Nine Princes in Amber

The book is roughly split into two halves, the first of which takes place in 1970s Earth and the second which takes place in Amber. Amber is the one true world of which all others are but a shadow, and nine brothers are competing for its throne.

As readers, we figure out how the magic goes along the way. There are Trump cards that can be used to magically contact the person portrayed on them and a Prince of Amber can travel through Shadow worlds at will. It is fairly easy to travel to Amber, but much harder to leave.

The book follows several of the princes and princesses of Amber, centering around Corwin. Corwin is a mighty warrior and songwriter, and he spends the first half of the story trying to recover his lost memory. His greatest enemy is his brother Eric, who tries to claim the throne of Amber for himself when their father disappears.

These are the main characters that really stand out. There are several encounters with other princes and princesses of Amber, but they are brief. The most intriguing character is Dworkin, the mysterious artist who originally crafted the Trump cards, but he went missing many years before the story begins.

In the opening scene, Corwin wakes up in a hospital bed with no memory of who he is or how he got there. After managing to muscle and bluff his way out of the hospital, he encounters his sister, one of the princesses of Amber. His sister has no idea that Corwin is missing memories, so he does his best to pretend like nothing is wrong and learn just what the hell is going on. Slowly, Corwin starts to understand the world around him.

About halfway through the book, the struggle for the throne of Amber becomes the main conflict. Corwin's brother Eric has decided to crown himself king, and Corwin decides to oppose this.

The story is told in first person from Corwin's point of view, and the prose is elegantly direct. Zelazny doesn't use three words where one will do, and this helps to keep the book moving quickly. A lot happens in the 175 pages of this book, and the writing style helps avoid a rushed feeling.

In the second half, the writing takes a slightly more detached approach. The events portrayed are viewed from a macro level rather than up close and personal.

This is one of the most easily digestible works of classic fantasy I've read. It's short, the prose is straightforward and memorable, and the pacing is quick.

You might like this if you like urban fantasy that strays away from things like vampires, werewolves, and demons. The first half feels a bit like a magical Jason Bourne, where Corwin must slowly discover what it means to be a prince of Amber.

This might not be for you if you need books with relatable characters. Corwin starts out sympathetic but shifts away from this as the book progresses. Most of the side characters get little development, and there are almost no female characters in the book. I've heard that the characters become more interesting in the sequels, though. This is also not the book for you if you dislike long drawn out battles that feel like lists of numbers instead of an actual story.

Overall, this is a fairly significant book to the fantasy genre and you could finish it in a couple of sittings. There are rumors of a television series being produced by the makers of The Walking Dead, so now might be a good time to check this series out.