The Gods of Mars: Barsoom, Book 2

Written by Edgar Rice Burroughs

Narrated by B. J. Harrison

John Carter returns to his beloved Mars, and engages in airborne combat with the dreaded Black Pirates. In his second search for the famed Dejah Thoris, Carter leads a revolt to free the Martian races from a devious cult that thrives on secretive slavery.

• Language: English
• Publisher: B.J. Harrison
• Release date: Jan 1, 2013
• ISBN: 9781937091958

Edgar Rice Burroughs

Edgar Rice Burroughs (1875-1950) had various jobs before getting his first fiction published at the age of 37. He established himself with wildly imaginative, swashbuckling romances about Tarzan of the Apes, John Carter of Mars and other heroes, all at large in exotic environments of perpetual adventure. Tarzan was particularly successful, appearing in silent film as early as 1918 and making the author famous. Burroughs wrote science fiction, westerns and historical adventure, all charged with his propulsive prose and often startling inventiveness. Although he claimed he sought only to provide entertainment, his work has been credited as inspirational by many authors and scientists.

Reviews for The Gods of Mars

[tanyaferrell · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

While I enjoyed the first novel in this series, Princess of Mars, it didn't blow me away and I expected more of the same from The Gods of Mars. However, a couple of chapters in I knew I would love this book. John Carter finds himself returned to Barsoom (Mars) at the beginning of this novel. He's landed in what many Barsoomians imagine to be heaven, but it's more like a hell on Mars. The entire book is basically John Carter's journey to reunite with his Princess / Wife / Baby Mama Deja and it is so glorious.This book feels like the song The Boys Are Back in Town by Thin Lizzy. Every few chapters or so John Carter finds himself in a dangerous situation, turns around and is surprised to find one of his old friends from the last novel there just in time to help him save the day. It's so improbable and ridiculous, but you end up loving it because the boys are back in town and they're about to kick some ass.As fun as this novel is it also does a great examination of religion. This is science fiction at its best, an out of this world story to examine very real world issues. Gods of Mars examines how so many different cultures believe their religion or faith is the "right" faith without deeply exploring and examining it or what else exists in the world.Gods of Mars also examines how religion is used to justify the demeaning and degradation of others. I think this is an especially important theme because John Carter is a confederate soldier. White Christians in his time and before his time used Christianity to justify their "owning" of black slaves. Burroughs reverses the races (in my mind to make this story more comfortable for the white Americans he wrote this for) but his point is hammered home in a very light and fun way.I love a good fun book with a message. 5/5 all the way.

[tobinelliott · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

...and I have officially given up on John Carter of Mars.

This book was simply awful. From the ridiculous string of coincidences that open the book, the battles that continually pit John and one other person against hundreds, all the way to the seemingly utter lack of conflict that occurs throughout. John needs to meet a someone to move the next plot point. So, shockingly, he happens to stumble into the exact right room to find them. And they get along like they've been old friends for years. And obstacles? Yeah, they're not really obstacles.

I was really hoping the series might get a touch more grit as it went on, but this was terrible.

And I'm done.

[john257hopper · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is the second book in the author's Barsoom (Mars) series, a sequel to Princess of Mars. John Carter returns to Mars after a 10 year gap and has to battle through the various factions on the planet to rescue his princess Dejah Thoris, though he (hopefully temporarily) loses her again in the last chapter. As ever, Burroughs is very imaginative in creating alien cultures, despite the obvious limitations of scientific and astronomic knowledge at the time the book came out in 1913. There is very little plot, it is all action sequences, battles, one on one fights, captures and rescues, which does become a bit repetitive at times.

