The novel "The Hand of Oberon" by American science fiction guru Roger Zhelyazny belongs to the epic "The Chronicles of Amber." It was published for the first time in 1976. All science fiction lovers must have heard a lot of good reviews about this work.
After all, it is almost impossible to break away from the history of the magical kingdom, from those intrigues that the heirs of the throne weave. The reader is drawn into the whirlpool of the hero’s adventures, into those secrets that are hidden in the maze.
Plot of the novel
The novel "The Hand of Oberon" is the fourth part of the series, telling in detail about everything that happened to the main character Corvin before he ended up on Earth and lost his memory.
In this book, Prince Corwin seeks to get the stone of Justice. Only this will help Prince Amber save the maze. He has to solve many puzzles with Random and Ganelon.
The fourth part of the pentalogy reveals the secrets of the past, in this part the hero finds out how the Universe of Shadows built by Dvorkin is arranged, and why the Amber Kingdom is under threat. The reader, along with Corwin, will also learn the secrets of his powerful father - King Oberon. And is there really someone else, more powerful, hiding under the guise of Ganelon?
All those plot lines that were twisted in the first three books, in this part come to a logical conclusion, And some "nodes" of the plot only twist so that the reader enthusiastically picks up the final fifth part. And besides the five parts about Corwin, there is also a story written on behalf of his son, a magician, also a pentalogy novel.
Classic fiction "Hand of Oberon"
No wonder R. Zhelyazny is one of the best science fiction writers of his time. The book "Hand of Oberon", although it contains little action, fights and the like, but has a very well-assembled plot, and the development of the protagonist is systematic and consistent. Not every writer succeeds in achieving this. The fantastic world of Roger Zhelyazny is so believable, detailed and colorful that sometimes you don’t feel like returning to reality. The presentation style is very simple, the syllable is available even for children. There are no age restrictions.
Even 40 years after the publication, the book still attracts the attention of young fans of the science fiction genre. How did the writer manage to so enchant, so draw attention to his story throughout the series of ten novels? Perhaps this means that R. Zhelyazny is still a genius of his genre.
The Pentateuch of Corwin. Should I read the entire series?
All five books about Corwin and his struggle for power in the kingdom are extremely interesting. It is impossible to single out which book is better. This, in fact, is the skill of the writer.
If you start reading the first part of the pentalogy, then, naturally, you will want to read the second, then the third ... It is not interesting to begin to get acquainted with the cycle from the third or fourth book. Then you still have to return to the first - "The Nine Princes of Amber."
Conclusion
In general, the book “The Hand of Oberon” is the most philosophical of the entire cycle, it is in it that the essence of the labyrinth, the device of the entire Amber universe, is revealed. Those who love only action will be a little boring to read. However, lovers of confused magical stories, where the main character is ambiguous, deeply and desperately trying to understand his place in his world, this part will be liked the most.