The Courts of Chaos
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| The Courts of Chaos | |
 Dust-jacket illustration from the first edition |
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| Author | Roger Zelazny |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | The Chronicles of Amber |
| Genre(s) | Fantasy novel |
| Publisher | Doubleday |
| Publication date | 1978 |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover) |
| ISBN | ISBN 0385136854 |
| Preceded by | The Hand of Oberon |
| Followed by | Trumps of Doom |
The Courts of Chaos is the fifth book in the Chronicles of Amber series by Roger Zelazny.
This book ends the original series narrated by Corwin. The next series begins with Trumps of Doom following his son, Merlin, as the protagonist.
Corwin must ride the entire length of the multiverse, from Amber to the Courts of Chaos, while Oberon attempts to repair the Pattern. All the while, Brand pursues him, trying to snatch away the Jewel of Judgement.
[edit] Plot summary
Corwin sulks in Castle Amber's library while Oberon gives the family orders for a massive battle with the forces of Chaos, in just three days time. Random persuades Corwin to leave, but when they try to enter the throne room they are held back by an invisible force. They watch as Corwin's sword appears and chops off Benedict's new arm, just as Corwin did in Tir-na Nog'th. The sword and the arm disappear, and Corwin and Random are released.
Dara and Martin are with Benedict. Corwin learns from Martin's trumps that the crossbowman who spared him is Merlin, his and Dara's son. Dara tells how Brand bargained with the Courts of Chaos, exchanging knowledge of how to destroy the Pattern for a promise that they would allow him to rule in a new, smaller Amber. They wished to replace him with Merlin, an heir to both the thrones of Chaos and Amber. However, Dara feared that neither would keep their word, with either Brand remaking the universe in his image or the Courts removing Amber (and therefore all of Shadow) entirely, and released Oberon from Brand's trap. She relays Oberon's orders to attack the courts immediately to Benedict. Corwin questions her authority, but she bears Oberon's seal.
Still unconvinced, Corwin contacts Fiona, who is with Oberon and Dworkin at the Primal Pattern. She confirms Dara's authority, and says that Oberon is about to repair the Pattern. Hoping to save Oberon, Corwin projects himself through, grabs the Jewel, and runs for the Pattern, but he is paralyzed by Oberon's magics before he can reach it.
Oberon has a final talk with his son, explaining that while he had set Corwin up to meet him in Lorraine, he had enjoyed being Corwin's friend, and he wants Corwin to succeed him as King of Amber, with Dara as his queen. Corwin explains that he no longer wants to rule. Oberon, disappointed, dismisses Corwin using a trump-like effect.
Once Corwin confirms Dara's authority, Benedict uses the trump of the Courts of Chaos to begin his attack. Dara talks to Corwin, and they decide that although they were used as pawns to create Merlin, they still like each other. Dara then leaves to give the rest of the family their orders. Gérard is ordered to stay and guard Amber, while Julian and Random are to stay in Arden.
Oberon arrives, and asks Corwin for some of his blood. He breathes life into the blood, and it becomes a red raven. Oberon tells Corwin that the raven will follow him through shadow, bringing him the Jewel after Oberon repairs the Pattern. Corwin's orders are to hellride towards Chaos as fast as possible, so that the others will be able to use the Jewel in the final battle with Chaos. He must bear the Jewel through shadow because the Trumps will stop working once Oberon starts his task.
Corwin says goodbye to his father, and sets off. Now that he knows that Amber is just the first Shadow, he finds he can shift shadow there more easily. As he rides towards Chaos, he follows the Black Road. After a time, he notices the black road begin to come apart; shortly after, the raven arrives and gives him the Jewel. Corwin is unsure whether this means that Oberon has succeeded or failed.
Brand arrives, telling him that he watched Oberon fail, and that Corwin must give him the Jewel so he can create a new Pattern. Corwin refuses, and forces Brand to leave. He notices an unusually large storm following him, and takes refuge in a cave. The cave's other occupant tells him about local legends of the Archangel Corwin, who will ride before a storm at the end of the world. Corwin commands the Jewel to quell the storm, and falls asleep.
When he wakes, his horse has been kidnapped. He tracks it to a cave, blocked off by a large boulder, which he shatters. Inside, leprechauns are celebrating a feast. Observing his great strength, they return his horse and invite him to join them. Succumbing to their charms, he starts to fall asleep, but rouses himself in time to see them preparing to kill him. He awakes and rushes outside. As he leaves, the leader of the wee folk recognises him as the Archangel Corwin.
