The Courts of Chaos (The Chronicles of Amber, #5) by Roger Zelazny

The Courts of Chaos (The Chronicles of Amber, #5) Reviews

• 
  Kristy G. Stewart

  Here is where I'll put my opinion on the first five books. As a series, the worldbuilding is amazing, the characters intriguing, and the format is fast-paced. It's interesting to see a book where there are few characters that can claim clean hands, and it makes for a complex storyline.
  
  That said, I sometimes feel like there's a bit too much explaining going on (though the first book does a good job of making the explaining organic). I can't remember how many times the reader hears about the political intrigues of Amber from yet another viewpoint. While often the information involved in required, I wish there could be a better way to portray it, especially when it nears the end of the fifth book, when pretty much everything is about to be destroyed, and we take a time-out to hear another of Corwin's brother's political standpoints.
  
  Along with this, I feel that Zelazny goes on a bit too long wtih the hellrides. As cool as the formatting is, Corwin hellrides too many times, especially in the fifth book, for me to want to spend three pages in a psychadelic trip through countless universes.
  
  That said, of course, I must reiterate that I really enjoy these books. There aren't very many books I bother to re-read, especially nowadays, but I re-read the quintet just recently. The characterization is amazing, and the voice is unique. It also doesn't hurt that all five books average around 150 pages each.
• 
  Stjepan Cobets

  My rating 4.8
  
  The book "The Chronicles of Amber # 5" by Roger Zelazny is a book that reveals many things. Faithful Corwin's companion Ganelon is, in fact, his father Oberon. Now that his father has taken over power, they are preparing for the war with The Courts of Chaos. His father intends to purge a true pattern of blackness that Brand has damaged with the blood of Amber's successor. But there is a great possibility that this attempt is unsuccessful and he sends Corwin to the way through the shadows, according to the Courts of Chaos. But his father, as a precursor first sends an army of Amber in the attack on the Courts of Chaos to keep them distracted as he embarks on a process of cleaning the pattern. Corwin will be in the process of traveling get a Judging Stone with which he needs to help, the Amber Army. But this will not be easy because his brother Brand at all costs wants to get to that stone to become the supreme ruler. As with the whole series so far, the writer leads us with your imagination to the end of the world and you simply have to enjoy it. For now, the whole series fulfills all my expectations and with pleasure, I read every book.
  
• 
  Ivana Books Are Magic

  The most perfect ending to the most perfect fantasy saga of all times. Being a bit melodramatic, am I? I reread all the books in the Corwin series, but none as often as The Court of Chaos. I lost count of how many times I have reread this one. Not only did it explain and connected everything nicely, the final novel in the series also manages to be the most beautifully written one. The Court of Chaos have the most poetical passages, I feel. They capture the spirit and the charm of this series perfectly. As a said, it really is the perfect ending of Corwin's story. For me, The Courts of Chaos is, among other things, metaphysical poetry. This book is my spirit animal.
  
  Many characters reaper in The Courts of Chaos, most notably Dara. The traitor will also have a role to play. Other family members won't stand aside either, as it to be expected. At the start of the novel we find Corwin in a library (his place of comfort), and soon enough Random meets Corwin. Random was a significant character in all the novels, and I felt that Random and Corwin really connected in the fourth one. It was interesting to see how the personal grown of one mirrored the other. When Random pledges his alliance to Corwin in the first novel, they are both charming but selfish princes, and it is amazing to see them both grow up as people. In The Courts of Chaos, Corwin will have to play it solo for most of the novel, as he will be forced to hell ride like he has never hell ridden before, but by the end of the novel, Random will get the chance to shine again. I found the growing connection between them as touching as their personal growth. They have truly grown into different people. In words of Corwin: “I saw my earlier selves as different people, acquaintances I had outgrown. I wondered how I could ever have been some of them.”
  
  I said that Corwin will play it solo most of the way. This is the novel in which Corwin finally connects all the dots. He learns where has his father been all this time, and that's only the beginning. Corwin makes a choice to put the good of the realm before his own and even his father's ambitions. There is a timeless feeling to this last novel in the series, as is only befitting I guess for Corwin really managed to make himself a timeless flawed hero. Every time he walks the pattern, Corwin reveal more of his essence. In The Courts of Chaos Corwin reinvents himself.
  
  ...“And the man clad in black and silver with a silver rose upon him? He would like to think that he has learned something of trust, that he has washed his eyes in some clear spring, that he has polished an ideal or two. Never Mind. He may still be only a smart-mouthed meddler, skilled mainly in the minor art of survival, blind as ever the dungeons knew him to the finer shades of irony. Never mind, let it go, let it be. I may never be pleased with him.”
  
