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The Chronicles of Amber #6
Trumps of Doom
Alternate cover for ISBN 0380896354 / 9780380896356
Merle Corey is a brilliant young computer designer in San Francisco, but, he is also Merlin, son of Corwin, vanished prince of Amber, and heir to his father's wonderous powers. And, someone is determined to kill him. Now he will begin a desperate race through Shadow, not only to escape the mysterious force that threatens his life, but to protect the deadly secret that could destroy both his worlds.
Merle Corey is a brilliant young computer designer in San Francisco, but, he is also Merlin, son of Corwin, vanished prince of Amber, and heir to his father's wonderous powers. And, someone is determined to kill him. Now he will begin a desperate race through Shadow, not only to escape the mysterious force that threatens his life, but to protect the deadly secret that could destroy both his worlds.
184 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 1985
About the author
Roger Zelazny
733 books3,690 followersRoger Zelazny made his name with a group of novellas which demonstrated just how intense an emotional charge could be generated by the stock imagery of sf; the most famous of these is A Rose for Ecclesiastes in which a poet struggles to convince dying and sterile Martians that life is worth continuing. Zelazny continued to write excellent short stories throughout his career. Most of his novels deal, one way or another, with tricksters and mythology, often with rogues who become gods, like Sam in Lord of Light, who reinvents Buddhism as a vehicle for political subversion on a colony planet.
The fantasy sequence The Amber Chronicles, which started with Nine Princes in Amber, deals with the ruling family of a Platonic realm at the metaphysical heart of things, who can slide, trickster-like through realities, and their wars with each other and the related ruling house of Chaos. Zelazny never entirely fulfilled his early promise—who could?—but he and his work were much loved, and a potent influence on such younger writers as George R. R. Martin and Neil Gaiman.
He won the Nebula award three times (out of 14 nominations) and the Hugo award six times (out of 14 nominations). His papers are housed at the Albin O. Khun Library of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Ze...
The fantasy sequence The Amber Chronicles, which started with Nine Princes in Amber, deals with the ruling family of a Platonic realm at the metaphysical heart of things, who can slide, trickster-like through realities, and their wars with each other and the related ruling house of Chaos. Zelazny never entirely fulfilled his early promise—who could?—but he and his work were much loved, and a potent influence on such younger writers as George R. R. Martin and Neil Gaiman.
He won the Nebula award three times (out of 14 nominations) and the Hugo award six times (out of 14 nominations). His papers are housed at the Albin O. Khun Library of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Ze...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 330 reviews
May 29, 2023
A great beginning to Merlin's arc!!!
December 3, 2020
Rereading this after years still didn't convince me that Merlin was as equally interesting character as prince Corwin was. It's not bad at all, it just feels... repetitive? Done after the same blueprint? But being a tad OCD with my series (thanks for the term, Carol!) I really want to finish this one because I never got a chance to go further than book 3(8) with my first read. Off to the next one I go, so.
March 16, 2014
The Cycle of Corwin has ended. Now come the adventures of his son, Merlin, born of Dara, holy terror of the Courts of Chaos. You might remember her as the demon that disguised herself as Corwin's grand-niece, in order to learn how to walk the Pattern and gain enough power to destroy Amber. Yeah, her. I didn't like Dara, but maybe this book would have been more interesting if she'd been the main antagonist, because the book certainly needed one.
A sorcerer, artist, warrior, athlete, and technological genius, Merlin (aka Merle) lives a boring, uncomplicated life in one of his father's old Shadow haunts, trying to emulate the father he wishes he could have gotten to know better before he disappeared into Shadow. However, the white rider Corwin met in the Courts of Chaos in the last book is a far cry from the 'Merle' shown to us in this novel. He is unquestioning, uncaring, and in general, unaffected by anything going on around him, which makes the narrative a boring trod through "This happened", and then "this also happened", and "Wow, what a coincidence". Very rarely does his 'humanity' show through, and when it does, it is self-serving. While I didn't like Corwin overall, Corwin at least had real moments of questioning his motives, or feeling sincerely bad for the things he had done. Merle has only one instance of this, but after what felt an obligatory 'whoops, my bad', he carries on without being truly affected for the rest of the story.
The book begins on April 30th. April 30th is an unlucky day for Merlin, and has been for the last seven years, on account of the reoccurring attempts on his life. He has come to expect them now, and hopes to get to the bottom of it this time.
Following the horrific death of one of his ex-girlfriends, and his procurement of some very strange Trumps, Merlin jumps off to solve the mystery of the Trumps (the title of the book, after all), but after the only real interesting scene of the first half (in which he plays a riddle game with a Sphinx), this plotline is promptly forgotten and never picked up again. Instead, it becomes another "Who-dunnit", without all the weight and skill of "Sign of the Unicorn", or even a conclusion. No real spoilers to give here. Nothing happens. The antagonist's name is revealed, but that is basically all. Again, all a teaser for the next book, which I have no real inclination at present to read.
Other things that really bothered me about this book: it is clear that only a couple of decades have past, as there are still friends of Corwin alive on Earth (Bill Roth, lawyer, and suddenly the only council to Amber, out of all of the infinite number of universes and people closer to the conflict... This is the man Merle bounces ideas off of for most of the book, rather than contacting one of his aunts or uncles.)
Suddenly everyone seems to have the ability to draw Trumps on a whim. This was a skill that was heavily guarded, and for good reason, but now anyone who is related to Dworkin can do it, and it takes away all of the interest for that magic system for me.
And speaking of the magic system, Merlin has the ability to do a "backwards shadow walk", which means he can conjure anything he desires out of shadow, no harm, no foul. It doesn't even seem to tire him. Yet when it comes to the climax of the book, he decides to take the longest possible route, rather than pulling that thing to him, easily. It's also just one of those ultra-convenient abilities that makes things a little too easy.
