The Tides of Kregen

The Tides of Kregen

First edition cover
Author	Kenneth Bulmer
Cover artist	Michael Whelan
Country	United States
Language	English
Series	Dray Prescot series
Genre	Sword and planet
Published	1976
Publisher	DAW Books
Media type	Print (Paperback)
ISBN
Preceded by	Armada of Antares
Followed by	Renegade of Kregen

The Tides of Kregen is a science fiction novel written by Kenneth Bulmer under the pseudonym of Alan Burt Akers, and is volume twelve in his extensive Dray Prescot series of sword and planet novels, set on the fictional world of Kregen, a planet of the Antares star system in the constellation of Scorpio. It was first published by DAW Books in 1976.

The Dray Prescot series is made of several cycles of novels, each cycle essentially forming a series within the series. In addition to being the twelfth volume in the series as a whole, The Tides of Kregen is also the first of three volumes in the Krozair Cycle. It is set on the fictional continent of Turismond as well as the island of Valka and Earth.

The 52 completed novels of the Dray Prescot series were written by Bulmer between 1972 and 1997, when a stroke stopped his writing, also the later Dray Prescot books, after 1988, were originally only published in German. The series is in the spirit of Edgar Rice Burroughs John Carter of Mars series.

The book takes place a number of years after the events of Armada of Antares and the short story Wizard of Scorpio. It begins with an argument between Khe-Hi-Bjanching, a young Wizard of Loh and Evold Scavander about a visitation by Phu-si-Yantong. Prescot is than visited by the Gdoinye, the messenger bird of the Star Lords, to tell him his service will be required soon. He is astonished to hear that his soon Drak was able to see the bird, too, when he thought it invisible to all himself. He shortly after informs Delia that he might be leaving soon.

When a messenger informs Prescot that the Shanks, a mysterious race of raiders have attacked an island of Valka and he rushes out with a small force to beat them back. The small force, including Delia and Drak, are trapped in an island village and under attack when Prescot is teleported away by the Star Lords. He resists and refuses to take up battle in his new location, instead returning to Delia. The Gdoinye warns him of his foolishness to resist and once more he is teleported, arriving for the first time fully armed and clothed. Again he defies the Star Lords and for this he is banished to Earth, seemingly for good.