Resumen
Resumen de The Warlord of Mars
Para quién es
For readers who love swift adventure, planetary romance and heroes who fight for love and honor, with loyal friends, secret prisons and hidden kingdoms on Mars.
De qué trata este libro
The Warlord of Mars is the third of the Barsoom novels by Edgar Rice Burroughs. It first appeared in a magazine in 1913 and 1914 and came out as a book in 1918. Barsoom is the name its people give to Mars. It is a dying world of dry sea bottoms, ancient cities, green giants and red-skinned human beings who fight with swords and fly in airships.
This book carries on directly from The Gods of Mars. John Carter, a Virginian soldier who found his way to Mars, has seen the false religion of Issus exposed. Now the woman he loves, the princess Dejah Thoris, has been taken from him by those who live on that lie. Burroughs wrote for the pulp magazines, and the book moves at the speed of a chase. It gives you secret prisons, flying fleets, a hidden polar kingdom and a husband who will cross a planet to find his wife. Let us begin with the loss that sets Carter on his road.
En este resumen
- 1A hero loses everything he lovesFree
- 2Allies rally to the call
- 3The chase leads toward the frozen north
- 4Okar, the hidden kingdom at the pole
- 5Love, loyalty and honor drive the story
- 6How Burroughs tells a Martian tale
Idea clave 1 de 6
A hero loses everything he loves
The story picks up where the second book left off. John Carter has struck a heavy blow against the Holy Therns and the cult of Issus, the false goddess worshiped by the First Born. Yet the victory has cost him dearly. Dejah Thoris, Princess of Helium and his wife, is missing, and so is Thuvia, a loyal maiden of Ptarth who has stood by them both.
Among those plotting against Carter is Matai Shang, the Father of Therns. He is the most powerful of the priests who have lived off the false faith. Matai Shang has lost his power over the common people, but he has not lost his thirst for revenge. He knows that the one way to hurt John Carter is through the people Carter loves.
Carter does not sit and mourn. From the first chapters he is a man in motion, learning who took his wife and where they might have gone. He does not yet know the whole truth, but he is certain of one thing. He will not stop until Dejah Thoris is free.
This opening sets the pattern for the whole book. Carter is a fighter who loves quickly and loyally, and his enemies know it. Burroughs builds the first stretch of the book on his anger and on the sense of a clock running down, since every hour of delay is an hour in which his wife is in the hands of those who hate him.
The tone is that of a quest. You are given a clear goal and a clear villain, and the pleasure lies in how the hero gets there.
That’s 1 of 6 key points.
The rest of the summary, written and spoken, and the whole book: free to start.
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Who’s who
- John Carter
- A Virginian soldier living on Mars, Carter seeks his captive wife, Dejah Thoris, with help from loyal friends.
- Dejah Thoris
- Princess of Helium and Carter's wife, she is held captive by his enemies alongside Thuvia.
- Tars Tarkas
- A green warrior who leads the Tharks, he is Carter's blunt and faithful friend.
- Matai Shang
- The Father of Therns, he is a cunning priest seeking revenge on Carter and protection for his power.
- Thuvia
- A maiden of Ptarth held captive with Dejah Thoris, she remains steadfast and loyal to her friends.
- Salensus Oll
- The proud ruler of Okar, he commands a hidden kingdom of yellow men at the north pole.
- Carthoris
- The bold son of Carter and Dejah Thoris, he is eager to help search for his mother.
About this edition
Every format is free to start, and print and large print are at cost.
- LengthAbout 58,000 words
- Reading timeAbout 3 h 50 min
- FormatseBook, large-print eBook, audiobook, 15-minute summary; paperback, hardcover and large print at cost
- LanguagesEnglish and 12 other languages
Questions about The Warlord of Mars
What is The Warlord of Mars about?
It is the third Barsoom novel. John Carter searches across Mars for his wife, Dejah Thoris, who has been seized by the priest Matai Shang and his allies, and his quest leads to a hidden kingdom near the north pole.
Do I need to read the other Barsoom books first?
It helps. The Warlord of Mars picks up right after The Gods of Mars, and it relies on the earlier events and characters. Reading A Princess of Mars and The Gods of Mars first makes the stakes clear.
Who is Matai Shang in The Warlord of Mars?
After his power is shaken, he seeks revenge on John Carter and shelter in a distant land.
When was The Warlord of Mars written?
Edgar Rice Burroughs wrote it as a magazine serial in 1913 and 1914, and it appeared as a book in 1918. It is fiction, a work of science fantasy set on an imagined Mars.
Is The Warlord of Mars hard to read?
No. The prose is plain and the chapters are short, ending on hooks.