Frakir. I'm assuming that there is a short story somewhere out there in the universe that Zelazny wrote that explained things more, but I do not know why Merlin is in possession of a half-sentient, invisible thread whip, or what even its full abilities are. More convenience, that was never really explained.
Ghostwheel. I can not believe the willful ignorance on the part of Merle regarding his creation. When Random (thank goodness he was in the story for a few pages... that's one of two reasons this book has a star at all, honestly... the other being the conversation with the Sphinx) brings up valid concerns about the latent power of Ghostwheel, Merle just pouts and says "I don't care. I do what I want." ...to obvious calamity.
It was really disappointing to read this first book in the second cycle of Amber, and find basically everything from the first books that are still unanswered abandoned, and instead get led around by a shadow of a shadow of Corwin (without the arrogant wit, or any real defining personality trait) on a mostly mundane and speculative journey to... well, I suppose it was less of a journey, and more Merlin thrown in a whirpool of coincidences and events thrust on him by other characters trying to have a story.
In short, I will keep reading, but only because I feel obligated to finish the omnibus. But, if you are looking for a casual read to pick up, you can stop at book five, "Courts of Chaos", and pick up something else on your to-read.
A sorcerer, artist, warrior, athlete, and technological genius, Merlin (aka Merle) lives a boring, uncomplicated life in one of his father's old Shadow haunts, trying to emulate the father he wishes he could have gotten to know better before he disappeared into Shadow. However, the white rider Corwin met in the Courts of Chaos in the last book is a far cry from the 'Merle' shown to us in this novel. He is unquestioning, uncaring, and in general, unaffected by anything going on around him, which makes the narrative a boring trod through "This happened", and then "this also happened", and "Wow, what a coincidence". Very rarely does his 'humanity' show through, and when it does, it is self-serving. While I didn't like Corwin overall, Corwin at least had real moments of questioning his motives, or feeling sincerely bad for the things he had done. Merle has only one instance of this, but after what felt an obligatory 'whoops, my bad', he carries on without being truly affected for the rest of the story.
The book begins on April 30th. April 30th is an unlucky day for Merlin, and has been for the last seven years, on account of the reoccurring attempts on his life. He has come to expect them now, and hopes to get to the bottom of it this time.
Following the horrific death of one of his ex-girlfriends, and his procurement of some very strange Trumps, Merlin jumps off to solve the mystery of the Trumps (the title of the book, after all), but after the only real interesting scene of the first half (in which he plays a riddle game with a Sphinx), this plotline is promptly forgotten and never picked up again. Instead, it becomes another "Who-dunnit", without all the weight and skill of "Sign of the Unicorn", or even a conclusion. No real spoilers to give here. Nothing happens. The antagonist's name is revealed, but that is basically all. Again, all a teaser for the next book, which I have no real inclination at present to read.
Other things that really bothered me about this book: it is clear that only a couple of decades have past, as there are still friends of Corwin alive on Earth (Bill Roth, lawyer, and suddenly the only council to Amber, out of all of the infinite number of universes and people closer to the conflict... This is the man Merle bounces ideas off of for most of the book, rather than contacting one of his aunts or uncles.)
Suddenly everyone seems to have the ability to draw Trumps on a whim. This was a skill that was heavily guarded, and for good reason, but now anyone who is related to Dworkin can do it, and it takes away all of the interest for that magic system for me.
And speaking of the magic system, Merlin has the ability to do a "backwards shadow walk", which means he can conjure anything he desires out of shadow, no harm, no foul. It doesn't even seem to tire him. Yet when it comes to the climax of the book, he decides to take the longest possible route, rather than pulling that thing to him, easily. It's also just one of those ultra-convenient abilities that makes things a little too easy.
Frakir. I'm assuming that there is a short story somewhere out there in the universe that Zelazny wrote that explained things more, but I do not know why Merlin is in possession of a half-sentient, invisible thread whip, or what even its full abilities are. More convenience, that was never really explained.
Ghostwheel. I can not believe the willful ignorance on the part of Merle regarding his creation. When Random (thank goodness he was in the story for a few pages... that's one of two reasons this book has a star at all, honestly... the other being the conversation with the Sphinx) brings up valid concerns about the latent power of Ghostwheel, Merle just pouts and says "I don't care. I do what I want." ...to obvious calamity.
It was really disappointing to read this first book in the second cycle of Amber, and find basically everything from the first books that are still unanswered abandoned, and instead get led around by a shadow of a shadow of Corwin (without the arrogant wit, or any real defining personality trait) on a mostly mundane and speculative journey to... well, I suppose it was less of a journey, and more Merlin thrown in a whirpool of coincidences and events thrust on him by other characters trying to have a story.
In short, I will keep reading, but only because I feel obligated to finish the omnibus. But, if you are looking for a casual read to pick up, you can stop at book five, "Courts of Chaos", and pick up something else on your to-read.
July 15, 2019
My rating 4.5
Trumps of Doom (The Chronicles of Amber # 6) by Roger Zelazny is a great sequel to the series. As before, Zelazny leads us through the shadow world, only the characters have changed. This time we follow the story of Corwin's son Merlin. Every April 30 for several years, someone is trying to kill Merlin. Although every attempt to kill him seems like a coincidence he is not quite convinced of it. He will soon discover that behind all these attempts to kill him, conceals a hidden conspiracy that will become a threat to Amber and the Court of Chaos. As in the five-book of the series so far, I enjoyed the style of writing and the story. I would recommend a book to all fans of science fiction and fantasy.
Trumps of Doom (The Chronicles of Amber # 6) by Roger Zelazny is a great sequel to the series. As before, Zelazny leads us through the shadow world, only the characters have changed. This time we follow the story of Corwin's son Merlin. Every April 30 for several years, someone is trying to kill Merlin. Although every attempt to kill him seems like a coincidence he is not quite convinced of it. He will soon discover that behind all these attempts to kill him, conceals a hidden conspiracy that will become a threat to Amber and the Court of Chaos. As in the five-book of the series so far, I enjoyed the style of writing and the story. I would recommend a book to all fans of science fiction and fantasy.
