While Zelazny does not borrow a whole mythos for the Amber stories, as he did in Lord of Light, his eclectic borrowings from a whole range of mythic and literary sources add much to the richness and moral weight of the five books. Critics have observed, for instance, that Zelazny draws heavily on the Grail legends — which in essence tell of a quest to heal a broken land — and from the vegetation myths underlying those legends. Zelazny makes considerable use of the symbols associ ated with the Grail, especially as they have been incorporated into the Tarot.

Indeed the princes and princesses of Amber are all portrayed on Tarot like cards which provide them with a magical means of communication and travel.

The novels' allusiveness frequently enlarges the reader's response to characters or situations. The King of Amber, for instance, is Oberon, the name...