- Mass Market Paperback: 192 pages
- Publisher: Ballantine Books Inc.; New edition edition (26 Nov 1981)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0345278410
- ISBN-13: 978-0345278418
- Product Dimensions: 17.3 x 10.7 x 1.5 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 965,024 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Mass Market Paperback
If you've read other ERB books several of the plotlines in this one will be familiar - capture, kidnapping of a princess, a rescue mission with seemingly no chance of success etc., but there are enough novelties and twists to make it interesting. The early part takes place in a different city, with the hero acting undercover. The second part is the more fanciful when he takes a trip to one of the moons of Mars. ERBs fervent imagination is revealed in the continued variety of creatures - invisible, colour changing, cat men etc, as well as assassins and mad scientists. Although by itself the book is fine - the pacing is mainly just right - always at an action packed pace but still putting in enough detail to make the locations and people clear and atmospheric. The latter part of the book however, in hindsight, lacks a lot of detail that would have been welcome - the moon is changed from being the tiny satellite that may have been an imaginative new location, and the weird new creatures and adventures over the forests, mountains and rivers are a little rushed, and it all ends conveniently and suddenly. There was probably a good reason involving publishing deadlines and you don't feel shortchanged reading it, but given a few more pages I think he could have developed the ideas into another wonderful land.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
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4 reviews
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful
John Carter decides to take down the Assassins Guild
28 Aug 2003
Format:Mass Market Paperback
After being relegated to the background for the previous four Martian novels, "Swords of Mars" brings John Carter back to the forefront as he vows to bring an end to the Assassins Guild and travels to one of Barsoom's moons. Carter shows up at Edgar Rice Burroughs' cabin in the mountains of Arizona and relates this tale, which ERB then serializes as the eighth Martian story in six issues of "The Blue-Book Magazine" in 1934-35. Carter has created a secret organization of super assassins to strike back against the powerful guild of assassins, which is headquartered in the city of Zodanga, and goes to the city undercover to infiltrate their ranks. As the first step in an attempt to overthrow Ur Jan, the head of the assassins, Carter pretends to be a panthan and becomes the body guard of Fal Sivas, an inventor. Eventually, as he gets closer to his goal, Carter has to go to Thuria, one of the moons of Mars.
For the most part "Swords of Mars" is one of the most intimate novels in the series, by which I simply mean that it does not have the gigantic armies of variously colored Barsoomians and thousands of air ships arrayed in battle. The first half of the novel is basically a spy story, while the second half find Burroughs indulging in one of his imaginative flights of fancy. Of course, it is not an ERB Martian novel if Carter's beloved Dejah Thoris, princess of Helium, does not need to be rescued. Just because ERB sticks to his pulp fiction formula does not distract from the fact he was a master of the form. This is an above average Burroughs yarn and while it is a step below his best Martian tales, such as "The Chessmen of Mars," it is still a compelling tale. Best of all, John Carter is back front and center. I wound rate this novel as a 4.5, but I will round up for Carter's return.
Besides "A Princess of Mars," I think it is clear that "Swrods of Mars" is one of the primary inspirations for John Norman's Gor series, which was one of the best series that followed in the footsteps of ERB's Martian seres. Note: The first letters of the first words in the preface and twenty-four chapters from an acrostic message: "TO FLORENCE WITH ALL MY LOVE ED." The reference is to Florence Gilbert, ERB's second wife, whom he married in 1935.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
8th book is a fun read as John Carter returns to center stage
27 Mar 2012
Format:Mass Market Paperback
After focusing on other characters for a few books, the 8th Martian tales saga returns John Carter to the forefront as he goes undercover to the city of Zodanga to destroy a sect of assassins that operate from there. But, Carter discovers more afoot then he bargined for in an adventure that takes him from Zodanga to the Martian moon of Thuria and once again places his beloved princess Dejah Thoris in danger. Swords is a lot of fun, especially in the book's first half which is almost akin to a James Bond story as the undercover Carter seeks to find a way to put a stop to a ruthless guild of assassins. But meeting a brilliant but crazed scientist and some unexpected intrigue sets the second half in motion which takes us on a rescue and escape mission on Thuria. Going to Thuria presents new places and characters and also adds a fresh twist to Burroughs' often used 'rescue the damsel' scenario and makes Swords of Mars one of the better books in the later part of the series. My only criticism is that it wraps up very suddenly and a bit too quickly as if ERB just decided he did't want to write anymore on this tale. But, other then that, it's a fast, fun and imaginative read.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Bad line wrap
15 Mar 2012
Format:Kindle Edition
Librarian is right in his review. The line wrapping in this Kindle edition is terrible. It really needs to be fixed before anybody should buy it, which is a shame since the story is excellent.
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