The Guns of Avalon (Thorndike Speculative Fiction) [Large Print] [Hardcover]

Of all the Amber series, I liked Guns of Avalon best.
Zelazny's characters are as interesting as always, Corwin first among them, of course. The battles and conflicts are as descriptive as always. So, what makes this book stand out among the (first) Amber series?

The first thing is Corwin's recovery. It has a the quality of a fairy tale, a supernatural story set in a medieval environment. It has a special charm in it, a charm that made me remember Guns of Avalon years after I read it as a girl.

The second thing is the war with the goat man and his evil minions from the dark circle in Avalon. Even though later books had much more important battles with far reaching consequences, nevertheless, this little war was special. It described everything that Corwin stood for and showed us (and Corwin) just who the enemy was.

So, a priceless book, a diamond among pebbles, you can borrow the Amber series but buy this book!

Ever been blinded and imprisoned in a dungeon by your own brother, then escaped through a magical porthole when your eyes grew back? If so, this is the book for you, especially if you came to your freedom only to ponder the weighty question: 'What next?'

In this second book of the original Amber series, Zelazny brings his protagonist Corwin back from the edge of physical and mental ruin. In this sense, it is the most driven and intriguing novel of the series. It also continues the loose analogy to the Rocky series, part two of which has the hero recover from defeat and return with a passionate vengeance. There's even a training sequence and an old enemy made into an ally in 'Guns' to strengthen the comparison. Of course, Burgess Meredith isn't in the book, but no work of fiction is perfect.

Without too much trouble, Zelazny extends himself beyond the ouevre of Stallone, raising the issues of family devotion and betrayal, lust for power, and the close relationship and fuzzy distinction between good and evil. What more does a growing mind need?

Weak and on the run, having just escaped from five years in prison, with eyes that still haven't fully regenerated, and a desire for revenge uppermost in his mind, Corwin heads for what was, or what used to be, and perhaps doesn't exist anymore except as a shadow of a shadow, a place that he holds dear in his heart: Avalon. Not that he'd really admit to such an emotion, nor does he dwell overlong on his memories of that place. But bits and pieces of that long ago time in that far away place occasionally surface - and that is part of the power Zelazny infuses into this series about one 'real' and many Shadow worlds, dragging you in by inference and suggestion, and saying a great deal about Corwin's character without actually saying it.

The first section of this book is almost a separate book in its own right, as Corwin, on the road to Avalon, gets stopped by encounters in Lorraine with Lancelot and an old lieutenant of his, Ganelon. While this section seems only marginally related to Corwin's quest for the Amber throne, it introduces a both an important new character and an unexplained threat that will bear its greatest fruit much later in the series, along with letting the reader come to know just who Corwin is in much better detail. By the time he does reach Avalon (or what passes for it in these days) and meets another of his brothers, Benedict, he is once more in peak physical and mental form, with a plan in mind for how to take the throne.

The last section of this book is both action-packed and full of surprises, as good guys are revealed to have some serious flaws, the bad guys suddenly seem somewhat heroic and honorable, and previously made plans get some drastic alterations. None of this comes out of a hat, as Zelazny carefully prepares for each of these things, but makes sure that you are held in suspense, as you really can't predict how things will turn out. And of course, the book ends with a cliff-hanger - else why would you want to read the next book? And you definitely will want to, not only to find out what happens next, but to be caught up again in Zelanzy's tight prose and his masterly intimations of other times, other places.

--- Reviewed by Patrick Shepherd (hyperpat)