The Great Book of Amber: The Complete Amber Chronicles (1-10)
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Roger Zelaznys books have three things in common: a flawed hero who sometimes fails¸ endlessly surprising plot twists¸ and a blend of lyricism¸ literary allusions¸ and sly puns that makes the pages fly. The Great Book of Amber¸ collecting all 10 Amber novels¸ is vintage Zelazny. Despite some irritating typographical errors¸ its invaluable for anyone who wants to read or reread the tales of Corwin and his son¸ Merlin.
Corwin is a prince of Amber¸ the immortal city from which every other city has taken its shape. All other worlds¸ including Earth¸ are shadows of that reality. Corwin has spent centuries on Earth as an amnesiac. But when someone in the family tries to kill him there¸ Corwin begins a search for his past. He quickly learns that his family has some very unusual powers. They can travel between Amber¸ its shadows¸ and Chaos by manipulating reality; use magical playing cards to communicate and travel instantaneously; and are able to walk the Pattern that created Amber. Corwin regains his memory¸ solves the mystery of his father Oberons disappearance¸ and fulfills his destiny--only to disappear into Chaos.
Merlin searches for Corwin and his destiny as a son of both Amber and the Courts of Chaos. His story parallels Corwins¸ answering many questions about Amber¸ Chaos¸ and the next generation in the family.