Amber Chronicles

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 15 Jul 2002, and now archived in the Forum Library.

catlin	15 Jul 2002
Ok, I have read the first 300 pages of the Amber Chronicles and I have to admit that I am very disappointed. Ok, there are tarot cards in it but I do not like the lack of plot. There is always one person either running away from the rest of his/her siblings or from "teh shadow" or trying to assasinate each other, etc. I expected something like LOTR or the Stephen Lawhead books but *pout* I really regret the money I spent on this book.

Sullanciri2002	15 Jul 2002
I can relate to what you've said, catlin. I love fantasy-story-universes and have got more books than I can house at present. The Amber Chronicles were said to be good stuff by a friend or two, but they hadn't said just how far into the series they were ... and I admit having a hard time getting into the saga (I'm already trying to follow too many different series as it is, and one more threathened to produce an overload - argghh, too many different gods and heroes, etc ....). Then again, when I saw the tarot deck ... I kinda regretted not making a bigger effort: if my two friends had been into the tarot, they'd gone nuts over the artwork (guess the deck should be used as a visual companion to the books).

catlin	15 Jul 2002
Hi, I just ordered the Chronicles after I got my long searched Amber deck but somehow I have the feeling that the characters do not match the traditional meaning of the court cards. In fact, I find it extremely hard to get any idea about the book's characters at all, they just seem wooden and liveless to me, sorry to say that.

truthsayer	15 Jul 2002
sorry that you are disappointed in the series, catlin. the trumps used in the series really aren't tarot cards. they are like a means of communication and travel w/ the characters in the novel. the amber tarot deck imho, isn't what the trumps in the series is at all. the storyline does tend to amble rather mindlessly. i can't tell you why i liked it so much but at the time i read it i was stressed and couldn't read anything deep. i just wanted to be entertained. if you want a deeper plot, this series isn't for you. there's lots of action and intrigue but as far as a guiding theme or principle i can't really think of one. the first series is about corwin. he's trying to figure out some kind of plot against him and other family members. in the second, corwin has disappeared and his son merlin goes adventures out to rescue him. it's similar to the first. i can't say i understood all the things that happens in the amber series like the concept of shadow. my hypothesis is that shadow is any world other than the world of amber. shadow can bleed into amber and this is a problem. there's also lots of magic that zelazny invented for the story line. zelazny does has some exceptionally well written books like "lord of light". i also liked "donnerjack" his last novel.

truthsayer	15 Jul 2002
i've never been able to get thru LOTR b/c it's so detailed that i get lost in all that detail. in other words, i get bored. tolkien definitely lived in the world he created and his characters are fully developed. he was definitely a master writer. the amber characters do tend to be one dimensional. i feel like zelazny started this series for fun-maybe to fulfill a publishing contract. something light b/t the heavier works he did. he was probably surprized when the series did so well. you can tell in the last book of the merlin series where he just gives out of steam and ends the book.

lunalafey	15 Jul 2002
I found the series after a friend recommendation. I found it to be fast reading and just entertaining, nothing too spectacular, but still enjoyed it. My favorite part are the cards. If you want to read something of a fantisy/spirit combination, read Charles DeLint...GOOD STUFF!!!!!

catlin	16 Jul 2002
Hi folks, Thanks for your input. I read a bit more in the Amber Chronicles but they did not warm my heart. No stuff for me, sorry but I think I will check out luna's recommendation. Thanks.

tabbycat	16 Jul 2002
Yeah, lunalafey, Charles de Lint is great! Probably the best ones to start with would be Moonheart or Greenmantle, which have a Celtic/English folklore background. I also like Peter S Beagle, who, alas, isn't as prolific as de Lint. The Last Unicorn is his best known book, and The Folk of the Air is another good one. Have to say that I did enjoy the Amber books, but I read them when they first came out and they probably seem a little dated now. I only read the first five - Nine Princes in Amber through to the Courts of Chaos - and I've never read the Merlin ones. Oh, you might also try The Warlock in Spite of Himself and the rest of that series by Chirstopher Stasheff - excellent humourous fantasy! Jilly

faunabay	16 Jul 2002
I read the chronicles many years ago and loved them!! I'm getting interested in rereading them again.....I wonder how I'll like them now??? hmmmmmmm

truthsayer	16 Jul 2002
i loved the amber chronicles so much that i even named one of my cats "amber" b/c of them. she was a reddish orange that could be called amber, too.

The Amber Chronicles thread was originally posted on 15 Jul 2002 in the Chat board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Chat, or read more archived threads.