensional, slog of a book which I was too stubborn to put down because of how many times it was glowingly referred to me.

I have a sneaking suspicion that large parts of this book were based on Freudian psychology (this based on the fact that every single book mentions Corwin knew Freud as well as a debate between Corwin and a crow in the 5th book about principles in Freudian psychology.) Maybe some people are into that, but I found those amateur arm chair psychology debates to be the last straw.

I don't recommend this book to anyone. If you like this style, read Lord of the Rings or the Silmarillion, two genuinely timeless classics. There are several stylistic similarities, but Tolkien takes the time to plant details about the world that make it come alive. Zelazny never does that

Llevo más de dos años sin abrir este libro, más por falta de ganas que de tiempo. Quizá ha llegado el momento de admitir que no lo voy a acabar. Leí las cuatro primeras novelas de las diez que contiene el ómnibus (Nine Princes in Amber, The Guns in Avalon, Sign of the Unicorn y The Hand of Oberon). Así se queda por el momento. A estas alturas, me alivia más dejar de verlo en mi sección de "Currently reading" de lo que me molesta que altere mis estadísticas de páginas y año de lectura.

How did I forget to put this book on my list! Egads!

I can't really count the number of times I've read the first set of Amber books (the ones about Corwin), and I know I have read the following books a number of times as well (the ones about Merlin), and they really are my favorite fantasy books of all time. I, unfortunately and to my great dishonor, have only read these books by Roger Zelazny. I've heard about numerous other sci-fi books he has written but I'm an ASS so I've ignored when people tell me about them.

These books are fantasy, I guess, but they are also pretty phenomenal. There are a few books that wade through the endless sea of shit that is the fantasy genre to come upon the shores of well-written and this is the first I think of every time. Both sets (although I favor the first) have smart mysteries that I actually couldn't predict and that weren't shallow and stupid (Borne Identity anyone?). On top of that, what an amazing world! Really! Seriously! It's fantastic! Screw Hogwarts, I wanna go where these guys are from! They are all epic badasses from places directly out of Arthurian legend, I mean it, quite literally in some cases. It wasn't until I began to study literature that I looked back and saw all of the little things Zelazny dropped into his book - Oberon, for example. Wasn't until I read Shakespeare that I got half of the allusions he was making.

Aside from the literary references - which I didn't know until very recently - this is just a good series. The characters are real and interesting and the politics and relationships are fantastic. My only complaint is that it felt like Zelazny just wasn't sure how to end either epic so he did so kind of halfheartedly. Still, I can't think of a more enjoyable fantasy story I would want to read.

Side note, my mother wanted to name me Corwin because of this book. My dad was afraid I would get picked on with that name though. I think after reading the books I would have kicked enough ass to live up to it.

Cleaning off my bookshelves, I put this series into the Goodwill box, and then a few days later I pulled it out again and started reading. If you were to ask me my favorite authors, Zelazny's name probably wouldn't come to mind, but he's definitely on the list even if I forget about him for long periods of time.

"Many readers have complained that the series goes on too long and the ending is disappointing." Definitely agree with that. The last 20 pages of the last book I was nervously eyeballing the remaining pages, thinking "There's no way he's going to wrap all of this up in time!" and hey, I was right.

But otherwise, there are worse ways to spend some time than hanging out with the Amber family, especially the first series of books (Corwin's story).

(And yes, they're back in the Goodwill box again...)

This massive tome collects all of Zelazny's Amber novels in one phone-book sized volume, yet with print large enough to actually read and paper thicker than Kleenex.

The First Chronicle of Amber is a groundbreaking series from the early 1970s when Zelazny was at the height of his creativity. We follow the exploits of Corwin, who awakens in a hospital with no memory of who he is. The cliche is forgivable due to the sheer glee with which Zelazny introduces us to his Amberverse.

