Treacheries, trickeries, assassination attempts and bloody family intrigues have finally maneuvered Merlin, aka Merle Corey, into the Courts of Chaos - where he is third in line to occupy the throne, thanks to a series of conventionally fatal "accidents" engineered by his mother Dara and uncle Mandor. But Merlin's journey to the ultimate rule will not be easy. For dark enchantments still await him. There is murderous discord between Amber and Chaos to be silenced. And a captive royal father, long believed dead, must first be freed from a villain's magic before a beleaguered Prince can deem his triumph complete.From Library JournalMerlin, whose blood unites the royal houses of the true world of Amber and the Courts of Chaos, becomes drawn deeper into the complex plots and counterplots of both worlds as forces conspire to place him on Chaos's throne--despite his own intentions. Zelazny's celebrated "Amber" chronicles (begun in 1970), of which this novel is the tenth, portrays the ultimate in virtual realities. With this volume, the author finds new grounds to explore and shows no sign of winding down to a conclusion. Filled with Zelazny's characteristically snappy prose, this title is recommended where the series has a following.Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.From Kirkus ReviewsTenth book of the series that commenced in 1970 with Nine Princes in Amber and proceeded to Knight of Shadows (1989), wherein wizard Merle Corey remains central to the power struggle between the two opposing, sentient poles of magic, Amber's Pattern and the Courts of Chaos's Logrus. As the King of Chaos, Swayvill, finally dies, Merle is third in succession to the throne. By then the two who precede Merle die in mysterious circumstances, and it emerges that Merle's mother Dara and brother Mander are conspiring to ensorcell Merle and place him on the throne of Chaos as their puppet. Usefully, Merle makes friends with a number of former foes, then discovers that his long-lost father Corwin is still alive, as Dara's prisoner. Meanwhile, since the Pattern is slightly stronger than the Logrus, the Logrus kidnaps and conceals Coral, keeper of the powerful Jewel of Judgment. Glum, talky, and threadbare. Even more depressing, Zelanzy seems to be clearing the way for yet more additions to this already absurdly and pointlessly overextended series. --Copyright ©1991, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.