blanchesblankspace's review against another edition
I just cant get into this writing style, it feels so unnatural. The dialogue made me question my understanding of language. Also just kinda annoying how confusing it is to have no explanation about anything and be expected to care(yet the protagonist somehow managed to only slip up once like ok plot armor)
adularia25's review against another edition
5.0
My only regret is that I didn't read these books sooner. These first five books are wonderful - I would rate them five stars each. The action is non-stop. The intrigue changes so many times it is hard to keep track of who is allied with whom. It can be fatal to trust the wrong person - but who can you trust when your entire family is locked in a battle for the throne? Relatives pop out of the woodwork like termites - but do they want the throne, revenge or something else? Nothing is ever what it seems. The first book of the series, Nine Princes in Amber, was brilliantly done. It starts with Corey not remembering anything. So as he struggles to find out what is going on, the reader learns with him. The first book also ends with a cliff-hanger, so naturally, now you have to read the next book... and so on until you realize that you have now read them all.
These books are classic, not to mention necessary, if you ever want to play Amber Diceless Roleplaying - or get any Amber references in any other fantasy games.
These books are classic, not to mention necessary, if you ever want to play Amber Diceless Roleplaying - or get any Amber references in any other fantasy games.
caustic_wonder's review against another edition
4.0
Nine Princes In Amber starts as a sort of mystery. I was confused as to what was happening mostly because the main character was confused. Zelazny unfolds the world of Amber by presenting us with a man who has just woken up from a very long drug-induced bout of amnesia. We are finding out everything about this character just as he is learning it himself. Corwin eventually frees himself from the hospital and makes his way to his sister's house. We learn that they are part of a superhuman family from another dimension/world and there is a power struggle happening between the siblings. Some have taken sides, others have gone missing.
This is pretty much the plot line the entire series will take, I think. Brother against brother, faction against faction. No one knows who to trust and doesn't trust anyone until it's absolutely necessary to seek help.
The books flow very quickly, but they are less than 200 pages each. I know I read them all in less than 3 days at work. Lots of reviews have said that they all feel like chopped up bits of a single novel and I think this is true.
There were certain parts I enjoyed more than others, as evidenced by my 3 or 4 star ratings on individual books, but as a whole I would say that these are quite good. I wish Goodreads let you give half star ratings, because this book could definitely use one.
I might seek out The Merlin Cycle eventually, which encompasses the last five books in the series. This first set is considered The Corwin Cycle, since the main character is the brother Corwin. Makes sense, doesn't it?
knjigoholicarka's review against another edition
Nine Princes of Amber: 2
The Guns of Avalon: 2
Sign of The Unicorn: 4
The Hand of Oberon: 4
The Courts of Chaos: 2... 3... I don't know.
The Guns of Avalon: 2
Sign of The Unicorn: 4
The Hand of Oberon: 4
The Courts of Chaos: 2... 3... I don't know.
katiecatbooks's review against another edition
3.0
Long. Tired. Terrible.
Story: Containing 10 books in one, the tale begins with Corwin, waking with amnesia in a private hospital and negotiating to get out. What Corwin can't remember is that he is a Prince of Amber, a fantasy world full of courts, politics and duels aplenty.
Language: Zelazny...likes to write... sentences... and chapters... filled with this... kind of sentence structure. There's no character development, everyone is one dimensional, even 1700 pages in. The entire book (every book within it) is nothing but deus ex machina. There's no plot development, things just end because action hero Corwin (or Merlin) is just too cool and smooth and can outsmart anyone. There's a whole lot of just sitting or standing around and talking and the rest of the book is walking or wandering and the protagonist acting the hero.
Characters: The first few books feature Corwin and the rest feature Merlin as main characters. Theres no difference between them, they share the same dialogue and traits. After id started the Merlin stories and pick up the book and forget until a few pages in that it was a new character. Other side characters get inserted at random snd conveniently as the main character runs into someone and just happens to remember them from their past.
I buddy read this with a small group of great fantasy readers. I seem to be the only one with such distaste for the book, but thats fine. IMHO there were much better fantasy authors and books from the 70s, Terry Brooks, Michael Ende, William Goldman and Ursula K Le Guin, just to name a few. I was hoping that this series would improve as it went on, the author improving over time, but no. Now I can say I've read it and now its done. I think ill stick to buddy reads of less than 800 pages in the future.
Story: Containing 10 books in one, the tale begins with Corwin, waking with amnesia in a private hospital and negotiating to get out. What Corwin can't remember is that he is a Prince of Amber, a fantasy world full of courts, politics and duels aplenty.
Language: Zelazny...likes to write... sentences... and chapters... filled with this... kind of sentence structure. There's no character development, everyone is one dimensional, even 1700 pages in. The entire book (every book within it) is nothing but deus ex machina. There's no plot development, things just end because action hero Corwin (or Merlin) is just too cool and smooth and can outsmart anyone. There's a whole lot of just sitting or standing around and talking and the rest of the book is walking or wandering and the protagonist acting the hero.
Characters: The first few books feature Corwin and the rest feature Merlin as main characters. Theres no difference between them, they share the same dialogue and traits. After id started the Merlin stories and pick up the book and forget until a few pages in that it was a new character. Other side characters get inserted at random snd conveniently as the main character runs into someone and just happens to remember them from their past.
I buddy read this with a small group of great fantasy readers. I seem to be the only one with such distaste for the book, but thats fine. IMHO there were much better fantasy authors and books from the 70s, Terry Brooks, Michael Ende, William Goldman and Ursula K Le Guin, just to name a few. I was hoping that this series would improve as it went on, the author improving over time, but no. Now I can say I've read it and now its done. I think ill stick to buddy reads of less than 800 pages in the future.
vandana_onmyshelf's review against another edition
4.0
I loved this book. But I have read only the first five or part 1. But it was awesome. I don't know when I started reading and when it got over. Roger Zelazny is officially one of my all time favourite authors. He is a Gem. The story is about Amber. Which is the real world. All other worlds are merely shadows including earth. There are many racing to be the next king but it's not easy. Our protagonist prince corwin faces many a obstacles including losing his vision but ultimately triumphs. But the journey is fascinating. You have to read it to believe it. Fantasy fiction fans Do not miss it!
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bookworld's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
dnrsht's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
relaxing
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0