From Surf Wiki (app.surf) — the open knowledge base
Trumps of Doom
Fantasy novel by Roger Zelazny
Fantasy novel by Roger Zelazny
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Trumps of Doom |
| image | File:Trumps_of_Doom.jpg |
| author | Roger Zelazny |
| country | United States |
| language | English |
| series | *The Chronicles of Amber* |
| genre | Fantasy |
| publisher | Arbor House |
| release_date | May 1985 |
| media_type | Print (hardcover) |
| pages | 183 |
| award | Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel (1986) |
| isbn | 0-87795-718-5 |
| dewey | 813/.54 19 |
| congress | PS3576.E43 T7 1985 |
| oclc | 11621840 |
| preceded_by | The Courts of Chaos |
| followed_by | Blood of Amber |
Trumps of Doom is a fantasy novel by the American writer Roger Zelazny, the first book in the second Chronicles of Amber series and the sixth book in the Amber series overall. Whereas the first series was narrated by Corwin, this series is narrated by his son, Merlin. Trumps of Doom won the Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel in 1986.
Plot summary
Merlin has spent the last several years on Earth learning computer science while building Ghostwheel, a trump- and Pattern-based computer, elsewhere in Shadow. Having completed this project, he wishes to know who has been trying to kill him every April 30—and why some of the better attempts failed—before he leaves Earth. He meets with his friend Lucas Reynard (Luke), a salesman, who tries to convince him to stay; Luke tells him that Julia Barnes, Merlin's ex-girlfriend, may be in trouble. Merlin investigates and finds Julia slain by creatures from another shadow.
Merlin investigates through Shadow, and he receives orders from King Random to shut down Ghostwheel. By this time, however, Ghostwheel has become sentient and capable of defending itself. Eventually, Luke—who turns out to be Brand's son—imprisons Merlin in a blue crystal cave, so that he can attempt to take control of Ghostwheel for himself.
Reception
Kirkus Reviews wrote: "Inventive, incident-packed, often fascinating stuff, with flashes of wry humor--but there's not even a token resolution here, and it isn't satisfying in itself." Frank Catalano of The Seattle Times wrote that the novel "moves along at such a breakneck pace that its abrupt ending leaves you teetering on the edge of a cliff." Tim Preso of The Oregonian called the novel "exceedingly readable" with "well-developed characters"; however, he also wrote that Zelazny "seems to be treading familiar ground".
References
References
- "1986 Award Winners & Nominees". Worlds Without End.
- "TRUMPS OF DOOM". [[Kirkus Reviews]].
- Catalano, Frank. (1 February 1987). "SCI-FI -- COMPLICATED FUTURES; STRANGE NEW SEQUELS".
- Preso, Tim. (28 August 1985). "Zelazny repeats good thing".
This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.
Ask Mako anything about Trumps of Doom — get instant answers, deeper analysis, and related topics.
Research with MakoFree with your Surf account
Create a free account to save articles, ask Mako questions, and organize your research.
Sign up freeThis content may have been generated or modified by AI. CloudSurf Software LLC is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of AI-generated content. Always verify important information from primary sources.
Report