This was an outstanding work. I can not remember the last time I read a 1200+ page book (ever?) and I am so glad I read this compilation of 10 in order and without breaking away to other books. I am giving it a rare 5 star for several reasons. 1. Very Creative. Unlike the normal fantasy which sweeps you away to another time and another land with many words spent on background, Zelazny has succeeded in creating worlds, languages and characters that can coexist - and it all feels "normal" to the reader. Also, despite being written 30-40 years the AI aspects are eerily modern. 2. Little, if any "drop-off" from Books 1 to 10. How many times have you read a sequel that is disappointing compared to the 1st work ? The author has written these 10 over a 15+ year span and in my view the series remains fresh though out. 3. It is also efficient. Zelazny covers a lot of ground without writing excessive background material. Some of the earlier book sections do backtrack to help the reader recall things from the previous, but when this is done the author accomplishes it in a couple of crisply written pages. Overall I highly recommend this, especially to people who have been on the fence about fantasy in the past. I can now see why Zelazny is a highly acclaimed writer of his time.

Given how much of a classic this is, its hard to believe how long it took me to get around to reading it. Zelazny wrote 10 short (150 page) novels, and this compendium has all of them. The four star rating isn't ideal - some of the books merit a 5, others a 2. The last book deserves a 1, if that. I'd recommend the first 5 as a fun series to read. At that point you'll probably want to keep reading; and the 6th starts out really good... but its pretty much downhill from there.

An omnibus edition of 1258 pages - a bit daunting, but that represents 10 books. I had forgotten how short they were. This is my first re-read for nearly forty years, and the first time I read it was from library books, so I didn’t manage to read most of them in order. Some books in the first, the section about the war on Amber, I had read twice, and I’m pretty sure I had read that first volume three times. Despite that, as soon as I started on “Nine Princes in Amber”, the old magic grabbed me and I read it through completely spellbound.

To my surprise, I found the second part involving Chaos a lot more interesting than I had the first time through. One book, “Knight of Shadows” was a bit repetitious, but apart from that, I got absorbed in Merlin’s story, to the extent that I couldn’t remember why I hadn’t liked it before. The Amber saga comprises “Nine Princes in Amber”, “The Guns of Avalon”, “Sign of the Unicorn”, “The Hand of Oberon” and “The Courts of Chaos” (I found and still find “Guns of Avalon” reminiscent of Alistair MacLean’s 1957 best-seller “The Guns of Navarone”, but no matter). It has a well-developed and wide-reaching magic system, and I think I reacted against the massive extension of magic in the second half. I accept that Chaos is going to be different from Amber, but all these sorcerers from Shadow, plus the Ghostwheel and the spikards seemed a bit over the top to me.

The language puzzled me to start with: there is some old-fashioned English juxtaposed with 1970s slang, but I think the “thees” are confined to the older characters like Dworking and Oberon. The are a lot of literary references, most of which I recognised, but most of the musicians and other personalities I didn’t know back then and with some of them (David Steiner) even Google can’t really explain why he was mentioned. Zelazny also does a lot of back-referencing - back to event that happened a volume or two earlier and which I had forgotten. Perhaps it’s as well I’ve bought the book this time, because I have a feeling I’m going to have to re-read it again.

The name Zelazny is used in conjunction with words like "Classic" and "Quintessential" high fantasy. So I went into this dictionary-sized tome with high expectations of fantastic locations, rules, and characters. I got the first two.

The idea of Amber, being the only "real" world, with countless other "shadow" worlds branching off (think alternate universes, but not quite), is a great concept. Unfortunately, I'm a big fan of strong characters and their growth, and I just didn't find that here.

None of the characters seem to have any reason for their actions at any point. There is one big overriding motivation for most of the characters, yes, but all the specific actions they take and decisions they make don't make sense in context. And no, they don't have these grand plans where eventually all their little quirks and unexplained actions come together in a giant epiphany at the end; they just do things. It feels like certain things had to happen for the plot to move forward, so the characters make these things happen regardless of how much sense it makes from their point of view.

I was very disappointed by the book, honestly. I feel like an ambitious author could take the setting of Amber and make a spinoff novel or series with strong characters that would make a better story than the original.

Finally finished. Awesome.