November 24, 2023
Ciklus o Korvinu gotov, Merlinov počinje, a u Amberu sve po starom i na (previše) poznatom terenu. Merlin definitivno nije Korvin: prvo, on ne jaše, on korača/trči/sprinta po Senkama (ŠOK!); ne nosi mač kao tradicionalni predstavnik klase čarobnjaka; i konačno, obeležen je bolnom naivnošću, još nezabeleženoj na očevoj strani familije. Naš junak je čist primer genija+inovatora - deduktivan um, zavidno vladanje emocijama, ali i nevin pogled na svet i skrivene motive najbližih. Moglo bi se reći, sušta suprotnost našem bivšem protogonisti i dokaz da su haotičniji junaci koji greše prosto zabavniji za čitanje.
Sterilniji pristup razvitku misterije + sporiji tok radnje + reaktivnost Merlina - umeće manipulisanja ostalima = malo se smorih pred kraj. Ali idemo dalje...
Sterilniji pristup razvitku misterije + sporiji tok radnje + reaktivnost Merlina - umeće manipulisanja ostalima = malo se smorih pred kraj. Ali idemo dalje...
April 30, 2024
So, today is April 30th, and I've been waiting to add Trumps of Doom to my list until now because the first thing we learn about Merlin is that someone tries to kill him every year on that date. I had some reservations when the book first appeared, but although I never felt that the five Merlin books were as good as the original five Corwin tales, I still enjoyed them. This one re-introduces the world and we meet new characters and are thrown into interesting situations. Zelazny was a great writer, with a talent for creating a wide range of voices and styles, and this is the first book in another very good fantasy series.
February 21, 2022
I was so upset when I finished The Courts of Chaos and looked ahead to The Trumps of Doom and realized that Corwin doesn’t narrate the final five Amber books. I LOVE Corwin! I traveled with him through Shadow and Chaos. Why, Zelazny? Why?!
But, then, I got over it and decided to trust Zelazny. If he could make me fall in love with Corwin, why not with Merlin? After all, Merle is Corwin’s son…
So, I gave Trumps of Doom a chance (how gracious of me, I know), and I loved it! It turns out that Corwin and Merlin are very similar first-person narrators, and they share a similar ironic and sarcastic wit that I thoroughly enjoy. The story starts off similarly to Nine Princes of Amber, with Merlin in Shadow and a story that doesn’t feel like fantasy at all but more like a thriller with someone trying to kill Merle every April 30 for the past few years, and Merle has no idea why. But the fantasy/magic elements crop up pretty quickly, and then, I felt like I was reading a Dr. Strange comic for a bit since, unlike Corwin, Merle is also a Prince of Chaos and a sorcerer. Finally, the Amber elements come into play when Merle gets a Trump call from good old Random to come to Amber.
From there, the plot thickens. We get some answers about some of the plot points from earlier in the novel with the big reveal coming right at the end, but there are still enough unknowns to make the next book intriguing. My only concern so far is that the next four books might be a little repetitive if Zelazny took them down a similar path to Corwin’s story and to some similarities I’ve already seen between the first five books and the sixth. Even still, I love the first five books, so some repetition of elements I enjoy wouldn’t be bad. I also hope for something fresh and surprising, that’s all.
Overall, I love this book and can’t wait to see what happens next for Merlin, and I REALLY hope Corwin makes an appearance like his father does in his stories 😊
But, then, I got over it and decided to trust Zelazny. If he could make me fall in love with Corwin, why not with Merlin? After all, Merle is Corwin’s son…
So, I gave Trumps of Doom a chance (how gracious of me, I know), and I loved it! It turns out that Corwin and Merlin are very similar first-person narrators, and they share a similar ironic and sarcastic wit that I thoroughly enjoy. The story starts off similarly to Nine Princes of Amber, with Merlin in Shadow and a story that doesn’t feel like fantasy at all but more like a thriller with someone trying to kill Merle every April 30 for the past few years, and Merle has no idea why. But the fantasy/magic elements crop up pretty quickly, and then, I felt like I was reading a Dr. Strange comic for a bit since, unlike Corwin, Merle is also a Prince of Chaos and a sorcerer. Finally, the Amber elements come into play when Merle gets a Trump call from good old Random to come to Amber.
From there, the plot thickens. We get some answers about some of the plot points from earlier in the novel with the big reveal coming right at the end, but there are still enough unknowns to make the next book intriguing. My only concern so far is that the next four books might be a little repetitive if Zelazny took them down a similar path to Corwin’s story and to some similarities I’ve already seen between the first five books and the sixth. Even still, I love the first five books, so some repetition of elements I enjoy wouldn’t be bad. I also hope for something fresh and surprising, that’s all.
Overall, I love this book and can’t wait to see what happens next for Merlin, and I REALLY hope Corwin makes an appearance like his father does in his stories 😊
November 23, 2015
I almost gave this four stars, but it falls short of the Corwin books in the series, so I can't quite give it the same rating.
But that being said, Trumps was an enjoyable return to Amber. Merlin's tale is intriguing, and I think I'll be more into it by the end. I don't find myself being engaged as much as with the first set of Amber books, and I don't find Merlin himself as interesting as Corwin. For one thing, Corwin was enjoyable as a smartass and his arrogance helped the character. Merlin is more reserved. He's confident, but not as sure of his place in the family.
Still, a fun story and I look forward to continuing with the next installment.
ETA: December 2011.
Re-read this for review before tackling the rest of the Amber series. I listened to it on audio this time, with Roger Zelazny doing his own narration. That added to the experience, and I'm definitely looking forward to the others, now that I have them available.
But that being said, Trumps was an enjoyable return to Amber. Merlin's tale is intriguing, and I think I'll be more into it by the end. I don't find myself being engaged as much as with the first set of Amber books, and I don't find Merlin himself as interesting as Corwin. For one thing, Corwin was enjoyable as a smartass and his arrogance helped the character. Merlin is more reserved. He's confident, but not as sure of his place in the family.
