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Trumps of Doom

(The Chronicles of Amber #6)

Roger Zelazny

4.06 · Rating details · 14,354 ratings · 262 reviews

Alternate cover for ISBN 0380896354 / 9780380896356

Merle Corey is a brilliant young computer designer in San Francisco, but, he is also Merlin, son of Corwin, vanished prince of Amber, and heir to his father's wonderous powers. And, someone is determined to kill him. Now he will begin a desperate race through Shadow, not only to escape the mysterious force that threatens h ...more

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Paperback, 184 pages

Published August 1995 by Avon Books (first published May 1985)

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Jan 16, 2019 Evgeny rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy

Corwin's tale is over. Here there is a new narrator, a new story, and lots of new faces. Some people from the previous books make an appearance though.

A seemingly normal guy was leading a seemingly normal life when he suddenly realized something abnormal. Every year on April 30 somebody was trying to kill him. At first the attempts were innocent enough (as far as murder attempts go), but when some supernatural forces appear our hero called Merle finally decided something was really off. He had ...more

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Mar 30, 2013 Caro the Helmet Lady rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy-urban-fantasy, series-fantasy, 2020-reads, and-reread

Rereading this after years still didn't convince me that Merlin was as equally interesting character as prince Corwin was. It's not bad at all, it just feels... repetitive? Done after the same blueprint? But being a tad OCD with my series (thanks for the term, Carol!) I really want to finish this one because I never got a chance to go further than book 3(8) with my first read. Off to the next one I go, so. ...more

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Jul 13, 2019 Stjepan Cobets rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy, science-fiction

My rating 4.5

Trumps of Doom (The Chronicles of Amber # 6) by Roger Zelazny is a great sequel to the series. As before, Zelazny leads us through the shadow world, only the characters have changed. This time we follow the story of Corwin's son Merlin. Every April 30 for several years, someone is trying to kill Merlin. Although every attempt to kill him seems like a coincidence he is not quite convinced of it. He will soon discover that behind all these attempts to kill him, conceals a hidden consp ...more

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Feb 26, 2014 Ariel Hudnall rated it did not like it

The Cycle of Corwin has ended. Now come the adventures of his son, Merlin, born of Dara, holy terror of the Courts of Chaos. You might remember her as the demon that disguised herself as Corwin's grand-niece, in order to learn how to walk the Pattern and gain enough power to destroy Amber. Yeah, her. I didn't like Dara, but maybe this book would have been more interesting if she'd been the main antagonist, because the book certainly needed one.

A sorcerer, artist, warrior, athlete, and technologi The Cycle of Corwin has ended. Now come the adventures of his son, Merlin, born of Dara, holy terror of the Courts of Chaos. You might remember her as the demon that disguised herself as Corwin's grand-niece, in order to learn how to walk the Pattern and gain enough power to destroy Amber. Yeah, her. I didn't like Dara, but maybe this book would have been more interesting if she'd been the main antagonist, because the book certainly needed one.

A sorcerer, artist, warrior, athlete, and technological genius, Merlin (aka Merle) lives a boring, uncomplicated life in one of his father's old Shadow haunts, trying to emulate the father he wishes he could have gotten to know better before he disappeared into Shadow. However, the white rider Corwin met in the Courts of Chaos in the last book is a far cry from the 'Merle' shown to us in this novel. He is unquestioning, uncaring, and in general, unaffected by anything going on around him, which makes the narrative a boring trod through "This happened", and then "this also happened", and "Wow, what a coincidence". Very rarely does his 'humanity' show through, and when it does, it is self-serving. While I didn't like Corwin overall, Corwin at least had real moments of questioning his motives, or feeling sincerely bad for the things he had done. Merle has only one instance of this, but after what felt an obligatory 'whoops, my bad', he carries on without being truly affected for the rest of the story.

The book begins on April 30th. April 30th is an unlucky day for Merlin, and has been for the last seven years, on account of the reoccurring attempts on his life. He has come to expect them now, and hopes to get to the bottom of it this time.

Following the horrific death of one of his ex-girlfriends, and his procurement of some very strange Trumps, Merlin jumps off to solve the mystery of the Trumps (the title of the book, after all), but after the only real interesting scene of the first half (in which he plays a riddle game with a Sphinx), this plotline is promptly forgotten and never picked up again. Instead, it becomes another "Who-dunnit", without all the weight and skill of "Sign of the Unicorn", or even a conclusion. No real spoilers to give here. Nothing happens. The antagonist's name is revealed, but that is basically all. Again, all a teaser for the next book, which I have no real inclination at present to read.

