The following summarizes books 10-31, and 33-37 (where 32 is, I am not sure). Just like the first nine books, these are all rollicking sword and sorcery pulps. If you like that sort of thing, and especially the first nine books, you'll like these books. Personally, I rather enjoyed them--bash a few heads, save the day, and so on. I especially enjoyed spendingthe time over the holidays reading one after another in rapid style. It keep events fresh in your mind and lets you connect the dots as the plot unfolded.

37 was the last book published in English in the US. See the end of this review for information about books 38 and up.

Dray Prescot 10: Avenger of Antares
DAW, 1975, $1.25, ISBN-, 176 pages, paperback

Our hero meets the fishheads, the shanks, on the seas, and then reprises his role as Hamun to spy in Hamal, not to mention settling an old score with steel. Then, it's off to the secret Temple of Lem the Silver Leem and back to the manhound of Faol to save the daughter of his lionman friend. This is the pulp fantasy fiction of legends here!

Dray Prescot 11: Armada of Antares
DAW, 1976, $1.25, ISBN-, 223 pages, paperback

Dray returns home to Esser Rarioch in the stromnate of Valka, only to be harried by assassins, while commissioning a new regiment and building an armada of flying boats. Leading an invasion force, he descends on Havilfar and routs the enemy, only to slip away to Hamal, saving his lionman friend in the process. What a deucedly double-dealing plotline for Dray. As he gets closer to the process of making flying boats, he is discovered anew as a person of yet another alias, and so must escape...again...and again.

This book contains a glossary and map of Havilfar events, people and locations.

Dray Prescot 12: The Tides of Kregen
DAW, 1976, $2.75, ISBN 0-88677-034-3, 208 pages, paperback

This is a reprint, so the series must have done well, as you'll notice the price has more than doubled. Updated cover, too.

The Shanks, a.k.a. fishheads, are back and Prescot goes roaring off to smash them with his band of brothers, only to be sent back to earth by the Star Lords. Here, he meets another star-faring entity, Madam Zena Iztar, who is evidently slumming on Earth, and manages to learn a thing or two about Star Lords and such before getting back to Kregen.

And once again, he's placed in danger. First, he's tossed out of the Order of Krozairs of Zy, then, he escapes the slave benches. Finally, he's caught up in a raid that requires sword and swiftness, not to mention being caught in between two armies. And all Dray wants to do is win redemption as a Krozair and head back to his beloved Delia.

Dray Prescot 13: Renegade of Kregen
DAW, 1976, $1.25, ISBN-, 192 pages, paperback

Life ain't easy on Kregen. Like the wild, wild West without guns, Prescot roams the world falling in and out of danger. And it's all marvelous, heroic fantasy. Hooked, I am. After 12 novels, I guess I have to be.

More swashbuckling in the Eye of the World as Prescot dons the hated green of Grodno in the service of Magdag as he plots a Hai Jikai to redeem himself to the Krozair brotherhood. Mightily he struggles and unexpectedly comes upon the Lady of the Stars--his own daughter Velia.

Dray Prescot 14: Krozair of Kregen
DAW, 1977, $1.50, ISBN-, 223 pages, paperback

You might have noticed the price increase to $1.50 from $1.25. If I recall, that was about 1/2 the hourly minimum wage--compared to paperbacks nowadays that are equal or over an hour of minimum wage.

Anyway, Prescot gets placed back on slavery and must win his freedom and accomplish yet another feat of daring-do. Along the way, he finds his lost son at the Eye of the World, battles the Beast out of Time, fights the green enemies, and once again becomes a Krozair of Zy.

Dray Prescot 15: Secret Scorpio
DAW, 1977, $1.50, ISBN-, 207 pages, paperback

Dray is back, this time tracking down a dangerous cult of the Chyyan by going undercover. Meanwhile, traitorous nobles threaten the Empire at Vallia, and Prescot must try to keep the place intact.

Dray Prescot 16: Savage Scorpio
DAW, 1978, $1.50, ISBN-, 191 pages, paperback

The fishheads are back, but Prescot rides with good comrades to thwart their murderous fishy ways. Meanwhile, the nobles poison the Emperor, and Prescot undertakes a long and dangerous quest to bring him to the fountain of youth.

