The Warlord of Mars
1913
The third installment of Burroughs' legendary Barsoom series picks up with John Carter, Prince of Helium, in a desperate situation. His beloved Dejah Thoris has been captured, and he finds himself lurking in the ancient Temple of the Sun, watching, waiting, hunting the enemies who took her. Thurid, a black-skinned warrior consumed by jealousy and hatred, holds Dejah Thoris prisoner, and has fled deep into the most dangerous territories of Mars. Carter must follow, even as he uncovers a larger conspiracy involving Matai Shang, the sinister Father of Therns, who plots revenge against the earth-born warrior. What follows is a breathless chase across a dying world of ancient ruins, warring red-skinned kingdoms, and savage beast-men. The quest carries Carter at last to the frozen mystery of Mars's northern pole, where an ice-bound civilization may hold Dejah Thoris's fate, and perhaps Carter's own doom. This is pure swashbuckling romance: a hero who never stops fighting for what he loves, a world vivid with wonder and peril, and the kind of adventures that made pulp fiction unforgettable.
