Nine Princes in Amber

[marycatelli]

Nine Princes in Amber by Roger Zelazny

And the adventure begins. Our narrator wakes up in a hospital and without any memory, refuses a drug, finds out who checked him in, and leaves.

Off to New York City, where he learns his name is Corwin.  He realizes that the sister who checked him was his sister, but Evelyn was not her name.  Their brother Random shows up, and he gets hints of the familial dysfunction.  He learns he can fight well with a sword, and his brother and he set off by car -- and start to change worlds, just as they drive along.  And that road trip is to the Amber of the title.

The trip leads into the rest of the plot.  It involves the money changing in our narrator's wallet, his favorite sister, a forced marriage between a prince and a blind woman, a naval attack, a coronation, a man whom Corwin had knighted, the magical properties of card sets, and more.

Only the first of five books. Not very heavy adventure. And the style was distinctly -- uneven.

Comments

[ext-1641287.livejournal.com (from livejournal.com)]

And then there are the five books of the sequel series! It was while reading them that I began to become wary of series. A trilogy? Sure, why not? But *ten*? That's a big time investment. I like Zelazny a lot and don't regret reading the series, but it was a long haul.

Also interesting as the basis of the first successful diceless roleplaying game.

Earl Wajenberg

[marycatelli]

At least it comes in two discrete chunks!

Zelazny

[scuzzaman (from livejournal.com)]

I very much enjoyed teh Amber series, but Lord of Light is my favourite Zelazny by far.

That a man would go so far as to write such a wonderful story, all for the sake of a dreadful pun.

Re: Zelazny

[marycatelli]

stories tend to take on a life of their own without regard for their inspiration.