Nine Princes in Amber (Amber Chronicles, #1)

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Nine Princes in Amber (Amber: The Corwin Cycle #1)

4.14 of 5 stars 4.14 · rating details · 17,515 ratings · 529 reviews

Amber, the one real world, wherein all others, including our own Earth, are but Shadows. Amber burns in Corwin's blood. Exiled on Shadow Earth for centuries, the prince is about to return to Amber to make a mad and desperate rush upon the throne. From Arden to the blood-slippery Stairway into the Sea, the air is electrified with the powers of Eric, Random, Bleys, Caine, an...more

Mass Market Paperback, 175 pages

Published June 1972 by Avon (first published 1970)

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Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling

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Most Interesting Magic System

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Apr 13, 2013 StoryTellerShannon rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: my-very-best-reads, owned, fantasy-scifi, action

Man, all the good stuff has been said to let me be brief:

OVERALL FEELING: One of my favorite fantasy pieces; sort of starts out as a PI man who lost his memory and has to figure out that he's the prince of another world.

CONCEPT: What if Gods who looked like people created this world and all the other worlds through their Godly thoughts? And what if their father disappeared and there was a fight for the throne which shook all the worlds? And what if this Godly war led to doorways being opened wh...more

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Jan 01, 2013 Mike (the Paladin) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, fantasy

See my review under the one volume (omnibus) set...one of my favorite series. This is another classic that ought to be called a classic!

Update:

I read this one first...back when. It was in the 1970s. I have since grown a bit, aged quite a bit and...possibly even matured a little. I still love these books. I have also discovered audio books (this to happened some years ago and has been detailed elsewhere. My wife became very ill and was bed fast a long time, she also came to the point where she re...more

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Sep 02, 2009 Jim rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, sword-sorcery, favorites

currently reading for the September 2009 read for the Zelazny group. Wow! It's still a fantastic read after all these years. That's amazing.

I re-read this every 5 years or so. It's the start to one of the best series I've ever read. Zelazny is a super writer & this book started a series that has spawned a lot of other books. There are 4 other books that follow this one with Corwin as the hero, then Zelazny did another 5 about Corwin's son, Merlin. Gregory Betancourt is up to book 4 (let's ho...more

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Jul 15, 2010 Architeuthis rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 1970s, fiction-that-speculates

Roger,

No, it would be no problem at all! I'd be happy to respond to the first draft of your new fantasy novel.

Lets start with the good: I enjoyed your method of immersing the reader in your fantasy world. The protagonist's case of amnesia makes it so he must learn all the same things the reader needs to know. Protagonist Corwin regains his memory gradually, creating a sense of mystery throughout the first hundred pages that is quite entertaining.

Then. . . well, you lost me. I mean, it's so eso...more Roger,

No, it would be no problem at all! I'd be happy to respond to the first draft of your new fantasy novel.

Lets start with the good: I enjoyed your method of immersing the reader in your fantasy world. The protagonist's case of amnesia makes it so he must learn all the same things the reader needs to know. Protagonist Corwin regains his memory gradually, creating a sense of mystery throughout the first hundred pages that is quite entertaining.

Then. . . well, you lost me. I mean, it's so esoteric. SHADOW REALMS, one for every combination of things that could be. Nine princes who can travel at will between these Shadow Realms. But there's really only ONE REAL WORLD, the world of Amber, of which all the other worlds are shadows. All of these princes want to be the king of Amber, and they struggle against each other for the throne . . .

Well, one issue I have is that I'm not sure why I should side with Corwin. I'm not entirely convinced he's the "good guy." It's sort of like voting for Zeus instead of Hera. They're all egomaniacal wackjobs.

And then you tell us, most of the way through the novel, each one of these brothers could technically make their own perfect reproduction of the original world of Amber, and ALL be kings of identical territories, AND COMPLETELY BYPASS ALL OF THIS FIGHTING TO THE DEATH?! So WHY. The FUCK. Should your reader care? As Tim Gunn would say, "This part has me worried."

Before attempting to get this published, I HIGHLY recommend reconsidering how omnipotent this set-up will make your protagonist. At the very least, don't point out to your reader how ludicrous this whole war is.

Another big issue I had was with your voice in this novel. I mean, sometimes you're all "If thou will help me to smote down ye evyl brother Eric, your noble brother Corwin shall be beholden to you." Then, a scene later, you're all, "I snuck out of the prison because I'm just that good. Dig? Solid." Are we casual? Are we not casual? Let's just decide. Either could work, but both don't.