  
• 
  Graeme Rodaughan

  First duty, then liberty shall be the whole of the law.
  
  Corwin, prince of Amber rises to face the threat of existential obliteration of all he holds dear. In the process discovering that his most defining characteristic is duty to others.
  
  Surrounded by tragedy, insanity, and a philosophical raven, Corwin completes a journey I wouldn't wish on anyone.
  
  As usual, Zelazny writes with verve, wit, and wisdom, delivered with an admirable narrative economy that brings to mind Blaise Pascal's famous quote.
  
  

  “I have only made this letter longer because I have not had the time to make it shorter."
  
  REF:
  https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/2122...

  
  The upshot: Writing the way Zelazny does, packing narrative into a few well-chosen words, displays a powerful mastery of form and genre.
  
  Read this series, read this master of the fantasy genre.
• 
  William

  Ah, man what a great ending to a great story. I know there are more books, but it feels like the major story arc started in book one has been resolved, and what a satisfying ending. I can't wait to see what becomes of Merlin and Corwin in the Courts, learn more of Corwin's new pattern, and also the state of Amber.
  
  On to "Trumps of Doom"!
  
  
• 
  Craig

  Back in the days before Mr. Fogerty inspired Mr. Jordan to expand on his observation that the big wheel keeps on turning, and before Mr. Martin went into the field of meteorology, Roger Zelazny produced this series of five terrific books and thereby offered the fantasy fiction field an alternative to Conan pastiches and Hobbit homages. Amber is the true, real, center of the universe, see, and it's a magical kingdom where the king has gone missing and the nine princes and a handful of princesses are playing the game of thrones, and... well, you should it. His writing is descriptive and detailed throughout, the characters are full-blown people the reader understands and knows instantly, and the plot is immensely detailed and carefully paced and presented for the whole five book run, yet they're short books by modern standards... he packs way more into a hundred pages than most current fantasists do in a thousand. How did he do it? It was magic, obviously.
  There was a second series of five books with the same setting and some overlapping characters that didn't have quite the same feel, and after his death someone else produced some books that shouldn't have been permitted that I would recommend avoiding, but those first five Amber books are real classics. Some of the slang expressions haven't aged well, particularly in the earlier volumes, and it's a little jarring to read that the main characters all seem to be chain-smokers, but otherwise I think they've held up better than any of their contemporaries.
• 
  Kevin

  Corwin gets a quest and heads to Chaos, and leprechauns and The World Tree, a fitting ending to the first arc of the Amber series, enjoyed all 5 of the novels, onto the second arc now.
• 
  Maja

  Dirljiv svršetak jedne duge pustolovine. Korvin prestaje da jaše pred čitaocem, i predaje uzde. Oprašta se on od nas, kao i mi od njega 💔
• 
  AndrewP

  This is the end of the first Chronicles of Amber and concludes the story of Prince Corwin. (The remaning 5 books of the complete 10 book Chronicles are a different story arc with the protagonist being Corwin's son Merlin.)
  This was a pretty decent read and finished up the series quite well. Taking the 5 books as whole, books 1 and 2 are one story, books 4 and 5 are another and book 3 is a sort of in-between and the least enjoyable. There was some pretty weird descriptive prose in all of these books when it came to travelling between Amber and the other worlds. Initially I liked this, but there was just too much and it jarred my nerves towards the end. I believe some of this comes from the repetition that would have been unnecessary if this had been one book instead of 5.
  
  Overall I will average out my score and give the First Chronicles 3 stars. Going to take a break before coming back and reading the final 5 books.
  
  
  
• 
  RJ - Slayer of Trolls

  The final chapter in the original Amber series ties together all the story threads but leaves plenty of room for sequels. This book is probably the second best in the series (after the first one and perhaps tied with the second one) but won't be enjoyed as a stand-alone.
• 
  Caro the Helmet Lady

  This was a lot of fun and a great ending to Corwin's cycle. Zelazny <3
• 
  Darwin8u

  "Sometimes it's damned hard to tell the dancer from the dance."
  - Roger Zelazny, Coruts of Chaos
  
  
  
  So, this isn't the bottom of the first five books in the 'Chronicles of Amber'. Actually, of the five books that make up the Corwin cycle (Books 1-5), it might be my favorite (so 3.5 ✷?). I haven't been impressed by the five enough to rush soon into the Merlin cycle (Books 6-10). I'll probably get there. I own all ten (
  The Great Book of Amber), but other books from other favorite authors remain unread and unless there is a sign, symbol, or signal somewhere that suggest that these later books will suddenly jump higher in my esteem, I'm finished for 2017 with Zelazny.
  
