While I described Tschai, Vol 1, City of the Chasch, as pure escapist fun, I found Servants of the Wankh less light-hearted, more somber and even profound.

Marooned Space scout Adam Reith continues his quest to acquire a spaceship to take him back to Earth, encountering more strange alien races and bizare alien human cultures. The intrigue is deeper and more perplexing, as we confront a Byzantine society whose elaborate mores and customs are only partly amusing, partly distressing in the aberrations and suffering they impose on people.

The climax though is once again thrilling, as Reith, seemingly cornered at last, pulls another trick out of his hat and once again turns the tables on his adversaries.

Excellent science fiction adventure. ( )

http://speculiction.blogspot.com/2011/11/review-of-planet-of-adventure-by-jack.h.... ( )

This second book of Adventure Planet series is another entertaining yarn from the inimitable Jack Vance. The first two thirds of the book is a travel story; the last third hinges on the protagonist's efforts to steal a spaceship that will return him to Earth. Servants of the Wankh is not formulaic tripe; this becomes quite obvious early in the book when the love interest pulls out a knife, starts stabbing people, and then throws herself to the sharks. Like many of Vance's other protagonists, Reith is a cynical hero who faces danger and deception (and at times makes mistakes). He's not particularly likable, but he does get things done. The planet and societies and mysteries of Tschai are the real stars here. You've got several competing alien races, each convinced of their own innate superiority, and many with evolved-human servants (i.e., thousands of years ago, at least one of the starfaring races must have stopped by earth to "recruit" some domestic servants). The titular Wankh (changed to Wannek is some British versions to avoid an unfortunate connotation) are a powerful, mysterious race who rarely interact directly with the inferior other species (think Vorlons and you won't be far off). Add mysterious aboriginal races, and you've got a very broad canvas for Vance's imagination. ( )

This book is the second volume of Vance's Tschai (Planet of Adventure) series. It is also the most difficult of the four to review; the plot is complex and fast-moving, and the characters evolve rapidly over the course of the episode.

NOTE: If you have not read 'The City of the Chasch' and don't want this review to ruin it for you, stop reading now! Read my review of 'Chasch' or just read the book!

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Reith and his companions have defeated the threat of the various factions of the Chasch, and have succesfully established the government of Pera as a going concern. Reith can no longer expect to use his wrecked shuttle, which is partly dismantled and unreachable in the Chasch city of Dadiche.

During the previous episode, Reith had rescued a young woman, the Flower of Cath, from a murderous cult of witches. The Flower now wishes to return to her home of Cath, thousands of miles to the east. She asserts (and Anacho confirms) that, a few hundred years before, a technological cult in Cath had built a radio transmitter; presumably the origin of the signals that Reith's spaceship had been dispatched to investigate. The transmitter and the faction were both destroyed by torpedoes from and unknown source; Reith finds this suspicious.

He agrees to escort the Flower back to Cath, and perhaps convince a faction there to help him. Neither Anacho nor Traz wish to remain in Pera, and decide to accompany him. The party appropriates a decrepit Chasch sky-boat and begin the long flight to the opposite coast of the continent.

They reach the southern port city of Coad, abandoning the now-defunct sky-boat. While arranging for further transportation by sea, the party meets another citizen of Settra, a city in Cath; a young pompous nobleman named Dordolio, well-known to the Flower. Dordolio joins the party (with some difficulty), and the group at last set sail by ship for the port cities of Cath.

During the voyage, Dordolio becomes increasingly disruptive; the Flower, becoming more and more remote from Reith, provokes a fight between the two men. Reith embarrasses Dordolio; the Flower explodes into a homicidal fit (apparently a commonplace occurrence in Cath). She is thwarted by the crew and passengers and commits suicide, much to the confusion of Reith.

At last the party arrives at the port city of Settra in Cath, Vervodei. The Flower had promised Reith a boon from her father on her return, and he wishes to claim it if can in spite of the circumstances; but they must follow Dordolio, who will surely spoil this plan.

When the three companions arrive in Settra, it is as Reith fears; the Flower's father, Lord Cizante, will do nothing for him. Furthermore, the 'cult', a remnant of the faction that built the original transmitter, is a furtive, superstitious, and actively persecuted group.

Reith is at a loss, but learns that another human race, the Lokhar, work as technicians in the space yards at Ao Hidis, a spaceport in the territory of the most aloof of the three 'invader' races; the Wankh. Reith decides that a longer stay in Cath will be fruitless: someone has hired a Guild assassin (another honored institution of Cath) to silence Reith.

Reith hires a Lokhar, Zarfo Detweiler, to guide and assist him to Ao Hidis, where he hopes to steal a Wankh spaceship and return to Earth. Reith, Zarfo, Anacho and Traz leave Settra by round-about means to avoid pursuit, then travel south for Ao Hidis... ( )