Rating: 
Summary: Don't waste your time
Review: "...may lack the sparkling wit of its predecessors" is a vast understatement. I wanted to like this book, hoping that at least if there had to be a prequel written it would actually be good, but it felt like I was reading a bad parody of the original series. Or maybe an alternate universe variation. Zelazny did the bickering family with the initially clueless protagonist already, and he did it 10 times better. If you liked Zelazny's Amber books, you'll be disappointed, or at the very least, bored. If you haven't read Zelazny's Amber books, I suggest you skip this book and read them instead.
Rating:
Summary: [NO TITLE]
Review: A painful and disappointing experience. Reading through the other posted reviews I find many of my problems with author and the book already well-stated; no need to beat a dead horse.At his best, Zelazny did far more than create memorable worlds and characters. If anything, what he was writing ABOUT was secondary to the pleasure of feeling the flow of his work, the sometimes obscure references and his apt turn of phrase. He was a writer who infused his poetic and rhythmic sense into every book and story, and when it worked there was nothing else like it in science fiction. I would wish that this book hadn't been written, or if it had to come, that a different author--Steven Brust, Dan Simmons, Walter Jon Williams, Neil Gaiman--lots of good writers out there who have acknowledged a debt to Zelazny--had written it. In the meantime, Zelazny's estate has reserved publication of RZ's last Amber stories--so who knows? I gave this one star through no merit of its own, but rather because it reminded me of why I loved Zelazny's stuff in the first place. Off to read LORD OF LIGHT again, for the first time in awhile.
Rating: 
Summary: A valiant attempt that tragically fell short
Review: Admittedly I approached this work with trepidation, concerned that the master's work would be tainted by a follow-on amateur. Unfortunately upon reading the book my initial concern was mostly right. Betancourt is a good author but he's simply not Zelazny no matter how much he tries to write like him. Like other reviewers I think this work would have been much better if it had not been done in 1st person. Not only is that the hardest style to write convincingly but the vast majority of people reading this prequel already know everything that will follow anyway. It's simply not as fresh, funny, or fast paced as the original series.
Speaking of the original, I was privileged to meet Mr. Zelazny and speak with him for about an hour at a Sci-Fi convention about a year before his tragic death. Though he knew he was arguably the greatest author in the genre, I found him quiet, unassuming, and shy; yet he had a sly charm and razor wit. He was also one of the most intelligent people I have ever met. Most of the conversation was about swords and armor and other things that had nothing to do with his books, though one of the topics that came up was his Amber novels. I got the distinct impression that they ranked among his favorite creations, something he did not want anyone else messing around with - hence no movies, TV shows, or other authors playing with his characters. This preview was clearly authorized yet I suspect Roger wouldn't have been real happy about that.
Betancourt's plot was OK but not great, too much like a rehash of the original series. As with all prequels it's very hard to be truly creative or surprising when everyone knows what must eventually occur anyway. The characters were acceptable but not exceptional though the names were truly uninspiring. Oberon's personality doesn't quite jive with his older self though I suppose that can be explained simply through the maturation process. The setting, however, was pretty darn flat. I really don't understand what appeal Ilerium could possibly have over the Courts of Chaos. Overall I think that this book was a great try, a valiant attempt at continuing the Amber legacy. Even though this work fell short I do intend to read the second one to see if Betancourt has gained his stride.
Rating: 
Summary: Not Zelazny, but not bad
Review: All the whining aside, this is a good book. Fans of Zelazny ~not~ obsessed with the fact that Zelazny didn't write it, will enjoy it. It is a different perspective on a favorite theme. Sure, no one can match Zelazny, but does that mean you can never read another book? Or is it only no more fantasy? Just get over what you think Zelazny would have done or what he would have wanted, and enjoy the book. It's pretty good.
Rating:
Summary: Not Zelazny, but not bad
Review: All the whining aside, this is a good book. Fans of Zelazny ~not~ obsessed with the fact that Zelazny didn't write it, will enjoy it. It is a different perspective on a favorite theme. Sure, no one can match Zelazny, but does that mean you can never read another book? Or is it only no more fantasy? Just get over what you think Zelazny would have done or what he would have wanted, and enjoy the book. It's pretty good.