  The Courts of Chaos did produce a couple items I did enjoy, sort of:
  
  1. A Zen, futilitarianst crow saying such things as: "You see, we are hatched and we drift on the surface of events. Sometimes, we feel like we actually influence things, and this gives rise to striving. This is a big mistake, because it creates desires and builds up a false ego when just being should be enough." Da FA?
  
  2. Courtly dancers, treading to the slow measures of invisible musicians, that appear to be an allusion to the painting Dance to the Music of Time by Nicolas Poussin: "They dance to celebrate your passage. They are not mortals but the spirits of Time. They began this foolish show when you entered the valley." Um, OK?
  
  Anyway, the things I just gently mocked above are also probably WHY I give this an extra 1/2 ✷. That might make sense, or may not. I'm not going to strive to hard to explain.
• 
  Jackie

  In some ways, I enjoyed this one, the fifth in the Amber series, the most. The momentum built, the suspense, the twists and turns, the revealing of character traits, truth from lies.
  
  The way Zelazny tells this story is incredibly unique in the manner in which you learn the story, piece by piece, one more part of the puzzle. He kept me interested the whole time, and wanting more. He knows just when to give me more to keep me from getting frustrated and holding back just enough to keep my interest piqued. Clever author, satisfying read.
  
  All in all, a wonderfully imaginative series every sci fi fan should read at least once.
  
• 
  OhWell

  The ending was bittersweet, and I missed the humour of the previous books, but really, with what was at stake, how could I expect unicorns and rainbows? Oh wait, never mind about the unicorn part… :) On a serious note, it’s a solid read which wraps everything nicely, it’s just that I enjoyed it slightly less than its predecessors.
• 
  Kimberley doruyter

  wonderful.
  the battle, the journey and the sadness of passing.
  this would seem the natural end of the series, i'm glad it isn't.
• 
  Erik Erickson

  "...the Courts of Chaos, a grossly non-Euclidean realm..."
  
  A satisfying and touching finish, despite its uneven start. This last chapter was the best, being a final adventure filled with wonderfully surreal encounters and phenomena. 
  
  Some details were probably inspired or borrowed from better-known predecessors. But like King did with The Dark Tower, they are woven together to create a new entity, unique in its own right. And Zelazny's epic must have provided things that became the basis for many of the principles at work in Roland Deschain's universe.
  
  I especially enjoyed the minor confrontation with the cannibalistic little people, which seemed deliberately borrowed - and twisted - from Swift. The quote above is another bonus, a Lovecraftian description of the titular realm. 
  
  "But it has far greater depth than originally conceded by critics and readers who dismissed it as lacking substance."
  
  This series is deceptively clever. It is full of allusions to other literature,  historical events and figures. Zelazny was having fun writing this, but he was also teasing and engaging the reader in a multifaceted discussion on the nature of identity, without dragging the plotting down. 
  
  The July edition of the New York Review of Science Fiction has an amazing essay that examines all of the brief, cryptic references and allusions. This bit of fantasy is more than just a minor sword and sorcery tale crossed with some science fiction. If you've finished this series (the first five), I highly recommend their article, available at 
  http://www.nyrsf.com/2012/07/suspende...
• 
  Mike Jordan

  "Sad. It would have been nice to go out with opera - in a big Wagnerian finale beneath strange skies, against worthy opponents - not scrabbling about in a foggy wasteland."
  
  That quote, an excerpt from Chapter 7 in this novel, sums up my thoughts on the final novel in the "Corwin-cycle" of the Chronicles of Amber. Zelazny ventures into a philosphical self-analysis of Corwin's character and motivations as he travels to the Courts of Chaos, but it seems a bit long-winded at times. The transitions through shadows also seemed much longer than in previous novels. Still it's an interesting change of pace from the relentless plot twists in The Hand of Oberon.
  
  The ending is an anti-climatic, but fitting conclusion to the series, although there are some unanswered questions (presumably to set the stage for the Merlin cycle of novels), and certain things happen to Random that don't make a great deal of sense (If you've read it, you'll know what I mean).
  
