Nine Princes In Amber: Book One

In the 70s, this was considered the freshest kind of fantasy, and today's writers often point to it as one of their inspirations.Why it made the listThe world-building concept in The Chronicles of Amber is intriguing: There are multiple worlds, but each one is just a copy of one main world. The magic system, where characters with magic can influence the copied worlds is equally fascinating. That it's easy to understand these ideas is a testament to Zelazny's writing ability. In the hands of a lesser writer, these could be difficult to grasp.There's some great dialogue in this series – witty quips and retorts illustrate the conflict between the characters without detracting from the plot. There isn't an over abundance of wittiness either, which is a good thing considering how irritating snarky characters can be if they don't show some seriousness. (David Eddings, this means you.)If you're looking for good female characters, you'll need to manage your expectations a bit: Like many books written in the 70s, the need to create well-rounded women didn't exist the way it does today. You'd think this would detract from the readability of the series, but it doesn't. This is mostly because the plot moves along at a good pace – with a number of surprising twists that will keep you entertained.