Star King

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Star King (also published as The Star King) is a science fiction novel by American writer Jack Vance. It is the first book in his Demon Princes series and was published in 1964 by Berkley Books. It was originally serialized in Galaxy magazine as The Star King.

Plot summary
Kirth Gersen is a young man obsessed with revenge. When he was a child, a gang led by a ruthless criminal named Attel Malagate destroyed his colony. Now, Gersen travels the Beyond to track Malagate down and avenge his people.

The adventure begins at Smade’s Tavern on Smade’s Planet, a neutral hangout for crooks and honest folk. An explorer named Lugo Teehalt has found a beautiful, untouched world but fears Malagate will despoil it. Teehalt is killed, and the thieves steal the nearby spaceship. Gersen’s ship is the same model, so he ends up with Teehalt’s navigational device and the coordinates of the target world.

Gersen learns that Malagate’s true identity is hidden behind a senior official at Sea Province University on Alphanor, in the Rigel Concourse. He narrows Malagate’s alter ego to one of three university officials and meets two of Malagate’s lieutenants, Tristano the Earthman and Sivij Suthiro the Sarkoy.

A key fact emerges: Malagate is not human but a Star King, a non‑human species that can evolve rapidly to resemble humans. Humans began interacting with Star Kings, who gradually changed their appearance to blend in.

At the university, Gersen befriends Pallis Atwrode, a clerical assistant. They are attacked by Hildemar Dasce, another of Malagate’s lieutenants, and Pallis is abducted. Gersen tracks Dasce to a secret base, rescues Pallis, and captures Dasce along with a prisoner named Robin Rampold, who has suffered at Dasce’s hands for years.

Gersen uses Dasce to reveal Malagate’s betrayal. With Dasce’s testimony and other evidence, the remaining two university officials accept the charges against Malagate. Malagate attempts to escape but is killed soon after by a native lifeform on the planet Teehalt’s world. Rampold, who is left behind, later turns the tables on Dasce and begins a long‑term quest for revenge.

Reception
Reviewers have noted the book’s brisk pace and striking setting. Dave Langford summarized Star King as having a somewhat simple revenge plot but praised its fast pace and impressive backdrop.