Also, you should know my interest tapered off drastically at the exact moment when things should've started getting exciting. The actual battle over Amber seemed . . . well, dull. First off, it's narrated kind of like an eight-year-old would narrate an action figure battle: "seven of the big furry red guys were killed. Three of their soldiers died. Seventy of the goodguys got blown off the snowy mountain. I stabbed some guy in the neck." You start a hell of a lot of sentences with "I did this." I was distracted by this. I could not visualize much of anything. I was tempted to skim.

I'm sure this is your rough draft, despite the artificially yellowed pages and cool imitation 70's cover, mostly because of the excessive typos. My personal favorite: "the doors of good food." Did you mean Odors? I think so. I would fix that, and also doublecheck your punctuation. Commas seem like an unpredictable force in this book, happening sporadically and without logic. So, as I tell all my writing students, allways proofread. By the way, I loved the ironic quip on the front about "Hugo and Nebula Winning." After a few more drafts, that may become a reality, but remember my mantra: revise, revise, revise!

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Dec 29, 2008 John rated it 4 of 5 stars

I read this many years ago and, by happenstance, re-read it (not for the first time) again recently. I absolutely love the way that Zelazny starts this novel and, by extension, this series. The challenge in fantasy is always to introduce the alternate reality, and Zelazny meets this challenge by starting his main character, Corwin, start with amnesia, so that he himself must discover the nature of reality along with the reader, even though he himself is centrally placed in this universe. The sto...more

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Jun 06, 2013 Pietro rated it 2 of 5 stars

What a weird, weird book.

Nine princes in Amber begins with the protagonist, Corwin, waking up in an hospital room, with no memories of himself or his past.
Soon after that he realizes he's been drugged for days and flees the building, meanwhile collecting bits of informations about his former life.
Within a few chapters he learns he's one of the nine living princes of Amber, the only true world (of which every other world is but a Shadow. Literally.) and that this makes him basically a god.
These...more

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Jun 12, 2013 Rakib_khan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

.....Sometimes you come to some books by which you can not help get amazed at the geniuses of it writer, you can't help want to read more from.....
.....I have heard lots of praises of this series on the net and wanted to read it but just couldn't start as there was many new books to read, but fortunately I have finally read this as with a group and this is amazing. The book first starts as a kind of pulpy detective books of 50-60 then suddenly everything changes and speed turns over. I was amaze...more

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Jan 03, 2011 X rated it 2 of 5 stars

I think I was expecting more. The mixture of '70's slang and old poetic was interesting, as was the concept of magic trump cards, multiple "shadow worlds" and regenerating, super-human royalty. But so much of the book was our hero sitting around drinking with his siblings while calmly discussing that they will try to kill each other for the crown that I almost began to wish one of them would be killed just for some excitement. I was confused during the first part of the book, though that may ha...more

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Sep 19, 2012 Kat Hooper rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: audiobook

Originally Posted at FanLit.

“I’d get what I needed and take what I wanted and I’d remember those who helped me and step on the rest. For this, I knew, was the law by which our family lived, and I was a true son of my father.”

When Corwin wakes up in a private hospital after driving his car over a cliff, he has no idea who he is. When he realizes that he has healed too fast and that he’s being drugged so he’ll stay unconscious, he decides that he better find out what’s going on.
The truth is strang...more Originally Posted at FanLit.

“I’d get what I needed and take what I wanted and I’d remember those who helped me and step on the rest. For this, I knew, was the law by which our family lived, and I was a true son of my father.”

When Corwin wakes up in a private hospital after driving his car over a cliff, he has no idea who he is. When he realizes that he has healed too fast and that he’s being drugged so he’ll stay unconscious, he decides that he better find out what’s going on.
The truth is strange: Corwin is one of the nine princes of Amber, the one true world, but for centuries he’s been exiled in the Shadowland we call Earth. The accident has actually dislodged the spell that his brother Eric was using to keep him out of Amber because Corwin is the biggest threat to Eric’s sovereignty there.

