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Demon Princes #4-5
The Demon Princes, Volume Two: The Face, The Book of Dreams
Jack Vance is undoubtedly one of the most gifted and versatile authors of science fiction today. The winner of a Hugo, a Nebula, and a World Fantasy Award, Vance lays claim to a career that spans more than five decades of critical acclaim and devoted readership. Tor Books has recognized his widespread audience and for years has brought classic Jack Vance novels back into print--most recently The Demon Princes, Volume One, and omnibus containing the first three books of Vance's beloved Demon Princes series. Tor now presents The Demon Princes, Volume Two, and omnibus containing the series' final two novels, The Face and The Book of Dreams.
Kirth Gersen carries in his pocket a slip of paper with a list of five names written upon it--the names of five Demon Princes. The Demon Princes are a race of beings who disguise themselves as humans and delight in power and destruction. however, to Kirth they are merely murderers who killed his family and destroyed his home planet--and who deserves to die for those misdeeds. Three have already fallen in Kirth's hands, but there are two more names on his list, two more Princes who will live only long enough to regret their evil ways.
Lens Larque was just as unique as the other Demon Princes--uniquely appalling. He was personally ugly, startling vicious, and arrogant above all others. Larque's own mission was a villainy of the highest order, and his personal obsession with success kept him hidden well from attackers--almost well enough. Howard Alan Treesong poisoned his friends, tortured his colleagues, and wrote his own horrific holy book, The Book of Dreams . But, clever as he may be, a galaxy-wide guessing game will be his undoing--and Kirth Gersen's sworn vengeance will be complete.
Kirth Gersen carries in his pocket a slip of paper with a list of five names written upon it--the names of five Demon Princes. The Demon Princes are a race of beings who disguise themselves as humans and delight in power and destruction. however, to Kirth they are merely murderers who killed his family and destroyed his home planet--and who deserves to die for those misdeeds. Three have already fallen in Kirth's hands, but there are two more names on his list, two more Princes who will live only long enough to regret their evil ways.
Lens Larque was just as unique as the other Demon Princes--uniquely appalling. He was personally ugly, startling vicious, and arrogant above all others. Larque's own mission was a villainy of the highest order, and his personal obsession with success kept him hidden well from attackers--almost well enough. Howard Alan Treesong poisoned his friends, tortured his colleagues, and wrote his own horrific holy book, The Book of Dreams . But, clever as he may be, a galaxy-wide guessing game will be his undoing--and Kirth Gersen's sworn vengeance will be complete.
397 pages, Hardcover
First published November 1, 1982
7 people are currently reading
249 people want to read
About the author
Jack Vance
776 books1,584 followersAka John Holbrook Vance, Peter Held, John Holbrook, Ellery Queen, John van See, Alan Wade.
The author was born in 1916 and educated at the University of California, first as a mining engineer, then majoring in physics and finally in journalism. During the 1940s and 1950s, he contributed widely to science fiction and fantasy magazines. His first novel, The Dying Earth , was published in 1950 to great acclaim. He won both of science fiction's most coveted trophies, the Hugo and Nebula awards. He also won an Edgar Award for his mystery novel The Man in the Cage . He lived in Oakland, California in a house he designed.
The author was born in 1916 and educated at the University of California, first as a mining engineer, then majoring in physics and finally in journalism. During the 1940s and 1950s, he contributed widely to science fiction and fantasy magazines. His first novel, The Dying Earth , was published in 1950 to great acclaim. He won both of science fiction's most coveted trophies, the Hugo and Nebula awards. He also won an Edgar Award for his mystery novel The Man in the Cage . He lived in Oakland, California in a house he designed.
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May 28, 2024
The Demon Princes, Volume Two: The Face, The Book of Dreams (Demon Princes #4-5 omnibus)
This edition contains the last two of five novels in Jack Vance's The Demon Princes series: The Face and The Book of Dreams. Star kings are nonhuman, asexual, alien beings who have changed their appearances to look like men. When our main character, Kirth Gersen, was a 9 years old, five of the star kings organized an attack one of the colonies on a planet where all of the people, including his parents, were killed or enslaved except for Kirth and his grandfather. This attack was subsequently referred to as the Mount Pleasant Massacre. After escaping the planet Kirth Gersen's grandfather raised him and had him trained for many years in hand to hand combat and the skillful use of weapons and poison so that Kirth when an adult would be able to track down and kill all five of the star kings. Kirth became a highly trained killer with one life ambition. For Gersen, however, revenge is more of a mission of justice than an act of anger. In each of the five novels Gersen focuses on one of the star kings. Each is a novel in itself but for best appreciation I recommend reading them in order. After repeated readings I continue to find like the last two novels in the series best, but highly recommend all of them.
For the most recent review and other Vance reviews please see:
https://vancealotjackvanceinreview.bl...
The Face
The Face was first published in 1979 by DAW Books. It is a 194 page novel that is the fourth in the five novel series by Jack Vance called The Demon Princes and was published twelve years after the third novel in the series. Kirth Gersen continues his tracking and killing of the five demon princes who killed his parents and destroyed his colony where he lived when he was a child. Kirth and his grandfather were the only survivors, and his grandfather had Keith trained for many years in hand to hand and weapons combat so that he could avenge the family. Each time I've read The Face, I've appreciated new facets of it even more and rate it a 5.
