Roger Zelazny's The Dawn of Amber

Here, in Book One, you'll meet the young soldier known as Obere as he's whisked away from the kingdom and world he has known and defended his entire life, and placed on a knife's edge of turmoil, intrigue, domination and death. He must learn what he can on the fly, unwilling to let friend and foe alike know how little he understands of this strange universe and the dangerous creatures that rule it. His life is in jeopardy, as is the entire House of Dworkin—the result of an ages-old blood feud that threatens to destroy Obere's newfound family and any hope for a universe of light to balance and oppose the forces of Chaos and darkness. To achieve his legacy of power and becom a player rather than a pawn in this deadly game whose rules he is yet to discover, Obere must journey into the serpent's lair, the home of his enemies...the Courts of Chaos.