Book One: Nine Princes in Amber

Zelazny's fantasy classic! The worn-out cliche of waking up with no memory can be forgiven since the book was written and published about 50 years ago. In fact, the story holds up surprisingly well for its age, although the frequently used phrase "dig?" feels awkward and women's roles are confined to playthings. But despite the mileage, all roads still lead to Amber.

Book Two: The Guns of Avalon

Corwin romances and fights his way through Shadow, meeting some relatives and finding out just how far his curse has carried. After meeting up with a former associate, he begins to plan another attack on Amber. And of course, Corwin is never the kind of guy to bring a knife to a gunfight.

Book Three: Sign of the Unicorn

The middle book in the original Amber quintet is mostly info dumps designed to firm up the remaining storyline as Corwin's siblings bring him up to date on what they've been doing while apart from him. New friends, foes and settings are introduced throughout. There are a few noteworthy events though in addition to all the catch-up, especially the murder that opens the book as well as the ending which presumably sets the stage for the final two installments.

Book Four: The Hand of Oberon

Book four of the Amber series, like book three, suffers at times from too much re-explaining what happened in the prior books (somewhat necessary as the latest plot revelations - not to mention family intrigue - create new interpretations of prior events) and most of the plot is oriented towards setting up the sequel. HoO has more surprises than the prior book however, right down to the final paragraph of the last chapter from which the book takes its title.

Book Five: The Courts of Chaos

The final chapter in the original Amber series ties together all the story threads but leaves plenty of room for sequels. This book is probably the second best in the series (after the first one and perhaps tied with the second one) but won't be enjoyed as a stand-alone.

***

The Second Chronicle of Amber follows the exploits of Corwin's son Merlin, whose half-Amber half-Chaos heritage makes him a perfect vessel for Zelazny to explore the duality of his Amberverse. Unfortunately, after the first two books the rest are a bit of a chore. Fans may enjoy but others can safely avoid.

Book One: Trumps of Doom

“It is a pain in the ass waiting around for someone to try to kill you.”

With that memorable opening sentence, so begins the Second Chronicles of Amber, starring Merlin (or "Merle") the son of the First Chronicles' Corwin, who is trying to survive an annual assassination attempt while trying to learn who is behind it and why they want to kill him. Answers are revealed by the end of the book but, as in the First Chronicles, it's merely an opportunity to open a larger story involving the often-deadly politics of the First Family of Amber.

Book Two: Blood of Amber

Book two of the Second Chronicles of Amber expands the family tree and introduces some new settings. The plot continues to revolve around the various intrigues involving the First Family of Amber as well as the duality between Amber and the Courts of Chaos that plays out across infinite shadow worlds. But there is a strong feeling of "been there done that" which pervades the story, a lack of distinction that makes it all feel like just another episode along the way to the eventual conclusion.

Book Three: Sign of Chaos

This middle book in the 5-part Second Chronicles of Amber drags a little with Middle Book Syndrome: no real resolutions, just plot complications, a few new characters and some unexpected reversals of fortune. Fans might neglect the Second Chronicles for not being quite as fresh as the First, and perhaps rightfully so, but there's still a lot of fun here for fantasy fans as Zelazny continues to flesh out and expand his Amberverse.

Book Four: Knight of Shadows

The fourth volume in the Second Chronicles of Amber has the job of setting up the final volume of the series. It therefore suffers from some of the "middle book syndrome" that plagues various fantasy books throughout history, including many of the Amber books. The story attempts to answer some of the questions raised by prior books in the series and takes the story in a new, unexpected direction but unfortunately the pacing is sluggish for most of the first half especially.

Book Five: Prince of Chaos

So ends the almighty Amber series, not with a bang but a whimper. One wonders if Zelazny, while battling the cancer that would ultimately claim his life, rushed the final three books in the second Amber series, which might account for the whiplash-like pacing issues in which some sections drag horribly and others seem to fly by too quickly. As many have previously noted, the first Amber series is a must-read for Fantasy aficionados, while the second series is for fans only.