In this novel Kirth Gersen attempts to track down Lens Larque also known as The Face. Larque is an ugly looking outcast (rachepol) from the Darsh people who had his ear cut off by his clan for committing a "repulsive" crime. He is now an infamous criminal who is noted for his cruel jests often done for revenge or one-upmanship. He is very intelligent so Gersen must apply all of his skills to outmaneuver him. Although Larque is given rather minimal development, his people, the Darsh from the planet Dar Sai, are described in fascinating detail. They are a harsh, crude, violent, odorous, people enjoy whipping and a brutal combat sport called hadaul. Their food is vile and inedible to outsiders. They are contrasted with their planetary neighbors with whom they have much contact. These are the Methlens who live on the nearby planet of Methel. The Methlens reside in an exclusive community called Llarlarkno where only other Methlen may live. They are extremely ostentatious and proud, considering themselves superior to all other beings, especially the coarse Darsh.
Gersen meets and falls in love with a Methlen woman, Jerdian Chanseth, whose family and society forbid her to have a friendship or romance with him. Gersen even entertains the idea of abandoning his quest to track down demon princes by considering getting married and settling down. He also tries to take control over a mining company that Larque uses as a front. This leads him to interactions with Darsh people as he tries to purchase stock in the company. It also involves stealing a spaceship, impersonating a judge, and fighting in a violent hand to hand combat sport the Darsh call hadaul.
The novel is full of irony, humor, twists and colorful but scathing portraits of two societies that were very different but recognizable. Vance describes their histories, cultures, sexual behaviors, governments, laws, traditions and social conventions in more world building detail than one would expect in a 194 page novel. The people on the planet Dar Sai although very different from the inhabitants of the planet Methel, but both are equally unlikable. The unexpected ending of the novel is humorous, clever and inspired, one of the finest endings to any Vance novel. I will continue to reread The Face and the other novels in The Demon Prince every few years
The Book of Dreams
The Book of Dreams was published in 1981 by DAW Books and is the fifth and final novel in Vance's The Demon Prince series. My copy is 190 pages, making it the second longest novel of the group. The Book of Dreams is my favorite of the five novels, and I rated it a five both times I read it. But the whole series is highly recommended as being highly readable, entertaining and interesting. Although some of the novels in The Demon Prince can be read alone, I have found, after reading the series twice, that enjoyment can be greatly enhanced by reading them in order and by repeated readings. I look forward to reading the series again in a few years.
We learned in the first novel of the series that when Gersen was a child the colony where he lived was attacked by five demon princes who killed everyone, including his family members, and destroyed the colony. Kirth and his grandfather were able to flee and were the only survivors. His grandfather arranged that Kirth be trained for many years in hand to hand and weapons combat so that he could avenge his family. No romance or other attraction has yet turned Gersen away from his monomania, and his stealthily acquired wealth only further enabled him in his pursuits of the demon princes.
Here in the final novel Kirth Gersen continues his quest to track down and kill the five demon princes. The final one Gersen seeks is the elusive and grandiose Howard Alan Treesong, Lord of the Overmen. Several years ago, in his attempt to consolidate power and perhaps become the first ruler of the Gaean worlds, Treesong almost succeeded in having himself appointed as Chief of the Interworld Police Coordination Company (IPCC). The IPCC has not heard anything about him lately, though, and a major problem with tracking him down is that nobody knows what he looks like and there are no known photos of him in existence.
Gersen obtains a photo of a group of seven men that was sent anonymously to his Cosmopolis Magazine company. A note was written on it says "HA Treesong is here". They do not know who sent it, who else is in the photo or where it was taken. Gersen decides to publish the photo in a free inaugural periodical called Extant that he creates. He includes it as part of a contest that offers a reward to the person who can identify the most people in the photograph. He hopes to at least narrow down which man in the photo might be Treesong.
One of the people who eventually responds to the photo is Treesong's father so Gersen visits his planet to learn more about Treesong. He learns that there is an upcoming 25 year high school reunion that Treesong might be attending. In order to be part of the reunion ceremony Gersen hires a band for the reunion on the condition that he be allowed to be one of the members. He cannot play any musical instrument so takes intensive flute lessons, enough to be able to barely play. The reunion turns out to be much more than expected when Treesong turns up with hired thugs, takes control of everything and begins to take acts of revenge against former bullies, teachers, would be girl friends and others who humiliated him when he went to high school there. Treesong, a trained musician, notices that Gersen can't really play the flute so asks his hired men to take Gersen to the river and toss him in. When they arrive at the river Gersen overpowers the two men, takes their weapons and stalks back to the reunion with the intent of killing Treesong But Treesong is only wounded, and Gersen is only barely able to escape the planet alive.
Gersen learns from Treesong's estranged family that Treesong murdered his own best friend, Nymphotis Cleadhoe, when in high school because he thought his friend had stolen his fantasy world writings he titled The Book of Dreams. Treesong's brother, though, was the one who hid the book, and this book is still where he tossed it. Gersen realizes how important this book is to Treesong so he buys it from Treesong's brother. Next Gersen devises an elaborate scheme to allow Treesong to learn about the existence of the book to try to lure him to retrieve it. He contacts Nymphotis Cleadhoe's parents who now reside on a jungle planet where they are caretakers on the Bethune Preserve. (Note the similarities to the later Cadwal Chronicles.) The Cleadhoe couple know that Treesong murdered their child many years ago so gladly cooperate with Gersen in attempting to kill Treesong. Gersen cleverly sets up the trap.
The novel is suspenseful, unpredictable, and elaborately plotted with vivid portraits of odd places and inhabitants such as the religious fanatics in the Maundish area on the planet Mouderveldt, the residents on the planet Pontefract who are obsessed with hats and have developed elaborate customs regarding the wearing of hats, and the Bethune Preserve with its very strange creatures. The novel is so descriptive and detailed that I was even more enthralled the second time I read it. I look forward to reading The Book of Dreams and the entire series again in the near future. Very highly recommended!