Other things that really bothered me about this book: it is clear that only a couple of decades have past, as there are still friends of Corwin alive on Earth (Bill Roth, lawyer, and suddenly the only council to Amber, out of all of the infinite number of universes and people closer to the conflict... This is the man Merle bounces ideas off of for most of the book, rather than contacting one of his aunts or uncles.)

Suddenly everyone seems to have the ability to draw Trumps on a whim. This was a skill that was heavily guarded, and for good reason, but now anyone who is related to Dworkin can do it, and it takes away all of the interest for that magic system for me.

And speaking of the magic system, Merlin has the ability to do a "backwards shadow walk", which means he can conjure anything he desires out of shadow, no harm, no foul. It doesn't even seem to tire him. Yet when it comes to the climax of the book, he decides to take the longest possible route, rather than pulling that thing to him, easily. It's also just one of those ultra-convenient abilities that makes things a little too easy.

Frakir. I'm assuming that there is a short story somewhere out there in the universe that Zelazny wrote that explained things more, but I do not know why Merlin is in possession of a half-sentient, invisible thread whip, or what even its full abilities are. More convenience, that was never really explained.

Ghostwheel. I can not believe the willful ignorance on the part of Merle regarding his creation. When Random (thank goodness he was in the story for a few pages... that's one of two reasons this book has a star at all, honestly... the other being the conversation with the Sphinx) brings up valid concerns about the latent power of Ghostwheel, Merle just pouts and says "I don't care. I do what I want." ...to obvious calamity.

It was really disappointing to read this first book in the second cycle of Amber, and find basically everything from the first books that are still unanswered abandoned, and instead get led around by a shadow of a shadow of Corwin (without the arrogant wit, or any real defining personality trait) on a mostly mundane and speculative journey to... well, I suppose it was less of a journey, and more Merlin thrown in a whirpool of coincidences and events thrust on him by other characters trying to have a story.

In short, I will keep reading, but only because I feel obligated to finish the omnibus. But, if you are looking for a casual read to pick up, you can stop at book five, "Courts of Chaos", and pick up something else on your to-read. ...more

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Sep 12, 2009 Chris rated it liked it

Shelves: audiobook, read-owned-part-of-collection

I almost gave this four stars, but it falls short of the Corwin books in the series, so I can't quite give it the same rating.

But that being said, Trumps was an enjoyable return to Amber. Merlin's tale is intriguing, and I think I'll be more into it by the end. I don't find myself being engaged as much as with the first set of Amber books, and I don't find Merlin himself as interesting as Corwin. For one thing, Corwin was enjoyable as a smartass and his arrogance helped the character. Merlin is ...more

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Dec 01, 2020 RJ - Slayer of Trolls rated it really liked it

Shelves: re-read

“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-dead ...more

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Jun 09, 2020 William rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites

Our story resumes with Corwin's son, Merlin deciding that he's had it with working in the computer industry which sounds hauntingly familiar. Someone is also trying to kill him once a year which, thankfully, does not sound hauntingly familiar.

Merlin brings some interesting things to the story, and his character is just similar and different enough to make me believe he is Corwin's son. Not that I was getting sick of Corwin, but it was a nice change of pace. I'm assuming all the rumors about Corw ...more

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Apr 25, 2019 Ivana Books Are Magic rated it really liked it

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. The way that novel's 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 ...more

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Dec 11, 2009 Dan Schwent rated it really liked it

Shelves: zelazny

Merle Corey's got several problems. He's secretly Merlin, a Prince of Amber. His father Corwin has been missing for years. Oh, and someone tries to kill him every April 30th for reasons unknown. The story starts with Merle getting ready to leave Shadow Earth behind and devote himself to working on his Ghostwheel when an old girlfriend he goes to say goodbye to winds up dead. The trail leads Merle to a conjurer and then back to Amber, where he learns he isn't the only Amberite whose had attempts ...more

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Jul 12, 2010 Jason rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy-series, read-multiple-times

The first time I read this, I remember being so disappointed that this second series set in the Amber universe featured a different protagonist from the first series. I also remember being told that the second series didn't really hold up compared to the first and that the critics viewed it far less favorably. Despite that, I still absolutely love this book.