17/Jan/23: 10. Prince of Chaos: Regarding this book and the Merlin cycle as a whole (especially when compared with the Corwin cycle) - it's just not as gripping as the Corwin cycle, and it strikes me that the number one difference between the two is the 'diffuseness,' of the villains. Nearly every villain is at some point rendered into a friend, or vice versa, and if the journey is from friend to enemy, then bargains are struck and conflict diffused.

Given I'm someone who loves a well-delineated ruthless committed villain, I'm kinda bemused by my own 5 stars for this book and the Merlin cycle as a whole. I'll put it down to unrestrained Zelazny fanboying on my part ... I just love the milieu, the depth of imagination and the narrative density of the story telling too much to go for less than 5 stars.

Recommended 5 'Beware Ambitious Mothers,' stars.

29/Dec/22: 9. Knight of Shadows: Merlin, his (older & wiser) brother Mandor, and a former foe come somewhat ally share an exquisite meal for two chapters while managing to 'info dump,' without boring the reader ... (takes notes on the special secret sauce used here...)

Merlin is beset from all directions by the great powers as he has a foot in both camps and can shift the balance of power. But he refuses to play ... and attempts to assert his independence with mixed results.

The story drew me in and I had to start reading the next and last book straight away.

Recommended, 5 'I'm not a pawn,' stars. (pun slightly intended...)

18/Dec/22: 8. Sign of Chaos: 'The whiffling, the wailing, and the burbling suddenly echoed down the shaft, along with hissing, scraping and occasional snarls. The two beasts came together and tore at each other, eyes like dying suns, claws like bayonets, forming a hellish mandala in the pale light which now reached them from below.' A fire angel and a Jabberwock in a boss fight... With more intrigue than a bagful of hairless primates this volume kept me awake at night.

Recommended, 5 'Team Jabberwock,' stars.

22/Nov/22: 7. Blood of Amber: Merlin largely spends this book trying to work out, 'What the Bloody Frack is Going ON!!!' and 'Who the Hell is Trying to Kill Me!!!' Frankly, it's one mysterious villain after another, even the help - here's looking at whoever is possessing Vinta Bayle - is mysterious. That said, he begins to seize the initiative by the end of this volume and assert some authority on events.

Recommended. 5 'Villain du Jour,' stars.

25/Oct/22: 6. Trumps of Doom: I could almost ping a star for Merlin being kinda naïve, but then he is also kinda a 'computer nerd,' and so I get it. Very much full on entertainment and thoroughly refreshing compared with some of the dross that I'm currently wading through (here's looking at you Thomas Covenant).

Recommended. 5 'One Damned Thing After Another,' stars.

14/Jun/19: 5. The Courts of Chaos: - First duty, then liberty shall be the whole of the law.

Corwin, prince of Amber rises to face the threat of existential obliteration of all he holds dear. In the process discovering that his most defining characteristic is duty to others.

Surrounded by tragedy, insanity, and a philosophical raven, Corwin completes a journey I wouldn't wish on anyone.

As usual, Zelazny writes with verve, wit, and wisdom, delivered with an admirable narrative economy that brings to mind Blaise Pascal's famous quote.

“I have only made this letter longer because I have not had the time to make it shorter."

REF: https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/2122...

The upshot: Writing the way Zelazny does, packing narrative into a few well-chosen words, displays a powerful mastery of form and genre.

Read this series, read this master of the fantasy genre.

06/Jun/19: 4. The Hand of Oberon: Now this story starts 5 seconds after the last one finished. (I wonder why I like that?...)

OMG! This was a completely satisfying read.

At a time in my life where it's been difficult to read anything and enjoy it - this has been another standout read by a master of the fantasy genre.

I just love how Zelazny packs pure narrative power into so few pages.

Now onto book #5 - The Courts of Chaos. (A suitably daunting title that...).

27/May/19: 3. Sign of the Unicorn: Read this over the last handful of nights, not the last handful of months... life and other interventions, etc, etc....

Zelazny wrote ... 80% of this story in conversations between the characters. Past deeds of daring were related, punctured with a real life rescue followed immediately by a pair of assassination attempts ... than more conversations, some filled with half-lies, mixed with half-truths. Followed by a journey to a tenuous land of moonlit dreams, the recovery of a magical artifact that echoes the hand of the Norse god Tyr, and the final discovery of the true and broken heart of Amber. And about all, a shimmering, emerald eyed unicorn with golden hooves, and whorled horn, guiding its champions to their quest.