This edition contains the last two of five novels in Jack Vance's The Demon Princes series: The Face and The Book of Dreams. Star kings are nonhuman, asexual, alien beings who have changed their appearances to look like men. When our main character, Kirth Gersen, was a 9 years old, five of the star kings organized an attack one of the colonies on a planet where all of the people, including his parents, were killed or enslaved except for Kirth and his grandfather. This attack was subsequently referred to as the Mount Pleasant Massacre. After escaping the planet Kirth Gersen's grandfather raised him and had him trained for many years in hand to hand combat and the skillful use of weapons and poison so that Kirth when an adult would be able to track down and kill all five of the star kings. Kirth became a highly trained killer with one life ambition. For Gersen, however, revenge is more of a mission of justice than an act of anger. In each of the five novels Gersen focuses on one of the star kings. Each is a novel in itself but for best appreciation I recommend reading them in order. After repeated readings I continue to find like the last two novels in the series best, but highly recommend all of them.
For the most recent review and other Vance reviews please see:
https://vancealotjackvanceinreview.bl...
The Face
The Face was first published in 1979 by DAW Books. It is a 194 page novel that is the fourth in the five novel series by Jack Vance called The Demon Princes and was published twelve years after the third novel in the series. Kirth Gersen continues his tracking and killing of the five demon princes who killed his parents and destroyed his colony where he lived when he was a child. Kirth and his grandfather were the only survivors, and his grandfather had Keith trained for many years in hand to hand and weapons combat so that he could avenge the family. Each time I've read The Face, I've appreciated new facets of it even more and rate it a 5.
In this novel Kirth Gersen attempts to track down Lens Larque also known as The Face. Larque is an ugly looking outcast (rachepol) from the Darsh people who had his ear cut off by his clan for committing a "repulsive" crime. He is now an infamous criminal who is noted for his cruel jests often done for revenge or one-upmanship. He is very intelligent so Gersen must apply all of his skills to outmaneuver him. Although Larque is given rather minimal development, his people, the Darsh from the planet Dar Sai, are described in fascinating detail. They are a harsh, crude, violent, odorous, people enjoy whipping and a brutal combat sport called hadaul. Their food is vile and inedible to outsiders. They are contrasted with their planetary neighbors with whom they have much contact. These are the Methlens who live on the nearby planet of Methel. The Methlens reside in an exclusive community called Llarlarkno where only other Methlen may live. They are extremely ostentatious and proud, considering themselves superior to all other beings, especially the coarse Darsh.
Gersen meets and falls in love with a Methlen woman, Jerdian Chanseth, whose family and society forbid her to have a friendship or romance with him. Gersen even entertains the idea of abandoning his quest to track down demon princes by considering getting married and settling down. He also tries to take control over a mining company that Larque uses as a front. This leads him to interactions with Darsh people as he tries to purchase stock in the company. It also involves stealing a spaceship, impersonating a judge, and fighting in a violent hand to hand combat sport the Darsh call hadaul.
The novel is full of irony, humor, twists and colorful but scathing portraits of two societies that were very different but recognizable. Vance describes their histories, cultures, sexual behaviors, governments, laws, traditions and social conventions in more world building detail than one would expect in a 194 page novel. The people on the planet Dar Sai although very different from the inhabitants of the planet Methel, but both are equally unlikable. The unexpected ending of the novel is humorous, clever and inspired, one of the finest endings to any Vance novel. I will continue to reread The Face and the other novels in The Demon Prince every few years
The Book of Dreams
The Book of Dreams was published in 1981 by DAW Books and is the fifth and final novel in Vance's The Demon Prince series. My copy is 190 pages, making it the second longest novel of the group. The Book of Dreams is my favorite of the five novels, and I rated it a five both times I read it. But the whole series is highly recommended as being highly readable, entertaining and interesting. Although some of the novels in The Demon Prince can be read alone, I have found, after reading the series twice, that enjoyment can be greatly enhanced by reading them in order and by repeated readings. I look forward to reading the series again in a few years.
We learned in the first novel of the series that when Gersen was a child the colony where he lived was attacked by five demon princes who killed everyone, including his family members, and destroyed the colony. Kirth and his grandfather were able to flee and were the only survivors. His grandfather arranged that Kirth be trained for many years in hand to hand and weapons combat so that he could avenge his family. No romance or other attraction has yet turned Gersen away from his monomania, and his stealthily acquired wealth only further enabled him in his pursuits of the demon princes.
Here in the final novel Kirth Gersen continues his quest to track down and kill the five demon princes. The final one Gersen seeks is the elusive and grandiose Howard Alan Treesong, Lord of the Overmen. Several years ago, in his attempt to consolidate power and perhaps become the first ruler of the Gaean worlds, Treesong almost succeeded in having himself appointed as Chief of the Interworld Police Coordination Company (IPCC). The IPCC has not heard anything about him lately, though, and a major problem with tracking him down is that nobody knows what he looks like and there are no known photos of him in existence.
Gersen obtains a photo of a group of seven men that was sent anonymously to his Cosmopolis Magazine company. A note was written on it says "HA Treesong is here". They do not know who sent it, who else is in the photo or where it was taken. Gersen decides to publish the photo in a free inaugural periodical called Extant that he creates. He includes it as part of a contest that offers a reward to the person who can identify the most people in the photograph. He hopes to at least narrow down which man in the photo might be Treesong.
