All Roads Lead to Amber

Epizody

• Amber Short Stories 2 of 2 27.06.2026 1h 12min

  The concluding 1 hour episode covering the remainder of the Amber Short Stories.
• Amber Short Stories 1 of 2 21.06.2026 50min

  In this final 2 part coda to the series, we'll dive into the 7 short stories set in the Amber universe.
• Prequels Ep. 12: Shadows of Amber 01.05.2026 1h 10min

  In this final episode, we'll cover the 4th, final, and potentially worst book in the Amber prequel series, which ended unceremoniously in 2005, following the tragic death of the publisher Byron Preiss.
• Prequels Ep. 11: Debacle 26.04.2026 40min

  We cover the remainder of To Rule in Amber.
• Prequels Ep. 10: Doc Hand? 23.04.2026 1h 4min

  This hour-long episode covers the first half of the 3rd book in the prequel trilogy: To Rule In Amber. Oberon gathers up some carpenters, hires an architect, and starts building Amber. King Author of Chaos easily waltzes an army through Shadow. And there's a big reveal of the true identity of Lord Zon.
• Prequels Ep. 9: Pattern Take 2 12.04.2026 48min

  We'll cover the remainder of Chaos & Amber in this episode. Oberon agrees to a betrothal so he can get a party thrown for him. They kill the sub-boss, Aber turns on Dworkin, and we finally make it to the Primal Pattern. The plot is entirely lame while also running counter to the Amber creation myth as we know it.
• Prequels Ep. 8: Where's Dad? 03.04.2026 44min

  We'll cover the bulk of Chaos & Amber in this episode, which amounts to very little action, and a ton of waiting around. Oberon and Aber talk about things, Dworkin is still missing in the Courts of Chaos, and Oberon is saved from a succubus. The origin story of Amber is made more convoluted, and the writing generally fails dramatically to live up to franchise.
• Prequels Ep. 7: Chaos and Amber 20.03.2026 39min

  In this episode we'll breeze through the first half of the 2nd prequel book, Chaos and Amber. It's slow-going, adolescent writing, doing little to excite either a general reader or an Amber fan. Betancourt seems somewhat lost himself, as whole scenarios are repeated from Dawn of Amber, and little of interest moves the action forward.
• Prequels Ep. 6: Greatest Hits 14.03.2026 45min

  We'll wrap up Dawn of Amber in this extended episode.
• Prequels Ep. 5: Chaos, Anything But... 07.03.2026 29min

  We move through to the end of chapter 9, with a lot of superficial exposition and nonsense, as Dawn of Amber tries too hard to be an Amber book, without any of the cleverness, and without anything much happening. Dworkin shows Oberon his electric chair gadget he made that can detect Pattern DNA.
• Prequels Ep. 4: No Mythology 27.02.2026 28min

  Oberon gets to know his siblings in a place called Juniper, and we barely care. Finally Oberon realizes what we've known all along: that he's the son of Dworkin. I'll talk about the shallow references to Nine Princes, and the lack of any interesting mythology behind the choices being made. Not much happens in these chapters as we get mired down in more exposition and little action.
• Prequels Ep. 3: Pumpkin Carriage Ride 21.02.2026 37min

  Across the first few chapters of Dawn of Amber, Oberon is thrust into a confusing world, and all of the Nine Princes in Amber tropes are re-hashed in an uninspired introduction to this new story.
• Prequels Ep. 2: Prologue 15.02.2026 24min

  In this episode, I cover the overview of the plot of the Dawn of Amber trilogy, and unpack the prologue of the first book.
• Prequels Ep. 1: The Project 14.02.2026 30min

  We return to the All Roads Lead to Amber podcast with a series of episodes that cover the controversial John Betancourt prequels to the Amber series, written in the 2000's following Roger Zelazny's death. I'll kick off the series with a discussion of how the project came to be, despite the explicit wishes of the author that no one else write in the Amber universe. I'll reference my in depth interview with Jane Lindskold, who lived with Roger in his final year, after Roger left his wife Judy.
• Book 10 Ep. 4: Conclusion 31.05.2025 52min

  Wrapping up the series, including George R. R. Martin's tribute, and a passage from Jane Lindskold. Thanks to all my listeners who made it this far!
• Book 10 Ep. 3: A Badly Plotted...? 31.05.2025 49min

  In this 2nd to last episode of the podcast series, we tackle the mid-section of Prince of Chaos, as the pace increases... as does the silliness. There are a few interesting references and allusions to things that the author liked. But there is a lack of depth, character, and a continued flaunting of the lore. And far too many characters to keep track of, but I'll do my best to string it all together.
• Book 10 Ep. 2: The Glue 12.03.2025 1h 15min

  In this lengthy episode, we cover chapters 3 through 6 of Prince of Chaos. We'll discuss the origin story of the universe, the Houses of Chaos, Merlin's childhood, as well as Brand, Jasra, and Dara, and the connective tissue -- or glue -- between the Corwin and Merlin chronicles.
• Book 10 Ep. 1: Chaos 08.02.2025 40min

  Kicking off the final book in the Amber series: Prince of Chaos. This episode covers the first two chapters, entailing a lot of recap, as Merlin is summoned to the Courts for the funeral of the dead King Swayvill. The story pivots toward a succession-to-the-throne plot, in a somewhat implausible manner, while Merlin claims to be a changed person, though he really isn't,
• Book 9 Ep. 6: A Bite of Me 06.11.2024 28min

  The final 2 chapters of Knight of Shadows are covered in this episode, including Merlin's experience in the Corridor of Mirrors, and the final showdown in Kashfa.
• Book 9 Ep. 5: Eye of Chaos 04.11.2024 38min

  The origin of the origin story is discussed in this episode, covering chapters 9 and 10 of Knight of Shadows. More minor references are discussed, along with the palace, the politics, and the powers.