  I'm being picky though. The series as a whole is nothing short of excellent, and Zelazny's playful-but-not-hokey writing style just make the novels fun to read. Highly, highly recommended!
• 
  Olethros

  -Remate a la primera serie relacionada con Ámbar.-
  
  Género. Narrativa Fantástica.
  
  Lo que nos cuenta. Corwin está bastante furioso por los recientes acontecimientos y los cambios que han causado, además de sentirse engañado y por tanto dolido en su amor propio. Y las instrucciones de prepararse para una guerra en tan poco tiempo le preocupan, pero no todos sus hermanos comparten sus pensamientos ya que hay que enfrentarse a la gran amenaza. Quinto y último libro de la serie Crónicas de Ambar. Hay otros cinco libros de una serie protagonizada por el hijo de Corwin, y tengo entendido que hay por ahí una precuela.
  
  ¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:
  
  
  http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...
• 
  Anna

  [3.5*]
  
  I can't say that the ending of this beloved saga is disappointing but after the previous perfect installment this one feels a bit of a letdown. It contains two of my least favorite things - travel through Shadow and a battle - and they occupy significantly more time than I think they should. Not much happens and whatever happens is not in any way unexpected. Plus I was hit by a major reading slump right in the midst of it and I can't be entirely sure that my waning interest for this novel is not part of the reason for it.
  
  In any case, I am glad I reread the whole series and I still love the world that Zelazny created.
• 
  Andreas

  It took 5 chapters to start Corwin smoking this time :)
  
  The first five books in the Amber series come to a conclusion with this book before Amber is continued with Merlin as the main protagonist. Corwin's boy isn't really introduced here but gets a soft hand-over to his own cycle by bringing him in in several scenes. It is a little bit artificial, but on the other hand it is good that he doesn't appear in a flash in the next book.
  
  The narrative is slower than the previous books, lots of psychedelic descriptions of Shadow voyage - it reminds me of the first travel of Corwin with Random in his car towards Amber.
  And it is full of interesting self reflection and philosophical discussions.
  
  Concerning action, I really liked the hilarious drunken dwarf party. Some random encounters with unnamed foreigners make me wonder who they are and if they will play a role in the second half.
  The showdown with Brand is nearing. The first two fights are paced quite good and the effects are nice.
  Zelazny dives into Germanic Mythology: The worldtree Yggdrasil and Loki's thought - manifested as the bird Hugi - come along. I liked Zelazny's interpretation of both.
  A couple of weeks ago, I've been visiting Paris once more - and Corwin is there in his thoughts as well while waving a new pattern: The Place des Vogues, Place de la Concorde, several Cafes, the Pigalle, the Seine - I have all those places in vivid memory and I loved having them mentioned within a fantasy book.
  
  And finally it got a nice, epic showdown and funeral and a soft, reflective epilogue. Not the high bang that some would have liked, probably, but very fitting to the series' style.
  
  This book is way better than the previous couple of books. Because Zelazny's strengths of inner monologue, philosophical discussions (like the discussions with Hugi about Absolute and desire), psychedelic travels and strange random encounters (like the drunken dwarves) and divings into mythology with Yggdrasil and Hugin are emphasized.
  I'd like to point out the very thorough discussion on Zelazny's influences, philosophy and mythology roundup at
  http://www.nyrsf.com/2012/07/suspende...
  
  I know that most people see it the over way round because they dislike exactly these features and liked the action parts more. But this is my personal preference.
• 
  Rhys

  Well, I have done it. I have re-read the five books in the first 'Chronicles of Amber' series by Roger Zelazny. I first read these when I was 17 or 18 years old and they impressed me, but I don't think I fully grasped them. On this re-reading 38 years later I have grasped them but they have impressed me less. I still enjoyed them, of course, and I still think that the fictional cosmos Zelazny has created here is enormously ambitious and excellent. There are holes in the grand schema he has devised, but that schema is so immense and has so many potential convolutions that this is hardly surprising and he shouldn't be criticised for it too harshly.
  
  I remember from my first reading, all those years ago, thinking that The Courts of Chaos was the weakest of the five. I no longer agree with this assessment. It's a good novel that concludes the great sweeping story of Corwin and his brothers and sisters. I think I misunderstood it back then. I disliked the chapter in which he has memories of Paris. I thought it odd and superfluous, but now I see it makes total sense. Corwin has found a set of experiences that resnante strongly within him (they could have been experiences from any time or place in his life) and he uses them to anchor himself to a personal reality while creating the new pattern. I can't imagine how I didn't understand this the first time round.
  
