[Nine Princes in Amber] is the first book in the Amber series, five closely related novels which, while of uneven quality (the middle three are the best), are on the whole excellent, both for their unusually original fantasy elements and for their literary qualities. Readers should be cautioned at the outset that the series must be read in the proper sequence to gain the full (or in some of the novels any) understanding of the world of Amber, one of the more ingeniously conceived secondary worlds in fantasy literature…. The series starts out like many standard sword and sinew works but develops rapidly in literary quality. Characterization improves; style becomes more polished; and philosophical complexities emerge. But even in the first book, such a secondary world as Amber is enough to draw the reader into the rest of the series. Nine Princes in Amber introduces readers to the princes and princesses of Amber…. Corwin is the narrator and central character throughout all the books. In this first one Corwin is living on our earth, his favorite Shadow Earth, as Carl Corey…. Corwin, with the help of Random, the playboy of the family, succeeds in returning to Amber and regaining his identity…. Despite Zelazny's inventiveness, Nine Princes in Amber is the weakest book of the series, and could turn readers away from the others. The book features quantities of gratuitous sex and countless unnecessary throat-cuttings and blood-spurtings. The style features a crude, supposedly swagger-style modern idiom that is jarring. It is not until the second book that readers who are stalwart enough to persevere will discover that these negative features have a literary function. (pp. 181-82)

Far superior to Nine Princes in Amber, The Guns of Avalon (Book II of the Amber series) makes clear the rich complexity of Zelazny's design, which will carry through the remaining books. At the outset Corwin, still under the influence of past habits, feels he must avenge himself on his brother Eric and take the throne for himself. He postpones his revenge, however, when he witnesses the effects of the curse he had uttered when Eric blinded and imprisoned him…. The change in Corwin, the principal focus of this book, is carefully developed and convincing. Two new characters of importance enter the series at this point: Ganelon (not the betrayer of Roland) becomes Corwin's companion in arms, and Dara becomes his companion in love. Zelazny employs an effective elliptical style in describing the creation of new Shadow Earths. (p. 182)

In [Sign of the Unicorn], the politics of Amber, with plots and counterplots, creates considerable interest and suspense…. One of the attractions of this third book is the most effective shadow-shifting episode in the series. Prince Random (he is well named because of his erratic behavior) turns up to save Corwin from some subhuman pursuers. While fleeing on a glider-kite, Random shifts the Shadow Lands, earth and sky, to confuse the attackers, creating a fascinating kaleidescopic sequence of scenes. (pp. 182-83)

Many readers will probably find Book IV, The Hand of Oberon, the best of the five novels in the Amber series. Zelazny shelves sex and bloodletting almost completely, in favor of the attractions of a dramatic, suspenseful plot and an array of magical happenings…. The theme of duty over personal gain emerges most clearly in this book. Random even marries and brings order to his life. Corwin forgets numerous personal wrongs committed against him, unifies the Royal Family, and attends to the good of Amber as a proper ruler ought. His change, begun late in Book I of the series, could easily end here. (p. 183)

The blurb on the jacket claims that "all your questions are answered" in this Book V, the conclusion of the Amber series. Actually, only one question is answered, but it is the most important one. Amber does triumph over the Courts of Chaos and over the mysterious apocalyptic storm that threatens to neutralize the victory. Courts of Chaos also makes explicit the theme of balance in the universe between chaos and order, a fruitful and dynamic relationship between creativity and discipline or matter and form or whatever similar pairings pertain. Another theme or lesson is the attainment of self-realization by striving even when success seems impossible. The opposite point of view is voiced by a bird named Hugi who perches on Corwin's shoulder and preaches surrender to the Absolute. Courts of Chaos also reminds the readers that Corwin, however noble he has become, has not become a Galahad…. Aside from letting the reader know who wins, making some thematic statements, and shading in a corner of Corwin's character, Courts of Chaos achieves little and requires considerable padding to reach novel length. Still, it serves the function of summarizing a long story and thereby extending the reader's enjoyment. If it rests on the laurels of its predecessors, it does so with considerable justification. It also leaves a few doors open in case Zelazny wants to resurrect the series. (pp. 183-84)

[Jack of Shadows] is a fast-paced and highly imaginative novel that has as its setting an Earth that no longer rotates—an Earth half in darkness, half in light. Magic rules the lives of the Darksiders, science the lives of the Lightsiders. The picaresque hero, a Darksider called Jack of Shadows (he magically derives power from shadows), has acquired a legendary reputation for his skill as a thief, but when he attempts to steal the Hellflame (a "fist-sized ruby") he is apprehended and summarily executed. All Darksiders, however, have more than one life, and after his ressurection Jack sets out to gain revenge on those responsible for the taking of his life…. Although a unique work, in some respects Shadows is similar to Jack Vance's The Eyes of the Overworld. Both novels feature a central character who is a thieving rogue with considerable magical powers, along with a large supporting cast of remarkably weird creatures (for example, the Borshin in Shadows; both novels are highly episodic; both are extraordinarily inventive and imaginative; both have exotic, vividly described settings (witness Shadows' Dung Pits of Glyve and High Dudgeon); and both are characterized by an abundance of Dunsanian names. Unlike Overworld, however, Shadows adds to the story line, or literal level, a distinctly allegorical level of meaning, and thus Shadows has a somewhat greater sophistication of plot and theme. The allegory in Shadows arises from its treatment of Jack's running battle with his "Soul"—Everyman's quest for spiritual meaning and fulfillment; and in its depiction of Man's dichotomous nature—the emotional/magical (dark) side versus the intellectual/scientific (light) side. Although Shadows has plenty of swashbuckling action, Zelazny avoids the heavy emphasis on blood and gore found in the first two books of the Amber series. (p. 184)