Nine Princes in Amber is the first (rather short) installment in a long epic that describes, from Corwin’s perspective and later his son’s, the struggle of his family to deal with both their internal treacheries and the evil forces that assail them from the forces of Chaos. In Nine Princes in Amber, Corwin must figure out who he is, assess his resources, gather some allies, wonder whether his father is dead or alive, and make a move on the throne of Amber. Here we learn what Corwin has been doing for centuries on Earth, meet several of his siblings, discover the way in and out of Amber, meet a race of people who live under the sea, and discover some of the special powers of Corwin’s family.

Ah… Corwin’s family… if you can call them a “family.” Corwin’s own description for them is “Machiavellian,” and that about covers it. Corwin and his brothers and sisters are clever, sophisticated, sarcastic, and extremely ambitious. They constantly scheme and plot to outmaneuver each other as they vie for political power. If you knew these people in real life, you’d probably hate them, but in Zelazny’s hands they’re kind of charming. These are people who plan to live forever, have the ability to design their own worlds to plunder, are incapable of trust, and have no reason to think about anyone other than themselves. In the end, Corwin rages against his brother and makes a rash decision that will negatively affect Amber’s future.

THE CHRONICLES OF AMBER was highly imaginative when it was published in the 1970s and it remains fresh and original today. The magic system is creative, Zelazny’s writing style is solid, the story is fast-paced, exciting, and mature. Plot twists and cliffhangers make it hard to stop reading. You’ll definitely want to have The Guns of Avalon, the second book in the series, ready to go as soon as you finish Nine Princes in Amber.

Nine Princes in Amber is a re-read for me because Audible Frontiers has recently produced THE CHRONICLES OF AMBER on audio — something I have been waiting years for. They’ve chosen one of their best narrators for Zelazny’s most famous work: Alessandro Juliani. He’s got the perfect voice and style to play Corwin, so I’m really pleased with this production. If you’re an audio reader, you’ll definitely want to download this classic!(less)

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Jul 11, 2010 Crystal Starr Light rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

Based on the review of N. Trachta (thanks, Nate), I decided to plunge ahead with this one (what made this choice even better was when I found all ten stories in one anthology at a used bookstore!).
A man wakes up in a hospital room, without memory of who he is or exactly how he got there. All he knows is that was badly injured and currently being drugged. After escaping the hospital, he discovers his sister, Flora, who tells him that his name is Corwin. He meets up with his brother, Random, who l...more Based on the review of N. Trachta (thanks, Nate), I decided to plunge ahead with this one (what made this choice even better was when I found all ten stories in one anthology at a used bookstore!).
A man wakes up in a hospital room, without memory of who he is or exactly how he got there. All he knows is that was badly injured and currently being drugged. After escaping the hospital, he discovers his sister, Flora, who tells him that his name is Corwin. He meets up with his brother, Random, who leads him to Amber, a mystical world, which unlocks his memory and reawakens his desire to rule over Amber.

What I Liked:
The first page really drew me in. We meet a man lying in a bed, realizing groggily that he is being drugged and has no idea who he is. I like how we learn about him at the same time he does (no long boring, unnecessary exposition here; it's all a part of Corwin's learning about himself and his history).
Corwin is resourceful, sneaky, cunning, and rather likeable (even though, at the same time, he is unlikeable, if that makes any sense). He has flaws (lying, scamming, not caring for his siblings), but there is just something about him that makes you want to root for him.
The story is excellent. It breaks the mold of science fiction and crosses boundaries. As I read, I felt that in some ways it was very fantasy; in others (particularly that it takes place in "current" times), it was very sci-fi. There is action, but there is also some character study. Overall, the effect is great and is convincing. And while the pace at the beginning was a little sluggish, it picked up quite a bit and became very engrossing (I didn't want to put it down!).
Lastly, Zelazny does an outstanding job describing. He spends much time detailing the surroundings, what people are wearing, character's looks, etc. He paints a vivid picture of his vision and doesn't leave me confused about where Corwin is at any time.

What I Did Not Like:
Zelazny may have gone a little far in some of the descriptions. The biggest time I felt this was when Corwin first finds the cards of his siblings. A solid three or more pages is spent on what each is wearing, their appearance, etc. By the time I got to the 7th child, I was practically skimming the descriptions (after a while, they all started sounding the same).
This next "problem" may be due to reading the book in snippets, but I felt that it took a long time for Corwin to realize who he was. Before he learns who he is, a good chunk of the book is spent with Corwin and Random traveling to Amber. Again, this could be because I read it spread out in chunks, but I thought I might mention it.
Lastly (this is more of an interesting thing to note than a problem), it seemed like none of the characters could breathe without a cigarette. Of course, this was written in the 60's - 70's so that might explain the perpetual cigarette.

