Part first contact story, part humour, this wide-ranging SF adventure KING OF A THOUSAND SUNS starts in San Quentin where Rod Smith, a prisoner who admits starting a fire in a National Park, provides his unlikely explanation for the deed. Having met arrivals from another planet, in the equivalent of a spaceship life raft, the good ol' boy bartered with them and left Earth just to see what is out there in the galaxy.

Becoming KING OF A THOUSAND SUNS isn't easy, and among other tasks along the way Rod is required to fight duels to the macabre death, shoulder responsibility for a harem and assume control of thriving interstellar businesses. Tough job, but this former Air Force man feels someone's got to do it. Living according to the principles of the Galactic civilisation is exhausting, dangerous and rewarding, and Rod - inadvertently at first, then deliberately - makes major changes to the social constructs on many planets. He decides to abolish slavery and end multi-generational feuds, which oddly enough gains him much popularity and more planets to rule. This is a wild ride, with lively imagination and occasional passages of hard detail, for instance about the prison life or deer hunting, which keep the tale grounded.

Among my favourite incidents are when Rod arrives at a tourist world restaurant accompanied by a large Bengal tiger called Kitty; and when he directs his spaceship captain to take him to his headquarters on another planet, not realising that the planet is instantly renamed Headquarters, kingly decree being what it is. With one particular lady however he meets his match. The reactions of the prison psychologist as Rod explains how matters work around the galaxy are also amusing, because this man naturally writes the prisoner off as delusional.

Some passages contain strong language, violence or mature content, so I don't recommend the read to Young Adult readers. For those who enjoy space fantasy tales full of personality and surprises, James T Stewart has created a lively adventure in KING OF A THOUSAND SUNS to keep you chuckling.