[twolfe360 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Gods of Mars by Edgar Rice BurroughsWritten 1912 Published 1913 All Story MagazineCover by Michael WhelanThis reflection starts out with a confession. Having listened to the book a few years back I wasn’t going to re-read it when giving my reflections. As I pulled it off the shelf for a quick skim, I realized that I didn’t really remember much of the story. I have to say I am very glad I chose to read it again. This was the book that sold me on Edgar Rice Burroughs more than any other. Mind you I devoured anything Tarzan, TV, movies, comics but I didn’t connect Tarzan with ERB per se. Tarzan was Tarzan. But this second appearance of John Carter of Mars stayed in my psyche. It must have been the first that I read since the ending stuck in my head all these years. Enough that I would confuse it with the ending of A Princess of Mars. Gods of Mars is Burroughs unleashed, his imagination going places further than Princess. Reading the first chapter, visualizing the plant men with their kangaroo attack mode with the spade like tails had me spinning. Here ERB creates and deconstructs the religion of Barsoom (Mars). In some ways making his own thoughts about religion clear. In the desert world of Barsoom, he envisions an oasis at the bottom of the planet. The geography boggles my mind. Here we have a sea at the bottom of the world with another sea underneath it. Immense caverns with parts of the city emerging above ground to be in the upper sea. My mind still reels thinking about it but also I realize that Burroughs had it mapped out in his mind. The action shifts from the civilizations at the bottom of Barsoom to an ancient city to the halls of Helium in typical Burroughs whirlwind fashion but it holds together. ERB is hitting his stride here with daring feats of battle by John Carter to naval fleets in wide scale aerial battle. We have individual fights, rebellions and armies meeting all in 190 pages. I’ve accused Burroughs of being the master of coincidence and happenstance but in this story it works. Burroughs has his tropes that he uses but in Gods, they aren’t his tropes, this is ERB exploring the ideas for the first time. There is an energy and enthusiasm to this novel that caused me to embrace the works of Edgar Rice Burroughs. I read the Del Rey edition with a cover by Michael Whelan. Whelan captures the craziness of the first chapter of the novel while giving us not just John Carter but his faithful companion Tars Tarkas as well. Looking at Burrough's next novel I find that although Tarzan of the Apes and Princess of Mars introduced the iconic characters, it is with their second novels that Burroughs solidified the characters and established the true wonders of the world they exist in.

[olivermagnus · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The Gods of Mars is considered by most Barsoom fans to be one of the best of the series. John Carter spent years trying to figure how to get back to Mars and his beloved Dejah Thoris. When he arrives he’s not at a location that he is familiar with. He has entered the Valley of Dor, the Barsoomian afterlife.

The Gods of Mars is a much faster-moving story than the first Barsoom book. In A Princess of Mars we were introduced to Red Martians and the Green Martians and in The Gods of Mars we meet the White Martians and the Black Martians.

The Gods of Mars is a swashbuckling space adventure and a solid entry to John Carter novels. The story may be cheesy, but John Cater's second adventure on Mars is a thrilling ride. I thought it was an overall fun read and a hallmark of the science fantasy genre. I look forward to reading the next story to see how the characters and conflicts progress.I


TBR 1400

[michael5rimmer · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

There's virtually no preamble, Burroughs just catapults Carter into the heart of the adventure and you, dear reader, better catch your breath and try to keep up with the mightiest warrior Mars has ever known!The previous book ended on a cliffhanger and, fair warning, so does this one: best have the first three books gathered together if this is your initial voyage to the dead sea bottoms of Barsoom.Amidst the adventure is a moral, that organised religions are often not to be trusted as they become vehicles for corruption, exploitation, abuse and self-aggrandisement. Who knew?

[antiquary_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is the second of Burroughs Martian series, in which John Carter returns to Mars, but finds himself in the Valley of Dor, the supposed earthly paradise of the Martian religion, to which Martians tired of life make their final pilgrimage. He discovers that it is in fact infested with man-eating white apes, who devour the pilgrims at the call of the Holy Therns, the white skinned priestly race of Mars.

[davewilde-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The Gods of Mars is the second book of the eleven books in Edgar Rice Burroughs' Mars series and the second of three books in the initial trilogy of adventures that begins the series. It was originally published in 1913 and 1914 as a serial in an adventure magazine and then in 1918 as a novel. It is a continuation of one of the greatest swashbuckling adventures ever written set in the chivalrous tradition of the knights of King Arthur's Table, but taking place on the dying planet Mars. I recommend that you begin with Princess of Mars before tackling this one as that book sets John Carter on Mars and introduces a host of other characters very important to the story, such as his best friend Tars Tarkas, the mighty green warrior, and the princess, Dejah Thoris. Although the Mars of the John Carter books has some advanced technology such as flying ships and ray guns, the people of this world prefer to do battle with swords and thus John Carter, the greatest swordsman of two worlds, is every fighting foe after foe.

"The Gods of Mars" is not just a sword and planet adventure, however. It is a story where Burroughs lifts the veil off of what is behind the Martian religion and what really goes on in Valley Dor where Martians make their pilgirmage after they tire of centuries of life. It is thus a satire about organized religion. Burroughs also satirizes racial differences and, buried within this adventure tale, is a strong argument against racial and ethnic divisions with Carter convincing his fellow warriors finally that they are all alike whether Black, White, Red, or Green. Burroughs uses this book to show how ridiculous the institution of slavery was. In many ways, given the strong arguments hidden in here against organized religions or cults making fools out of its disciples and its arguments against racial divisions and ethnic superiority, this book was decades ahead of its time.