The first series focused on Order and was much more about that protagonist's single-minded journey toward capturing a throne that he felt wa The first time I read this, I remember being so disappointed that this second series set in the Amber universe featured a different protagonist from the first series. I also remember being told that the second series didn't really hold up compared to the first and that the critics viewed it far less favorably. Despite that, I still absolutely love this book.

The first series focused on Order and was much more about that protagonist's single-minded journey toward capturing a throne that he felt was rightfully his. He is a man of action so the universe as presented through his first-person perspective is a backdrop to his tale of intrigue and revenge. The protagonist of this second series is a much more cerebral character. He is a representative of Chaos and is a student of the magical workings of the universe, therefore his tale naturally includes the fleshing out and explanation of the actual underpinnings of the universe that are only hinted at in the first series. I highly enjoy a well constructed fantasy universe, and I think a lot of the detractors of this series are put off by the relatively larger focus on the hows and the smaller focus on the whos as compared to the first series.

The structure of this opening book is a nice rhyme to the opening book in the first series. We start on the shadow Earth with our main character trying to figure out who is attempting to kill him. His father is missing and presumed dead. There are family members nearby keeping an eye on him. The parallels continue but for the sake of remaining spoiler free I'll simply say that I enjoyed the poetry of the symmetry, especially since being inside a new character's head was quite a jarring transition after following an entirely different character for five previous books.

Zelazny again crafts a compelling mystery and it's quite obvious that he did some serious planning for this series with all of the hints he plants so early on. His requisite cliffhanger ending makes its usual appearance, and it's a testament to his skill as a writer that this new narrator's voice doesn't sound like his old narrator's voice. This younger narrator is far less cynical, more naive, less droll, but still as compelling because of his unique background. The only thing I'm not really a fan of is the name of the book since it's never really seemed to be a good fit with the rest of the titles, but that's a quibble so minor that it's not even really a quibble.

I probably still prefer the first book in the first series more than this one, but they're both extremely satisfying beginnings for entirely different reasons. I'm glad that this one has held up for me no matter how many times I've read it and I'll be forever sad that Zelazny died before he could write his third series that would have featured both of his main protagonists working together. ...more

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Mar 30, 2017 Kevin rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy, classics, computer

Kinda of a steampunk fantasy, the second arc of Amber series starts off strong with Corwin's son Merlin the main character. The series is getting stronger, and more interesting as it progresses. ...more

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May 11, 2015 Joel rated it liked it

Shelves: audiobooks

Honestly, my least favorite of the Amber books thus far. A whole bunch of nothing happened, and it felt like a bit of rehash from previous books (namely, I believe, #3), wherein people are being attacked, and they all convene in Amber for some reason, chat amongst themselves, then leave and make a dramatic discovery right at the end.

The book was a definite tone change from the first five, partially due to the change of protagonist, and partially just due to being...different. Not bad, just diff ...more

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Dec 05, 2007 Mir rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, parallel-dimensions

For some reason the person who wrote the GR blurb for this made it sound like an entry in the "ordinary guy/gal discovers they are special" genre -- this is not the case. Merlin, the main character, knows perfectly well who his parents are and what powers his family has. He is just hanging out being a computer geek and doing some experiments for fun. The mysterious part is why someone attacks him on the same day every year.

This is the beginning of the second cycle in the Chronicles of Amber. It ...more

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Dec 20, 2007 Ken rated it really liked it

I've been reading the Chronicles of Amber straight through, and this book, number 6, is the best yet. I haven't read Zelazny's other work, but I get the feeling that he really grew as a writer over the years from the beginning of the Amber novels. Trumps of Doom, the beginning of the second series within the Chronicles, takes us on a new path, as we follow the son of Corwin, the narrator of the earlier books. As with the original series, we begin in our own Earth, and the first half of the book ...more

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Dec 08, 2009 Cathy rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy, magic-users, read-in-2009

Very much a reflection of Nine Princes In Amber, but I liked the more modern tone and I think it held the pace and suspense even better.

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Dec 06, 2015 Karl added it · review of another edition

Shelves: roger_zelazny-own, underwood_miller-own

This is copy number 38 of 400 signed numbered copies.