Still, a fun story and I look forward to continuing with the next installment.
ETA: December 2011.
Re-read this for review before tackling the rest of the Amber series. I listened to it on audio this time, with Roger Zelazny doing his own narration. That added to the experience, and I'm definitely looking forward to the others, now that I have them available.
December 2, 2020
“It is a pain in the ass waiting around for someone to try to kill you.”
With that memorable opening sentence, so begins the Second Chronicles of Amber, starring Merlin (or "Merle") the son of the First Chronicles' Corwin, who is trying to survive an annual assassination attempt while trying to learn who is behind it and why they want to kill him. Answers are revealed by the end of the book but, as in the First Chronicles, it's merely an opportunity to open a larger story involving the often-deadly politics of the First Family of Amber.
With that memorable opening sentence, so begins the Second Chronicles of Amber, starring Merlin (or "Merle") the son of the First Chronicles' Corwin, who is trying to survive an annual assassination attempt while trying to learn who is behind it and why they want to kill him. Answers are revealed by the end of the book but, as in the First Chronicles, it's merely an opportunity to open a larger story involving the often-deadly politics of the First Family of Amber.
June 9, 2020
Our story resumes with Corwin's son, Merlin deciding that he's had it with working in the computer industry which sounds hauntingly familiar. Someone is also trying to kill him once a year which, thankfully, does not sound hauntingly familiar.
Merlin brings some interesting things to the story, and his character is just similar and different enough to make me believe he is Corwin's son. Not that I was getting sick of Corwin, but it was a nice change of pace. I'm assuming all the rumors about Corwin are just hearsay and that we'll see him in the next book or the one after. Merlin's story benefits from a much faster start since most of the setting details have already been established in previous books.
One detail, in particular, I enjoy about this series is Zelazny's description of "hell rides". Hell rides are, as I understand it, a form of super-fast travel Amberites and those from The Courts of Chaos can utilize by focusing all of their magical energy to bend time around them. It's different from FTL or wormhole travel as I've read it described in sci-fi books because the traveler is acutely aware of their surroundings and still interacting with the space they are moving through. What I love are Zelazny's descriptions of the exotic areas being passed through. I love listening to these while I fall asleep and rewinding them a few times.
There are some great twists and turns in Trumps of Doom, and as usual, Zelazny was one step ahead of me, which I love.
I'm sure anyone still reading at this point doesn't need much urging to finish the series, so it's time for me to trump out to book 7, Blood of Amber!
Merlin brings some interesting things to the story, and his character is just similar and different enough to make me believe he is Corwin's son. Not that I was getting sick of Corwin, but it was a nice change of pace. I'm assuming all the rumors about Corwin are just hearsay and that we'll see him in the next book or the one after. Merlin's story benefits from a much faster start since most of the setting details have already been established in previous books.
One detail, in particular, I enjoy about this series is Zelazny's description of "hell rides". Hell rides are, as I understand it, a form of super-fast travel Amberites and those from The Courts of Chaos can utilize by focusing all of their magical energy to bend time around them. It's different from FTL or wormhole travel as I've read it described in sci-fi books because the traveler is acutely aware of their surroundings and still interacting with the space they are moving through. What I love are Zelazny's descriptions of the exotic areas being passed through. I love listening to these while I fall asleep and rewinding them a few times.
There are some great twists and turns in Trumps of Doom, and as usual, Zelazny was one step ahead of me, which I love.
I'm sure anyone still reading at this point doesn't need much urging to finish the series, so it's time for me to trump out to book 7, Blood of Amber!
October 26, 2022
Creator Imbroglio! To Kill or Not To Kill? "Well, Merlin made me everything that I am today, but now he's on a mission to shut me down! What in the multiverse did I do wrong?" - Ghostwheel - The A.I. Intelligencer.
I could almost ping a star for Merlin being kinda naïve, but then he is also kinda a 'computer nerd,' and so I get it. Very much full on entertainment and thoroughly refreshing compared with some of the dross that I'm currently wading through (here's looking at you Thomas Covenant).
Recommended. 5 'One Damned Thing After Another,' stars.
I could almost ping a star for Merlin being kinda naïve, but then he is also kinda a 'computer nerd,' and so I get it. Very much full on entertainment and thoroughly refreshing compared with some of the dross that I'm currently wading through (here's looking at you Thomas Covenant).
Recommended. 5 'One Damned Thing After Another,' stars.
January 15, 2016
წლების განმავლობაში ძალიან ბევრი ადამიანისგან (ძირითადად პარნასის კლიენტებისგან :დ) მესმოდა რომ კორვინის ციკლი კარგია - მერლინის არ ვარგა.
ხოდა - სულაც არა! (ბოლოში არ გავსულვარ ჯერ ოღონდ)
ჩემი რეკომენდაციაა, რომ ცოტა ხანი შუალედი გააკეთოთ - 2-3 წელი ჩემსავით ალბათ :)) კორვინის თავგადასავლების შემდეგ მაშინვე მაგის შვილზე რომ გადავსულიყავი ალბათ მეც მომბეზრდებოდა. საკმაოდ გავს მერლინი მამამისს...
ხოდა - სულაც არა! (ბოლოში არ გავსულვარ ჯერ ოღონდ)
ჩემი რეკომენდაციაა, რომ ცოტა ხანი შუალედი გააკეთოთ - 2-3 წელი ჩემსავით ალბათ :)) კორვინის თავგადასავლების შემდეგ მაშინვე მაგის შვილზე რომ გადავსულიყავი ალბათ მეც მომბეზრდებოდა. საკმაოდ გავს მერლინი მამამისს...
December 29, 2023
Did something happen to Zelazny at the time he wrote this book? Some of the writing is on par with the less-good entries of the Corwin cycle, but some plot decisions in this book are truly baffling to me.
