The Chronicles of Amber: Volume I (The Chronicles of Amber #1-2)
Roger Zelazny
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars
4.31
· 16 ratings · 480 pages · Published: 27 Mar 1970
Amber is the one real world, casting infinite reflections of itself--Shadow worlds that can be manipulated by those of royal Amberite blood. Unfortunately, the royal family is torn by jealousies and suspicions. And the disappearance of the clan patriarch, Oberon, has intensified the conflicts by leaving Amber's throne apparently up for grabs.
The CHRONICLES begin in a hospital on the Shadow Earth, where a man is recovering from a freak auto accident. Since he is also suffering from amnesia, and has been for some time, he has no idea that he's Prince Corwin of Amber - until his memory receives a succession of jolts:
he meets a sister who speaks in riddles of plots and counterplots... and a brother who abruptly involves him in a life-and-death battle against pursuers from a fearful Shadow world.
He discovers a deck of tarot-like cards with himself, his sister, and strangers whom he guesses to be other relatives, pictured on their faces. Only lingering amnesia keeps him from grasping the full significance of the find: the cards are the Greater Trumps of Amber, used by his family to communicate across vast distances, and transport one another through Shadows in an instant.
Then comes the most shattering jolt of all... Corwin's confrontations with an intricate design created by a master manipulator of reality - the Pattern. By walking the Pattern, those of the blood royal gain the ability to control Shadows. But the slightest hesitation or misstep during the trial means death.
As Corwin sets foot upon that coldly glowing inscription, memories come flooding back to him... more and more with each step. And finally knowing his true identity, he acknowledges his true ambition - and resolves that the crown of Amber will be his.
But unknown to Corwin, there are dark forces massing against Amber... and before too long he will discover just how great a burden of a king's crown can be...
jacket painting by Boris Vallejo
This volume contains Nine Princes in Amber and The Guns of Avalon
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The 'The Chronicles of Amber' series
4.17 · 527 ratings- Nine Princes in Amber by Roger Zelazny Book #1
- The Guns of Avalon by Roger Zelazny Book #2
- Sign of the Unicorn by Roger Zelazny Book #3
- The Hand of Oberon by Roger Zelazny Book #4
- The Courts of Chaos by Roger Zelazny Book #5
- Trumps of Doom by Roger Zelazny Book #6
- Blood of Amber by Roger Zelazny Book #7
- Sign of Chaos by Roger Zelazny Book #8
fiction · fantasy · magic · epic · literary · classics · action-adventure · high-fantasy · sword-sorcery · 20th-century · audiobook · book · adult · male-mc · mystery · contemporary
The Chronicles of Amber reading order and complete book list ❯