The novel by the American writer Roger Zelazny "The Nine Princes of Amber": description and reviews

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

The Nine Princes of Amber by Roger Zelazny is the banner of the writer, thanks to which the science fiction writer is known all over the world. If you ask fans of fantasy literature what is Zelazny's most famous work, readers will answer without hesitation: The Chronicles of Amber.

Creativity by Roger Zelazny

Roger Zelazny seriously decided to dedicate his life to literature when the writer's story "The Game of Passion" came out. Zelazny won the prestigious Hugo Award for his next story, A Rose for Ecclesiastes. In 1965, after he received two other important science fiction awards in a row, Zelazny decided to leave his job in social security and focus on writing.

On the advice of colleagues, the writer decides to use the services of a literary agent to promote his texts in publishing houses. He later moves from B altimore to Santa Fe. In this New Mexico town, the writer writes all his famous novels and short stories. In Santa Fe, Zelazny became the owner of a black belt in aikido, here he read stories on the local radio with success.

Roger Zelazny wrote a large number of works throughout his life. In addition to the "Universe of Amber", he created many other equally fascinating creations. Repeatedly, the writer was awarded such prestigious awards as Hugo, Apollo, Nebula. Locus magazine honored the writer for The Chronicles of Amber.

The writer was married twice. The first marriage lasted only a couple of years, and from the second marriage he had three children: two sons and a daughter. Shortly before Zelazny's death, he lived with Jane Lindskold, with whom he managed to write a couple of novels in collaboration.

Roger Zelazny passed away in 1995. He died of kidney cancer. The writer in his will asked not to bury the body in the ground, but to burn it, and scatter the ashes in the wind. Close relatives fulfilled the last will of the famous science fiction writer.

Eternal City

The most famous book about the princes of Amber by Roger Zelazny contains 10 novels. "Chronicles of Amber" includes two volumes. Five novels from the first volume tell the story of Corwin, his struggle for power in Amber. In the second volume, the main character is no longer Corwin, but his son Merlin.

The order of the books about the Princes of Amber is as follows: first comes The Chronicles of Corvin (the first five novels, starting from Corwin's awakening in the hospital), and then The Chronicles of Merlin (the next five novels, the first work in the series is called "Fate Cards").

Also, Roger Zelazny wrote several stories that complement Amber's story. The stories were written in differentyears, until the death of Zelazny. These are such works as "The Hidden and Gisel" (1994), "The Blue Horse, the Dancing Mountains" (1995), "Mirror Corridor" (1996) and "By the way, about the lace" (1995). Zelazny gained followers who continued to write books about the nine princes of Amber. But these novels, according to readers, were not popular.

Meet Corwin

In a medical clinic, after a terrible car accident, Corwin regains consciousness, he does not remember what happened to him, all his past life was erased from his memory. He lies on the bed and tries to reconstruct the events of his life, but nothing works.

From the doctor, the protagonist receives information that his sister Evelyn will be able to remind him of his past life. Corwin escapes from the clinic and unexpectedly shows up at Evelyn's house. Corwin learns her real name is Flora. She does not hide that she is not very happy to see her brother. From a conversation with her, he realizes that he does not remember his brothers and sisters, whom Flora tells him about. When her sister is away on business, Corwin discovers tarot cards in her apartment with images of all family members.

Suddenly, the phone rings. Corvin's brother, Random, is hiding from evil people and asks for protection. Random is pursued by bandits all the way to Flora's house. Corwin and Random kill the people who were chasing the latter. Flora, when she left home, went to another dimension to her brother Eric, who is the king of Amber. She is loyal to Eric. He asks his sister to watch over his brother andkeep him updated.

