A review by lesserjoke
The Hand of Oberon by Roger Zelazny

2.0

These novels are short enough that it's never a major investment to continue on with the series, but that also means each volume has limited space to really wow a reader. In this fourth book, a lot of that valuable real estate is squandered on our protagonist needlessly recapping previous events to either us or another character, and the remaining balance is shifted too far towards the latest backstabbing family drama and away from the neat multiverse weirdness inherent in the setting. (Why does Corwin still trust any of his siblings, honestly? And why does author Roger Zelazny expect us to care about each soapy betrayal as though it were shattering any actual sense of established loyalty and not simply the latest unmotivated heel turn?)

I've heard the next title brings the initial storyline to a close, but at this point it's an open question whether I'll then bother with the second arc or not.

[Content warning for incest and sexism including slurs.]

Find me on Patreon | Goodreads | Blog | Twitter