There are two main issues:
1. Doubling down on the worldbuilding:
In Corwin's cycle, Amber was the kingdom of order, the one creating shadows of worlds and people until at some point the shadows give in to chaos at the edge. There lies the Courts of Chaos, the antithesis of Amber. What would life there be? how would one who grew up there behave? well, as it turns out, the Courts of Chaos are just another kingdom full of regular people (only with magic and shape-shifting). Order and Chaos? more like two generic fantasy kingdoms.
It was well established in Corwin's cycle that one had to walk the pattern to gain the ability to walk shadows -- shadows are a unique product of amber, after all. Merlin even states it clearly at the end of the previous book, saying that he wishes to walk the pattern for this exact reason. In this current book, however, Merlin tells us differently: there's basically a "chaotic" pattern in the Courts, and anyone who walks it can then walk in shadow. How do they have it? why? did shadows exist before Amber? isn't the pattern the symbol of order that allows the control chaos?
It was heavily implied in Corwin's cycle that the Trumps were invented by Dworkin. But no, the Courts have their own "chaotic" trumps. Wasn't the trumps another kind of "ordered" magic, in contrast to the raw chaotic, changing magic of the Courts which needs no crafted objects?
Everything Dworkin made -- Amber, the pattern, the trumps, walking in shadows -- apparently it's all just copied from the Courts. The entire symbolism of creating order from chaos is lost; he just copied things from his homeland and gave them a new name.
2. Merlin is an idiot:
This repeats for the entire book. It feels like Zelazny switched from presenting mysteries to both the protagonist and the reader, as he did in Corwin's cycle, to presenting mysteries to the protagonist which are obvious to the reader (and should have been to Merlin, too).
Merlin had a friend in college who had a mysterious past and was somehow able to defeat Merlin in physical competitions. Merlin had not considered for a moment that this man might be related to Amber.
I'll save you the list of examples. Here's a final example of just how puzzling Merlin's idiocy is: finding strange ammo with pink gunpowder, Merlin doesn't connect it to the ammo Corwin created -- so far it's fine. Then he takes it to Amber, makes the connection and tells the rest of the Amber gang it might be the special ammo that works in Amber. Martin then suggests to bring a rifle, and Merlin is confused as to why.
A few words on the ending:
There are two main issues:
1. Doubling down on the worldbuilding:
In Corwin's cycle, Amber was the kingdom of order, the one creating shadows of worlds and people until at some point the shadows give in to chaos at the edge. There lies the Courts of Chaos, the antithesis of Amber. What would life there be? how would one who grew up there behave? well, as it turns out, the Courts of Chaos are just another kingdom full of regular people (only with magic and shape-shifting). Order and Chaos? more like two generic fantasy kingdoms.
It was well established in Corwin's cycle that one had to walk the pattern to gain the ability to walk shadows -- shadows are a unique product of amber, after all. Merlin even states it clearly at the end of the previous book, saying that he wishes to walk the pattern for this exact reason. In this current book, however, Merlin tells us differently: there's basically a "chaotic" pattern in the Courts, and anyone who walks it can then walk in shadow. How do they have it? why? did shadows exist before Amber? isn't the pattern the symbol of order that allows the control chaos?
It was heavily implied in Corwin's cycle that the Trumps were invented by Dworkin. But no, the Courts have their own "chaotic" trumps. Wasn't the trumps another kind of "ordered" magic, in contrast to the raw chaotic, changing magic of the Courts which needs no crafted objects?
Everything Dworkin made -- Amber, the pattern, the trumps, walking in shadows -- apparently it's all just copied from the Courts. The entire symbolism of creating order from chaos is lost; he just copied things from his homeland and gave them a new name.
2. Merlin is an idiot:
This repeats for the entire book. It feels like Zelazny switched from presenting mysteries to both the protagonist and the reader, as he did in Corwin's cycle, to presenting mysteries to the protagonist which are obvious to the reader (and should have been to Merlin, too).
Merlin had a friend in college who had a mysterious past and was somehow able to defeat Merlin in physical competitions. Merlin had not considered for a moment that this man might be related to Amber.
I'll save you the list of examples. Here's a final example of just how puzzling Merlin's idiocy is: finding strange ammo with pink gunpowder, Merlin doesn't connect it to the ammo Corwin created -- so far it's fine. Then he takes it to Amber, makes the connection and tells the rest of the Amber gang it might be the special ammo that works in Amber. Martin then suggests to bring a rifle, and Merlin is confused as to why.
A few words on the ending:
April 25, 2019
It took me a bit to get used to Merle as the new narrator of The Chronicles of Amber, but soon I've grown to like him. The way that novel's starts off reminded me a bit of the Nine Princes in Amber. If you remember, Corwin is trying to figure out who tried to kill him and the fact that he wakes up with amnesia doesn't help. Merle, on the other hand, doesn't have amnesia but there is much he doesn't know either. Who is trying to kill him and why? Every year on his birthday, someone tries to kill Merle.
At the start of the novel, Merle is living on shadow Earth, being a brilliant computer expert and a student. I actually like that Merlin is, in many way, different from his father. If he was just a copy, this series would be far less interesting. Unlike Corwin in the first novel, Merle is very much aware who he is, but you also get the vibe he is not entirely sure what it all means. It is almost as Merle wants to forget about his true origins while he is playing the student part and really who could blame him? His family life and relations are as hopelessly complicated as Corwin's, so in that Merle is his father's son.
Trumps of Doom is the sixth book in The Chronicles of Amber series and the first book in the Merlin's series. I liked it less than the other books in the series just because the plot wasn't as strong. It's not because of Merlin, it didn't took me long to get used to him as a narrator. It is possible that I enjoyed it a bit less because this first book is more introductory. It seems a bit less dynamic. You get to hear a lot of interesting conversations, see notable characters from the Amber chronicles make an appearance and get a chance to learn more about the book's protagonist.
