The Palace of Love
Sworn to comb the galaxy for the five Demon Princes who had butchered his parents, Kirth Gersen has already disposed of two. Viole Falushe was the third on his list. Notorious as much for his debauched appetites as for the ghastly score of crimes, Falushe was hated and feared by all who fell into his clutches.
But who was he? What was he? And where could he be found? Gersen's remorseless quest took him from the sinister planet of the poison-masters, to the slave city of Sabra, and finally to the strangest, cruellest pleasure temple of them all – The Palace of Love. But as Gersen would soon discover, it was only a monster of evil who would find pleasure within its walls...
Jack Vance
John Holbrook "Jack" Vance (1916–2013) was an American mystery, fantasy and science fiction writer. Though most of his work has been published as by Jack Vance, he also wrote 11 mystery novels using his full name John Holbrook Vance, three under the pseudonym Ellery Queen, and once each using the pseudonyms Alan Wade, Peter Held, John van See, and Jay Kavanse.
Vance won the World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement in 1984 and he was a Guest of Honor at the 1992 World Science Fiction Convention in Orlando, Florida. The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America made him its 14th Grand Master in 1997 and the Science Fiction Hall of Fame inducted him in 2001, its sixth class of two deceased and two living writers.
Demon Princes
Five novels by Jack Vance which chronicle the adventures of Kirth Gersen in attempting to avenge the deaths of his parents at the hands of five planet-slaying crime lords, the justly-named 'Demon Princes'.
Demon Princes consists of five primary books, and includes three additional books that complement the series but are not considered mandatory reads. The current recommended reading order for the series is provided below.
Main series Gaean Reach