Wrapping up the series, including George R. R. Martin's tribute, and a passage from Jane Lindskold. Thanks to all my listeners who made it this far!
In this 2nd to last episode of the podcast series, we tackle the mid-section of Prince of Chaos, as the pace increases... as does the silliness. There are a few interesting references and allusions to things that the author liked. But there is a lack of depth, character, and a continued flaunting of the lore. And far too many characters to keep track of, but I'll do my best to string it all together.
In this lengthy episode, we cover chapters 3 through 6 of Prince of Chaos. We'll discuss the origin story of the universe, the Houses of Chaos, Merlin's childhood, as well as Brand, Jasra, and Dara, and the connective tissue -- or glue -- between the Corwin and Merlin chronicles.
Kicking off the final book in the Amber series: Prince of Chaos. This episode covers the first two chapters, entailing a lot of recap, as Merlin is summoned to the Courts for the funeral of the dead King Swayvill. The story pivots toward a succession-to-the-throne plot, in a somewhat implausible manner, while Merlin claims to be a changed person, though he really isn't,
The final 2 chapters of Knight of Shadows are covered in this episode, including Merlin's experience in the Corridor of Mirrors, and the final showdown in Kashfa.
The origin of the origin story is discussed in this episode, covering chapters 9 and 10 of Knight of Shadows. More minor references are discussed, along with the palace, the politics, and the powers.
This short episode covers chapters 7 and 8 of Knight of Shadows. Merlin completes his quest and acquires the Jewel of Judgement, from a secret place in the Royal Suite that may be a throwback to the Corwin books. The rescue of Coral is a low point in the series, in my opinion.
We'll cover chapters 5 and 6 in this episode, which seems Merlin and the ghost of Jurt traveling through the Undershadow, encountering various ghost characters from throughout the series, in a game playing out between the Great Powers. We'll meet Duke Borel again, and explore the confusion around Borel's heritage.
In chapters 3 and 4 of Knight of Shadows, Merlin is dragged into a full-on quest -- a tussle between the Pattern and the Logrus -- during which he is meant to "choose sides". We're introduced to the idea of Pattern Ghosts, and begin the Dickensian parade of ghosts of all our favorite characters from the Corwin books.
This episode covers the first two chapters of Knight of Shadows, largely centered on the dinner between Merlin, Mandor and Jasra. We will discuss the book at large, the general plot concerns, and a few obscure references.
With this fourth episode of Sign of Chaos, we'll cover the remainder of the book. This is mostly an untangling of too-many plot lines, a variety of minor characters, and some moderately fun touch points with classic Amberites. And we'll pose the question of whether Corwin had an affair with the mistress of Napoleon.
This episode covers the remainder of chapter 3 of Sign of Chaos, as well as all of chapters 4, 5 and 6. We'll dive deep into the layout of the City of Amber, discuss the somewhat tired device of "yet another child of Oberon", and try to keep all the various plots and subplots in our heads.
The time has come to address the elephant in the franchise, which is Visual Guide to Castle Amber. We'll cover the first part of chapter 3, and build on Merlin's descriptions of the palace in Amber to go deep on the subject matter of the palace layout. I'll provide context for the publication of Visual Guide, it's authenticity, and my not-so-impressed views of the book.
In this kick-off episode to Sign of Chaos, we'll frame up the conditions under which Zelazny wrote this 8th Amber book, the commercialization of the franchise, and my general take on the book. Then we'll dive in and cover both chapters 1 and 2, including the Alice in Wonderland scene, and the deeper introduction to Mandor.
The final chapter of Blood of Amber. In this short episode, we'll wrap things up for the 2nd book of the 2nd series. A great nod to Alice and Wonderland, a so-so cliffhanger that feels a bit too much like the end of Trumps of Doom, but all in all, we'll talk about the merits of this solid Merlin book.
We cover both chapters 10 and 11 in this episode, as Merlin executes his rescue operation at the Keep of the Four Worlds. The Bill Roth stuff stretches credulity, but we get some nostalgic Amber locations, and some great allusions and references, including more Hamlet, and some 20th century folk songs.
We'll cover chapters 7, 8 and 9 in this episode, as Merlin finally formulates a plot of his own -- rescue Jasra, and get leverage over Luke. We'll dive into Luke's past as Rinaldo, introduce Jurt more fully, and unpack the sequence of flashbacks in chapter 9.
In chapter 6 of Blood of Amber, Zelazny infamously drops a bombshell about the genealogy of the House of Amber. We'll dive into the inconsistencies surrounding Caine's mother, the lost siblings of Sand and Delwin, and Zelazny's botched attempt to patch it all up with fans. Meanwhile, Luke tries the ultimate sales pitch on Merlin.
In this episode, we'll discuss Merlin's flashback that reveals the complexity of the timeline of his childhood in the Courts. He later arrives by boat into Baylesport, then goes to Arbor House to have an information swap with the mysterious Vinta Bayle.