One of the people who eventually responds to the photo is Treesong's father so Gersen visits his planet to learn more about Treesong. He learns that there is an upcoming 25 year high school reunion that Treesong might be attending. In order to be part of the reunion ceremony Gersen hires a band for the reunion on the condition that he be allowed to be one of the members. He cannot play any musical instrument so takes intensive flute lessons, enough to be able to barely play. The reunion turns out to be much more than expected when Treesong turns up with hired thugs, takes control of everything and begins to take acts of revenge against former bullies, teachers, would be girl friends and others who humiliated him when he went to high school there. Treesong, a trained musician, notices that Gersen can't really play the flute so asks his hired men to take Gersen to the river and toss him in. When they arrive at the river Gersen overpowers the two men, takes their weapons and stalks back to the reunion with the intent of killing Treesong But Treesong is only wounded, and Gersen is only barely able to escape the planet alive.
Gersen learns from Treesong's estranged family that Treesong murdered his own best friend, Nymphotis Cleadhoe, when in high school because he thought his friend had stolen his fantasy world writings he titled The Book of Dreams. Treesong's brother, though, was the one who hid the book, and this book is still where he tossed it. Gersen realizes how important this book is to Treesong so he buys it from Treesong's brother. Next Gersen devises an elaborate scheme to allow Treesong to learn about the existence of the book to try to lure him to retrieve it. He contacts Nymphotis Cleadhoe's parents who now reside on a jungle planet where they are caretakers on the Bethune Preserve. (Note the similarities to the later Cadwal Chronicles.) The Cleadhoe couple know that Treesong murdered their child many years ago so gladly cooperate with Gersen in attempting to kill Treesong. Gersen cleverly sets up the trap.
The novel is suspenseful, unpredictable, and elaborately plotted with vivid portraits of odd places and inhabitants such as the religious fanatics in the Maundish area on the planet Mouderveldt, the residents on the planet Pontefract who are obsessed with hats and have developed elaborate customs regarding the wearing of hats, and the Bethune Preserve with its very strange creatures. The novel is so descriptive and detailed that I was even more enthralled the second time I read it. I look forward to reading The Book of Dreams and the entire series again in the near future. Very highly recommended!
Read
June 17, 2020I’m not very familiar with Vance’s biography and hence have no clue as to the reason behind it, but there is a twelve year hiatus between the publication of volumes three (1964) and four (1979) in his Demon Princes series. I might have noticed something of that gap even if I wasn’t a compulsive reader of imprints, as the writing style seems markedly smoother and more self-assured than in the three novels that were contained in the first omnibus. The final two novels in the series also appear not quite as pulpy as the first three – although I would be hard-pressed if I had to define what exactly “pulpiness” consists of, so that might be a merely subjective impression.
And those two novels certainly do not present any kind of radical departure from the ones that went before; as far as basic story mechanics are concerned, things continue very much in the same vein as before. Both The Face and The Book of Dreams once again repeat and vary the same story with all the same elements as the previous novels, as Kirth Gersen’s search for the hidden identity of his antagonists, his investigation into their origins, his involvement with a female, etc. etc. While they lack the exuberantly bizarre imagination that distinguished Palace of Love (which remains my favorite of the series), they place a different emphasis in the way the vary the series’ fundamental pattern. The Face is not only the funniest volume in the series (mostly due to the Darsh and their customs that vacillate between disgusting and hilarious) but also presents almost something like a character study of Kirth Gersen – in previous volumes, all the glimpses into his psyche offered to the reader were of him plotting his hunt of the current Demon Prince, but this time we are shown a much more reflexive, at times even melancholy and self-doubting Gersen – he even seriously considers settling down and becoming domestic instead of pursuing his vengeance.
Of course this does not happen, and in a nice touch of symmetry, the character study of Kirth Gersen is counterbalanced with one of Howard Allen Treesong, the final Demon Prince, in The Book of Dreams. Of course the previous volumes were all about figuring out the villain, but the other Demon Princes all proved to be very elusive and only fully materialised for the showdown, in order to find a quick end at the hands of Kirth Gersen. In contrast to this, Treesong is present as Gersen’s antagonist right from the start, and their paths cross several times in the course of the novel until Treesong meets his deserved end. This makes for a more dynamic plot (one might even go so far to say that this is the first volume in the series to actually have one), but on the flipside, the frequent appearances of the villain make him lose most, if not all of his enigma and mystique – Treesong comes across not so much as a ruthless arch-criminal mastermind, but rather as a mean-spirited petulant schoolboy with a penchant for cruel pranks. Which, of course, might be exactly what Vance had in mind – it is very possible that he intended to show here, at the end of the series, that the Demon Princes Gersen has devoted his life to bringing down are at heart nothing but pathetic creatures, given a semblance of greatness only by their own megalomania and Gersen’s fanatic pursuit of his vengeance against them.
All of which would make Gersen’s crusade appear in a very dim and doubtful light, and give the question what he is going to do with his life now that all of his enemies are vanquished added urgency. And here I’ll have to say that I just adore the way Vance does not answer that question but ends this series of five novels with brusque abruptness, almost in mid-sentence (and do note the bit about being “deserted by my enemies” which is a truly splendid touch, if you consider that he killed them all):
And that’s it.