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Aug 09, 2010 Legsoffury rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy, fiction

sad to lose the lead character from the previous Amber series. The style of writing remains unchanged. I'm getting attached to Amber. This series is captivating, it kept my attention through every page, and that is saying something. ...more

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Mar 23, 2020 Slytherpuff rated it it was amazing

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

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Sep 30, 2014 Kat Hooper rated it liked it

Shelves: audiobook

3.5 re-read on audio
review to come soon at www.fantasyliterature.com ...more

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Aug 18, 2019 Eric Malikyte rated it liked it

Not as good as the first Chronicles, but not a bad read. I'm a massive fan of the Zelazny's first Amber series, but this is clearly not quite as good. ...more

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Apr 03, 2013 Mike rated it it was amazing

Shelves: owned, fantasy, print, favorites, series

Prior to starting Trumps of Doom, I was a little concerned that it may not live up to the grandeur of the preceding five novels which followed Corwin, a prince of Amber. Starting with Trumps of Doom, the rest of the series follow's Corwin's son Merlin, who is half of Amber blood and half of Chaos.

Despite my trepidation, I was immediately appeased by the opening sentence:

"It was a pain in the ass waiting around for someone to try to kill you."

That line pretty much sold me.

It is also a wonderful l ...more

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Jun 15, 2013 Dave rated it really liked it

As for the first five books, this review will cover the second five books for the Amber Chronicles, the Merlin Cycle. This series was written a little later and covers the adventures of Merlin, son of Corwin (main character from the first cycle). I had not read this cycle before.

The overall story is very good. I enjoyed the twists and turns as Merlin (who is in fact a sorcerer) travels through worlds, deals with plots, and searches for his father. As usual, I hate giving away too much of the plo ...more

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Oct 29, 2010 Aaron rated it liked it

Shelves: read-2010, genre-fantasy

At first, I was apprehensive about switching main characters in the second series of books, thus it took me a long time to finally pick up this one up. Corwin is one of my favorite characters of all time, but Merlin does a great job of filling Corwin's sizeable shoes. This book parrallels the first book's excellent sense of mystery that had me mercilessly hooked for the first series, while still dazzling me with its magic.

With intriguing new players in the Amber legacy, tons of new mysteries, a ...more

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Jul 04, 2009 Chris rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy

The first five Amber novels are the the best fantasy novels I've ever read, along with Tolkein's Lord of the Rings and the harry Potter novels. Zelazny's writing style is the hippest of the three. This book is the first of a new series, starring Corwin's son Merlin. This series was probably encouraged by the success of the original five, but it is not as good. It starts off well enough with this novel, but I think he started running out of ideas after a while. ...more

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Dec 11, 2010 Michael rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2010, fantasy

It took six books for Roger Zelazny to write the best in the Amber Chronicles. The events in the story flow much better and engage the reader much more. There is more tension, suspense, intrigue, and it keeps the reader turning the page.

Book 6 has a different protagonist than the previous 5. I'm assuming that the next five, including this one, will follow Corwin's son Merle. Corwin was the prince of Amber who was the main character in the previous five. ...more

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Dec 04, 2010 Geoff Sebesta rated it it was amazing

I liked this book a lot. The two best Amber novels were the first and the sixth. This one has it all -- magic, revenge, conspiracy, hyperdimensional computing homework. Zelazny always wrote great fight scenes too. The other books in the series did not deliver but that's not this book's fault. One of my favorites. ...more

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Mar 04, 2016 Chris rated it it was amazing

Shelves: all-time-faves, 2010s, 2016

I had thought this Merlin Cycle was not going to be quite as good based on some of the reviews I've seen. It appeared that most people loved the Corwin Cycle then thought the second wasn't quite as good.

So far, I'm liking it even better. It's got even more twists, turns and peculiar worlds and magic. It doesn't leave one bored while reading. It's almost pure excitement from page one. ...more

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Mar 02, 2010 Craig rated it really liked it

Shelves: mcnerdigan-s-pub

Love the Amber Chronicles, I do. The story's a little campy, and not quite as good as it seemed when read in High School, but I still love it. Not sure if that's mainly due to the books' quality or my own nostalgia. ...more

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Aug 01, 2010 Ashkhan rated it it was amazing

Shelves: read-fantasy, fantasy

I wholeheartedly recommend all the books from the Amber Chronicles. Once you read the first novel you'll stop only after you'll have read them all. I've re-read this book and the whole series at least three-times. Even after all these years I still rate it as one of the best series I've ever read. ...more

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Feb 05, 2017 Ben De Bono rated it really liked it

Shelves: read-in-2017, fantasy, science-fiction

I remember being a little disappointed by the second Amber series the first time I read it, but I really enjoyed this one this time around. It's a little derivative of the first series but not to the point of feeling repetitive ...more

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About Roger Zelazny

Roger Zelazny

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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. Most of his novels dea ...more