Dray Prescot 17: Captive Scorpio
DAW, 1978, $1.50, ISBN-, 190 pages, paperback

Egad, what's a hero to do? Vallia is wracked by rebellion, waves of brigands, and invading armies. As enemies close in from all angles, Dray defends to capital, only to find his long-lost Daughter among the traitors.

Dray Prescot 18: Golden Scorpio
DAW, 1978, $1.50, ISBN-, 207 pages, paperback

Vallia falls and Dray and company retreat to island fortresses, only they're slowly being overrun, too. He's just about to stabilize the situation when, zap! The Star Lords shovel him off to another part of Vallia to deal with the rapacious Radvakkas, and in the process, eliminate one of the many forces plaguing Vallia. A Macedonian-style phalanx emerges.

Also includes a glossary of terms.

Dray Prescot 19: A Life for Kregen
DAW, 1979, $1.75, ISBN-, 215 pages, paperback

Surrounded by enemies, Prescot moulds a fighting force and turns to face one opponent after another. Winning most but losing others, he smashes one army and picks a spot to meet another. Meanwhile, his own traitorous daughter battles his beloved wife, Delia, in true heroic fantasy. Is Dray too late? What of his wound?

Dray Prescot 20: A Sword for Kregen
DAW, 1979, $1.95, ISBN-, 206 pages, paperback

Prescot is flung down to protect a jikaida player as she makes her way to LionardDen. Jikaida is the equivalent of chess and LionardDen is a fanciful city ala Las Vegas where its 24 x 7 jikaida playing. Of course, Kregen being Kregen, the variations include Blood Jikaida and Death Jikaida, where the pieces fight to first blood or death to "capture" opposing pieces.

Meanwhile, plots abound concerning the city's ruler and a possible alliance against Dray's beloved Vallia. And Prince Mefito is the best swordsman on Kregen...And then there's Execution Jikaida....

An appendix includes the rules to jikaida, which is a game that runs through the entire Prescot series. Did you notice another quick price increase?

Dray Prescot 21: A Fortune for Kregen
DAW, 1979, $1.95, ISBN-, 222 pages, paperback

Still in Jikaida City, Prescot foils another danger against his jikaida-playing charge and now draws closer to leaving to get back to Vallia. Alas, he's swept up in a mob and hauled off to prison, where the trial is nonexistent and the punishment is forced participation in Execution Jikaida. Although he wins the game and lives, he's now a slave in a party intent on looting a series of burial mounds-called Moders. Each holds traps, wealth, and monsters. Thus, Dray plays Monsters and Moders, a.k.a. Dungeons and Dragons. But the toll grows with each passing room...

Dray Prescot 22: A Victory for Kregen
DAW, 1980, $1.95, ISBN 0-87997-532-6, 224 pages, paperback

Dray picks up more blade comrades as he and a small party escape from the moders. The onker of onkers goes a-spying, returning to become part of yet another adventure while Vallia tosses out the invaders.

A glossary appears at the back of the book.

Note that the author is not listed as Prescot, with "as told to Alan Burt Akers" inside.

Dray Prescot 23: Beasts of Antares
DAW, 1980, $1.95, ISBN 0-87997-555-5, 206 pages, paperback

As Prescot attempts to put Vallia back together, still he returns to deal with archrival Hamal while rescuing three old friends from the dreaded arena. And then there's the little matter of placating a Vad while engaged in skullduggery.

Alan Burt Akers is gone from the authorship, but be advised it is the same fellow who wrote the previous 22.

Dray Prescot 24: Rebel of Antares
DAW, 1980, $1.95, ISBN 0-87997-582-2, 191 pages, paperback

Dray's partnership with an Och flourishes and provides yet another cover for his espionage in Hamal. In any case, Dray goes back into the Arena...

Meanwhile, the Star Lords deign to provide some information and then send him onto a new adventure to rescue a princess from a castle. The princess turns out to be his long-lost daughter. And this, of course, leads back to the Arena.