And those two novels certainly do not present any kind of radical departure from the ones that went before; as far as basic story mechanics are concerned, things continue very much in the same vein as before. Both The Face and The Book of Dreams once again repeat and vary the same story with all the same elements as the previous novels, as Kirth Gersen’s search for the hidden identity of his antagonists, his investigation into their origins, his involvement with a female, etc. etc. While they lack the exuberantly bizarre imagination that distinguished Palace of Love (which remains my favorite of the series), they place a different emphasis in the way the vary the series’ fundamental pattern. The Face is not only the funniest volume in the series (mostly due to the Darsh and their customs that vacillate between disgusting and hilarious) but also presents almost something like a character study of Kirth Gersen – in previous volumes, all the glimpses into his psyche offered to the reader were of him plotting his hunt of the current Demon Prince, but this time we are shown a much more reflexive, at times even melancholy and self-doubting Gersen – he even seriously considers settling down and becoming domestic instead of pursuing his vengeance.
Of course this does not happen, and in a nice touch of symmetry, the character study of Kirth Gersen is counterbalanced with one of Howard Allen Treesong, the final Demon Prince, in The Book of Dreams. Of course the previous volumes were all about figuring out the villain, but the other Demon Princes all proved to be very elusive and only fully materialised for the showdown, in order to find a quick end at the hands of Kirth Gersen. In contrast to this, Treesong is present as Gersen’s antagonist right from the start, and their paths cross several times in the course of the novel until Treesong meets his deserved end. This makes for a more dynamic plot (one might even go so far to say that this is the first volume in the series to actually have one), but on the flipside, the frequent appearances of the villain make him lose most, if not all of his enigma and mystique – Treesong comes across not so much as a ruthless arch-criminal mastermind, but rather as a mean-spirited petulant schoolboy with a penchant for cruel pranks. Which, of course, might be exactly what Vance had in mind – it is very possible that he intended to show here, at the end of the series, that the Demon Princes Gersen has devoted his life to bringing down are at heart nothing but pathetic creatures, given a semblance of greatness only by their own megalomania and Gersen’s fanatic pursuit of his vengeance against them.
All of which would make Gersen’s crusade appear in a very dim and doubtful light, and give the question what he is going to do with his life now that all of his enemies are vanquished added urgency. And here I’ll have to say that I just adore the way Vance does not answer that question but ends this series of five novels with brusque abruptness, almost in mid-sentence (and do note the bit about being “deserted by my enemies” which is a truly splendid touch, if you consider that he killed them all):
“You’re so quiet and subdued! Your worry me. Are you well?”[return] “Quite well. Deflated, perhaps. I have been deserted by my enemies. Treesong is dead. the affair is over. I am done.”
And that’s it.
December 27, 2017
Vance's style is hard to describe. Basically, this is space fantasy in the vein of Star Wars, but it has a decidedly James Bond subterfuge element to it as Kirth Gersen, our protagonist, has to use wiles, trickery, and multiple identities to take his revenge on the final two members of a criminal cohort - The Demon Princes - that killed his family so long ago.
Vance's writing style concerns itself primarily with attention to language and imaginative plots. The first can be evidenced with lines like "A heavy fetor assaulted their noses, a smell sour, ripe, rich, and rank." There's a musical quality to these lines. One of my favorite things about Vance is how frequently you come across a word you don't know, and you're not certain if he's plumbing the thesaurus or making something up for his Oikumene setting. Usually, it doesn't matter either way - you can guess at the meaning of the word from the context and the way it sounds. Like most singular writing styles, this can be a complete turn-off for some readers, and make the book unbearable, but if you've gotten to books four and five in a series, it's not likely this will be a problem for you.
When I talk about the imaginative plot, I mean that each of the Demon Princes is unique, and requires different tactics for elimination. This involves all sorts of capers that give Vance's imagination a chance to come up with grand settings, such as the Darsh civilization and the prairie planet made up of tribal groups who think their neighbors are uncouth savages. Vance offers a rich variety of economics, judicial policy, and even game systems to enrich these worlds, and I marvel at how wrapped up I got in this universe. I looked up immediately to see if any of his other novels are in this setting, but alas, that doesn't seem to be the case.
Highly recommended for people who like books primarily for their prose and want to give genre a try; recommended for people who like an element of Shakespearean grandiosity to their revenge tales; recommended for people who want to read more of the cornerstone works of the genre, since Vance is credited by many popular current writers as a major influence.
Vance's writing style concerns itself primarily with attention to language and imaginative plots. The first can be evidenced with lines like "A heavy fetor assaulted their noses, a smell sour, ripe, rich, and rank." There's a musical quality to these lines. One of my favorite things about Vance is how frequently you come across a word you don't know, and you're not certain if he's plumbing the thesaurus or making something up for his Oikumene setting. Usually, it doesn't matter either way - you can guess at the meaning of the word from the context and the way it sounds. Like most singular writing styles, this can be a complete turn-off for some readers, and make the book unbearable, but if you've gotten to books four and five in a series, it's not likely this will be a problem for you.
When I talk about the imaginative plot, I mean that each of the Demon Princes is unique, and requires different tactics for elimination. This involves all sorts of capers that give Vance's imagination a chance to come up with grand settings, such as the Darsh civilization and the prairie planet made up of tribal groups who think their neighbors are uncouth savages. Vance offers a rich variety of economics, judicial policy, and even game systems to enrich these worlds, and I marvel at how wrapped up I got in this universe. I looked up immediately to see if any of his other novels are in this setting, but alas, that doesn't seem to be the case.
Highly recommended for people who like books primarily for their prose and want to give genre a try; recommended for people who like an element of Shakespearean grandiosity to their revenge tales; recommended for people who want to read more of the cornerstone works of the genre, since Vance is credited by many popular current writers as a major influence.
