Book review: Star King

This is early Jack Vance. Goodreads as usual gives you a range of opinions. I say it is fluff; Vance hasn't really found his voice but is turning out pulp. I would give it only a few stars; this isn't vintage stuff; it is going back to Oxfam. "Twice winner of the Hugo award" but not for this - for The Dragon Masters and, somewhat surprisingly, The Last Castle.

The story is a kinda detective story, and kinda scene-setting for the series; indeed this is kinda the same scene - various planets, and Old Earth - that most of his scifi is based on. Various implausibilities in the plot need not detain us. On the detective front, I kinda wanted PA to turn out to be the villain, but no such luck

There are some not-so-subtle jokes in the names-of-authors of the various in-universe quotes: one Frerb Hankbert, on p 64; and Jan Holberk Vaenz heads chapter 6. I kept feeling that "Pallis Atwrode" ought to be an anagram; "allowed rapist" fits but is a bit meh; ditto one for Attel Malagate.