Well, what can I say about this one?  First, I’m not really sure I got it.  Like, I mostly understood the labyrinthine plot(s).  But what is it about?  I really don’t know.  

This is the fourth book in the series, and if I remember right, the fifth book is the end(?) of Corwin’s story.  Where the previous books felt semi-contained, with inciting incidents, rising action, and climaxes, this one feels like a bridge.  It feels like what happens here is supposed to get you from the events and revelations of the first three books to the events of the fifth book.  I haven’t read that to know for sure.  But that’s how it feels.

I also found myself feeling more detached from this one.  We’ve been following Corwin for three books already, so why does he feel like less of a character here?  Nor could I really remember who the other lords and ladies of Amber were, or what their deal was.  I know it’s been a while since I read the previous novel, but not that long.

Anyway, this is the first book in the series that I haven’t particularly enjoyed.  It has its moments.  But I wasn’t engaged with the characters.  It didn’t feel like there was much in the way of interesting world development.  Again, it all just feels like arranging pieces on a board so that the game will be ready when the next novel happens.  As it’s going to be a bit before I get to that novel…well, we’ll see how effective it is.

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