Dialogue/Sexual Situations/Violence:
Da**, he**, and other mild profanities appear (nothing worse than a PG movie, I would say).
Moire is described as being topless (although not in a sexual manner, more like a Xena Warrior Princess way). A couple sleep with each other (though "off-screen" and described poetically).
When Corwin escapes the hospital, he uses a bludgeon to knock out his guard. Then he pulls a gun on the director of the facility. When Flora's home is invaded, Random and Corwin get to use swords and guns. Another scene includes a battle between Random, Corwin, and Julian. A storm on Amber leaves all the soldiers dead. A character's eyes are put out.

Overall:
Are you looking for some fun? A way to relax from the stresses of life? Something outside of the box? A little bit of sci-fi, a little bit of fantasy? A good place to start could be Zelazny's Amber books, particularly this one. A fun idea coupled with a unique setting gives this book an edge to stand the test of time (I mean, this was written way back in the day, after all). A great way to spend an afternoon or two.(less)

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Apr 23, 2009 Greg of A2 rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction-fantasy, read-before-1990

The story of Corwin still hangs with me many years later. I love the way the book starts and submerges you into a mystery that the main character is also trying to unravel (fun plot device). Why I never went on to read some of the other novels, I honestly don't know other than there is always more books to read than time allotted in life.

Side note: I recently purchased "The Great Book of Amber" and so I will revisit this world someday soon.

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Jun 17, 2012 Erik Erickson rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, fantasy, prose, hardboiled, scifi, ya

I'm not even sure how to describe this properly. It's a fantasy story, mostly, but there's some sci-fi as well. It centers on one member of a royal family from a particular castle, they travel between alternate universes.

Then there's the hardboiled affectations, and in fact the first half is basically a science fiction version of a brief detective pulp. That sensibility is carried throughout, often to comic effect (and deliberately I believe).

While I cringed at some of the more patently fantasy...more

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Jun 18, 2007 liza rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: sci-fi

i remember the summer i found this book. i didn't know what a graphic novel was then, but if i had, i would have claimed that this was just a graphic novel without the pictures! it felt like a comic book all the way through. i swear i could even hear the kerpow!s and poof!s and clanging of swords while i was reading. i went to the library to see if he'd written anything else and began my lifelong love of zelazny's works. i zipped straight through guns of avalon and waited for six or seven long l...more

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May 19, 2013 Tonari rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Nove principi in Ambra, primo di una lunga serie di libri incentrati su questo mondo, �� un buon libro fantasy.

Ambra �� l'unico vero mondo di cui gli altri universi, nostro compreso, non sono che pallide Ombre senza reale sostanza. Per ottenere il suo dominio �� in corso una spietata lotta di successione tra i figli del re Oberon, ora scomparso. Ad essa prender�� parte anche Corwin, il protagonista, e sar�� attraverso la sua voce che seguiremo le vicissitudini del multiverso in cui si svolge l'a

...more

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Jan 11, 2009 Chris rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I remembered liking this book when I first read it in high school, so I checked the audiobook version out of my library for a recent road trip. It turns out my memory really let me down on this one. It's true that the man-wakes-up-at-hospital-with-amnesia opening catches your interest, and I liked the way in which the author introduces the reader to his fantasy world. But overall I thought the plot was cheesy and, at one critical juncture, a bit cheap. Throughout the book I never really bought t...more

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Jun 12, 2013 David Bonesteel rated it 4 of 5 stars

Corwin is one of the titular nine princes who vie for the throne of Amber, the one true city, of which the Earth we know and countless other realities are mere reflections. He has been suffering amnesia on our world but recovers his memory and, in uneasy partnership with some of his siblings and outright conflict with others, attempts to wrest Amber from his brother Eric, who has assumed the throne.

