A review by ianbanks
Trumps of Doom by Roger Zelazny

3.0

The second chronicles begin almost as a mirror of the first, with a character uncovering details about the world around him and discovering that he has more importance than he realised. Unlike Corwin, though, Merlin is quite happy to live in comparative obscurity. Apart from that person who wants to kill him every April 30...

This sequel series has attracted a lot of hate over the years and here I can see why: it's a bit too cozy, with Amber becoming a friendly, generic place where everybody plots a bit but basically have each others back, unlike the brooding, cold monolith it was before (but you can make a case that Corwin undid a lot of that in the latter volumes of the first series); Merlin is superbly competent, with the resources of two magic systems behind him as well as being physically perfect and irresistible; the cliched reveal of the villain's origin on the last few pages; the return of minor characters who do very little except provide opportunities for exposition; and discovering that Corwin is nowhere to be found.

Actually that last bit saves it for me: Merlin is a different character with a different voice and perspective and he solves problems in a way that Corwin never would, which makes him interesting. And while the setting feels comfortable and mundane, readers were comparing it to the sense of mystery we got from the gradual reveals in the first series - it is mundane to Merlin because he's lived it his whole life. Corwin lived off his instincts while Merlin is a more urbane character.

So, I'm looking forward to this round of rereads, but it does feel jarring and it does feel a little as though Mr Zelazny is coasting.