A beautiful, intense, intriguing, and above all, seamlessly constructed work of an imagination at the upper end of story-telling mastery.

19/Jan/19: 2. The Guns of Avalon: 5 glorious stars... Sheer Genius. Roger Zelazny simply speaks to every aspect of what I want in a story. He nails it, he just nails it. I'm gobsmacked. This review is brief, because I do not have the words to honor what I've read. I had to make a new shelf just for this book.

08/Jan/19: 1. Nine Princes in Amber: 5 fabulous stars...

Tolkien, Feist, Erikson - and Zelazny - all masters of epic fantasy, possessed of towering imaginations allied with the authorial skills to honor their visions.

Just finished what I estimate to be my 6th re-read of this story. It's still fresh, still gripping, still enthralling. I never tire of this tale of Corwin, prince of Amber. Lost to amnesia, thrown back into a multiverse of plotting princes and princesses who if not actively stabbing each other in the back will pause to gossip about the state of play while drinking a fine whiskey and enjoying a good cigarette.

The only problem is, while Corwin has been lost on Earth for about four hundred years without his memory he's picked up a few vices his siblings lack - compassion, a sense of honor, and a penchant for duty...

Just noting that some readers have remarked that if a number of princely types were to be contesting for the empty throne of Amber, and were also blessed with the capability of finding shadow realms that looked just like Amber where they could rule forever - why didn't they - after all it would be so much easier.

Let me introduce you to the distinction between the real and the unreal. The Real world is 'Amber,' the shadows are just that - pale reflections of the real world - i.e. not the real world.

The n  valuen of ruling in the real world is qualitatively different from the value of ruling in a shadow world. Not the same, like chalk and cheese.

For any of the contenders for the throne of Amber, this distinction is an acute one that pervades their world view.

Imagine if you will, you are an immortal, and you have the option of choosing between real sex and masturbation for the rest of your immortal life.

Which do you choose?

And now you understand why the princes fight to win the throne of the one real Amber, and forsake the fake illusions of the shadow worlds they could easily rule.

Recommended as a classic of epic fantasy.

Please note: this review applies only to the Corwin Cycle as I have never particularly liked Dara or cared about Merlin.

Can you imagine a world without fantasy books? Can you remember your world before you had read your first one?*

I can.

I snatched the Nine Princes in Amber from my Father’s shelf and read it during one afternoon. Then I returned to him – seated in his usual armchair – and asked him breathlessly: “Dad, are there more books like this one?” When he nodded, I knew my world is about to change. And it did!

I have been in my teens back then, and so my perception of the book, or rather, the whole series, was that of princes and princesses, unicorns, magic, evil things and saving the world. I most definitely would not have been able to tell you that Zelazny created a Platonic universe of true world and shadows or that he forged the way with so many fresh tropes scattered carelessly on the many pages of the Chronicles of Amber that the genre is still able to scavenge on its carcass. Unbelievable? Take the Lannister siblings and then revisit Corwin and Deirdre. There are many similar examples.

Today, I can say all this. I can also add that the narrative is problematic, the plot jerky, sometimes outright boring sometimes condensed like astronaut’s food rations. The protagonists not properly fleshed out, in many cases talked about instead of being shown in action, sometimes clearly not credible. I have read so many better books since then...

All things being equal, this all does not matter. Zelazny took me through the Pattern of all things fantasy and I owe him big times. Up to the Courts of Chaos (probably even there and back again). I see in the Chronicles of Amber, through my nostalgia lenses of the *first ever* all the brilliance in its glory of genius and all its shortcomings in the vintage halo, dimmed by the patina of time. You have my five stars. And a thank you.

* Attention! Achtung! внимание! The Lord of the Rings does not apply as it talks about reality, not ‘fiction’. Tread carefully.

When I bought this book, I had no idea who Roger Zelazny was or a clue about Amber. I only picked it up because I couldn't find any new releases by Tad Williams, Michelle West, or Janny Wurts. The book was huge and the synopsis piqued my interest. I devoured the book in a handful of days and fell in love with Zelazny. I've read this series so often that I'm on my third copy of the book.