Dray Prescot 25: Legions of Antares
DAW, 1981, $2.25, ISBN 0-87997-648-9, 192 pages, paperback

The Star Lords fling Prescot into another fine mess, and then it's off to the Paline Valley to toss our a usurper. Then, back to Ruathytu, the capital of Hamal, for more espionage and skullduggery. Meanwhile, the Spikaturs sabotage matters within Hamal, which pleases Dray but will lead to unpleasant consequences later. As usual, he helps a couple of lovers escape, while at the top of the Hamalese food chain, the Empress Thyllis gets what's coming to her and Phu-Si-Yantong steps out from the shadows.

Dray Prescot 26: Allies of Antares
DAW, 1981, $2.25, ISBN 0-87997-671-3, 189 pages, paperback

The type seems larger in this book.

With Hamal conquered, the peace conference drags on and a rebel emperor arises. Dray rescues blade comrades again, while the Star Lords reveal more of their plans. As the two rival armies close, the Shanks land, and then it's all Paz against the fishheads.

I must say, I've been rather enjoying re-reading the series after 25 or so years. I haven't remembered much of it, so it's as if I'm reading it new, instead of anew.

Dray Prescot 27: Mazes of Scorpio
DAW, 1982, $2.25, ISBN 0-87997-739-6, 176 pages, paperback

In order to uncover the Spikatur Hunting Sword group, Dray and Seg venture into the jungles and swamps to reach the Coup Blag, an underground labyrinth. Within, he stumbles on information even as he bashes heads and battles sorcery.

Dray Prescot 28: Delia of Vallia
DAW, 1982, $2.35, ISBN 0-87997-784-1, 192 pages, paperback

Dray is nowhere to be seen in this episode--it's all about Delia and her work as Empress and for the Sisters of the Rose. Vallia's got a new Kovena who is more of a man-hating sadist than a noblewoman. Delia, a slave again, works her way up the slave hierarchy and then into the kovena's personal retainers, only to have to fight her way out of trouble.

The price went up a dime, but evidently not for the cover art. Is her head three sizes too small or what?

Dray Prescot 29: Fires of Scorpio
DAW, 1983, $2.50, ISBN 0-87997-816-3, 173 pages, paperback

It's back to a few good head bashings as Prescot teams up with Pompino the Iarvin to burn a few Leem temples. Of course, exploits as worthy as these do not come without the complications of sneaking around, capture, and some fast-talking where weapons fail.

Dray Prescot 30: Talons of Scorpio
DAW, 1983, $2.50, ISBN 0-87997-886-4, 173 pages, paperback

The Leem cleansing adventure continues in Bomark, home to Kov Pando whom Dray helped put in the Kovnate so many books ago. As Dray rescues the child sacrifices of Leem and burns a few temples, fate tosses him into the same dungeon as Dayra, his estranged daughter. And as always, there's some wonderful head bashing in and around the main adventure.

Dray Prescot 31: Masks of Scorpio
DAW, 1984, $2.50, ISBN 0-87997-924-0, 175 pages, paperback

Well, Dray's playing a triple-dealing game of head bashing as he rescues child sacrifices, burns Leem hangouts, and tries to save Kov Pando and Vallia--and placates a mercenary band of cutthroats. It is all in a day's work for the scarlet onker as he battles in and out of danger with his now reconciled daughter Dayra.

If you haven't noticed by now, head bashing is a central theme of life on Kregen. And give Akers credit for turning in some excellent head-bashing prose.

Dray Prescot 32: Seg the Bowman
For some reason, I could not find my copy of Seg, so I cannot explain what happens.

Dray Prescot 33: Werewolves of Kregen
DAW, 1985, $2.50, ISBN 0-87997-901-7, 220 pages, paperback

Back in Vallia to turn his attention to quelling the rest of the revolt and rebuilding, Prescot faces an outbreak of werewolves. This one is somewhat silly, involving an old enemy witch with a bad case of scorn to work out, although the germ of the idea has merit when explanations roll around.