July 8, 2018
Finále série Demon Princes. Hlavnímu hrdinovi zbývá zabít už jen dva lidi, aby se pomstil. A jak správně tušíte, každá kniha je věnovaná likvidaci jednoho z nich. A samozřejmě, také smlouvání, dohadování, shánění ubytování a různým komentářům. Skoro každá kapitola začíná obšírným výňatkem z nějaké knihy, kde se, s typickým Vanceovským mixem archaické pompéznosti a cynické ironie, popisuje nějaký prvek navštíveného světa, legenda či zvláštnost v chování. Vanceovy knížky nikdy nezastaraly, protože byli retro už v době svého vzniku - jakoby se prastarý autor rytířských příběhů rozhodl napsat pulpovou sci-fi. Vanceho hlavně baví vymýšlet různé planety a zvyklosti obyvatel (taky se dozvíte, kam až může člověka zavést veganství), příběh je tu až v druhém gardu. Nedá se čekat také moc akce. V první příběhu hrdina putuje po planetách a skupuje akcie, a v druhém pátrá po osobě na fotce, aby se pak s hlavním padouchem střetl na jeho školním srazu. Jo, nějaké pekelné tradice jsou ve všech vesmírech stejné. Pokud už dojde k nějaké řežbě, je často úmyslně podehraná.
Ostatní knížky Jacka Vance mě bavili o něco více, asi mě baví víc jeho fantasy než jeho sci-fi (i když jsou tam rozdíly vážně spíš kosmetické). Díky Vanceho zálibě pro vymýšlení novotvarů a používání archaických výrazů vyžaduje četba jeho knih docela velké soustředění... aspoň tedy u mně. Škoda, že víc nevychází česky... ale fakt si nemyslím, že by jeho knížky měly šanci stát se hitem. Upřímně, není to ani věc, kterou bych nějak sebejistě doporučil, záleží to fakt hodně na osobním vkusu. Na mně Vanceho míchání patosu a cynismu funguje a baví mě.
Ostatní knížky Jacka Vance mě bavili o něco více, asi mě baví víc jeho fantasy než jeho sci-fi (i když jsou tam rozdíly vážně spíš kosmetické). Díky Vanceho zálibě pro vymýšlení novotvarů a používání archaických výrazů vyžaduje četba jeho knih docela velké soustředění... aspoň tedy u mně. Škoda, že víc nevychází česky... ale fakt si nemyslím, že by jeho knížky měly šanci stát se hitem. Upřímně, není to ani věc, kterou bych nějak sebejistě doporučil, záleží to fakt hodně na osobním vkusu. Na mně Vanceho míchání patosu a cynismu funguje a baví mě.
June 21, 2017
Menköön nyt arviona koko viisiosaisesta sarjasta. Avaruusrosvot tappoivat Kirth Gersenin perheen, suvun ja koko siirtokunnan kun hän oli lapsi, ja koko elämänsä hän on valmistellut kostoa rosvojen viittä johtajaa, juurikin nimessä esiintyviä demoniprinssejä, kohtaan. Viidestä kirjasta kukin kertoo yhden rosvopäällikön etsimisestä ja tuhoamisesta. He kaikki ovat hyvin piilossa ja myös omanlaisiaan persoonia, ja heidän jäljittämisensä ja rankaisemisensa on hyvin monivaiheinen prosessi, joka vaatii matkaa useille eri planeetoille ja kunkin roiston perusluonteeseen sopivia juonia.
Sarja on vanhanaikaista, miellyttävän verkkaisesti etenevää scifiä, jossa käytetään juonittelun ja etsiväntyön lisäksi paljon aikaa outojen maailmojen, kansojen ja kulttuurien kuvaamiseen. Toimintaakin toki riittää sitten kun sen aika on. Jokaiseen kirjaan on myös ympätty romanssi, mikä tuntuu hieman ylimääräiseltä, vaikka tällä toki on funktionsa (Gersen on aina vähällä lipsua tehtävästään naisen vuoksi). Tämä ei kuitenkaan hirveästi häiritse, koska muuten kirjat ovat täynnä kiehtovia visioita ja scifi-ideoita, jännitystä ja yllättäviä käänteitä, hillittyä ja joskus mustaakin huumoria sekä persoonallisia henkilöitä. Etenkin demoniprinssit itse ovat herkullisia hahmoja (epäonnistuneesta taiteilijasta murhanhimoiseen koulukiusattuun), vaikka heidät usein nähdäänkin ennen loppuratkaisua vain maineensa ja erilaisten historiikkien kautta.
Sarja on vanhanaikaista, miellyttävän verkkaisesti etenevää scifiä, jossa käytetään juonittelun ja etsiväntyön lisäksi paljon aikaa outojen maailmojen, kansojen ja kulttuurien kuvaamiseen. Toimintaakin toki riittää sitten kun sen aika on. Jokaiseen kirjaan on myös ympätty romanssi, mikä tuntuu hieman ylimääräiseltä, vaikka tällä toki on funktionsa (Gersen on aina vähällä lipsua tehtävästään naisen vuoksi). Tämä ei kuitenkaan hirveästi häiritse, koska muuten kirjat ovat täynnä kiehtovia visioita ja scifi-ideoita, jännitystä ja yllättäviä käänteitä, hillittyä ja joskus mustaakin huumoria sekä persoonallisia henkilöitä. Etenkin demoniprinssit itse ovat herkullisia hahmoja (epäonnistuneesta taiteilijasta murhanhimoiseen koulukiusattuun), vaikka heidät usein nähdäänkin ennen loppuratkaisua vain maineensa ja erilaisten historiikkien kautta.