At the start of the novel, Merle is living on shadow Earth, being a brilliant computer expert and a student. I actually like that Merlin is, in many way, different from his father. If he was just a copy, this series would be far less interesting. Unlike Corwin in the first novel, Merle is very much aware who he is, but you also get the vibe he is not entirely sure what it all means. It is almost as Merle wants to forget about his true origins while he is playing the student part and really who could blame him? His family life and relations are as hopelessly complicated as Corwin's, so in that Merle is his father's son.
Trumps of Doom is the sixth book in The Chronicles of Amber series and the first book in the Merlin's series. I liked it less than the other books in the series just because the plot wasn't as strong. It's not because of Merlin, it didn't took me long to get used to him as a narrator. It is possible that I enjoyed it a bit less because this first book is more introductory. It seems a bit less dynamic. You get to hear a lot of interesting conversations, see notable characters from the Amber chronicles make an appearance and get a chance to learn more about the book's protagonist.
February 16, 2011
Merle Corey's got several problems. He's secretly Merlin, a Prince of Amber. His father Corwin has been missing for years. Oh, and someone tries to kill him every April 30th for reasons unknown. The story starts with Merle getting ready to leave Shadow Earth behind and devote himself to working on his Ghostwheel when an old girlfriend he goes to say goodbye to winds up dead. The trail leads Merle to a conjurer and then back to Amber, where he learns he isn't the only Amberite whose had attempts on his life. But what does his friend Luke have to do with things?
It took me almost a calendar year to finally start reading the second Amber seriers. So far, I'm liking it a lot. Having read the first series, it's a little easier to follow due to knowing something of Amber's workings already. The mystery of Luke was pretty well done. I like that the bullets Corwin had created in Guns of Avalon came back into play. I also like that Merlin isn't a Corwin duplicate.
Like I said, so far I'm enjoying the second chronicles of Amber. It's like visiting with an old friend. On to the next one!
It took me almost a calendar year to finally start reading the second Amber seriers. So far, I'm liking it a lot. Having read the first series, it's a little easier to follow due to knowing something of Amber's workings already. The mystery of Luke was pretty well done. I like that the bullets Corwin had created in Guns of Avalon came back into play. I also like that Merlin isn't a Corwin duplicate.
Like I said, so far I'm enjoying the second chronicles of Amber. It's like visiting with an old friend. On to the next one!
January 24, 2011
The first time I read this, I remember being so disappointed that this second series set in the Amber universe featured a different protagonist from the first series. I also remember being told that the second series didn't really hold up compared to the first and that the critics viewed it far less favorably. Despite that, I still absolutely love this book.
The first series focused on Order and was much more about that protagonist's single-minded journey toward capturing a throne that he felt was rightfully his. He is a man of action so the universe as presented through his first-person perspective is a backdrop to his tale of intrigue and revenge. The protagonist of this second series is a much more cerebral character. He is a representative of Chaos and is a student of the magical workings of the universe, therefore his tale naturally includes the fleshing out and explanation of the actual underpinnings of the universe that are only hinted at in the first series. I highly enjoy a well constructed fantasy universe, and I think a lot of the detractors of this series are put off by the relatively larger focus on the hows and the smaller focus on the whos as compared to the first series.
The structure of this opening book is a nice rhyme to the opening book in the first series. We start on the shadow Earth with our main character trying to figure out who is attempting to kill him. His father is missing and presumed dead. There are family members nearby keeping an eye on him. The parallels continue but for the sake of remaining spoiler free I'll simply say that I enjoyed the poetry of the symmetry, especially since being inside a new character's head was quite a jarring transition after following an entirely different character for five previous books.
Zelazny again crafts a compelling mystery and it's quite obvious that he did some serious planning for this series with all of the hints he plants so early on. His requisite cliffhanger ending makes its usual appearance, and it's a testament to his skill as a writer that this new narrator's voice doesn't sound like his old narrator's voice. This younger narrator is far less cynical, more naive, less droll, but still as compelling because of his unique background. The only thing I'm not really a fan of is the name of the book since it's never really seemed to be a good fit with the rest of the titles, but that's a quibble so minor that it's not even really a quibble.
I probably still prefer the first book in the first series more than this one, but they're both extremely satisfying beginnings for entirely different reasons. I'm glad that this one has held up for me no matter how many times I've read it and I'll be forever sad that Zelazny died before he could write his third series that would have featured both of his main protagonists working together.
The first series focused on Order and was much more about that protagonist's single-minded journey toward capturing a throne that he felt was rightfully his. He is a man of action so the universe as presented through his first-person perspective is a backdrop to his tale of intrigue and revenge. The protagonist of this second series is a much more cerebral character. He is a representative of Chaos and is a student of the magical workings of the universe, therefore his tale naturally includes the fleshing out and explanation of the actual underpinnings of the universe that are only hinted at in the first series. I highly enjoy a well constructed fantasy universe, and I think a lot of the detractors of this series are put off by the relatively larger focus on the hows and the smaller focus on the whos as compared to the first series.
The structure of this opening book is a nice rhyme to the opening book in the first series. We start on the shadow Earth with our main character trying to figure out who is attempting to kill him. His father is missing and presumed dead. There are family members nearby keeping an eye on him. The parallels continue but for the sake of remaining spoiler free I'll simply say that I enjoyed the poetry of the symmetry, especially since being inside a new character's head was quite a jarring transition after following an entirely different character for five previous books.
Zelazny again crafts a compelling mystery and it's quite obvious that he did some serious planning for this series with all of the hints he plants so early on. His requisite cliffhanger ending makes its usual appearance, and it's a testament to his skill as a writer that this new narrator's voice doesn't sound like his old narrator's voice. This younger narrator is far less cynical, more naive, less droll, but still as compelling because of his unique background. The only thing I'm not really a fan of is the name of the book since it's never really seemed to be a good fit with the rest of the titles, but that's a quibble so minor that it's not even really a quibble.
