Sign of the Unicorn

Three Amber books in, and the ratcheting of tension I keep expecting hasn't quite happened yet. It seems every novel so far has ended on a cliffhanger promising things coming to a head, but as was the case with The Guns of Avalon, Sign of the Unicorn takes its own time and tells an altogether different tale from its predecessor.

The story in Sign is near in concept to a murder mystery night. There is a traitor in Amber, and the sons and daughters of Oberon hash it out in camera. There is a lot of that sibling intrigue that makes the Amber series so compelling, and the heat does ratchet up, albeit at that slow increase that boils frogs unaware.

The setting deepens, and so does the intrigue. The mechanics of Amber and Shadows become more vivid, and character motivations make increasingly more sense. Once again the stage is set for a magnificent confrontation. Two books to go, so I expect I will get my due eventually. But although I keep expecting that moment when an Amber book will enter the real of a four-star fantasy novel, that moment hasn't happened yet for me. In the meantime, the ride is thrilling, Corwin's voice remains unique and engaging, and the prose, spun by the ever masterful Mr. Zelazny, is delectable as always.