Arden Forest

Having gotten rid of his pursuers, Random offers to go to Amber. The brothers are driving a car, but suddenly find themselves in a different reality. The world becomes different. They end up in the Arden Forest, which they need to pass in order to reach the goal of their journey. In the forest, they hear the approaching clatter of horse hooves. Corwin and Random are overtaken by a rider on a huge horse. The rider turned out to be their brother Julian, who guards all the paths in the forest at the behest of Eric. Julian attacks Corwin but fails. Corwin does not want to kill his brother and saves his life.

The brothers go further through the forest. They meet Sister Deirdre. Corwin can no longer remain silent, he confesses to Random and his sister that he has complete amnesia, he does not remember anything. He is told that the universe consists of reflections or parallel worlds. To get into Amber, you need to find the right reflection. Random advises Corwin to go to the city underwater, then he will remember everything he forgot.

Total Recall

Korwin follows his brother's recommendation and ends up in Remba. Here he will have to go through the fiery path of the labyrinth in order to remember who he is and what happened in his past life. In the labyrinth, Corwin's memory returns. Amber appears before his eyes, other worlds are just his reflections.

Corvin's father, Oberon, is missing, and his sons are fighting among themselves for power in Amber. Corwin ended up in one of the reflections under the name Earth after a battle with his older brother Eric. He lostmemory and spent many centuries in our world (time flows differently in reflections).

Corwin also learned that, thanks to the invention of Dworkin, a brilliant but crazy artist, the princes of Amber have the ability to communicate and travel through the worlds using maps, as well as simply using the imagination, or straight from the labyrinth.

Corwin vs. Eric

When Corwin finds out that he is one of the princes of Amber and was banished against his will to Earth by his brother Eric, he wants revenge. He is transferred to Amber and watches for Eric. They fight with swords. When Corwin wounds his brother and is already triumphant, soldiers loyal to the crown come to the aid of Eric. Corwin manages to escape from captivity, using the card with the image of Blaze in time.

After meeting, the brothers discuss what steps they should take, they decide to attack the usurper Eric. For these purposes, they collect a huge army. The brothers devised a plan which is to destroy Eric before he can be crowned.

Eric figured out the plans of the brothers. He uses a magical stone that can control the winds and creates a powerful storm that destroys the fleet and ground forces of the two rebellious brothers. The remnants of the army meet in the Forest of Arden. Eric gives the order to burn the forest to the ground. Corwin's warriors make an attempt to take Amber by storm. Blaze falls into the abyss, but Corwin manages to throw his brother a deck of magic cards. Corwin barely makes his way into the city with the surviving daredevils, but he is taken prisoner.

Power-hungry Eric wants to humiliate his brother, he orders Corwin to personally crown him. But in the head of Corvin matured a cunning plan. He takes the crown, but does not declare his brother king, but puts the crown on his head and calls himself, Corvina, king.

The Blind Prince

Eric is indignant, in a rage and anger he orders to seize Corvin, deprive him of his sight and imprison him in the darkest cell of the prison. Corwin hates his brother for blinding him and curses Eric. He spends a long time in jail, his eyes slowly recovering. At the feast, Corwin steals a spoon with which he wants to open the lock and escape.

Lighthouse on the island

Desperate, Corwin loses heart, but Dworkin suddenly appears before him, whom King Oberon imprisoned a long time ago for his insane plans to destroy Amber. Corwin asks a crazed artist to draw a lighthouse located on the island of Cabra in order to travel there.

Dvorkin fulfills the wishes of Prince Amber. With the help of the magical properties of Dworkin's drawings, Corwin leaves the dungeons of Amber and finds himself on a distant island, where his powers eventually return to him. This concludes the first novel of the Princes of Amber chronicles.

What happened next

Corvin is waiting for exciting journeys and the struggle for the throne, he has a son who actively continues his father's work, which consists in bringing justice, goodness and peace to the city of Amber.

In conclusion, it should be said that the cycle of novels was not completed. Chronicles of Zelazny about princesAmber have an open ending, which contributes to the birth of continuation stories. The sad thing is that these prequels (sequels) do not have anything in common with the ideas and intentions of the writer himself.