Dray Prescot 34: Witches of Kregen
DAW, 1985, $2.75, ISBN 0-88677-032-7, 223 pages, paperback

Dray is uniting Vallia again, but along comes an old nemesis, Csitra the witch to bedevil him with nine plagues--nine being a lucky and pious number in the storyline. Werewolves, frogs, and the undead are but part of the problems facing our hero, but you know he'll find unique solutions to such problems. And swordplay always fits into the equation.

Dray Prescot 35: Storm Over Vallia
DAW, 1985, $2.95, ISBN 0-88677-069-6, 254 pages, paperback

Drak, Dray's son, gains center stage as the civil war rages through Vallia. There's a considerable amount of swordplay, especially with Silda of the Sisters of the Rose. It's nip and tuck for a while, but where sorcerer's tread, blades tremble.

Dray Prescot 36: Omens of Kregen
DAW, 1985, $2.95, ISBN 0-88677-090-4, 222 pages, paperback

It's witch hunting time for Dray and friends as they head for the mazes Coup Blag, but first, it's time to smash the usurper and restore Vallia to its former united self...Well, most of it anyway. Then, it's off to slay a few monsters, and maybe the witch, too.

Dray Prescot 37: Warlord of Antares
DAW, 1985, $3.50, ISBN 0-88677-269-9, 255 pages, paperback

The last Prescot book printed in English starts where the last ended--The familiar blue haze of the Star Lords dumping Dray somewhere into trouble. Then, it's back to Coup Blag. Also includes a glossary, and sharp price increase.

About the Dray Prescot Series

I have re-read the entire Prescot series, from 1 to 37 (with the exception of 32, which has been misplaced), and find it as entertaining today as it was 20 years ago. In a sense, it's Conan meets the Island of Dr. Moreau, with a few extra twists included. Certainly, Alan Burt Akers, a.k.a. Kenneth Bulmer (author's real name), uses a few writers' gimmicks to help our hero out--long life, rapid healing, lower gravity, and so forth to aid him. And the use of teleportation courtesy of the Star Lords to open and close most books seems like the old "two guys with guns blazing enter the room" trick. Of course, why the Star Lords don't simply whisk the endangered individuals to safety instead of sticking Prescot in the middle of everything is another matter...

But underneath, there resides a rich world of imagery and characters, with all the neutral opportunity for good or evil to evolve. Prescot does indeed follow the course of a hero and do mighty good deeds--with a liberal dose of head bashing and skullduggery. And he picks up a wide range of friends, associates, and adherents as he works his way up the food chain of nobility, picking up estates and titles, and finally a whole empire.

Of particular appeal is the continuing use of many of these "people" as the series unwinds. I say "people" because evolution follows different paths on Kregen, with 2-, 3-, and 4- armed humanoids with cat, bird, lion, boar, and other animal heads atop them. In any case, Dray Prescot is a series with all the foundations and baggage continuing within its 2 1/2 million words.

More Dray?

I was surprised to find out that more Prescot novels have been written: #38-#42, but were only published in German. There are no English translations in book form. However, there is a company called Savanti Press, which is trying to get these done in English. They got as far as creating PDF files, which I believe had been on the market but are now off. I think the price was $12, or will be.

There's a fan site at off the savanti.com site--truly a wonderful place for things Prescot and where I found a bit more information. Evidently, the Webmaster fan visited Bulmer in the UK and spent some time talking about the series. Go to the web site to learn more, especially how the author describes some of the parts, situations, and other aspects. There are also some maps and other notes that can be photocopied, which is direct source material.

As for the PDF files, as of the end of 2002, Savanti Press' web site makes no mention of them, although I did lay my hands on #38. It is vintage Dray, although he suffers a hit that temporarily paralyzes him as he saves yet another victim and goes on a desert caravan. One neat feature is embedding links to a map of the area.

Now, if I can only put my mitts on the next few PDFs, or hope that Savanti gets permission to do all the Prescot novels.

By the way, and this is off the Savanti.com website, Bulmer has no end point for the series. He has a thick book of ideas, etc. and would keep writing until, well, I don't know. Until he died, I guess. Although he has had a stroke, and the estate and rights are in the hands of relatives, may he live a long time.

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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