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The Chronicles of Amber #1

The Chronicles of Amber

Name: The Chronicles of Amber
Rating: 4.36 (11511 reviews)
Author: Roger Zelazny

Roger Zelazny January 1, 1970

4.36 11.5k Ratings

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Synopsis

Amber is the one real world, casting infinite reflections of itself – shadow worlds, which can be manipulated by those of royal Amberite blood. But the royal family is torn apart by jealousies and suspicion; the disappearance of the patriarch Oberon has intensified the internal conflict by leaving the throne apparently for grabs; and amnesia has robbed Corwin, Crown Prince of Amber his memory – even the fact that he is rightful heir to the throne.

The Chronicles of Amber is Zelazny’s finest fantasy, a grand imaginative vision of alternate worlds, magic, swordplay, and murderous rivalries.

1. Nine Princes in Amber 1-156
2. The Guns of Avalon 157-338
3. Sign of the Unicorn 338-490
4. The Hand of Oberon 491-640
5. The Courts of Chaos 641-772

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The Chronicles of Amber: Volume I

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Here, together for the first time, are the complete CHRONICLES OF AMBER: Nine Princes In Amber... The Guns of Avalon... Sign of the Unicorn... The Hand of Oberon... AND the long anticipated final book, The Courts of Chaos - in a handsome two volume set.

Amber is the one real world, casting infinite reflections of itself - Shadow worlds that can be manipulated by those of royal Amberite blood. Unfortunately, the royal family is torn by jealousies and suspicions. And the disappearance of the clan patriarch, Oberon, has intensified the conflicts by leaving Amber's throne apparently up for grabs.

The CHRONICLES begin in a hospital on the Shadow Earth, where a man is recovering from a freak auto accident. Since he is also suffering from amnesia, and has been for some time, he has no idea that he's Prince Corwin of Amber - until his memory receives a succession of jolts:

He meets a sister who speaks in riddles of plots and counterplots... and a brother who abruptly involves him in a life-and-death battle against pursuers from a fearful Shadow world.

He discovers a deck of tarot-like cards, with himself, his sister, and strangers whom he guesses to be other relatives, pictured on their faces. Only lingering amnesia keeps him from grasping the full significance of the find: the cards are the Greater Trumps of Amber, used by his family to communicate across vast distances, and transport one another through Shadows in an instant.

Then comes the most shattering jolt of all... Corwin's confrontation with an intricate design created by a master manipulator of reality - the Pattern. By walking the Pattern, those of the blood royal gain the ability to control Shadows. But the slightest hesitation or misstep during the trial means death.

As Corwin sets foot upon that coldly glowing inscription, memories come flooding back to him... more and more with each step. And finally, knowing his true identity, he acknowledges his true ambition - and resolves that the crown of Amber will be his.

But unknown to Corwin, there are dark forces massing against Amber... and before too long he will discover just how great a burden a king's crown can be...

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In The Mirror of Her Dreams, the dazzling first volume of Mordant's Need, New York Times bestselling author Stephen R. Donaldson introduced us to the richly imagined world of Mordant, where mirrors are magical portals into places of beauty and terror. Now, with A Man Rides Through, Donaldson brings the story of Terisa Morgan to an unforgettable conclusion...

Aided by the powerful magic of Vagel, the evil Arch-Imager, the merciless armies are marching against the kingdom of Mordant. In its hour of greatest need, two unlikely champions emerge. One is Geraden, whose inability to master the simplest skills of Imagery has made him a laughingstock. The other is Terisa Morgan, transferred to Mordant from a Manhattan apartment by Geraden's faulty magic. Together, Geraden and Terisa discover undreamed-of talents within themselves - talents that make them more than a match for any Imager ... including Vagel himself.

Unfortunately, those talents also mark them for death. Branded as traitors, they are forced to flee the castle for their lives. Now, all but defenseless in a war-torn countryside ravaged by the vilest horrors Imagery can spawn, Geraden and Terisa must put aside past failures and find the courage to embrace their powers—and their love—before Vagel can spring his final trap.

The Guns of Avalon

★ 4.14

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Across the worlds of Shadow, Corwin, prince of blood royal, heir to the throne of Amber, gathers his forces for an assault that will yield up to him the crown that is rightfully his. But, a growing darkness of his own doing threatens his plans, an evil that stretches to the heart of the perfect kingdom itself where the demonic forces of Chaos mass to annihilate Amber and all who would rule there.

One of the most revered names in sf and fantasy, the incomparable Roger Zelazny was honored with numerous prizes—including six Hugo and three Nebula Awards—over the course of his legendary career. Among his more than fifty books, arguably Zelazny’s most popular literary creations were his extraordinary Amber novels. The Guns of Avalon is the second book of The Chronicles of Amber.

Nine Princes in Amber

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Exiled to the Shadows for centuries, a man more than mortal awakens in an Earth hospital with no memory of his past—and is surrounded by enemies who hunger for his destruction. For Corwin is of the blood—the rightful successor to the throne of the real world. But to rule, he must conquer impossible realities and demonic assassins... and survive the ruthless machinations of the most insidious malevolence imaginable: his own family.

The Chronicles of Amber