The main drawback of this imaginative novel is its brevity. Roger Zelazny's story is epic in scope...more

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Mar 02, 2013 Michael rated it 2 of 5 stars

Nine princes too many by my estimation. I will keep this review as brief as I can because I could rant for an hour about all the reasons this book rubbed me the wrong way. I see that many hold this book as a shining example of the best Fantasy out there and to them I say - what the what?!?! Characters I didn't care about, a main character who is not heroic, a plot that is a let down from start to its cliffhanger finish. Magic that has no internal logic. Let me list my main complaints:
1) Main cha...more

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Feb 28, 2013 Greg Bates rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: thrift-store-find, 2013

About a third of the way through Nine Princes in Amber, there is a scene where the protagonist, Corwin, is speeding through a hallucinogenic landscape, pursued by a man in shining armor on horseback carrying a sword. Corwin leans out the window and shoots him in the face. If you read that statement and felt a sense of barely-contained glee, this is the book series for you.

Corwin is one of the titular nine princes of Amber, the one "true" world of which all others are vague reflections. Victim of...more About a third of the way through Nine Princes in Amber, there is a scene where the protagonist, Corwin, is speeding through a hallucinogenic landscape, pursued by a man in shining armor on horseback carrying a sword. Corwin leans out the window and shoots him in the face. If you read that statement and felt a sense of barely-contained glee, this is the book series for you.

Corwin is one of the titular nine princes of Amber, the one "true" world of which all others are vague reflections. Victim of a spell which stripped him of his memory, he's spent the last few centuries on our Earth (called Shadow Earth) being an enormous badass. He comes back to a paradise torn by war-his father Oberon is dead, and all of his demigod children have designs on the throne. It's worth noting that this is the only fantasy novel I have ever read that does the whole "I have amnesia" bit well - Corwin remembers only the slimmest of details about who he is, and to avoid being torn apart by his family he spends the first half of the book completely faking it. This is really fun: people's responses to Corwin's vague, cryptic answers to every question he's asked are funny as hell (you could almost take it as an ironic inversion of the 'wise fantasy character who knows everything but speaks in riddles' archetype), and Corwin's amnesia serves as a backdrop to give you the backstory on Amber one tantalizing fact at a time. The Princes (and Princesses, though they aren't mentioned in the title) themselves are fantastically Machiavellian antagonists, ranging from gleefully amoral to downright psychotic. I would bet a great deal of money that when Robert Jordan sketched out the Forsaken in the Wheel of Time series, he was cribbing off Amber. Corwin's interactions with his family call to mind the best of Jack Vance's Demon Princes saga, which is high praise coming from me. (I should also say it's extremely pleasant to read a fantasy novel that manages to present the full first chapter of an epic story in two-hundred pages rather than a padded 900-page monstrosity).

In review: Nine Princes in Amber is a fantastic fantasy novel that holds up well today. I'm looking forward to starting the next one immediately.(less)

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Feb 03, 2013 Mary Frances rated it 4 of 5 stars

I first read this when it was first published in the mid '70's. Loved it then, like it a lot now. This is a book my husband Keith and I shared and both enjoyed, one of the early Zelazny books that I think were quite good. This is the audio version, and I have enjoyed listening to it and rediscovering this book. It's fantasy, not sic-fi, but is more about politics than about the fantasy, and the whole concept of Amber as the real world and everything else (including Earth) as shadow is really wel...more

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Jul 11, 2012 Michael rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: science fiction and fantasy fans

Shelves: box-in-the-basement

This classic fantasy about parallel worlds and a battle among siblings to claim a vacant throne shows its age (40 years!) but remains an impressive feat. An amnesiac man breaks out of the Upstate New York hospital where he has been kept sedated for weeks. He finds the woman who paid the hospital to keep him under wraps: a sister he does not recognize or recall. Using guile, swagger, and excellent people-reading skills, the man tricks his sister into revealing his identity and the circumstances o...more

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Jun 16, 2012 sologdin rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: speculative, ruling-class-protagonist

Immortal, superhuman heirs to the throne of the Real fight amongst themselves, enlisting aid from unreal parallel universes. Uses first-person-narrator-with-amnesia device to preserve some mystery while moving the narrative along and generating sympathy for an asshole-seeking-redemption.

Mildly interesting platonist setting, wherein "there is Shadow and there is Substance" (113); "Of Substance, there is only Amber, the real city, upon the real Earth, which contains everything." Shadow, by contra...more

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May 27, 2012 Arati Devasher rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed-at-book-weyr

Roger Zelazny's first novel of the series introduces us to Corwin, whose tale begins in a hospital where he awakens with total amnesia. He must piece his identity together with scanty clues. Exiled to Earth (as we know it) years before by his brother Eric, Corwin finds that he is a Prince, and one of the heirs to the throne of Amber, the "real" World. (All other worlds, including our own, belong to the realm of Shadow.)