Most of all, however, "The Gods of Mars," as all of the John Carter books are, is part of the greatest story of swords and chivalry ever written. No one before or since has written a better adventure story than Burroughs.

[jjvors_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

"The Gods of Mars" by Edgar Rice Burroughs is the second book in his John Carter series. After a 10 year absence, John Carter finds himself back on Mars. His method of transportation is not clear, but it seems to be some sort of teleportation.Once on Mars JC (as his friends call him) uses his earth trained muscles to beat up on weak Martian monsters. Plotting is along the line of the Perils of Pauline, where one successful adventure segues quickly into another dangerous scrape.The overall thrust and sweep of the book is the complete destruction of Martian religion, by wholesale slaughter and destruction of its institutions and practices by exposure of its various priests to fraud. I wonder if ERB is making some commentary about Earth religion? His hero is certainly not religious in any Earth based religion, although he espouses a gentlemanly, Southern aristocrat point of view.I enjoyed the fast paced plotting, the creative twists, and the dated point of view shown in the book. I read the first book several years ago and did not continue the series. One dose lasted for several years.

[claire5555 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great book, really enjoyed it.

[shimmin_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An adequate pulp adventure, not requiring very much attention or thought. It's an adventure romp through a fantastical world, with a largely monochrome morality where might and loyalty really do make right. John Carter encounters many fascinating new people and creatures to kill, meets most of the same old friends, and generally continues being a simplistic action hero. Coincidence is a constant companion and no attempt is made to disguise it; that doesn't bother me in this particular genre, but some will dislike it. It whiled away a long train journey quite well, and has no pretensions to great literary merit. Worked for me as a mixture of effortless reading and learning about the history of sci-fi, but I'd not rush to recommend it. Some people may find annoying attitudes or assumptions within the story, although it's worth noting that ERB does often depict his female characters as formidable warriors in their own right, and John Carter canonically cares only about the valour and prowess of his allies. Personally, I find the very old-fashioned and rather alien, militaristic morality of John Carter - constantly validated by the reality of the story - to be a source of interest. It's equally possible to note that the book is essential about killing hundreds of people in largely-pointless wars, and feel it's not worthy of your time.

[angelarenea-1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I know I said that I probably wouldn't read any more of these books, but I can't just leave a series hanging. The Gods of Mars was interesting. I thought that the religious aspect of traveling down the river to what the people of Mars/Barsoom consider to be Heaven only to find hatred and corruption was interesting. However yet again, I found the idea of this main character setting himself above the entire world. He finds a race of black Martians who are either evil, or ignorant and need to be educated by the Virginian slave owner. Not only that, but I found the portrayal of women thus-far to be quite offensive. I think that there was a good idea under all of the ignorance, but found it hard to enjoy the book, and impossible to feel for the main character.

[reneh-2 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This second Barsoom book is definitely less interesting than the first. The novelty to read about John Carter being on Barsoom is a bit gone now.
And although some interesting new aspects of life on Barsoom (especially about Barsoomian Religion) come forward, the story mainly consists of fighting, which is not my first interest. Still the book is entertaining, hence 3 stars. I have to read the next Barsoom book too, because the end of this book is a cliffhanger.

[veracite · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

John Carter is ridiculous, deliciously, hysterically, entertainingly ridiculous. He is the manliest man who ever manned. Never was one so noble, so brave, so lucky, so good-hearted, so epically lucky and such an idiot. This is not a spoiler: the boy is your son. He's your son, you massive nuff nuff. And yet, all the time I was yelling 'he's your son' I was gripped by the adventure.

Dejah Thoris manages to be offstage for the entire novel, plunging into distress towards the end. Thuvia, on the other hand, is truly awesome, from the first moment we meet her when she begins to rescue John Carter and Tars Tarkas while still chained to a wall. She continued awesome as she shoots down the guy who had enslaved her as soon as she sees him with a weapon in her hand. No conversation, no hesitation, bam! You're dead. She is hardcore and deserves many adventures. Let there be more Thuvia.

This book ends in a massive cliffhanger. Onward to Warlord of Mars.

[bellafoxx · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

John Carter has returned to Mars from Earth, he knows nothing of what has happened in the past 5 years. He appears on Mars in a land from which no one returns. However since he is ‘John Carter’, he does the impossible, only to find that his wife survived, but has disappeared.The rest of the book is spent in his efforts to find her and his enemies efforts to stop him.It is a very simple plot line and the action comes from the fact that every time John Carter gets close to success something happens to thwart his efforts.Another quick enjoyable read. Lots of fighting again.

[tcwriter · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I'm working my way through the first three Edgar Rice Burroughs "Mars" books, which isn't hard -- they're all short.