  It was good to see the return of Bleys, who for some reason or other is my favourite character among the brothers, although a shame he doesn't get to play a larger role here. I still want to know how he survived the fall from Kolvir with the set of Trumps in his hand. Who did he contact to save his life? It doesn't really matter. Of the sisters, Fiona is the most appealing and in fact the only one with any depth. The question that remains is this: will I read the second 'Chronicles of Amber'? I suppose the answer is yes, I will, but not now and maybe not for a long time.
• 
  Rosava Doshchyk

  Остання частина першого підциклу нагадала мені про кінець "Гаррі Поттера". Там теж герої вешталися бозна-де і були заглиблені в свої роздуми, після чого нарешті зібралися з силами і прикінчили той нещасний основний конфлікт. Менше з тим.
  
  Рефлексії Корвіна цього разу справді набувають небачених масштабів, але читати їх досить цікаво, якщо ви не квапитеся поринути в динаміку і дізнатися нарешті фінал. П'ята частина створена для тих, хто любить Желязни за алюзії — і тут ви знайдете їх чимало, подекуди навіть подвійні. "Мандри Гуллівера", Артуріанський цикл та "La Belle Dame sans Merci" Джона Кітса, "Кармен" і "Лоліта", скандинавська міфологія з деревом Іґґдрасіль та вороном Одіна, а також не забуваймо про поезію та французькі пейзажі! Найбільше мені сподобалися філософські бесіди із Гуґо — які скінчилися досить неприємно для останнього.
  Побачили ми і Мерліна — сина Корвіна та героя наступного п'ятикнижжя. Поки його характер розкритий мало, але це має виправитися в подальших романах.
  Особу нового короля мені вже проспойлерили в картинках, але це був вдалий хід, на мою думку. А Корвін нарешті зможе помандрувати світом і знайти себе — гідний кінець для протагоніста, хоча, можливо, й не той, на який очікує читач.
  Що ж, чекаю на "Козирі долі" та нових персонажів. Як завжди, дякую видавництву "Богдан" за хорошу роботу із текстом, чудові примітки, так тримати!
• 
  Phillip

  A very satisfying end to (the first half of) a series that didn't quite live up to my high hopes for it, based on its reputation and the strong beginning, but one I'd nonetheless recommend to those that enjoy high fantasy and want to experience something outside the usual bounds of the Tolkien-influenced stuff.
  
  Loose plot threads were tied up, things were revealed and explained, and the action moved faster than the middle entries.
  
  I'll certainly read the second half of the series, but probably not before next year, and book 5 ends with some degree of finality.
  
  
• 
  Sarah Wynker

  It genuinely was my list favourite from the series, unfortunately. Just not as exciting as the previous imo. Also, I kind of wished Corwin got the throne in the end. Nonetheless, glad to have finished the series.
• 
  Jenny

  You and I are through, Corwin. We've been together for five books, and then, you decided to leave. You said "Goodbye and hello, as always," so I know you've done this before. Maybe one day, we'll meet again, but the first word was "goodbye," and that's the sentiment you leave me with. Now, I must meet with your son for another five books. He'd better live up to the challenge. I know I will.
• 
  Jim

  A fantastic end to a the Corwin Cycle of the Amber books. The characters have deepened amazingly & so much is tied up, yet there is plenty of room for expansion. What a wonderful world. I'm so sorry he never got to fill it in better.
  
  
  The first 5 books AKA The Corwin Cycle are followed by 5 books in the Merlin Cycle & then Betancourt wrote a prelude; a trilogy & the first book of a duology. IOW, it was supposed to be another 5 books. Unfortunately, the publisher folded after the first of the duology (4th of the Oberon Cycle) & it is doubtful if the last book will ever be published.
• 
  Mary Catelli

  This opens with Random demanding that Corwin open the door -- he brought food -- because Corwin is reacting badly to the revelation at the end of Hand, namely that Ganelon was really Oberon in disguise.
  
  More revelations ensue. Who is designated Oberon's heir. What Dara was up to, and who was the warrior who spared Corwin in the Courts of Chaos. What they are going to do about the black road. And the grand conclusion to this series.
• 
  Nathan

  I have grown quite fond of Amber I have to say. This was a nice conclusion to the first five books, but definitely left more to be desired in further books. I really was not expecting the story to progress the way it did. This is excellent fantasy.
• 
  Timothy Boyd

  Excellent fantasy series by one of my top 5 favorite writers. The complex cast of characters and the fast pace of the story pulls you in and sweeps you along for a great read. Very recommended