Customer Reviews

Courts of Chaos

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Finally, the end is in sight. With the fifth volume in the Amber series Zelazny brings the first cycle to a close. Oberon has returned to the throne, Brand has been revealed as the real traitor, and the Courts of Chaos await the final battle for Amber's existence. Corwin finds his sudden relegation to second fiddle irksome, especially since Oberon's offhand manner hasn't changed in the least, but he knows his duty and the family pulls together for the final struggle.

The key order of business is to repair the damage to the pattern and close down the threat of the black road. Oberon's final decision, to remake the pattern is one that will likely kill him, whether he succeeds or fails, and Corwin suddenly discovers that his irritation with his father is only skin deep. It is with a heavy heart that Corwin follows his father's command and starts his hell ride for the courts.

And runs straight into Brand, who has no intention of allowing Corwin and Oberon to undo his plotting and return things to normal. Corwin is delayed by one conflict after another. Not only is the final outcome in doubt, but the reader must cope with the possibility of two endings at once.

It was no mean feat in the 1970's to turn out a five volume series that could keep reader interest at a high level. As the volumes progress, the writing develops, and it is interesting to compare this book, which consists of one long and detailed hell ride to other efforts in the series to capture traveling through the shadows. The Courts of Chaos find Zelazny a much stronger writer than he was when the series started out. He not only sets a compelling pace, but Corwin's character blooms as a several thousand year old man suddenly matures before out eyes.

The Courts of Chaos is really the best of the series that had a great start and then wobbled a bit in the middle. It guaranteed that Amber would have a place in the hearts of fantasy lovers for some time to come, and set the scene for the next five Amber volumes. While these aren't my favorite Zelazny works, they are still outstanding writing.

The battle of Brand and Corwin reaches its climax as everyone tries to create a new pattern in the battle with Chaos itself.

Courts of Chaos has all the usual twists and turns of an Amber novel. It is an absolutely wonderful series and it probably goes without saying that you should begin at the beginning, and not here.

What a sad, thin little book The Courts of Chaos turned out to be. Roger Zelazny's fifth installment in the Chronicles of Amber weighs in at a barely-a-novella 142 pages (in my Avon mass market paperback edition). Our hero Corwin spends about 100 pages running through a veritable Through The Looking Glass hellride to the Courts of Chaos, to stop the villain from doing an Insane Bad Guy thing. I won't ruin it for anybody by spoiling the name of this Insane Bad Guy; suffice it to say that he's not very nice, and is chasing and harassing Corwin every step of the way.

Corwin encounters leprechauns, a talking tree named Ygg, and an obnoxious bird called Hugi (with whom he has an extended dialog about the nature and futility of reality). I'll give Zelazny this much: he's not afraid to borrow from Western European lore, or to twist the neck off a bird. Yggdrasil and Huginn/Muninn are pulled directly from the Icelandic sagas.

Corwin no longer wants to be king. He realizes that after we have been stuck with the chain-smoking meathead for four and a half books. Eric's death, he has very little desire to occupy the throne, despite his love for Amber. He must repair the Pattern, and stop The Insane Bad Guy. The Unicorn (who happens to be his Grandmother--don't ask. Really.) will crown the new monarch. I'll let the reader guess which of the obnoxious siblings will get the crown.

I make light of the series probably because after five books, Amber had no effect on my psyche. Like most adventures, I rooted for the good guy, and wondered at the motives of the bad guy. I sort of gagged a bit at the idea of Dworkin having Unicorn sex (insert appropriate joke about "good piece of ass" here).

I wanted the five Corwin novels to work: really, I did. Of them all, I found myself wishing they were better with every passing book. The writing was good; the ideas were fair, but poorly executed. The characters were weak at best, and abhorrent at worst. I am still hoping for the mystique, but I never caught it. The books are simply not on a par with Bujold, or LeGuin or McCaffrey; certainly not as strong as Herbert, Heinlein or Card. What was Zelazny doing? He must have had something better up his sleeve, or maybe (yuk yuk) frozen in Amber somewhere.

The fifth entry in the Amber Chronicles, this is the best so far. Zelazny wraps up loose ends and brings the first Amber series to a close. But unlike the final entries in some other series, this doesn't suffer from anticlimactic unraveling. Instead, the action reaches a climactic point -- no more of the overlong exposition here -- and we're truly in suspense awaiting the fate of Corwin, and Amber. Zelazny's psychedelic renderings as Corwin passes through alternate realities have improved since early on and are, well, a trip!

Satisfying. I'm so glad I stayed with Amber despite not liking the first book. I'm looking forward to finding out where Zelazny takes things in the second series. I'm already awaiting my copy of Trumps of Doom (Chronicles of Amber)!

(Incidentally, the Amber novels are now in print only as a single large anthology: The Great Book of Amber: The Complete Amber Chronicles, 1-10 (Chronicles of Amber). Since I don't want to lug that around, I'm reading old copies of the paperbacks instead.)

With Oberon back, war with Chaos appears inevitable, something which does not thrill Corwin. Oberon therefore dispatches him on a mission through Shadow.

More subterfuge is discovered, and in the end, the unicorn with the Jewel of Judgement appears.

I think that this book is the best of the best of fiction fantasy. Zelazney ends this riveting series with a profoundly moving final book, probably the best I have ever read. It is absolutely incredible, and no words I can use will do it justice.

Corwin passes the witness to Merlin for the second half (other 5 books) of the Amber saga. This book is exceptionally well written: the last chapters have a romantic aura. Don't miss it, but probably you need what comes first.

READ THE AMBER CHRONICLES - YOU WILL NEVER, EVER REGRET IT!

well, maybe one thing - you'll have difficulty finding anything else as good.

This series was damn good. 'Nuff said

Roger Zelazny is one of the best authors of any genre. I have read every book in this series at least three times and will read them again. I hope there will be more in the series.