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tstevens3's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
michinio's review against another edition
3.0
პირველი ნაწილი უფრო კარგი იყო, განსაკუთრებით ტრიპი და ლუის კეროლი, მაგრამ მერე ფიზიკური და ჯადოსნური მუშტი-კრივის დეტალურმა აღწერებმა მაგრად მომაბეზრა თავი.
dantastic's review against another edition
3.0
Merlin continues on his quest to find out who has been trying to kill him for years and why. Along the way, we find out more of his backstory, in particular the bits involving his half brothers Jurt and Mandor. More illegitimate spawn of the Amber family pop up, as does Merlin's mysterious body-swapping aide. What do all of these things have to do with the Keep of Four Worlds?
I'm over halfway through the second Chronicle of Amber and I have to say I'm not as captivated by it as I was the first five books. While I find aspects of Merlin's mystery as interesting or more intersting than Corwin's, such as the Ghostwheel and the pattern Corwin created, I feel like the first five books are getting watered down. Too many people are walking the Pattern and too many are able to create trumps.
That's not to say Sign of Chaos is a bad book. It's full of the intrigue that makes the Amber books great. Merlin isn't a carbon copy of his father, which is refreshing. The Amberites are true to form in their double dealing. Despite some minor gripes, I'm ready to find out what happened to Corwin and what will happen to Merlin, Julian, Mandor, and the rest. On to book nine!
I'm over halfway through the second Chronicle of Amber and I have to say I'm not as captivated by it as I was the first five books. While I find aspects of Merlin's mystery as interesting or more intersting than Corwin's, such as the Ghostwheel and the pattern Corwin created, I feel like the first five books are getting watered down. Too many people are walking the Pattern and too many are able to create trumps.
That's not to say Sign of Chaos is a bad book. It's full of the intrigue that makes the Amber books great. Merlin isn't a carbon copy of his father, which is refreshing. The Amberites are true to form in their double dealing. Despite some minor gripes, I'm ready to find out what happened to Corwin and what will happen to Merlin, Julian, Mandor, and the rest. On to book nine!
bkoser's review against another edition
4.0
I think the consensus is that the second Amber series is inferior to the first. This far in, I agree, but this one is still worth a read.
peapod_boston's review against another edition
3.0
Not as strong as it's predecessor, but still a cut above most current fantasy adventure. Why can't people write like this anymore? Lovely prose, stories that rocket along, mysteries, magic, adventure, and all under 300 pages. If Zelazny wrote this now, they would have published the whole series as one 1000 page book or a trilogy at least. The shorter format keeps things tight, events swarm on events, and economy (and beauty) of prose is the watchword.
Two excellent sequences here--Luke and Dalt's fight in the dark and snow between two armies and the wizardly battle for the Keep at Four Worlds (fast-paced action with magic that isn't whole world destroying; reminds me of some of Cook's stuff). I'd love to see both of them filmed for different reasons (the first, moody and artistically shot violence of a "Bourne Identity" style, intimate, grainy; the second, more like the scenes at the end of the "The Avengers" with Cap, Hawkeye, and Widow on the ground, lots of movement, action, energy and flow), but I'm content with the versions in my head.
Two excellent sequences here--Luke and Dalt's fight in the dark and snow between two armies and the wizardly battle for the Keep at Four Worlds (fast-paced action with magic that isn't whole world destroying; reminds me of some of Cook's stuff). I'd love to see both of them filmed for different reasons (the first, moody and artistically shot violence of a "Bourne Identity" style, intimate, grainy; the second, more like the scenes at the end of the "The Avengers" with Cap, Hawkeye, and Widow on the ground, lots of movement, action, energy and flow), but I'm content with the versions in my head.
urlphantomhive's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
3.0