An amnesiac in a modern day hospital room wakes up to vague
memories of a car wreck – and a hospital staff more intent on sedating him than
treating his wounds. Blustering his way
past the needles and out the hospital door, he tracks down his sister Evelyn,
who might have given the order to keep him sedated. In a verbal game of bluff and feint, Evelyn
tries to tease out her brother’s intentions, while he hides his amnesia. Slowly, he recalls his name, Corwin, his
family of intriguers, and Amber, the realm of his birth of which all other
worlds are pale shadows, including our Earth.
Thus begins Nine
Princes in Amber, by Roger Zelazny, the selection for October’s Puppy of
the Month. Zelazny earned a place in Appendix N, the list
of works that inspired Dungeons and Dragons. Nine
Princes in Amber was also a common recommendation by various Puppies during
the discussions around this year’s Campaign to End Puppy Related Sadness. Fortunately, with the ebook revolution, this
classic fantasy is easier to find than it has been for years.
To join the Puppy of the Month club, all you have to do is
read Nine Princes in Amber in October,
and submit a blog post detailing your thoughts on the book.
Alternatively, you can read along and join in the comments.
***
From the publisher: “Carl
Corey wakes up in a secluded New York hospital with amnesia. He escapes and
investigates, discovering the truth, piece by piece: he is really Prince
Corwin, of Amber, the one true world of which our Earth is just a shadow. He is
one of nine men who might rule Amber, if he can fight his way past the armies
of his older brother Eric.”
