The Chronicles of Amber, Volume 1

The first five books of Amber will forever be classics of fantasy to me. Zelazny's delivery of the story is nigh-unparalleled. This review is full of spoilers, so don't read it if you want to save yourself some surprises.

The story is written in the first person, with the main character waking up in

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a private hospital with no memory. He finds he has survived a near-deadly car crash, but the orderlies are keeping him sedated against his will. When he decides to check himself out, they try to force him. Through skill and cunning he learns his name is Corey and tracks down his sister who has been footing his bill. He bluffs his way through a meeting with her despite his lack of memory. Corey finds his real name is Corwin, and things are much more complicated than he originally though. While his sister is away, Corwin finds a pack of special tarot cards hidden in her desk, tarot cards with his brothers and sisters as the trumps. He also gets a call from Random, one of his brothers, who is on his way there but being followed by trouble.

Corwin finds out he is a prince of Amber, and that his father, King Oberon, is missing. Corwin's brother Eric has taken control of Amber, but Corwin feels entitled to it, and Random throws in his lot with Corwin who has always been stronger. The Earth Corwin has been living on for the last several hundred years is not the "true" Earth, but just a reflection of the truest reality, Amber. And because of his noble heritage, Corwin's lifespan is much greater than normal men. Likewise his strength.

Although Random and Corwin attempt to return to Amber to walk the Pattern, a special design that gives the nobles of Amber power over Shadow (the reflections of Amber such as Earth), which will restore Corwin's memory. Eric blocks their way, and attempts to have his minions kill them, but they escape to Rebma, the reflection of Amber under the sea, where Corwin walks its mirrored Pattern.

Corwin uses the power of the Pattern's center, a power to transport you anywhere in Shadow, to the library in Amber. Corwin procures himself his own set of the Tarot cards, which allow him to remotely communicate with his brothers and sisters. He confronts Eric, where he nearly wins the duel but has to make a quick escape.

Corwin returns to lay siege to Amber after a mysterious communique with his father, who tells Corwin to take the throne for himself. He fails, and Eric imprisons him, forces Corwin to crown Eric king (Corwin first crowns himself and gets knocked around for it), then Eric has Corwin's eyes put out by hot pokers and throws him in the dungeon. For years Corwin suffers, and every anniversary of the coronation Eric brings him to a banquet to gloat. But Corwin's eyes have been regenerating (thanks to his special heritage once again), and he knows he needs to make good his escape before Eric finds out. Shortly thereafter, a strange visitor appears in his cell. It is Dworkin, a half-mad dwarf friend of Oberon, who created the tarot. Corwin is intrigued because you aren't supposed to be able to manipulate Shadow inside Amber, you first have to distance yourself, but Dworkin did coming through the wall. He also learns that Dworkin's imprisonment is due to his telling Oberon he realized a way to destroy Amber. Corwin coerces Dworkin to draw a picture of the Lighthouse of Cabra, a location miles away from Amber, which he uses like the trumps to transport himself away. There Corwin recouperates, but also realizes his legacy: as his eyes were being put out, he cursed Eric to never sit peacefully on the throne, and the death-curse of a prince of Amber is no mean thing. Despite his not dying, the curse sticks fast, and opens a road through Shadow right to the foot of Amber itself. This is where the first book ends.

The second book, The Guns of Avalon, begins with Corwin seeking out Avalon, a Shadow he lived in and loved many years ago. He knows the true Avalon has been destroyed, but is seeking a similar-enough Shadow to find a compound that is combustible in Amber, as gunpowder doesn't work there. On his way, he meets a shadow of an old friend, Lance (Lancelot), who is gravely wounded. Corwin saves him and takes him to a nearby keep. There he encounters Ganelon, a man he exiled from Avalon years ago, but due to the time difference often experienced by traveling the Shadows, it had been a shorter time since Ganelon had arrived. Since Corwin's imprisonment, he had changed enough to where Ganelon didn't recognize him, and Corwin decided to not shave off his beard to keep Ganelon in the dark.

As it turns out, the Shadow Ganelon is in has been under attack by a mysterious, dark ring that is growing and expanding throughout the land. Corwin recognizes this as a reflection of his curse on Eric in Amber, and decides to stay, recouperate, and help them defeat the growing evil that thanks Corwin for opening the way. They defeat the evil, Ganelon realizes that Corwin has been with him all this time and his attitude towards Corwin has changed. He asks to travel with Corwin back to Avalon (or its very-similar reflection).

Upon arrival in pseudo-Avalon, Corwin encounters his brother Benedict, the master of war and weapons that trained Corwin. Benedict has lost an arm in a recent battle against a dark evil (again, Corwin's curse), but it appears Benedict has beaten it. He sends Corwin ahead to his manor house, where Corwin seeks out a supplier of a certain jeweler's rouge that he accidentally discovered was volatile in Amber. Corwin and Ganelon encounter Dara, Benedict's secret niece. She is tired of being protected by Benedict and wishes to learn more of Amber and to walk the Pattern herself.

Ganelon discovers three dead bodies buried shallowly near Benedict's manor, but he and Corwin fail to realize the significance of it. When they receive word that Benedict is returning, they flee because Corwin knows Benedict will stop him from causing more trouble in Amber. They flee through Shadow, but Benedict tracks them until, in a luck confrontation, Corwin bests Benedict and ties him up. Benedict thinks Corwin murdered his servants and is out for blood. Corwin also encounters the Black Road, which transverses all shadow and leads from Chaos to Amber. He uses the Pattern to forge a path across the Black Road, successfully eradicating a very small part of it.

Corwin then travels to "our Earth", where he hires an arms manufacturer to make weapons and ammunition from the rouge obtained in Avalon. He recruits more followers from a Shadow where he is worshiped, and leads them to Amber. When Corwin arrives in Amber, he realizes the situation is grave, and the castle is under siege from the Back Rad, Corwin's curse realized.

Most of the family is fighting in defense of Amber, and Corwin knows that now is not the time to stage a coup. He also encounters Dara again, who said she followed Benedict through Shadow and is on her way to walk the Pattern. Corwin has to choose between stopping her and saving Amber, and he chooses the latter. He jumps in with his rifle troops and quickly saves the day. But not before Eric is fatally wounded while wielding the Jewel of Judgment, which gives the bearer control over weather. Eric pronounces his death curse not against Corwin, but against the enemies of Amber.

Whilst sending troops to Benedict through his Trump card, Corwin realizes he's been duped and Benedict doesn't know Dara at all. Knowing that more evil is afoot, Corwin trumps to Random inside Castle Amber and heads for the Pattern room, where Dara is already walking the pattern.

As she finishes, she introduces herself as Corwin (and Amber's) nemesis, and swears to destroy everything, then disappears. This is where The Guns of Avalon ends.

I have read and re-read this series countless times over more than 20 years, and love it more with every passing. I can't recommend it highly enough. It is, in my humble opinion, Zelazny's magnum opus.

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