Prince of Chaos
The Chronicles of Amber, Book 10
Large Print Edition
By Roger Zelazny
G.K. Hall, 2001
ISBN: 0-7838-9292-6
Genre: Science Fiction - Fantasy
Reviewed by Sheldon Ztvordokov - November 22, 2004
After reading the first nine volumes in the Chronicles of Amber, you will find that Roger Zelazny has left many unanswered questions, and has left Merle, a.k.a. Merlin, son of Prince Corwin of Amber with some unfinished business, such as finding his father. In Prince of Chaos Zelazny nicely wraps up this lengthy, and unputdownable series. Be forewarned, at the end of this book you'll want to keep reading. Unfortunately this is the absolute last book in the Amber series as Zelazny passed-away in 1995 without writing any further books in the series. It is easy to imagine, however, that based on the ending of this book and the huge following that the series had, and still retains, that he would have written more Amber books had he the time.
In this last book in the series, Dara learns the truth about his mother, and Merle, who was raised as a Lord of Chaos rather than a Lord of Amber as he should have been, is placed on the throne by the intrigues of his relatives. (To discover which throne he ascends to, Amber or Chaos you'll have to read the book ;-) I will say, however, that Merle finds his father, and set him free. Together, Corwin and Merle stand against the many foes that are aligned against them. Individually, both men are stalwart and intriguing, together they are a powerhouse of will and magical power. The end, as expected, is suitably spectacular. It is however, a bit open ended, leaving you wanting more but satisfied in regard to how Corwin and Merle's stories are wrapped up.
The Chronicles of Amber by Roger Zelazny are, in my opinion, the best fantasy series in existence. Zelazny's writing it lyrical and imaginative and while there are pitfalls in the storyline, the world of Amber is so engrossing that it is easy to imagine that it really exists and that we are living on a Shadow Earth. This is a great series by a great author. I whole heartily recommend this series, with the one caveat that the books should be read in order, which is:
The entire series has been issued in large print. However, some of the earlier volumes are now out of print. Hopefully, they will, at some point, be reissued in large print. All the books in this series are currently available in standard print.
Related Reviews:
Knight of Shadows, by Roger Zelazny.
This is the ninth book in the Chronicles of Amber series, in which Merlin escapes from the Citadel of the Four Worlds and sets out to find his father. All the while, Merlin must battle his lover Julia, who has returned from the dead to become his worse enemy. (Large Print)
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Book 1), by J. K. Rowling
Harry Potter, a poor orphan, has been leading a less than idyllic life, living in a cupboard under this Aunt and Uncle's steps, but all this changes when he is accepted into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry... (Large Print)
