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Book Details

A Life for Kregen

71.4% complete
1979
2024
1 time
See 21
1 - Death Warrants
2 - Assassins at the Gate of Voxyri
3 - Two Deputations Amuse Us
4 - Rovard the Murvish, Sorcerer of Murcroinim
5 - Justice
6 - Yellow Sun, Silver Moon
7 - Jilian
8 - Kov Colun Mogper of Mursham
9 - The Whip and the Claw
10 - What Difference Does an Emperor Make?
11 - Of Lahals After Battle
12 - Jikaida over Vallia
13 - A Bowman Topples a Blazing Brand
14 - Lol Polisto ti Sygurd
15 - I Postpone a Problem
16 - The Carpeting of Ros the Claw
17 - Disaster
18 - We Gamble on Filbarrka's Zorcamen
19 - Surprises in the Delphondian Campaign
20 - The Battle of Kochwold
21 - A Life for Vallia
Book Cover
Has a genre Has an extract Has a year read Has a rating In my library In a series 
13286
Copyright ©, 1979, by Dray Prescot
No dedication.
Signing death warrants is no decent occupation for a man.
May contain spoilers
And, as I spoke in a strange stupefied whisper, I saw a glistening red scorpion waddle out contemptuously from under the ancient stones.
No comments on file
Extract (may contain spoilers)
Plots and counter-plots.  Masks and disguises.  The shadow in the night and the swift glitter of a blade.  Well, they are all a part of Kregen, just as much as the pomp and grandeur, the armies, the brilliance of nobility and the shining of courage.

There was the matter of Renko the Murais.

Where I rode I noticed that the members of my choice band, those fighting men who were veterans now although so short a time ago being simple tradesmen or farmers, had strengthened their number by mustering more of the old comrades.  They formed a powerful little mounted squadron riding at my back.  And, with them, rode a formed and formidable body of upwards of fifty Pachaks.  While welcoming this, I was puzzled.  I mentioned the matter to Nath as we rode forward along the gutted Avenue of Hope and out into the virtually untouched Kyro of Taniths.  This kyro was a particular pride of Vondium, being graceful in architecture, bright with color, a perfect place to take one's ease after the strife and turmoil of the day.  The luxurious and headily perfumed trees and bushes growing in a profusion of beauty like a woman's hair and trailing splendor along the tessellated walks and cool colonnades always offered a welcome and a surcease.  A man could expand his lungs here, and yet relax, safe and with the feeling he had come home.  I smiled at Nath as I asked him, and he merely answered with a casual comment that, by Vox, a man needed friends at his back.

With this sentiment I agreed.  I did not press the matter.  In truth, the thought that ferocious and loyal fighting men rode with me, keeping a weather eye open against assassins, stikitches dropping on us from any direction, was mightily comforting.

Each man of this impromptu bodyguard wore a tiny tuft of yellow and red feathers in his helmet, a brave show of color, highly evocative.

The business with the schools happily concluded and an old friend, Anko the Chisel, proving only too happy to place the entire resources of what was left of his workshops at our disposal, the matter of the desks was attended to.  With them, also, grave details of ink and pens, of paper and tablets, and the correct clothes the youngsters should wear had all to be attended to with the same strict punctilio I might give to the decisions over the number of shafts an archer should carry in his quiver when we marched out, and how many with the regimental wagons, or the best method of ensuring next season's crop, or of how I might receive a deputation from a province seeking alliance.  The work of empire is made up of details, great and small, and who is to mediate between them?

So, with the schools, and a faulty aqueduct to be seen to, and repairs to the walls where battering engines had breached them, and a swift and summary decision between a man and his brother over the rightful possession of a shop their father kept, he now being dead and nothing decided, I at last turned my zorca's head in the direction of the palace and a meal and the inquisition into Renko the Murais.

Well, the meal was a splendid affair, and I shall not spend time on such gourmet delights.  Enevon Ob-Eye, Nath, Barty, the responsible officials and whoever else thought they had a hand in the affair all assembled in a relatively undamaged chamber where once music had flowed to delight lazy afternoons.  The charred triangles of harps still stood in the corners, and the twisted remnants of many of the exotic musical instruments of Kregen had been hastily swept away into an alcove under the windows.  I sat at a long table, with the dignitaries flanking me, and the condemned men were led in under guard.

I knew Renko the Murais.  It was the same Renko who had fought with us as a Freedom Fighter in Valka I treated him as I treated the other Miserable wights, showing no special favor.

"Have the charges and the findings read out."

This was done with due solemnity.

 

Added: 29-Jul-2022
Last Updated: 19-Aug-2024

Publications

 01-Apr-1979
DAW Books
Mass Market Paperback
In my libraryI read this editionOrder from amazon.comHas a cover imageBook Edition Cover
Date Issued:
Cir 01-Apr-1979
Format:
Mass Market Paperback
Cover Price:
$1.75
Pages*:
215
Catalog ID:
UE1456
Pub Series #:
335
Read:
Once
Reading(s):
1)   10 Aug 2024 - 17 Aug 2024
Internal ID:
12759
Publisher:
ISBN:
0-879-97456-7
ISBN-13:
978-0-879-97456-5
Printing:
1
Country:
United States
Language:
English
Credits:
Richard Hescox  - Cover Artist
Richard Hescox - Illustrator
DRAY PRESCOT


The world Kregen circles the twin suns of Antares, far distant from the skies of Earth.  Yet Kregen is the ground on which the Earthman Dray Prescot must stand and fight for all he holds dear.  For Prescot is the unwilling battle arm of the mysterious Star Lords who contend for that planet with the powerful Savanti.

Yet Prescot's ambitions are his own, for he has inherited the remnant of a shattered empire and must fight to bring hope and freedom to all its peoples.  By his side stands his princess, Delia of the Blue Mountains, and a band of stalwart companions of many races and species.  But arrayed against him are flying armadas, armed hordes, the wizardry of a super-scientist, and, most shocking of all, the fury and steel claws of his own daughter, Dayra!

- A DAW BOOKS ORIGINAL -
ILLUSTRATED


"ALTHOUGH KREGEN HAS MANY ASPECTS OF BARSOOM, IT IS MORE REMINISCENT OF JOHN NORMAN'S GOR" - Erbania Magazine
Cover:
Book CoverBook Back CoverBook Spine
Notes and Comments:
First Printing, April 1979

First printing based on the number line
Image File
01-Apr-1979
DAW Books
Mass Market Paperback

Related

Author(s)

 Alan Burt Akers
Birth: 14 Jan 1921 London, England, UK
Death: 16 Dec 2005

Notes:
Alan Burty Akers is an alias used by Henry Kenneth Bulmer when writing the Dray Prescott series of books.

Awards

No awards found
*
  • I try to maintain page numbers for audiobooks even though obviously there aren't any. I do this to keep track of pages read and I try to use the Kindle version page numbers for this.
  • Synopses marked with an asterisk (*) were generated by an AI. There aren't a lot since this is an iffy way to do it - AI seems to make stuff up.
  • When specific publication dates are unknown (ie prefixed with a "Cir"), I try to get the publication date that is closest to the specific printing that I can.
  • When listing chapters, I only list chapters relevant to the story. I will usually leave off Author Notes, Indices, Acknowledgements, etc unless they are relevant to the story or the book is non-fiction.
  • Page numbers on this site are for the end of the main story. I normally do not include appendices, extra material, and other miscellaneous stuff at the end of the book in the page count.






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Presented: 12-Nov-2024 07:37:19

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