He starts to move into shadow, but as he moves further from the cave where he slept the universe starts to come apart around him. He realises that the storm was a wave of Chaos, moving away from Amber as the multiverse is destroyed. He begins to doubt whether Oberon was successful.
Using the jewel, he is able to overtake the storm and return to the diminishing multiverse. A strange lady dines with him and attempts to seduce him, but remembering his encounter with the pale lady on the black road in Lorraine, and that he's working to a deadline, he declines. Brand ambushes him with a crossbow, mortally wounding his horse, but the blood raven reappears and plucks out one of Brand's eyes. Corwin puts down his horse and continues through shadow.
Corwin cuts a branch off a tree as a walking aid. The tree complains, but when it learns that he is Oberon's son it gives him its blessing. It says that it is Ygg, and that Oberon planted it in Amber's distant past to mark the boundary between Order and Chaos. It tells him to plant the staff somewhere it will have the chance to grow.
A talking raven (of the usual color) arrives, and tries to distract Corwin with fatalistic philosophy. It shows Corwin the head of a mostly-drowned Giant, who will not even allow the possibility of rescue. A jackal offers to lead Corwin on a short-cut to the Courts, but instead leads him to its lair, where he kills it. Corwin finally finds a shadow with the Courts' sky, but is aghast to discover that the Courts still lie across a huge wasteland. The raven tells him it knew, so he kills it for his dinner.
As the storm approaches Chaos, Corwin decides that Oberon must have failed, so he plants his staff and begins to use the Jewel to inscribe a new Pattern. The process evokes memories of his former life in Paris, France, and we are given the impression that these somehow shape the new Pattern. He finishes, but is exhausted, and he collapses at the new Pattern's center. Brand projects himself to Corwin and steals the Jewel. Corwin passes out.
Corwin awakes to find the area surrounding his Pattern transformed. The sky is now white, and the staff has grown into a tree. Corwin realises that he is at the center of a Pattern, and commands it to teleport him to the Courts.
He arrives in the courts, only to be challenged to single combat by someone who introduces themself as Borel, Master at Arms of the Courts of Chaos. He removes his armour to make the fight fair, but Corwin, having no time for a fair fight, slays him there and then.
Corwin finds Brand with Fiona, Random and Deirdre, at the edge of the Abyss. Fiona is keeping him psychically bound, but he has Deirdre as a hostage. An image of Oberon fills the sky, telling them that Corwin must use the Jewel to save them from the oncoming Chaos storm, and gives them a blessing. Corwin uses the distraction and his attunement to the jewel to super-heat Brand, but Brand realises what's happening and starts to cut Deirdre. She pulls herself free, and Brand is shot in the chest and throat. Brand staggers, and grabs Deirdre's hair. They both fall into the Abyss. Corwin tries to follow her, and Random has to knock him out.
Corwin wakes up to see Caine there, alive and well. He explains how he faked his own death and spied on the others using the Trumps. It was him who shot Brand, using silver-tipped arrows, just in case. They watch Amber's armies crush the forces of Chaos while the storm continues to advance. A funeral procession, led by Dworkin, emerges from the storm front, accompanied by various fantastic beasts. Fiona appears with Dara and Corwin's son, Merlin. Corwin discusses with Fiona the possibility that two Patterns now exist; she can't decide whether that's good or bad. Dara arrives, angry with Corwin for killing Borel, and then leaves. Merlin arrives with her, but stays, eager to learn more about his father.
The Unicorn appears from the Abyss, wearing the Jewel of Judgement. It examines each of the Amberites in turn, then kneels in front of Random. The rest of the family kneel in front of him too, and pledge their allegiance to him as the new King. Random takes the Jewel, and Corwin is able to guide him through the attunement process. Corwin is exhausted, and stays with Random while the others go to the Courts, where they think they should be safe. Merlin stays, and asks to hear about his father's adventures. Corwin begins narrating the Chronicles to his son.
Random is successful, and the Trumps become active. They contact Gérard, who tells them that the multiverse is fine, although seven years have passed. Corwin reflects on his changed attitudes towards his family, and on the changes in himself.
[edit] Trivia
- Corwin's encounter with "Lady" contains various allusions to the ballad "La Belle Dame Sans Merci" by John Keats.
[edit] References
- Levack, Daniel J. H. (1983). Amber Dreams: A Roger Zelazny Bibliography. San Francisco: Underwood/Miller, 23-24. ISBN 0-934438-39-0.
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