You Should Read Chronicles Of Amber

[Blackbyrd]

The title is self explanatory.

 

I've posted this before... however--- It's basically two books from WoT. After reading it you'll not only see how great RJ was at subversion- at stealing scenes, you'll see a whole amazing the Amber influence struck through almost every fantasy piece today. Grimdark? The 1st 5 are practically grimdark. Trust me on this- if you haven't read Amber save your WoT reread and get to it. You'll like everything more despite the stark contrast of narration.

[Bodewhin]

I read Roger Zelazny's Chronicles of Amber years before reading WOT - I found the first book Nine Princes in Amber addicting and enjoyed the following installments to a lesser degree. 

 

I can't say the relation between Amber and WOT is any closer than most fantasy tie-ins imo. There's similar themes but arguably the stories and worlds are vastly different. 

 

Both have something called The Pattern - but Zelazny's pattern is more abstract and it's an actual pattern that stretches across time and space, which Corwin walks across to regain his memories and experience his past lives (similar to a glass lake) whereas the pattern in RJ's WOT has direct links to Celtic Mythology, where destinies are woven on a loom, Rhiannon's Silver Wheel and the Wheel of Fortune... Etc.

 

Zelazny's tongue-in-cheek narrative could pair nicely with Mat's cynical wit or Lan's dry Ice - but while I thought Amber had some really interesting parts and ideas, it felt more like a corrupted fairy tale borrowing from myths and legends about the Seelie and Unseelie courts, rather than the brand of fantasy in WOT. 

 

I mean, Rand, Mat, Perrin and Egwene never went to Kentucky Fried Lizard or attended the Mad Tea Party - both of which occured in the Amber books. 

 

Also, the story revolves around Amber being the only real world and the rest of the worlds being shadow worlds - most of the drama surrounds Corwin and his siblings, the dysfunction, their plotting and scheming - the royal family is basically a group of demigods who wander between universes. 

 

Don't get me wrong, it's a good story and interesting world building. I just don't see the connection between the two outside of normal fantasy comparisons. 

Edited Saturday at 07:31 PM by Bodewhin