Nine Princes in Amber

The Chronicles of Amber, Book 1

By: Roger Zelazny

Narrated by: Alessandro Juliani

Length: 5 hrs and 31 mins

Publisher's summary

Nine Princes in Amber is the first of the 10 books that are The Chronicles of Amber; an epic fantasy series written by six-time Hugo Award winning and three-time Nebula Award winning author, Roger Zelazny.

The ten books that make up the series are told in two story arcs: The Corwin Cycle and the Merlin Cycle.

The Audible audio rendition of this classic sci-fi/fantasy series is kicked off by 2012 Audie Award nominee, Alessandro Juliani, who reads the first five books that make up the Corwin Cycle and whose narration vividly brings the world of Amber to life.

Amber is the one real world, of which all others including our own Earth are but Shadows. Amber burns in Corwin's blood. Exiled on Shadow Earth for centuries, the prince is about to return to Amber to make a mad and desperate rush upon the throne.

From Arden to the Pattern deep in Castle Amber which defines the very structure of Reality, Corwin must contend with the powers of his eight immortal brothers, all Princes of Amber. His savage path is blocked and guarded by eerie structures beyond imagining impossible realities forged by demonic assassins and staggering Forces that challenge the might of Corwin's superhuman fury.

©1970 Roger Zelazny (P)2012 Audible, Inc.

All roads lead to Amber

The beginning to one of my favorite series of all time. The author's masterpiece. Gods among men, and question whether the author is lying to you, for his own advantage.

Fantastic narrator, quick & fun story

Quite pleased with the narration. Such a pleasant and clear voice. Fun, short fantasy story. Like Borne Identity meets The Count of Monte Cristo.

Opening some new fassets every time

I love to return to the Amber chronicles every now and then. Audible production is great

It's been YEARS since I read this...

I hadn't read this in decades, but I remembered that I enjoyed it back then. I was not disappointed with the narration, and enjoyed Mr. Juliani's performance of it.

Somewhat lacking

This honestly feels like the SparkNotes of the actual book. The story just glosses over so many things with barely a mention. It's an interesting story, but not my style of story telling.

Why is this not a TV series?

I read this series thirty years ago and absolutely loved it. I've actually put off buying the Audible series for a couple of years, partly because I didn't want to ruin that memory if the series if it was not all I remembered it was. I ought not to have worried. It is every bit as good as I remember.

BRING ON THE NEXT BOOK!

Great book, won't finish series

Would you listen to Nine Princes in Amber again? Why?

Yes, I really liked the book a lot. I would like to finish the series; however, there are a lot of short books. When you have to buy 10 short books for the full price of 10 books the price is bad.

Great book, but for my book dollar I will move somewhere else.

I Loved Alessandro Juliani's Performance!

Alessandro Juliani has fantastic versatility as an actor that really makes this book stand out, in my mind. I absolutely loved his narration!!

I did not care for the book topic, itself, as I found it to be kinda silly and over the top - and I like to read fantasy and sci fi novels. Everybody out to get each other kinda reminded me of watching the Communist News Network. I don't find those kinds of channels and topics entertaining.

But again - I loved Mr. Juliani's narration!

A Classic that Holds Up

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

I listened to this many years ago as it was read by the author. He lacks the capacity for multiple voices that Juliani brings to it, but I think that's all to the good. Juliani gives each brother a different accent, often exaggeratedly so. Zelazny made them all run together. Everyone sounded the same, in an almost bored, been-there manner. If that meant less artistry, it also meant a truer interpretation of the work. These guys are virtually interchangeable in their cruelty, and I think that was part of what Zelazny was after. Characterizing them like this dampens the noir foundation of the books.

Any additional comments?

I’m came back to this one after 20 years, and after it had grown in my memory as one of the best fantasy novels I’d ever read. The good news: this absolutely holds up. If you don’t know Amber, then put it on your list. It’s an accomplishment right up there with anything in the genre.

It’s particularly rewarding to revisit the book in the wake of George R.R. Martin’s recent success. I can see a good bit of Martin’s vision growing out of Zelazny’s. As I read them, they are the two most successful fantasy series to take place in, essentially, amoral universes. Neither gives us anyone who really comes across as a “good guy.” Neither privileges the point-of-view character(s) as somehow better than his or her rivals. Corwin may develop some compassion, but he is still generally indifferent to mortal suffering. He may feel bad about sacrificing a quarter of a million “shadow dwellers” in the service of his ambition, but he never lets it ruin his day.

The central difference between Martin and Zelazny, though, is that Martin’s moral neutrality comes from a sense of realpolitik, a post-Cold War sensibility in which all sides are capable of harming others. Zelazny’s comes from an older, hardboiled sentiment: the world is cold and indifferent, and everyone is ultimately a son-of-a-bitch. Once you embrace that foundational truth, you can have a lot of fun.

And this is fun. If it isn’t as sprawling as Martin’s work, it’s much more efficient. (The first five Amber novels combined are probably not much longer than the first Game of Thrones book.) It begins as an almost conventional noir story: an amnesiac wakes to discover he’s being drugged against his will in a private “hospital.” We learn his history at the same time he does. It turns out to be a huge history, one that implicitly stands at the heart of many of the mythologies we know in the West. Corwin and his siblings have been interfering in Earthly affairs for centuries, yet we humans can glimpse them only in shadowy form and cannot hope to comprehend what their one true world of Amber looks like.

You’ll know whether the genre interests you. If it does, give this one a shot. It’s short, adrenaline-fueled, and can stand alone. If you get hooked, though, there’s a lot more where it came from, and you’ll introduce yourself to one of the real masters.

ONE OF THE BEST

This series, and this book, has it all! Epic wars, royal scheming, and an awesome bridge between reality and fantasy! The narrator Alessandro is easily my favorite narrator on audible, and I’ve listened to about 30 books now. I really feel like he became Corwin to read this. I would HIGHLY recommend this to anyone, it is one of the best fantasy books ever written in my opinion. I cant get enough of it.