The story is about a powerful family who have the skills to travel between alternate realities. Of all worlds, Amber is the true world and in all things, Amber is the standard of beauty, honor and power. Begin the adventure with a man who has no memory of who he is or where he's from and dive into a web of mysteries that will spawn more questions than answers. Normally, that would leave me angry but this series only leaves wanting for more.

This is in the top three of my favorite books (well the whole thing is how I read it) of all time! I LOVE LOVE LOVE these books, LOVE the world of Amber, LOVE everything about it. We are on copy number three in the house because we read it all the time, it is right next to my classics! The BEST epic fantasy novel(s) OUT THERE!Zelazny is one of my heros!~

Я прониклась на самом деле. Очень долго у меня эта книга стояла на полке, потом лежала на кровати рядом, но когда пришел ее час, я ее читала запоем, хоть и долго. Желязны замечательно пишет, я считаю. Книга очень хороша, но мне кажется, чтобы придумать все это, автор должен обладать небольшим сумасшествием, ибо запомнить, в каком мире/тени все происходит, кто кого куда откуда почему зачем и как - это не знаю какой мозг нужно иметь! Я чуть не свихнулась, пытаясь уследить за всеми родословными, за всеми призраками Пути и Логруса, за двойниками и их действиями, за камнем Судьбы... Аааааааа! Жуть!!! Но жуть интересная. Концовка меня немного смутила. Не думаю, что смогу объяснить, чего именно я ждала от концовки, но явно не того, что в ней есть. Хотя сейчас я понимаю, что концовка верная. Однако все равно очень много вопросов осталось без ответа. "To be continued" просто напрашивается сам собой.

Wow. What a journey!
I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I opened this literal tome. I was immediately intrigued by Corwin’s story - waking up with no memory of who he was, trying to figure out his identity and past without displaying his disadvantage to his adversaries (also known as his family) and everything that then unfolded after that. Both Corwin and Merlin’s perspectives were unending roller coaster rides, with mysteries constantly unfolding and events occurring with no time to breathe. The sheer scope and imagination of Amber and Shadow was just incredibly entrancing.

I was a little upset when book five ended and with it Corwin’s narrative. It took me awhile to warm up to Merlin, the new protagonist in the latter five novels. I had to set the book down for several months before I was ready to come back to it. Once I picked it back up, however, I really started to enjoy Merlin’s perspective, and I thought seeing his experience of the Courts of Chaos, and the Logrus, really added to the overall story.

While I still have unanswered questions that will remain unanswered, I still consider this well worth the read. I wish I had gotten around to reading it years ago.

I ve read all ten Amber novels over the course of this year and...
God, this series. Every single book is a mixed bag with pacing issues, long pages of explaining stuff that's not interesting, or just repetitive. Loose plot threads that seem more interesting than the actual story. I stuck with it for completionists' sake, was a fan of the concept, and found some real high points that make me wish it was overall better than it is. I actually think the last five books are more consistent writing wise but are unfortunately unfinished.
The ideas, imagination, prose, and laid back tone and dialogue kept me going. Zelazny has such a unique voice to me that when it worked, the books were straight up magical, as fantasy should be.When it didn't work, it was a boring slog. This concept of being able to traverse dimensions through nature lends itself to so many ideas and creative storytelling that you could go in a completely different direction with this story... and probably make it a thousand times better. I wanted so much more from this series than it was with those occasional glimpses of brilliance. And what it is most of the time is a weird, unfinished, unedited mess.
6.5/10 ⭐️

I love completed series. I love omnibus editions. I love fantasy. How come I did not love this?

In fact, I only got though the first 5 books and did not want to read the last 5. I can not ever remember stopping in the middle of a series. Ultimately, there was not a single character that I cared for. All the characters were stereotypical and flat. Besides recovering from amnesia there was no character development. The female characters were especially weak.

Plot? I can't even remember. Just a dysfunctional Royal family acting dysfunctional. Hardly anyone else in Amber but this family, so they should get along. If they kill each other off, who would they talk to? Also, Amber is supposed to be the greatest place ever, but I never got enough detail to feel anything about it.

The concept of the parallel worlds was interesting, but the shadow-walking segments got old fast.

Maybe the problem is that I had recently read George R. R. Martin's "Ice and Fire" series. Martin makes you care about his villains. Relentless character development. Martin's strengths illustrate Zalazny's weaknesses.