Star Kings - Edmond Hamilton Book Review

Enter a review
of your own!

Other books by
author Edmond Hamilton

"Star Kings"
Message Board

Edmond Hamilton Resident Scholar Profiles

TOP SCHOLAR: irina

SCHOLARS:

Would you like to be a scholar and make five dollars per review? Click here to submit a review!

Click here for free online dating advice!

Review Summary

John Gordon is a regular insurance agent. All of a sudden he starts hearing a voice in his head calling him by name. After few nights, he decides to answer the voice, and learns that a man named Zart Arn, 2000 centuries from the future is communicating with him. Zart is a Prince and a scientist who studies the past and wants to switch minds with Gordon. Gordon agrees and wakes up in Zart's laboratory in the future. After about a week in the company of Zart's assistants, Gordon learns the language and some of the history of the times. Then, there is an abduction attempt. He is rescued and brought to Zart's home planet - the capital of the Galactic Empire. Because he promised Zart that he will not reveal his true identity, Gordon is immersed in the political power-play, as the son of the emperor. He falls in love with a princess, bound to marry Zart for political reasons. He and the princess are kidnapped and brought to the leader of the attackers, who kill the emperor. In his attempt to learn the secret of a super weapon, "Destroyer", which only the emperor, and his sons know, the leader learns that Gordon is not Zart.
After Gordon's escape, an attack is orchistrated and Zart has to take the lead. He is forced to use the Destroyer and wins the war. Only then he is able to return to the laboratory and switch his mind back with the real Zart Arn.
irina, Resident Scholar

Detailed literary breakdown of Star Kings

Our unique search engine breaks down books and movies into dozens of literary elements, all of which are searchable.
New movie search (click here) New book search (click here)

Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot

Composition of Book
Descript. of chases or violence - 30%
planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 30%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 20%
Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 20%

Tone of book - very upbeat
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - science fiction story
Time Travel: - largely forwards/future
Political power play Yes
Political plotlets - preventing/managing clash/war between govts/kingdoms
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Time Travel story? Yes
Story largely takes place in - Distant future

Main Character
Identity: - Male
Profession/status: - small businessman
Age: - 20's-30's
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events? Yes
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - very athletic

Main Adversary
Identity: - Male
Age: - 40's-50's
Profession/status: - Prince/Nobleman/King
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a substantial amount
How sensitive is this character? - mean, arrogant
Sense of humor - Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters

Setting
A substantial portion of this book takes place on a non-Earth planetary body: - humans in a futuristic society
Planet outside solar system? Yes

Style
Person? - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
scientific jargon? (SF only) - none/very little science jargon needed
How much dialogue? - significantly more descript than dialog

Most similar books to Star Kings
For Us, The Living by Robert A. Heinlein
The Scarlet Empress by Susan Grant
Darc Ages by A.R. Yngve
Exultant - Destiny’s Children 2 by Stephen Baxter
The Centurion's Empire by Sean McMullen

Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).

Try our new Star Wars & Star Trek puzzle pictures! Click here

Advertise with us
Feedback
Star Wars Revenge of the Sith plot spoilers
Hobbits
The politics game
The lawyer game

3 Book search options!
1) Simple lookup
(title or author)

or
2) Detailed book search
(click here) or

3) One-click plot searches! Simply click on a plot below!

Animal Story

Clones

Coming of age

Cultural problems, alien culture

Explore/1st contact/ enviro story

Family relations

GIANT monster(s)

Horror story?

Inner Struggle

Lifeform altered?

Mental/magical powers focus

Parody

Political power play

Religious overtones?

Repressive society story

Robots, Computers, VR

Romance

Spying & Investigations

Tech./$$$/Info hunt

Time Travel story?

Training/Apprent.

War or Invasion

Games:
Trivia Masters!

Rescue your favorite
scifi characters from
slavery!

Talk to your favorite
scifi characters!

Eating New Yorkers
Computer Game

Pomeranians

Most recent TV & Movie discussions:

Charmed: What's wrong with Rose McGowan's chin? 7/5/2008 11:53:33 AM

Charmed: Is Piper really a Halliwell? 7/5/2008 11:48:59 AM

Doctor Who: Who was the best Doctor? 7/5/2008 4:23:13 AM

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire 7/5/2008 2:40:59 AM

Doctor Who: Who was the best companion? 6/30/2008 7:37:52 AM

A Boy and His Dog: A Boy and His Dog 6/30/2008 12:55:48 AM

Lost in Space (TV): What kind of a name is Guy for a guy? 6/26/2008 10:21:30 AM

Lost in Space (TV): Wasn't it obvious that Major West was never going to get any? 6/26/2008 10:17:45 AM

Alien Series: Was Vasquez a lesbian? 6/26/2008 6:57:27 AM

Battlestar Galactica: Do Vipers fly past the speed of light? 6/26/2008 1:27:52 AM

Newest slaves:
Queen Amidala/Padme (Natalie Portman) 7:41:22 PM
Samuel L. Jackson-obi 7:40:38 PM
Emperors Handmaidens 7:39:45 PM
Wedge Antillies 7:38:37 PM
Clone Trooper Girlfriend 7:37:02 PM
Luke Skywalker 7:36:05 PM
Dr. Zarkov 7:35:00 PM
Body Parts Boob Girl (Scarlett Tush Johansson) 7:33:55 PM
Paige Matthews Halliwell 7:33:15 PM
7 of 9 (Jeri Ryan) 7:29:04 PM
All slaves
(click here)

Celebrity interviews:
President George W. Bush 6:32:00 PM
Jan-Michael Vincent 2:16:51 PM
Captain Kathryn Janeway 3:47:46 PM
Jack ONeill (Richard Dean Anderson) 1:39:22 PM
Jennifer Aniston (Friends) 5:01:07 PM
All celebrities
(click here)