Roger Zelazny: VERY IMPORTANT FOR FANS!

[Snowdog]

Originally Posted by Giovanna Clairval

Thank you, and yes, Snowdog, I was thinking along the same lines (how strange it was that Ben would carry a staff). The problem came from the fact that the trump doesn't show the point of the lance.
But it makes perfect sense that it is not a staff.

About Benedict being older, sorry, I had forgotten (most of this is off da top of meh 'ead). Still, are you sure?

When I get my books back, we'll joust in curteous tournaments, if you like, Dogwhite Knight.

Will you please describe one of the other characters, Snowdog?

In the Visual Guide To Castle Amber, the family tree for Benedict, Osric and Finndo has Benedict first. Also in SofU, p170, Corwin explains to Ganelon the succession as he sees it - "Benedict is the eldest. His mother was Cymnea. She bore Dad two other sons, also-Osric and Finndo..." There is an early reference in NPiA, if memory serves, that there were originally 15 sons, 6 of whom were dead. Assuming Corwin knew about Osric, Finndo and Delwyn (but not Dalt), there may have been three other sons who may have been older than Benedict, but who are dead and are never named. I can't find the reference right now though.

I'll try and do another character over the next few days.

[The_Khan]

Hi Snowdog my friend, how are you? LOL, I thought it was a staff, but Trent Zelazny caught the mistake so the artist drew the sketch with Benedict holding the lance I drooled over the sketch for a few hours and when I ran out of saliva, I finally went to get a drink of water to replenish my supply, lol Thanks for working with Giovanna, she's really cool! Hopefully soon more other knowledgeable fans will join in and work with you both. Thanks again you two. Once the artwork is open to the public, I will be sure to post them here

[Snowdog]

CAINE

His colours are black and green. His symbol (as shown in the Visual Guide) apears to be an albatross, can anyone confirm that?

In NPiA, p32, while looking at his trump, Corwin describes him thus:

"Then came the swarthy, dark-eyed countenance of Caine, dressed all in satin that was black and green, wearing a dark three-cornered hat set at a rakish angle, a green plume of feathers trailing down the back. He was standing in profile, one arm akimbo, and the toes of his boots curled upwards, and he wore an emerald-studded dagger at his belt. There was ambivalence in my heart." The trump drawing in the Visual Guide is one of the better ones.

Below are spoilers...don't read if you haven't already read the books...

Who Caine's mother was isn't clear. In SotU, p171, Corwin says that Caine was next in line after him, but he also says it gets complicated at the point. If Faiella was Caine's mother and Caine was born in wedlock, that wouldn't be complicated. Corwin also says that after Faiella's death, Oberon didn't marry for a long time and then it was to Clarissa (Fiona, Bleys, Brand). The Visual Guide gives Caine's mother as Rilga, and Merlin states at one point that Caine, Julian and Gerard are full brothers. Various theories to resolve this inconsistency have been put forward, none completely satisfactory. The best (to my mind) is that Caine is indeed Rilga's son but was born before Oberon and Rilga were married and before Oberon married Clarissa. That would have made him illegitimate though and his place in the succession would have been in dispute. Maybe there was an explanation but Corwin didn't feel the need to go into it because Caine was dead by then (or so he thought). The Complete Amber Sourcebook gives Faiella as Caine's mother but this doesn't fit most of what we know.

At the time of NPiA, Caine was in charge of one of the great naval and merchant fleets of Amber, that sailed the Shadow seas of hundreds of worlds. He had command of the Northern waters and was guarding any approach to Amber from that quarter in anticipation of an attack from Bleys. Unbeknownst to Corwin, he had formed a triumvirate with Eric and Julian to oppose that of Bleys, Brand and Fiona. Caine won the great sea battle that formed part of the assault on Amber. He gave his word to Corwin to treat his prisoners well after the latter trumped out, and kept it. Though it was clear that it was his word to Corwin that mattered, not the fate of these shadow-men.

Caine appears to have a great love of the sea, but this is mostly derived from the Visual Guide.

He is described as a great knife-fighter but I can't for the life of me remember where I read that.

There is no doubt that Caine is ruthless. In order to fake his own death he lures one of his own shadows to Amber, then muders him so the body can be found. Later, believing Corwin to be in league with Brand, he attempts to murder Corwin. He it is who eventually kills Brand with a silver-tipped arrow.

Despite Corwins's feelings toward him, it becomes apparent as the books progress that whatever Caine (and the others) were like hundreds of years ago when Corwin was exiled, by the time of NPiA, Caine's actions, however ruthless, are motivated by a sense of duty towards Amber. His friendship with Julian, which so surprises Corwin, appears to be entirely genuine.

Caine is eventually murdered during the Merlin cycle by Brand's son Rinaldo, in revenge for his father's death.

[The_Khan]

Hi Snowdog, thank you for the Caine information. I really appreciate your help

[Giovanna Clairval]

Two more Trumps from the Visual Guide:

Bleys and Caine

[Snowdog]

That's Oliver Reed on the left! Or is it just me

[Giovanna Clairval]

I wouldn't have drawn Bleys like that at all... What do you think?

But Corwin's Trump corresponds to the character... well, better. I'll post it another time.

[Snowdog]

I wouldn't dare to suggest that Neil Randall's portraits are based on movie stars, but Corwin looks a bit like Timothy Dalton and can anyone spot Tony Curtis?

Seriously, I have to say that I'm not a fan of most of these drawings. It's a taste thing I suppose, and they are well-executed, but generally I just don't like them. The women are pretty ugly where they should be beautiful. Some of the figures seem out of proportion in various places.

I have a soft spot for the figures - small as they are - on the cover of the Corgi pb edition of NPiA, since that was my first Amber book. "An Amber Tapestry" in The Illustrated Roger Zelazny has a good stab at it, but I think a definitive version of the trumps - in colour - has still to be created.

I'd like to see that happen, as well as paintings of Amber itself, the Pattern and other sites and scenes from the books, the way LotR has been done.

[Snowdog]

Here are the trumps from The Illustrated RZ, and the Corgi edition of NPiA.



I should add that The Illustrated RZ artist is Gray Morrow, and Patrick Woodroffe did the Corgi cover.

[The_Khan]

Thanks guys for the help, I really appreciate it!

[Giovanna Clairval]

These are better... No colours, though.

Bleys and Caine

[Snowdog]

I've just had a scoot round the net. Lots of fans have had a crack at drawing the trumps with varying success. Some are rather good. There was a French site, iirc, with a good set, but I can't find it now.

[Giovanna Clairval]

The 1000th post, at the Poet's place...

Using the trail point... er... suggested by my friend Snowdog, I have found a most comprehensive French website.

(Almost) everything is here: The complet Visual Guide, Florence Magnin’s beautiful deck of Tarots, Boris Sirbey's drawings,…

The galleries are Ali Baba’s trunk full of treasures.

http://onirym.online.fr/galeries/index.php?rep=Ambre%2FFlorence_Magnin




This is Bleys, according to Florence Magnin (who also published her own vision of Amber)

[Snowdog]

Ah Yes. The ones I specifically remember are by Boris Sirbey.

Two interpretations of Bleys, I like the first one best:


Florence Magnin's drawings are beautiful in their own right, but not a faithful interpretation of RZ's descriptions. That's not to take anything away from them. I had a set of Tarot cards once that didn't come close to these. All the featured artists are clearly professional (or gifted amateurs).

I've just found myself a Christmas present

[The_Khan]

Hi my friends, how are you? I wanted to share the news with you all, enjoy DABEL BROTHERS SIGN DISTRO DEAL WITH DEL REY - NEWSARAMA