Confronting his deadliest enemy in a reincarnated Julia, his former lover, Merlin of Amber is forced to choose between the Patterns of Amber and Chaos while continuing his search for his father, Corwin. Reprint.
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From Publishers Weekly
Depending on how you count, this is either the ninth book of Zelazny's Amber series, or the fourth book in the new Amber "trilogy." Fans of the soap opera that Amber has become will welcome this new title. Readers who enjoyed the poetic writing, skilled plotting and crafted characterizations of the original Amber books will be disappointed again. Merlin, son of Corwin, who was the hero of the original series, narrates this sequence, and here continued to bumble through encounters with new powers that are completely incompatible with the original mythos. The good guys won't talk to each other, the bad guys somehow know everything, plot elements are left hanging and characters lack depth and motivation. Most of the important action happens offstage, and promised explanations never materialize.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Library Journal
Lured by his own good intentions into a soundless netherworld which diminishes his innate magic, Merlin confronts his dual heritage as a pawn in the rivalry between the Courts of Amber and Chaos in the ninth volume of the author's popular Amber series. Combining political intrigue, swashbuckling adventure, magical duels, and modern technology, Zelazny's latest novel, though dependent on its predecessors, will appeal to series fans. Recommended. Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 6/15/89.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
By FMG
Format:Mass Market Paperback
To say this book's narrative flows like a dream is not entirely a compliment. One fantasic and confusing scene blends into another, in which sword fights, bizarre symbolism, and magical guides figure prominantly. Much remains obscure and unexplained by the end of the novel, perhaps to be returned to in later offerings, perhaps just thrown out there as a loose thread. The first couple chapters are devoted to recapping the backstory which has taken place in the previous books in this series, in the form of an extended conversation between two of the charactors, something which I expected a writer of Zelazny's skill to do more unobtrusively.
This second Amber series is but a Shadow (ha,ha) of the first, (which itself seemed to become more distorted and unreal the further it got away from the brilliant, original, and hard edged first book, Nine Princes in Amber.) Zelazny's writing can't help but be intensely poetic, and - don't get me wrong - the book does contain significant merit and imagination, and might in fact be considered a jewel in the crown of a lesser writer, but compared with Zelazny's other writing, I feel in this spin off series he has been driven to plagiarizing himself.
For Zelazny at his best try some of his stand alone books like "Jack of Shadows", "Doorways in the Sand", and "The Dream Master."
This second Amber series is but a Shadow (ha,ha) of the first, (which itself seemed to become more distorted and unreal the further it got away from the brilliant, original, and hard edged first book, Nine Princes in Amber.) Zelazny's writing can't help but be intensely poetic, and - don't get me wrong - the book does contain significant merit and imagination, and might in fact be considered a jewel in the crown of a lesser writer, but compared with Zelazny's other writing, I feel in this spin off series he has been driven to plagiarizing himself.
For Zelazny at his best try some of his stand alone books like "Jack of Shadows", "Doorways in the Sand", and "The Dream Master."
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4.0 out of 5 stars
9 reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Flair, fantasy, humor
Oct 26 2004
By frumiousb
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Mass Market Paperback
Bias alert. I should start this review by saying that I am not sure that Zelazny could write a bad book. Non-Zelazny fans may disagree.
Merlin is very clearly the son of Corwin. He is irreverent about the holy ghosts of Amber and Chaos. He hits his head against the rules (and sometimes even wins). Despite an overly-long sequence in a strange testing ground between shadows, Zelzany still infuses this book with the manic strangeness and humor that are part of what make him such a wonderful writer. As noted, virtually none of the Amber novels can be read stand-alone or out of sequence. You are going to have to read the books before this one to get the background. And you are going to have to read the ones after this to get an explanation. An enjoyable task, luckily.
Merlin is very clearly the son of Corwin. He is irreverent about the holy ghosts of Amber and Chaos. He hits his head against the rules (and sometimes even wins). Despite an overly-long sequence in a strange testing ground between shadows, Zelzany still infuses this book with the manic strangeness and humor that are part of what make him such a wonderful writer. As noted, virtually none of the Amber novels can be read stand-alone or out of sequence. You are going to have to read the books before this one to get the background. And you are going to have to read the ones after this to get an explanation. An enjoyable task, luckily.
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent, funny, is this real life perhaps!
Feb 22 1998
By annycat@yahoo.com
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Mass Market Paperback
Son of Corwin (Amber series) goes to college in USA (Earth-shadow) and gets into all sorts of strange adventures. Merlin's computer (is this a throw-back to Illuminatus) is a great help or is it? Or should I say he? If you liked the Amber series you'll enjoy this. It is different. Merlin isn't Corwin and has a lot more naivitie (may irritate some readers) but it's the hero going out into the world to find ... what? Himself? His father? Who's trying to kill him? The world jumping is different from shadow-walking. I reccommend readers trying some world jumping themselves - it's amazing what can happen!
4.0 out of 5 stars
Fun, but marks time quite a bit
April 11 2012
By Brent Butler
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Mass Market Paperback
"Knight of Shadows" is Merlin's Vision Quest, similar to Corwin's allegorical journey in the last book of the Amber series. Although I still like the two books, Zelazny's normal fascinating stories slow down considerably when he decides to go this route. Merlin becomes trapped in a symbolic battle between the Pattern and the Logrus, and for most of the book we have no idea where Merlin's encounter with a land between shadows relates to the three plus books leading up to here.
On the good side, things liven up quite a bit towards the end of Merlin's trials here. The magic and Merlin's pluckiness get fun again.
Zelazny introduces a new type of character into the series in "Knight of Shadows". They become surprisingly interesting and sympathetic figures in the story, and I thought they were a very imaginative idea. I won't give more details about them, because that would spoil the fun. :-)
As in all the Amber books, the volume cannot stand on its own. It is in essence the fourth 20% of one very long book, since Merlin's story starts on page one of book one and doesn't slow down until the last page of book five ... if you can even consider that to be the end. LOL
I consider both five book series to be highly original and imaginative sets of fiction, and have always applauded Roger Zelazny for the hours of entertainment he thereby provided me.
On the good side, things liven up quite a bit towards the end of Merlin's trials here. The magic and Merlin's pluckiness get fun again.
Zelazny introduces a new type of character into the series in "Knight of Shadows". They become surprisingly interesting and sympathetic figures in the story, and I thought they were a very imaginative idea. I won't give more details about them, because that would spoil the fun. :-)
As in all the Amber books, the volume cannot stand on its own. It is in essence the fourth 20% of one very long book, since Merlin's story starts on page one of book one and doesn't slow down until the last page of book five ... if you can even consider that to be the end. LOL
I consider both five book series to be highly original and imaginative sets of fiction, and have always applauded Roger Zelazny for the hours of entertainment he thereby provided me.
›
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4.0 out of 5 stars
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