I probably still prefer the first book in the first series more than this one, but they're both extremely satisfying beginnings for entirely different reasons. I'm glad that this one has held up for me no matter how many times I've read it and I'll be forever sad that Zelazny died before he could write his third series that would have featured both of his main protagonists working together.
April 30, 2021
I picked up this book with a bit of sorrow and lowered expectations. I know that prince Corwin was no longer the prime player, that role having passed on to his son Merle Corey and I did not expect to get as sucked in to the story as I did.
Zelazny surprised me though, the start is just as much as a hook as the very first of the Amber books: April 30th dawns with Merle packing up his life about to go on a long trip with no solid itinerary or destination. All he is waiting for is to face the annual attempt on his life that has been a feature of every April 30th for some years now... But this time he wants to follow it up a little more and find the cause, the attempted assassin and their reasons.
How can a beginning like that not hook you in?
The story is fun and I liked Merle a lot, as a character he shares a fair bit with Corwin, including his fondness for Earth, various physical abilities and power over shadow. However he has enough differences to make him a distinct character; he also has power from the Logus of Chaos through his mother's side, he is less fond of the sword as a weapon of choice, and more fond of hiking through shadow rather than riding. Also, there is the fact he has studied computers on Earth which leads to a plot element that I remember lasting through the next books. The Ghostwheel that he has built in a far and unique shadow, intended as a computer to compile information from shadow but which has clearly become sentient. One of the early AI themed stories in fact, though that tends to get swallowed by the sorcery element of the story.
In this book however, I come up against the first real hurdle I have with the Amber series. It is beyond belief how much trust Merle continues to put in Luke, after he has been proven untrustworthy. It is irreconcilable that he just takes him on trust (and to the Ghostwheel) when he KNOWS that Luke has been trying to kill him, and that someone (hmmm I wonder who) has been trying to kill his entire Amber family, even succeeding in one case. This is after Merle has had pointed out to him that Luke has the physical prowess of the Royal Amberites. AFTER!
I think this laziness comes from Corwin in the first books, Corwin was lazy and fairly unfussed about keeping enemies and potential enemies by his side. But Corwin had centuries of practice keeping his homicidal family at bay, which Merle is (relatively) a kid, but a kid that should know better. I am sorry, but he should not be that credulous, it is not believable, in this context he deserved to be imprisoned and he did not deserve to get out that easily. Explanations are owed to the reader, at some point at least and Merle's character takes a bit of a beating from this pretty irreconcilable writing flaw.
Zelazny surprised me though, the start is just as much as a hook as the very first of the Amber books: April 30th dawns with Merle packing up his life about to go on a long trip with no solid itinerary or destination. All he is waiting for is to face the annual attempt on his life that has been a feature of every April 30th for some years now... But this time he wants to follow it up a little more and find the cause, the attempted assassin and their reasons.
How can a beginning like that not hook you in?
The story is fun and I liked Merle a lot, as a character he shares a fair bit with Corwin, including his fondness for Earth, various physical abilities and power over shadow. However he has enough differences to make him a distinct character; he also has power from the Logus of Chaos through his mother's side, he is less fond of the sword as a weapon of choice, and more fond of hiking through shadow rather than riding. Also, there is the fact he has studied computers on Earth which leads to a plot element that I remember lasting through the next books. The Ghostwheel that he has built in a far and unique shadow, intended as a computer to compile information from shadow but which has clearly become sentient. One of the early AI themed stories in fact, though that tends to get swallowed by the sorcery element of the story.
In this book however, I come up against the first real hurdle I have with the Amber series. It is beyond belief how much trust Merle continues to put in Luke, after he has been proven untrustworthy. It is irreconcilable that he just takes him on trust (and to the Ghostwheel) when he KNOWS that Luke has been trying to kill him, and that someone (hmmm I wonder who) has been trying to kill his entire Amber family, even succeeding in one case. This is after Merle has had pointed out to him that Luke has the physical prowess of the Royal Amberites. AFTER!
I think this laziness comes from Corwin in the first books, Corwin was lazy and fairly unfussed about keeping enemies and potential enemies by his side. But Corwin had centuries of practice keeping his homicidal family at bay, which Merle is (relatively) a kid, but a kid that should know better. I am sorry, but he should not be that credulous, it is not believable, in this context he deserved to be imprisoned and he did not deserve to get out that easily. Explanations are owed to the reader, at some point at least and Merle's character takes a bit of a beating from this pretty irreconcilable writing flaw.
November 16, 2009
For some reason the person who wrote the GR blurb for this made it sound like an entry in the "ordinary guy/gal discovers they are special" genre -- this is not the case. Merlin, the main character, knows perfectly well who his parents are and what powers his family has. He is just hanging out being a computer geek and doing some experiments for fun. The mysterious part is why someone attacks him on the same day every year.
This is the beginning of the second cycle in the Chronicles of Amber. It is not 100% necessary to have read the first five books but it will definitely give you a richer background. Also that series is really good!
This is the beginning of the second cycle in the Chronicles of Amber. It is not 100% necessary to have read the first five books but it will definitely give you a richer background. Also that series is really good!
June 12, 2024
Майже вся фабула першої книги з П'ятикнижжя Мерліна спирається на загадку - чому 30-го квітня кожного року хочуть вбити головного героя? Це основна загадка, а є ще купа побічних, які пов'язані між собою, але майже всі вони до кінця книги залишились невирішеними. Ну хіба що трішечки, якийсь натяк, і все. Перегорнув останню сторінку, і таке враження, що закінчилась лише перша глава роману, а не сама книга. Можливо, так і задумано, всі п'ять книг мають бути цілісним твором, але ж все таки, хоча би трішки більше відповідей, і було би все ок.
Та й в цілому, перша книга П'ятикнижжя Мерліна на мій погляд, все ж таки слабше, ніж перша книга П'ятикнижжя Корвіна. Подивимось, що буде далі, але поки що не так щоб і вражає.
