I've put off reading the second series of Amber books for a long time because I heard they just aren't as good as the originals. After reading the first book, that seems true to me, but Zelazny is a master and Trumps of Doom is still a great, quick read.This series follows Merlin, Corwin's son, and while he shares a lot of Corwin's personality he's simply not as compelling a character at this point in the story. A huge part of the first Amber book was finding out together with Corwin what exactly was going on. Merlin already knows the game, so a lot of the more fantastical elements are lost here.

The plot also feels like a bit of a retread, but the final third really ramps up and the ending, while not satisfying on its own, is a great jumping-off point for the rest of the series. These are really quick reads, all 5 books together are about the length of one regular fantasy doorstopper, so you definitely can't complain about the pace. I'm glad I decided to jump in with Merlin; Zelazny hasn't disappointed me yet.