The second Amber sequence, like the first, is structured in part as a mystery story. Merlin attempts to discover who is trying to kill him and learns that there may be more enemies and more plots than he first imagined and that there are threats to more than just Merlin himself. Again, as in the first series, the hero spends a good deal of time listening to the stories of other characters — friends, enemies, and those who switch sides — as he tries to piece together a coherent account from their partial and contradictory tales.

There is less reliance on the epic techniques of the first sequence and a greater concentration on magic and court intrigue.

Zelazny's wide reading is reflected in his highly allusive style. Echoes of dozens of other works permeate the novel's texture. For example the name Merlin for a...