Та й в цілому, перша книга П'ятикнижжя Мерліна на мій погляд, все ж таки слабше, ніж перша книга П'ятикнижжя Корвіна. Подивимось, що буде далі, але поки що не так щоб і вражає.
March 30, 2017
Kinda of a steampunk fantasy, the second arc of Amber series starts off strong with Corwin's son Merlin the main character. The series is getting stronger, and more interesting as it progresses.
May 26, 2015
Honestly, my least favorite of the Amber books thus far. A whole bunch of nothing happened, and it felt like a bit of rehash from previous books (namely, I believe, #3), wherein people are being attacked, and they all convene in Amber for some reason, chat amongst themselves, then leave and make a dramatic discovery right at the end.
The book was a definite tone change from the first five, partially due to the change of protagonist, and partially just due to being...different. Not bad, just different. It'll take some getting used to - but even aside from that, the book was much less interesting; neither dramatic nor really fulfilling.
I will still continue through the series (I already bought the rest of the books, so...) but this one wasn't the most inspiring.
The book was a definite tone change from the first five, partially due to the change of protagonist, and partially just due to being...different. Not bad, just different. It'll take some getting used to - but even aside from that, the book was much less interesting; neither dramatic nor really fulfilling.
I will still continue through the series (I already bought the rest of the books, so...) but this one wasn't the most inspiring.
January 5, 2008
I've been reading the Chronicles of Amber straight through, and this book, number 6, is the best yet. I haven't read Zelazny's other work, but I get the feeling that he really grew as a writer over the years from the beginning of the Amber novels. Trumps of Doom, the beginning of the second series within the Chronicles, takes us on a new path, as we follow the son of Corwin, the narrator of the earlier books. As with the original series, we begin in our own Earth, and the first half of the book reads like a good, hardboiled detective novel -- with a little magic thrown in for good measure! As established characters make their appearances, and as our protagonist leaves Earth for shadow worlds, we unfortunately lose that gumshoe delivery and tone, which is too bad. Still, this one was fun, and as usual I'm looking forward to the next.
December 11, 2009
Very much a reflection of Nine Princes In Amber, but I liked the more modern tone and I think it held the pace and suspense even better.
January 5, 2017
გემრიელია. მივიწყებული ისტორიის კარგი გაგრძელებაა, კორვინის გაცნობის პირველი დღეების მსგავსი. თანაც, მამას ჰგავს ბიჭი.
Read
December 7, 2015This is copy number 38 of 400 signed numbered copies.
March 26, 2017
Том втори от „Хрониките на Амбър” съдържа поредните четири романа (части от 4 до 7) от многотомната фентъзи сага на доайена Роджър Зелазни. Легендарната поредица е задължителна за феновете на жанра и съвсем с право е включена в колекцията на издателство „Бард” „Велики майстори на фентъзи и фантастика”. Прочетете ревюто на "Книжни Криле":
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https://knijnikrile.wordpress.com/201...
November 15, 2016
É sempre muito difícil para um escritor de uma série mudar o protagonista, iniciando uma nova história. Muitos fãs, acostumados com o protagonista dos primeiros livros, resistem essa mudança.
No caso de Trumps of Doom, a transição para Merlin, o filho do protagonista dos primeiros cinco livros, ficou interessante, mesmo com a história seguindo o mesmo formato do primeiro livro da saga de Âmbar.
A narrativa em primeira pessoa mostra a habilidade de Zelanzny, pois Merlin soa bem diferente de seu pai. Ele é mais cerebral, menos impulsivo, mais mago ocultista do que guerreiro.
A trama segue a linha do mistério, com o protagonista investigando uma série de ameaças e atentados contra sua vida, e se vendo dentro, é claro, de uma conspiração que envolve tanto a Cidade Primordial de Âmbar quanto os Reinos do Caos.
O ritmo é frenético, com momentos de ação, reviravoltas e revelações.
Mais uma vez, Zelazny consegue contar uma história com personagens com poderes sobre-humanos, estilos de vida completamente bizarros (são imortais para valer que viajam em infinitas realidades paralelas) e mesmo assim gerando indentificação com o leitor. E seu estilo sintético de prosa também ajuda muito, encaixa muito bem no estilo pulp-chique de suas histórias.
E vamos para o SÉTIMO LIVRO DA SAGA DE ÂMBAR!
No caso de Trumps of Doom, a transição para Merlin, o filho do protagonista dos primeiros cinco livros, ficou interessante, mesmo com a história seguindo o mesmo formato do primeiro livro da saga de Âmbar.
A narrativa em primeira pessoa mostra a habilidade de Zelanzny, pois Merlin soa bem diferente de seu pai. Ele é mais cerebral, menos impulsivo, mais mago ocultista do que guerreiro.
A trama segue a linha do mistério, com o protagonista investigando uma série de ameaças e atentados contra sua vida, e se vendo dentro, é claro, de uma conspiração que envolve tanto a Cidade Primordial de Âmbar quanto os Reinos do Caos.
O ritmo é frenético, com momentos de ação, reviravoltas e revelações.
Mais uma vez, Zelazny consegue contar uma história com personagens com poderes sobre-humanos, estilos de vida completamente bizarros (são imortais para valer que viajam em infinitas realidades paralelas) e mesmo assim gerando indentificação com o leitor. E seu estilo sintético de prosa também ajuda muito, encaixa muito bem no estilo pulp-chique de suas histórias.
E vamos para o SÉTIMO LIVRO DA SAGA DE ÂMBAR!
April 30, 2011
sad to lose the lead character from the previous Amber series. The style of writing remains unchanged. I'm getting attached to Amber. This series is captivating, it kept my attention through every page, and that is saying something.
March 24, 2020
Well, Random was definitely right about Ghostwheel being a dangerous creation. I wonder why Luke has been trying to kill Merlin. I'm certain their was more than what was stated within the novel. I also did not expect Merlin to wind up as a prisoner
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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