Cover of Blood of Amber

Blood of Amber

core novel 1986 Chronicles of Amber

Record

First published1986
Original language EN
Work typenovel
Canon statuscore
Reader rating4.04 (14,251 ratings, collected 2026-08-06)
Page count215
First-edition ISBN0-87795-829-7
First-edition date1986-09
Internal chronology7

Synopsis

In the seventh Chronicles of Amber novel, Merlin, having escaped confinement in a crystal cave, sets out to gain leverage over his friend Luke by rescuing Luke's mother, Jasra, who is being held captive in the Keep of the Four Worlds. To free her, Merlin must confront the powerful sorcerer who controls the keep and who appears to already know a great deal about him and his family. After retrieving Jasra, though in a petrified state, Merlin attempts to return to Amber, only to be caught by an unusual trump summoning that traps him at a surreal, dangerous gathering resembling a Mad Hatter's tea party, adding a bizarre new obstacle to his already tangled plans.

Where it sits

Awards (verified)

  • Locus Award (Best Fantasy Novel), 1987: finalist; Locus reader-poll placement, ranked 2.

Notes

  • First edition: Arbor House (1986).
  • From the series record (The Merlin Cycle): Narrated by Merlin, Corwin's son. Publication order = internal chronological order.

Neighbouring works

Publication order and internal chronology are tracked as two separate orderings and are never conflated: a book's place in one says nothing about its place in the other.

Sources

← Chronicles of Amber dossier · All universes

Part of the Library. Fields without an identified source are omitted, never guessed.