This is #2, and everything I noted in my review of book #1 ("A Princess of Mars") remains true (it's macho, pulpy schlock). Still, adventure is adventure, and Burroughs does know how to spin a story.

I don't think I would have read these books if they weren't making a movie (starring Friday Night Lights' Taylor Kitsch), but I'm glad I did. They're classics for a reason -- all the outdated references, bad science, and overwrought prose aside.

[marysneedle · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This one kept me on the edge of my seat. Action from beginning to end. It does leave a bit of a cliff hanger at the end so I'm anxious to get to the third John Carter book The Warlord of Mars. So I suggest if you read this book to have the next one handy to dig into.

[vis02124 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is the second Barsoom novel, and though a good read, I found it less satisfying than A Princess Of Mars, just because there was too much coincidence. Carter lands on Mars in the place Tars Tarkas happens to be; he happens to get jailed next to his son, who later just happens to be masquerading as a guard just as Carter makes a break for it; he blunders across the guards going to Tars Tarkas' cell; he blunders into the room Dejah Thoris is being held in. Eventually, it all gets to be a bit much.Still, it's an adventure I couldn't put down until the end, and I'm definitely going to read the next book t see What Happens Next.

[wildbill_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is number two of the John Carter of Mars books by Edgar Rice Burroughs. As I read books from the series I am growing to enjoy the non-stop action and the variety of settings and characters.As soon as John Carter gets back to Mars he starts looking for the love of his life, Deja Thoris. This leads him to meet the Therns a white skinned golden haired variety of Martian and the First Born, black men who are flying pirates. The fliers come in all sizes from single fliers like motor cycles of the air to huge machines with a capacity of tens of thousands. The fliers are a centerpiece of the continuous combat that is at the heart of the action.Tars Tarkas, a huge green warrior and one of John Carter's best friends has a large role in this story. Carter also meets Carthoris a young red martian whom Carter later learns is his son. The Therns pass themselves off as the religious leaders of Barsoom with Issus an old, ugly and evil old woman at their head. In fact they use their power to make slaves of their pilgrims that are not immediately killed.Issus reminded me of a similar ugly, evil, old woman who appeared in King Solomon's Mines. I wikied the book and the character's name is Gagool.Burroughs gives Carter incredible physical abilities based on the difference between gravity on the Earth and Mars. All he lacks is x-ray vision.The ending is a suspense filled cliff hanger. The last we see of Dejah Thoris a dagger is being thrust at her neck as the door closes on a cylindrical prison that will not open for one year.I do not agree with those who describe these books as great science fiction. Great is used so often the superlative quality of the word has become diluted. There is nothing wrong with enjoyable and entertaining which is how I would describe this book. I will continue to read them as long as they maintains that level of quality.

[yesssman_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This second book of John Carter's adventures doesn't come close to the first in terms of narrative flow, but is still a fun read. I think the progression of events just wasn't as well crafted to keep up suspense.I did enjoy what was done in this book to expand the mythology of Barsoom. I am hoping that the magnificent and beautifully symmetric hierarchy established here will be used as good setup for high adventure in the subsequent books.

[moonimal · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

If possible, this one was even more intense than the first one. All action, with lots of Deus ex Machina plot. Keeps rolling epic battle by epic battle.Not as fun as the first one, but still a quick, adventure-laden read.

[emscape · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

It’s odd but I remember liking this book so much more the first time I read it. This time, I felt mostly distaste at the massive amount of warefare and needless slaughter. Many times John Carter engages in battle and most often, he and his closest friends are the only ones surviving though hundreds and sometimes thousands fought either against or alongside him. Most noticeably when he induces the slaves to revolt and almost all of them are cut down almost immediately. But, of course, Carter escapes. He is like a god on this planet even as he seeks to expose their long-held goddess as a fake. Although with one suspenseful moment after another as Carter and his friends escape seemingly unsurmountable obstacles, and sometimes by mere chance or luck, this book does at least serve to keep the reader turning pages. This is a classic, but those who prefer a more philosophical science fiction book to space opera or alien warfare, might be less enamored of it.

[davidburrows · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

It's a while since I read this but from memory I enjoyed all this series.

[comfypants · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The second book in Burroughs' Martian series. I think I liked it better than the first. There's nearly non-stop action.

[karlstar_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

For a series as old as this one is, this is still a classic. The technology is dated, but if you read this as a fantasy novel, not sci-fi, its as good as most of the fantasy produced today. Noble heroes, great quests and interesting monsters make this a good read.

[bryanspellman · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Book 2 is a bit better but still a little long winded. I still enjoyed it and look forward to continuing this classic saga.