The Great Book of Amber by Roger Zelazny

At the suggestion of Rich, Today I'll be reviewing Amber series by Roger Zelazny.

"Nine Princes in Amber" is the first in a series of ten books chronicling the ever-feuding bloodlines of the House of Amber -- the true kingdom of Order in the Universe -- and the struggle with its eternal nemesis: the Courts of Chaos. Corwin, the anti-hero is used as the basis for the first five books, while Merlin, his son narrates the second set.

The first book starts off with Corwin, an amnesiac who is almost killed. The first half of the book details his struggle to regain his memory, while the second half shows how he tries to gain revenge against his manipulative and power hungry royal family. It turns out he is one of many offspring of Oberon and since Oberon has gone missing, his brother Eric has taken the throne. Corwin was exiled as a threat to the throne.

Corwin is long-lived (eternal?), powerful (magical), and wry. He's a typical antihero who has to deal with powerful foes (in this case his extended family). As a prince of Amber, Corwin can travel between Amber, Chaos and all of its shadows by manipulating reality. All other existence (including Earth) are just shadows of Amber, the immortal city from which every other city has taken its shape. He can also use magical playing cards to communicate and travel instantaneously.

The second series follows Corwin's son Merlin as he struggles to find Corwin. Of course, Merlin has to deal with the same political backstabbing his father had to deal with. But Merlin gets to do more, as a prince and master of both Amber and Chaos, his track will take him back and forth into the light and the dark.

Many readers have complained that the series goes on too long and the ending is disappointing. None, however, would deny that it's filled with fascinating ideas, complex characters, and action-adventure. Don't miss a chance to make up your own mind. --Nona Vero

You can read more reviews on Roger Zelazny's powerful Amber Series at Amazon. Just click on the book above.

The Shadow of Saganami by David Weber

This is the second of David Weber's honorverse books that don't involve Honor Harrington, except peripherally. This book follows the Hexapuma into the newly discovered Cluster where the constitution convention is occuring.

In this book, you learn more about what was going on and why the Cluster decided they wanted to be annexed by the Star Kingdom of Manticore. And the reason is simple, they don't want to be forcibly annexed by the Solarian League instead. But in the space opera that is the honorverse, the Solarian League is not going to give up that easily.

What makes this book work is the single ship aspect that Honor has been promoted out of. What doesn't work as well is following so many characters at once. It's harder to care about everyone that enters into the picture. You spend 20 pages learning about a character's motivation, you start to care about what they are about and why they are doing things, but then you don't see them for another 100 pages. This style of writing can lead to a disconnect between the reader and the characters.

But, it's still a good book, and I recommend the series as a whole. It's simple, space opera that is about acting honorably in a world that isn't so honorable. The bad guys tend to be paper cut-outs without alot of greyspace. The good guys tend to be the same.

The book description follows:
The Star Kingdom has a new generation of officers! And this elite group hand-picked and trained by Honor Harrington herself is going to be needed immediately, as their first assignment turns out to be more dangerous than anyone expected. What was supposed to be a quiet outpost, far from the blazing conflict between the Star Kingdom of Manticore and the People's Republic of Haven has actually been targeted by an unholy alliance between the slaveholders of Manpower, the rival star kingdoms of Mesa and Monica, and the bureaucrats of the Solarian League. The alliance stands to benefit if the Havenites defeat Manticore, and are preparing for a surprise attack from the rear to divide Manticore's forces, which are already strained nearly to their limits. With their captain, the young Manticoran officers will risk their careers, if not their lives, on an unauthorized mission to expose and counter the threat to their Star Kingdom. Follow their journey as they show what they're made of as New York Times best-selling author David Weber begins a new series that will be a must for the hundreds of thousands of Honor Harrington fans.

Other books by David Weber I've reviewed: Wind Rider's Oath, The Honor of the Queen, On Basilisk Station

Chainfire by Terry Goodkind

The latest (ninth) novel in the Sword of Truth series has Kahlan being taken from Richard (again). Only this time, only Richard remembers who she is. D'Hara is being threatened by the Imperial Order and the Emperor Jagang. Richard hunts for Kahlan by trading the Sword of Truth to Shota (the witch) who sends him off to find Chainfire. The Sisters of the Dark have stolen two of the three boxes of Orden, seeking to call the Keeper of the Dead to life.

Basically a disappointment for fans everywhere. These lengthy series tend to drag out in the middle. Hopefully, things will pick up again in the next book, but I'm beginning to doubt it.

Description follows:
On the day she awoke remembering nothing but her name, Kahlan Amnell became the most dangerous woman alive. For everyone else, that was the day that the world began to end.

As her husband, Richard, desperately searches for his beloved, whom only he remembers, he knows that if she doesn't soon discover who she really is, she will unwittingly become the instrument that will unleash annihilation. But Kahlan learns that if she ever were to unlock the truth of her lost identity, then evil itself would finally possess her, body and soul.

If she is to survive in a murky world of deception and betrayal, where life is not only cheap but fleeting, Kahlan must find out why she is such a central figure in the war-torn world swirling around her. What she uncovers are secrets darker than she could ever have imagined.