The Guns of Avalon

Significantly better than the first one and should be an easy 4 stars except for one huge gross plot point in the middle that I really really hated and made me detract a star. Where the first one was a kinda charming 2.5 with enough intriguing things going for it it got bumped to a 3, this one's a kinda disappointing 3.5+ with big enough flaws to drop it down to a 3.

This series is clearly inspired by Conan/Howard and other classic pulp sword & sandals and very clearly an inspiration for tons of modern things, included but not limited to, Game of Thrones, Scott Hawkins' Library at Mount Char, and Gene Wolfe's Book of the New Sun.

It makes me sad that this series at least so far doesn't even approach the greatness of those that came before or after.

That isn't to say I don't like it. It's just disappointing. It's the kind of series that should really thrive on either the strength of the characters, the world building, or the writing, but all of these are so mediocre.

I did like the mentor-Corwyn in this a lot more than goofy revenge-Corwyn in book 1 (until he ruined it in the most gross 1970s man way possible :/).

I also really really liked a segment in the middle where Zelazny actually put some effort into his craft and threw out some super gorgeous prose-work.

Also a section near the end had a really dope sword fight in a sapling forest with some badass imagery that I'm gonna remember for awhile.

I'm probably gonna end up finishing this series unless it somehow gets worse, they're short quick pulpy reads and I'm a lot more invested than I sound, but I feel like they could be so much more and have left me ultimately disappointed :(.

Fantastic classic sequel to Nine Princes in Amber.
I thought I had read this before, but clearly I hadn't.
Generally involves Corwin preparing to attack his brother Eric and discovering that his curse of Amber has had huge unintended consequences.

Le deuxième volume de la série des Princes d'Ambre. J'en garde un bon souvenir, mais bizarrement pas suffisamment pour avoir réellement envie de le relire après plusieurs années.

Nearly as good as the first book. Corwin has discovered his true nature as a Prince of Amber, beings able to create any sort of realities through they're will. Having escaped his prison, he begins to plot his next attempt at the throne. This time, he has a secret weapon.

This story has more elements of fantasy then the first, including a knight and castle. :-) Also there is the struggle against this evil that corrupts the land, and an encounter with a mysterious and beautiful lady. Very basic medieval fantasy, but all this things takes a background to the court intrigues, fighting and distrust between the heirs to the crown.

I read this way back in the 1970s. Still a good read these many years later.