Rating: 
Summary: Good Read for a Rainy Day
Review: The storyline is fitting, although the composition lacks Zelazny's depth of development. Still, it is a very good read for a rainy day.
Rating: 
Summary: Improper handling, no gratitude, respect
Review: This book is fan fiction. It is not written by Zelazney, creator of this world, but by a fan of his. As such, it breaks every spoken and unspoken rule of fan fiction there is.
On the cover in a large font reads "Roger Zelazney's The Dawn of Amber." Far off and in smaller print is Betancourt's name. This is misleading. Is this Zelazney's work? No. Zelazney knew his world, and must have had the events prior to his published books already fixed in his head, even if he never meant to write them. Therefore, this is in no way Zelazney's version of the dawn of his world, and such a titling seems to me grossly improper.
No where in this book is a disclaimer, another rule of fan fiction. Except for a brief mention in the dedication, nowhere does he thank Zelazney. Nowhere does he attribute creation of the world with bubbling praise to him. Nowhere does he assert that his views are precisely that, his views, and in no way gospel Amber.
The first rule of fan fiction is regretably irrelevant here. The idea of not making any money off of a fan work is made inapplicable by the legal permision Betancourt acquired. However, it was my impression that Zelazney was never too enthused about the prospect of someone else continuing his works, though I may be wrong.
Despite how Zelazney-esque this book may appear to be, Betancourt was not respectful enough to do the things any such fan fiction ought, and that is enough to give an unforgivably foul taste to this trilogy, no matter how much we may wish for more Amber.
Rating:
Summary: Dung of Amber
Review: This book stunk. There are only about a million or so psuedo-medieval fantasy stories out there that are more interesting, more creative and more intelligently written than this [weak] excuse for a book. John, here is some advice: Most of your readers are not 12 years old! They would enjoy a moderately fleshed-out character or two in a space of 300 pages! You showed absolutely NO work or ambition in the copping of a few ideas of Zelazny's while not even making an effort to bring a conflict or plot to life. This is an insult to readers and writers alike and should have been mailed back stamped "REJECTED" by the editor. Anyone who has ever enjoyed a S.F. or fantasy novel will find nothing new here. It reads like a bad D&D campaign.
Rating: 
Summary: Give Betancourt a break
Review: You guys are too hard on Betancourt. His new Amber book moves along at a good pace, is interesting, and fills in some logical inconsistencies in Zelazny's series. Does it measure up the classic Amber books, i.e. Corwin's story? No. But nothing does. Including, sad to say, the last five Amber books Zelazny wrote. I enjoyed Dawn of Amber, and am looking forward to the next one in the series.
Rating: 
Summary: Betancourt did everything right... but...
Review: You know, I can't fault Betancourt for anything in particular in his first attempt at picking up Roger Zelazny's mantle. This novel sews the seeds for suitably Machiavellian family politics, even if you don't see much of the eternal scheming and plotting that characterized Dworkin's brood in Zelazny's fiction (hopefully, we'll see some of this in the next installment!). The characters in this book are suitably Zelazny-esque, even if they don't come to life the way that 'Caine,' 'Benedict,' or Zelazny's other memorable characters did. The plot also lacks the complexity of Zelazny's 'Amber' series, but that can be forgiven since much of this book is exposition-- and one of the more frequent criticisms of Zelazny's work is that his plots were too convoluted for some readers, anyway. And the settings in this book clearly have the right "feel" for an 'Amber' novel, even though Zelazny's descriptive talents are greatly missed. I'm sorry if this reads like a back-handed compliment, and I really don't mean it that way, since this book is an astonishingly good attempt to continue the 'Amber' franchise-- but somehow the magic that Zelazny set in motion with "Nine Princes in Amber" just never materializes here.If you're an avid fantasy reader who devours everything you can get your hands on, this is one book that you really shouldn't miss. I'd even recommend this book to readers who occasionally delve into fantasy fiction, although I'd qualify this recommendation somewhat if I were speaking to a reader familiar with Zelazny's original series. Long-time 'Amber' fans are certain to be disappointed. In my opinion, though, "Dawn of Amber" really is worth reading on its own merits-- provided that you can ignore the long shadow of Roger Zelazny peeking over Betancourt's shoulder!
Rating:
Summary: Fun; I really wanted 3.5 stars
Review: Zelazny gets credit on the cover, but it was obvious (to me) that he didn't write any of it before I picked up this book. It is certainly fan-fic and if that bothers you, don't buy. Look at Neil Gaiman's work - his style and themes are similar, but the material original. Gaiman is an outstanding writer. Back to the book at hand.. I feel it isn't as good as any of the Corwin books. (I like the Merlin books, but they do get very wacky. I got the feeling he was sick of the series by then.) Zelazny's writing had a pace, tone and numerous obscure references that are missing in this book. He always seemed to write to an unheard song, impelling the reader on. And the characters aren't chain smokers this time. Wild. Zelazny was forever introducing us to new things or cultures in his world. There was a touch of anthropology and a touch of travel guide mixed in that all the archtypal imagery. I wonder if Betancourt was told not to change or create anything that didn't directly tie into Zelazny's books..? But... this is a fun book. Like much good fan-fic, it takes fairly obscure characters from the original story, fleshes them out and surrounds them with new characters in a familiar setting. Betancourt's writing is lighter, less dense, and makes a good read on the train. I agree with the reviewer who wished more actually happened in the books. After all, very few people are going to be reading these who aren't already fans. We know how it turns out, after all. The joy is in finding our way there. So, not the same feel as the original Amber 10, but good enough that I went out and bought and read #2 after reading #1. (On a grad school budget, no less.)
|
