Nine Princes in Amber by Roger Zelazny
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I’m trying to decide if I should review this title as a stand-alone novel, or the entire series as one. Or both? How about both. Okay, both.
Begin with a man coming out of a coma, with no memory. A clean slate for the reader, a way to get some action started without requiring a lot of set-up. Toss in conflict– someone wants him to stay asleep. Add some texture– his “recovery” is borderline miraculous. At this point, the writer is free to make it up as he goes along.
And the reader may even suspect as much. But this is just the shadow of truth, and as the main character rediscovers himself, the reader discovers the wonderfully detailed universe the writer has in store.
The reader, appetite whetted, becomes ravenous. In the reader’s hand, a feast! But is it more than he can chew? 10 volumes? But he must. The reading is too good. The adventures too rich, the impulse for justice to strong.
This is the the first book in the Amber Chronicles. And as stories go, it even stands alone, if you want it to– the hero doesn’t exactly win, but he perseveres. Zelazny manages to balance the ending just right– the reader can stop where the hero escapes… or plunge into the next book, explore the deep potential of the world Zelazny has created, lock arms with the hero and pledge to stay by his side until he triumphs or dies trying.
This reader can’t wait to continue.