October 30, 2022
Compiles the concluding two Demon Princes novels, completed after Vance spent most of the 1970s leaving the series on the back burner. Full review: https://fakegeekboy.wordpress.com/202...
January 5, 2022
Buena continuacion.
February 23, 2024
Terminado el 2012-09
November 22, 2024
The review is the same as in the previous book, the Demon Princes, as they are really part of a whole. And it is highly recommended to read them in order.
August 20, 2025
Again Vance did not let me down! Lovely stories, well narrated and constructed.
May 31, 2024
The Face was first published in 1979 by DAW Books. It is a 194 page novel that is the fourth in the five novel series by Jack Vance called The Demon Princes and was published twelve years after the third novel in the series. It is still in print. Kirth Gersen continues his tracking and killing of the five demon princes who killed his parents and destroyed his colony where he lived when he was a child. Kirth and his grandfather were the only survivors, and his grandfather had Keith trained for many years in hand to hand and weapons combat so that he could avenge the family.
For the most recent review and other Vance reviews please see:
https://vancealotjackvanceinreview.bl...
In this novel Kirth Gersen attempts to track down Lens Larque also known as The Face. Larque is an ugly looking outcast (rachepol) from the Darsh people who had his ear cut off by his clan for committing a "repulsive" crime. He is now an infamous criminal who is noted for his cruel jests often done for revenge or one-upmanship. He is very intelligent so Gersen must apply all of his skills to outmaneuver him. Although Larque is given rather minimal development, his people, the Darsh from the planet Dar Sai, are described in fascinating detail. They are a harsh, crude, violent, odorous, people enjoy whipping and a brutal combat sport called hadaul. Their food is vile and inedible to outsiders. They are contrasted with their planetary neighbors with whom they have much contact. These are the Methlens who live on the nearby planet of Methel. The Methlens reside in an exclusive community called Llarlarkno where only other Methlen may live. They are extremely ostentatious and proud, considering themselves superior to all other beings, especially the coarse Darsh.
Gersen meets and falls in love with a Methlen woman, Jerdian Chanseth, whose family and society forbid her to have a friendship or romance with him. Gersen even entertains the idea of abandoning his quest to track down demon princes by considering getting married and settling down. He also tries to take control over a mining company that Larque uses as a front. This leads him to interactions with Darsh people as he tries to purchase stock in the company. It also involves stealing a spaceship, impersonating a judge, and fighting in a violent hand to hand combat sport the Darsh call hadaul.
The novel is full of irony, humor, twists and colorful but scathing portraits of two societies that were very different but recognizable. Vance describes their histories, cultures, sexual behaviors, governments, laws, traditions and social conventions in more world building detail than one would expect in a 194 page novel. The people on the planet Dar Sai although very different from the inhabitants of the planet Methel, but both are equally unlikable. The unexpected ending of the novel is humorous, clever and inspired, one of the finest endings to any Vance novel. This is my second reading of all five novels of The Demon Princes. My appreciation for each of them has increased. I continue to find it and the sequel, The Book of Dreams, to be the most fascinating and best written in the series although all five are very readable, highly entertaining and heartily recommended. Rated 5.
For the most recent review and other Vance reviews please see:
https://vancealotjackvanceinreview.bl...
In this novel Kirth Gersen attempts to track down Lens Larque also known as The Face. Larque is an ugly looking outcast (rachepol) from the Darsh people who had his ear cut off by his clan for committing a "repulsive" crime. He is now an infamous criminal who is noted for his cruel jests often done for revenge or one-upmanship. He is very intelligent so Gersen must apply all of his skills to outmaneuver him. Although Larque is given rather minimal development, his people, the Darsh from the planet Dar Sai, are described in fascinating detail. They are a harsh, crude, violent, odorous, people enjoy whipping and a brutal combat sport called hadaul. Their food is vile and inedible to outsiders. They are contrasted with their planetary neighbors with whom they have much contact. These are the Methlens who live on the nearby planet of Methel. The Methlens reside in an exclusive community called Llarlarkno where only other Methlen may live. They are extremely ostentatious and proud, considering themselves superior to all other beings, especially the coarse Darsh.
Gersen meets and falls in love with a Methlen woman, Jerdian Chanseth, whose family and society forbid her to have a friendship or romance with him. Gersen even entertains the idea of abandoning his quest to track down demon princes by considering getting married and settling down. He also tries to take control over a mining company that Larque uses as a front. This leads him to interactions with Darsh people as he tries to purchase stock in the company. It also involves stealing a spaceship, impersonating a judge, and fighting in a violent hand to hand combat sport the Darsh call hadaul.
The novel is full of irony, humor, twists and colorful but scathing portraits of two societies that were very different but recognizable. Vance describes their histories, cultures, sexual behaviors, governments, laws, traditions and social conventions in more world building detail than one would expect in a 194 page novel. The people on the planet Dar Sai although very different from the inhabitants of the planet Methel, but both are equally unlikable. The unexpected ending of the novel is humorous, clever and inspired, one of the finest endings to any Vance novel. This is my second reading of all five novels of The Demon Princes. My appreciation for each of them has increased. I continue to find it and the sequel, The Book of Dreams, to be the most fascinating and best written in the series although all five are very readable, highly entertaining and heartily recommended. Rated 5.
