Once again Dray Prescot prowls beneath the twin suns of Kregen, bashing heads, thwarting evil, and doing the Star Lords bidding. Numerous perils from man and beast block his efforts at returning to his fair Delia and carving out a little law and order. Along the way, he picks up some like-minded blade comrades among the species populating this planetary equivalent of the Island of Dr. Moreau.

In the finest literary tradition of "two goons bursting upon the scene with guns blazing," the Star Lords fling him naked and unarmed into some chaotic situation. Akers really gets good mileage out of all this over-the-top pulp fiction. It's a delight to read, like a guilty pleasure, because the binary-sharp, good versus evil theme leaves little to the gray areas. And it's always good to bash in the head of the bad guy--with a different one every book in the series.

Since they are pretty much the same, here are synopses of several books.

Dray Prescot 3: Warrior of Scorpio
Daw, 1973, $1.25, ISBN -, 190 pages, paperback

In the Eye of the World, Dray solves a local bad guy problem, picks up comrades, saves Delia, and begins to make his way back to Vallia. Only the Stratemsk Mountains and the Hostile Territories block the way. That, of course, leads to another adventure as Delia gets kidnapped, his friends fall, and the Queen of Pain threatens them all.

Dray Prescot 4: Swordships of Scorpio
(191 pages, $1.25, 1973)

Bah! Drugged and dumped by a rival Vallian faction, Dray begins to walk back to Vallia. But heroic rescues delay him as he helps a variety of folks. Then, he begins to cross the Klackadrin Wastes. And yet more nasties to hack or avoid. At times a slave, at other times, part of Viridin's Pirate Fleet, Dray continues towards Vallia...and Delia.

Dray Prescot 5: Prince of Scorpio
(223 pages, $1.25, 1974)

The Star Lords strike again, sending their handyman Dray Prescot hurling across Kregen into another desperate situation, or two...or three. Little by little, he works his way to Vallia in a blaze of cunning and head bashing. And just in time, too, for the rival Vallian faction has designs on his beloved Princess Delia and her father the Emperor. Of course, Dray has much to say and even more to do.

The book includes a map of Kregen as well as a glossary of names and places.

Dray Prescot 6: Manhounds of Antares
(185 pages, $1.25, 1974)

A palace revolt confronts Dray, but we all know how that will end, for he quickly marries Delia, and has, for a bit, peace. But the blue radiance of "beam-me-up Scotty" teleports him to the island of Faol and into slave pens. The slaves, you see, are sport--hunted on the island by nobles. The Star Lords want him to rescue someone, only like a bad Groundhog Day, he keeps rescuing the wrong person and keeps reappearing in the slave pens. Will he ever figure it out?

Dray Prescot 7: Arena of Antares
(207 pages, $1.25, 1974)

This big barbarian continues to aid the Miglas against the Canops, ultimately leading a rebellion. From there, our hero gets dumped into the gladiatorial arena--the Jikhorkdum--where he defies death and a jealous queen to win escape. More swashbuckling from all involved make for another satisfying book. Includes a glossary of Kregen terms.

Dray Prescot 8: Fliers of Antares
(207 pages, $1.25, 1975)

Alas, a storm deposits Dray into another spot of trouble, as he is enslaved and put to work in the Heavenly Mines. But first, he liberates Djanduin from a succession of corrupt kings and repels an invasion of a hostile neighbor. All in a bur's work for our scarlet avenger. Hey, once you get hooked on a series...

Dray Prescot 9: Bladesmen of Antares
Daw, 1975, $1.25, ISBN -, paperback 192 pages

Well, the onker of onkers adopts the title Amak of the Paline Valley and the name Hamun ham Farthytu in his efforts to learn the secrets of airboat flight. By dint of circumstance or fate, he falls in with Rees ham Trylon of the Golden Wind, a lionman with a fever to fight and a booming laugh.

With access to nobility, Prescot plays the noble fop and turns spy, attempting without success to wrest the secrets from the airboat manufacturing plant. Along the way, plenty of swordplay and narrow escapes taunt him as he fails time and time again. He even meets the Queen of Hamal, Thyllis, in a meeting first pleasant, then not, before learning the bare rudiments of one production secret--but not the way you'd expect.

All in all, more rollicking novels in the series.

The Dray Prescot Series
Transit to Scorpio: Dray Prescot 1
The Suns of Scorpio: Dray Prescot 2
Dray Prescot 3 - 9 (multiple reviews)
Dray Prescot 10-31, 33-37 (multiple reviews)

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