Reacquainted with two siblings, his sister Flora and brother Random, Corwin l...more

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Mar 08, 2012 K. rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: escapist-but-not-fluff

I picked this book up at a library sale in my freshman year of high school, read the first couple lines, and had to have it--and the next book or two in the series, which were also being sold by what I can only describe as a short-sighted library staff. Neither my appreciation for Zelazny's books nor my assessment of the library staff's wisdom has diminished in the intervening three decades and a bit.

The Amber Chronicles are about the struggle between Chaos and Order, with the magical city of A...more I picked this book up at a library sale in my freshman year of high school, read the first couple lines, and had to have it--and the next book or two in the series, which were also being sold by what I can only describe as a short-sighted library staff. Neither my appreciation for Zelazny's books nor my assessment of the library staff's wisdom has diminished in the intervening three decades and a bit.

The Amber Chronicles are about the struggle between Chaos and Order, with the magical city of Amber representing Order and the Courts of Chaos representing--I'm guessing you figured out what. From the tension between those two places, this world and every other world imaginable, are created, all shadows of one or both. The hero, Corwin of Amber, is a smartass. He is also (probably more significantly, in the eyes of most people)a warrior, a poet, a cynic, and a complex man, capable of doing great harm but, despite his intentions and his self-assessment, fundamentally honorable in the ways that matter most. As the first book opens, Corwin is coming to in a private hospital in upstate New York, amnesiac, over-narcotized by the staff, and immediately certain that that is no mistake. By the end of the fifth, he has been to the ends of the universe (both of them) and pretty much everywhere in between, and the accident that put him in the hospital has been through several iterations, each different, each realigning reality and what he thinks he knows about whom to trust and whom to oppose. I recommend these books for anyone who likes good fantasy or good writing.

But then, I'm biased. After all, this is a series about Appollonian vs. Dionysian forces, it's well-written, and the hero is a smartass. I was always going to love these books.

This is the only review I'll be posting for the first series, which ends with "The Courts of Chaos." I'll post one for the second series under "Trumps of Doom"--which is not, contrary to revisionist labeling, the sixth book in a series of ten but the first book in a second series of five. Don't read that review unless you've finished "The Guns of Avalon," at least, because there will be a big spoiler in it. In fact, you might want to finish the first series before reading anything at all about the second one.

I didn't really finish all ten of the Amber chronicles today; I just forgot to enter them when I reread them last month--or was it earlier this month? At any rate, any day is as good as any other day when it comes to saying I read these books, because I've spent so very many days reading them.

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Jan 08, 2012 Paul Darcy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, favorites

by Roger Zelazny, published in 1970.

If there ever there was a must-read-series of novels, the Chronicles of Amber by Roger Zelazny is surely it. Now, I admit I am bias (I love all of his work), but I have not had much more pure enjoyment reading a book than reading Nine Princes in Amber.

It’s nothing new now, having been written decades ago, but if you never read Zelazny’s Amber chronicles you will kick yourself. Heck, if I find you have not read them I may kick you myself!

And if you don’t know...more

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Dec 30, 2011 Books-treasureortrash rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, reviewed

Book Review: 3 Treasure Boxes

The First Chronicles of Amber, includes books 1 - 5

An interesting and compelling concept for a fantasy book and a very different kind of fantasy. Some elements of the story take place in modern times and some elements take place in medieval times. I found the writing to be imaginative and quite deep.

Amber is the only real place upon the real Earth. It is the substance from which all other realities are but a shadow, including the world that we now live in and there a...more Book Review: 3 Treasure Boxes

The First Chronicles of Amber, includes books 1 - 5

An interesting and compelling concept for a fantasy book and a very different kind of fantasy. Some elements of the story take place in modern times and some elements take place in medieval times. I found the writing to be imaginative and quite deep.

Amber is the only real place upon the real Earth. It is the substance from which all other realities are but a shadow, including the world that we now live in and there are unlimited numbers of shadow worlds that extend from Amber to Chaos and consequently all roads (through shadow) lead to Amber. A prince or princess of Amber has control over shadow and as such can enter and influence shadow worlds. There is no magic, per say in the first five books, instead there is substance and shadow, order(Amber) and Chaos. As such a descendant of Amber can move through shadow with his thoughts. He thinks about what should be next and then it is there, so he thinks about a green sun and purple sky and it becomes so, he thinks about eating and a diner appears or he wants to get to Amber so he thinks about the various shadow worlds near to Amber and eventually Amber will appear.