May 14, 2008
I recorded all of Jack Vance's Demon Princes books in 50-55 minute episodes for Golden Hours, my local radio service for blind and reading-impaired listeners. Too bad I didn't make CD copies for myself, since the radio station broadcast the tape versions and then erased them too reuse.
I guess I'll have to re-record them for Golden Hours and this time keep a copy, since Jack Vance has a wicked and sardonic sense of humor that I really enjoy, and this series of books is his absolute best.
I especially enjoyed the scam that the hero Kirth Gersen pulls in The Killing Machine to get millions of credits out of the hostage syndicate, and at the same time save the heroine from the villain, Kokor Hekkus.
The final page of The Face is priceless, the entire story is a build up to the last line,...
[SPOILER ALERT-DON'T READ AHEAD IF YOU DISLIKE REVELATIONS!]
"There's a great ugly Darsh face over your garden wall,"...
the face of Lens Larque, the villain, carved into the planet's moon by a sequence of explosive charges ironically set off by Kirth Gersen, himself.
I guess I'll have to re-record them for Golden Hours and this time keep a copy, since Jack Vance has a wicked and sardonic sense of humor that I really enjoy, and this series of books is his absolute best.
I especially enjoyed the scam that the hero Kirth Gersen pulls in The Killing Machine to get millions of credits out of the hostage syndicate, and at the same time save the heroine from the villain, Kokor Hekkus.
The final page of The Face is priceless, the entire story is a build up to the last line,...
[SPOILER ALERT-DON'T READ AHEAD IF YOU DISLIKE REVELATIONS!]
"There's a great ugly Darsh face over your garden wall,"...
the face of Lens Larque, the villain, carved into the planet's moon by a sequence of explosive charges ironically set off by Kirth Gersen, himself.
January 10, 2017
I love this entire series, but these last two novellas were written considerable after the first 3, and while they do reflect the author's sense of adventure, creative development of alien cultures in extreme environments, and magnificent character development, the ending of each story feel a little rushed. Vance had created such rich environments that the plot gets a little lost in the circumstances of the hero's struggle, and the main character's personality isn't as well defined as in the first 3 novellas. I would highly recommend the first volume to any fan of sci fi or Vance's other fantasy stories (as well as any fan of detective fiction or action/adventure), but this volume is more for the dedicated hard-core Vance fan. Still a great read!!
November 25, 2014
A satisfying, if abrupt, conclusion to this epic tale of Space Revenge!
I mentioned in my review of Vol 1 how even though each book is inherently similar, and there are a lot of the same beats, I did not find them to be redundant. That hold true for the final two.
The eponymous Demon Princes were mysterious and dastardly, some creative cultures were explored and *spoilers* revenge was had.
I mentioned in my review of Vol 1 how even though each book is inherently similar, and there are a lot of the same beats, I did not find them to be redundant. That hold true for the final two.
The eponymous Demon Princes were mysterious and dastardly, some creative cultures were explored and *spoilers* revenge was had.
March 29, 2007
Jack Vance is still a kickass writer.
Of all his books, this series is my SECOND favorite:
1) The Star King
2) The Killing Machine
3) The Palace of Love
4) The Face
5) The Book of Dreams
If you're not a sci-fi or fantasy fan, this may not completely appeal to you. I'd recommend Lyonesse first, which should appeal to just about everyone.
Of all his books, this series is my SECOND favorite:
1) The Star King
2) The Killing Machine
3) The Palace of Love
4) The Face
5) The Book of Dreams
If you're not a sci-fi or fantasy fan, this may not completely appeal to you. I'd recommend Lyonesse first, which should appeal to just about everyone.
May 12, 2012
More than anything, its Vance's writing that keeps me captivated. The soft flowing nature of his prose takes the reader into a fantasy SF world, rich with charm and adventurous plots. There are few writers like Vance. However, I suppose he's not for everyone. If your looking for Hard SF, I don't think you'll be satisfied. Still, Vance is classic SF. A good read for anyone who loves the classics.
May 13, 2007
Continued from the 1st Volume of the Demon Princes series, probably one of the best series set with the background theme of vengeance.
And one of my favourite quotes comes from this book. "It is done. My revenge is complete."
And one of my favourite quotes comes from this book. "It is done. My revenge is complete."
December 22, 2009
I have read many reviews of these from those who loved them. As for me, I just couldn't get that deeply involved. I suggest you try these if your a science fiction fan and see for your self how you feel.
October 3, 2012
I had heard and read a lot about Jack Vance before I read the Demon Princes. "OOh, Jack Vance! He's so great!" Not so much. These books really didn't do it for me - it was like reading scripts for "Law & Order: Intergalactic Revenge" - overall satisfying, but really repetitive.
June 30, 2009
See review for volume 1
September 7, 2010
I've reviewed these separately at FanLit: http://www.fantasyliterature.com/fant...
April 16, 2011
Where's volume 3
December 17, 2011
Oooh ooh! I remember that one! When he finally gets all his revenge, and he says "my enemies, you have abandoned me" or something close to that.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 27, 2012
Same as the first volume. I might add, I read these first when I was about 10 years old, in the Italian translation, and then again later on in the original English.
April 5, 2015
Another enjoyable read from Vance. Writing is excellent and the story and the world-building imaginative.
Read
April 16, 2013It's got potential...for something big!
July 10, 2014
Vance never fails to amaze me with his different worlds and cultures! It's a shame that the series ends on such an abrupt note however after spending so much time with the main character.
June 5, 2016
I actually liked this better than volume one. The characters were better developed and the story line as very interesting
February 2, 2011
Not as tight as Part One, but still enjoyable.
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