Rating: 
Summary: Well Written and Fun
Review: As a longtime Amber and Zelazny fan, I'd say that Betancourt has done a good job of capturing the style and spirit of Zelazny's Amber series. Don't get me wrong, Zelazny could have done a better job. But since Zelazny's gone, and the job had to be given to a mere mortal, I'm quite pleased with the way it turned out. One point: I notice that the charcater of Oberon, the narrator of this book, seems to lack some of the toughness and self-confidence of the Oberon from the actual Amber series, but this is not unexpected, since this is a much younger Oberon than we encountered in Zelazny's work. All in all, an enjoyable read and faithful to the original. I'm looking forward to the rest of Betancourt's series.
Rating:
Summary: A Bitter Disappointment that Lacks ANY Imagination
Review: As a professional writer and author, one of the keys to good fiction is to provide your readers with a visually descriptive narrative. Next, you write about the sounds and impact of your environment. What made Roger Zelazny a master is that he not only understood this, he excelled in this, completely *immersing* readers into his realm. That is exactly why he was such an amazingly powerful and respected writer. Betancourt writes in exactly the same static tone that one would write a Reuters news story. Deviod of emotion or feeling. This book has all the enjoyment of spending a 3 hour airline flight in a middle seat - first you're anxious for it to get better, then you're itching for it to be over. It's no wonder sales of this book are so poor. A cursory read shows that the majority of the book is composed of short sentences and stunted dialog. If you ignore the lack of any plot whatsoever, you can't help but notice that what there is of the story simply lacks any imagination. I strongly encourage anyone curious about this book to instead search Amazon.com and buy two Zelazny books that they may have missed, out of respect for the great writer. Zelazny's estate should be ashamed of themselves for allowing this book to be published. With so many quality writers out there that share Zelazny's style, it's been suggested that Zelazny's heirs were simply able to cut the best deal with author Betancourt so that he got a very slim percentage. However, the most unpardonable sin of this book is that it condradicts much of Amber dogma. That's simply disrepectful to the memory of Roger. Respectful writers simply do not do this. Of course it's not Zelazny. But it's also not Amber.
Rating:
Summary: Very fun to read
Review: As everyone has pointed out this is not Zelazney, but it is still very readable. I for one enjoyed the parallels in Oberon's story to that of Corwin in Nine Princes in Amber. This book was fun to read and hard to put down. It had good pacing and a nice flow. It is very enjoyable if you read it on it's own merits instead of looking for another Zelazney book.
Rating:
Summary: Remember Nine Princes?
Review: As with any introductory book of almost any series (especially a prequel), it gets off to a little bit of a slow start. If you're already an Amber familiar, perhaps a very slow start. Keep in mind though, you can't write this book for those familiar with some of the main concepts, because it is supposed to be the first one. Even then, some of the things we may have taken for "fact", or were perhaps implied in some of the other books are refuted here. And that's fine; origin stories are often different from the actual origin. On to the book...
Story is OK, as is the plot. OK, the book doesn't really go anywhere, but it sets the stage. You're occaionally going to get books like this in series literature. What I liked least about it is that Obere (aka Oberon) makes some almost astounding logical leaps in some places, but not others. He seems to fluctuate from someone who almost intuitively "gets it", to appearing (at least a little to me) dense about soem things. even the ones he made the leap in. You'll enjoy it more if you haven't read Zelazny's stuff. If you're hardcore Zelany fan, you've got to read it. If you're not a huge fan, I reommend skipping this one.
Rating:
Summary: A 11 year old could have done better
Review: Betancourt dosn't even bother to follow the workings of Amber's universe, it is like ignoring gravity, or writing a Star Wars novel with Star Trek transporters. Did Betancourt even read the original series? or did he just have someone outline them for him? A few days of research and reading would have made this more than a cheap way to rip off Amber fans for some money. My advice, Run far away from this book.
| 