In the vicinity of Amber the world is more like medieval times where , gun-powder, cars and other electric gadgets do not work, in some shadow worlds, such as our earth, these things do work and are utilized in the story. We learn that the nine Princes of Amber all want to win the crown and since their Dad, the King is missing. As a result of this there is a lot of violence, intrigue and energy going into this pursuit. The four Princesses of Amber are also involved in the conflict in various ways.

The Chronicles are a culmination of 10 small novels that make up the world of Amber into one big book of over 1200 pages, the first 5 books revolve around the protagonist Corwin, who is a prince of Amber and are told in first person from Corwin's point of view. These first 5 books are a complete story in and of them self and in fact are much better than the last 5 books. The last five stories are told from Corwin's son Merlin's point of view and tell a different story and we learn more of Chaos in the second half.

Corwin is introduced and the premise of the book is set up. I like the way it starts as a mystery where Corwin has amnesia and we learn with him about Amber and about shadow. It should be noted that the Royalty of Amber have incredible speed, strength and regenerative qualities. They all live seemingly endless lives, unless they are murdered, which they can happen since they are not immortal. The basis of the first five stories stem around the succession of Amber and the various family intrigue and disputes in resolving this. I liked how the story evolved as well as how it concluded ay the end of the fifth book. Overall a very good read, at times I found it hard to put the book down.

For more of my reviews go to: http://books-treasureortrash.com (less)

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Sep 28, 2011 Logan rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-hate

I hate, hate, HATED this book. I hate this series, but at least the other books are better than this horrendous beginning.

Nothing in this book makes any sense. The system of magic (if there is one) has no parameters or rules--one minute the prince can travel between worlds in a car that he can also change around at will, the next he can't do anything, the next he's walking through doors drawn in the walls, the next he's doing something else weird and nonsensical.

The only motive anyone has in th...more

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Sep 03, 2011 Joshua Bryant rated it 4 of 5 stars

I initially gave this three stars, but since my four star books are so rare I'll give this a leg up. This book is crazy. It has undeniably the most gripping beginning of any fantasy book I have read. It is certainly epic fantasy, but since it deals a lot with alternate realities, it has a very different feel than most. That's not the only reason it has a different feel. But anyway, why four stars?

Gripping plot. Something is always happening. It feels a bit scattered sometimes, but I feel willing...more

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Jul 08, 2011 Deanna Knippling rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jun 30, 2011 Ethan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Please note that this is a review for the first 5 books of the series.

I think the word that best describes these novels is unapologetic. As may be read in the other reviews, Zelazny switches somewhat haphazardly between poetic old English and '70s slang, characters' personalities somewhat frequently take 90 or even 180 degree turns without explaining how or why this development occured, and the main character rarely gives any sort of justification for his actions, though characters he admittedly...more

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May 07, 2011 Savion rated it 2 of 5 stars

Put me asleep...more time then now but it was a good concept for it's time.

There are lot of theme's and plot line going on in this story that could have been avoided and there the conflicts that should have been solved and settled in the simpleness of way's that were staring right at me like "Really there was no other way for him to become a King" and "Why is he trying to take someone prisoner is he the good guy?" .But Roger decides to drag it on for a lot more books then need be, and the first...more

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Fantasy Book Club...: Nine Princes in Amber / Spoilers Ahead	16	41	Jun 16, 2013 10:51pm
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About Roger Zelazny

Roger Zelazny made his name with a group of novellas which demonstrated just how intense an emotional charge could be generated by the stock imagery of sf; the most famous of these is 'A Rose for Ecclesiastes' in which a poet struggles to convince dying and sterile Martians that life is worth continuing. Zelazny continued to write excellent short stories throughout his career, which share the inve...more

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Books by Roger Zelazny

The Great Book of Amber (Chronicles of Amber, #1-10)

The Courts of Chaos (Amber Chronicles, #5)

The Guns of Avalon (Amber Chronicles, #2)

The Hand of Oberon (Amber Chronicles, #4)

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Quotes from Nine Princes in Amber

“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.” — 12 people liked it

“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.” — 5 people liked it

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Nine Princes in Amber (Amber: The Corwin Cycle #1)

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