Nine Princes in Amber
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Nine Princes in Amber is a fantasy novel and the first in the Chronicles of Amber series by Roger Zelazny. It was published in 1970. The book also spawned a computer game of the same name. The first (Doubleday hardcover) edition of the novel is unusually rare; the publisher reportedly pulped a significant part of the original print run in error.
The plot is straightforward: Carl Corey wakes up in a secluded New York hospital with amnesia. He escapes and investigates, discovering the truth, piece by piece. He is really Corwin of Amber; our Earth is just a dimension of Shadow; and he is one of nine men who might rule the dimension of Amber, the one true world...if he can battle his way past the armies of his elder brother, Eric.
Cast of characters
The incestous, Machiavellian royal family of Amber is headed by Oberon, the former king, now absent. His four daughters are Flora, Deirdre, Fiona and Llewella, but the major players of the novel are the nine princes of the title:
- Random. A sneaky rascal and Corwin's ally.
- Julian. A sinister hunter. " 'I enjoy slaughtering beasts and I think of my relatives constantly.' "
- Caine. Calculating and realistic.
- Eric. The arrogant yet competent would-be king of Amber; he commands the loyalty of Julian, Caine and Gerard.
- Benedict. The greatest swordsman of the family and a man who never smiles; uninvolved in the current struggle for the crown.
- Corwin. The protagonist. " 'And remember who it was who gave you your life where another would have taken it.' "
- Gerard. Physically strongest of the nine, affable and liked even by his enemies.
- Bleys. Dashing and charming; Corwin's other ally in his fight against Eric.
- Brand. Like Oberon, mysteriously unavailable. "There was a quality of both strength and weakness, questing and abandonment about him."
External links
- MobyGames: Nine Princes in Amber computer game (http://www.mobygames.com/game/sheet/gameId,6935/)
| Series: | Followed by: |
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| Chronicles of Amber | The Guns of Avalon |