Book Review // Fires of Scorpio by Alan Burt Akers
I've been slowly working my way through a massive backlog of books and rediscovered this copy from the Dray Prescot series, titled Fires of Scorpio. This one certainly pushed me outside my usual comfort zone.
Book Details
Title: Fires of Scorpio
Author: Alan Burt Akers (Kenneth Bulmer)
Series: Dray Prescot #29
Publisher's Blurb
Triple trouble always dogs Dray Prescot, especially when he thinks he has everything under control. This time the Star Lords whisk him away to rescue a girl from sacrifice before he finds himself caught up in pirate adventures and battling the sinister cult of the Silver Leem across the seas of Kregen.
Review
I'll be honest, this wasn't the easiest novel for me to get into. Not because it's a bad book, but because Kenneth Bulmer's writing style is quite different from what I normally read. His prose has that wonderfully old-school pulp adventure feel, and while I can absolutely appreciate it, it took me a while to settle into the rhythm. It's a reminder that stepping outside your comfort zone as a reader isn't always effortless, but it can certainly be rewarding.
Once I found that rhythm, I really began to appreciate what Bulmer does well. The pirate setting gives the novel a fresh flavour, and it feels like a natural fit for Dray Prescot's larger-than-life adventures. There are daring escapes, swashbuckling encounters, and plenty of action spread across the seas of Kregen.
What impressed me most, though, was Bulmer's confidence as a writer. By the twenty-ninth book in this series, he clearly knows his character inside and out. The setting feels rich and lived in, and he never wastes time explaining every detail. Instead, he trusts the reader to keep up, which makes Kregen feel all the more real.
I also found myself appreciating the writing style more as the story progressed. It's descriptive without becoming bogged down, and there's a sense of momentum that keeps the pages turning once you're invested. While it isn't written in the modern style I'm most familiar with, it reminded me why these classic adventure series have retained such a loyal following.
Overall, Fires of Scorpio was a solid read. It didn't become an instant favourite, but I'm glad I read it. More importantly, it encouraged me to experience a style of storytelling that I don't normally gravitate towards, and that's never a bad thing. Sometimes the best books aren't the ones that perfectly match your tastes, they're the ones that broaden them.
As always, thanks for reading! If you've experienced the Dray Prescot series, I'd love to hear where you rank Fires of Scorpio among the many adventures on Kregen.
