I liked this one much better than the first, I found the action much more interesting and much better flow.

un gran passo avanti rispetto al suo predecessore,"dei di Marte" è più coinvolgente, divertente, e la tematica razziale è meno presente,anche se qui,paradossalmente, le razze sono di più. John è meno arrogante, i suoi alleati sono meno piatti, e il nemico principale è molto più cattivo dei due antagonisti dello scorso romanzo. Issus è uno di quei personaggi,che,nel momento in cui compare,non riesci a fare a meno di odiare. La parte del tempio dei Thern è divertente,ma il combattimento nella arena dei primi nati è indubbiamente il più coinvolgente ,l'adrenalina sale vertiginosamente. Dejah,la principessa di Marte, è meno presente che nello scorso libro ma la sua quasi completa mancanza crea spazio per gli aiutanti di John, Xodar e Carthoris in particolare. L'unico difetto che sono riuscito a trovare, sempre considerando che stiamo parlando di un planetary romance e non di un romanzo impegnativo, sono stati le saltuarie situazioni appena accennate e dei personaggi che compaiono troppo poco tempo,specialmente gli uomini pianta che, come le scimmie bianche in "principessa di Marte",sono messi lì per angosciare il lettore una decina di minuti,senza che vengano analizzati e fatti comparire più volte. Il colpo di scena finale ti va venire voglia di sapere cosa sia successo tra le mura di Issus, costringendo il lettore a leggere il terzo e ultimo romanzo della trilogia di John Carter di Marte. Fortunatamente in Italia li vendono tutti e tre insieme.

As usual, Burroughs creates an honorific, flawlessly intricate society in which John Carter has still more obstacles heaped upon him before he can quietly settle down in piece on Barsoom. The captivating story, the constant action, and the ever-resilient and driven Carter drive the story in a compelling narrative. I can't put these books down. Onto the Warlord of Mars!

The continuing adventures of John Carter...

Left dangling by the cliffhanger ending of the first in Edgar Rice Burroughs' Barsoom chronicles, [b:A Princess of Mars|8171345|A Princess of Mars (Barsoom, #1)|Edgar Rice Burroughs|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1328312015s/8171345.jpg|1129624], I had no alternative but to take up the chronicles again, Would John Carter ever find a way to return to Barsoom (Mars, to you and me)? Would the people of Barsoom have survived the danger that threatened to destroy their world? Would Dejah Thoris' egg have hatched?!?

NB There is no way to review this book without spoilers for the first, so if you intend to read the books at some point, you may want to skip this review...

Once again, we are told the story by John Carter himself, in the journals that he left in the possession of his nephew when he was last on Earth. After spending many years trying to find a way back to Mars, one night John Carter is swept back there (no explanation is given – that would spoil the fun). But rather than being returned to the city of Helium, where he hopes that his lost love Dejah Thoris and his little chicky-child will be waiting for him, he lands in a mighty forest populated by fiercely vicious creatures – the Plant Men!

Its hairless body was a strange and ghoulish blue, except for a broad band of white which encircled its protruding, single eye: an eye that was all dead white – pupil, iris, and ball. Its nose was a ragged, inflamed, circular hole in the center of its blank face; a hole that resembled more closely nothing that I could think of other than a fresh bullet wound which has not yet commenced to bleed.

From this starting point we are whirled into another frantic adventure story, filled with heroics and battles, love, loyalty and horrors of all kinds. And the greatest horror of all is the ancient goddess, Issus, obese and wrinkled (and, of course, naked – do bear in mind that everyone is naked all the time), who rules the race of the black First Born, who think of themselves as gods. This gives them the right not only to enslave any passing strangers but to...you might want to put down your bun for a moment here...eat all the red and green Martians, and they're even willing to sample the odd Earthman should he be tender enough. But there is another race who also think themselves gods – the white Therns – who share the appetite for sautéed Martian. And for some reason all the other Martians think that this place is their version of heaven, the place they go to to die, thus delivering themselves up to the ever-peckish gods...if they make it past the Plant Men...

And by pure coincidence, who should happen along to the forest at the same time as John Carter but his old green Thark friend Tars Tarkas, and a young boy with the nature of a true warrior, and skills that he can only have inherited from his father, whose name is... well, that's a bit of a secret actually. Much hoohah ensues, with lots of derring-do, and finally John Carter makes his way to Helium only to discover that his beloved Dejah Thoris has been captured by the First Born and is scheduled to appear on the dinner-plate of Issus in one year's time. Will John Carter be able to get together a war fleet and rescue her in time??

“And you! You shall be the meanest slave in the service of the goddess you have attempted to humiliate. Tortures and ignominies shall be heaped upon you until you grovel at my feet asking the boon of death. In my gracious generosity I shall at length grant your prayer, and from the high balcony of the Golden Cliffs I shall watch the great white apes tear you asunder.”

(A hint for travellers – when a Martian goddess says she loves you, don't tell her about the little woman back home...)

Finally...finally...John Carter and Dejah Thoris meet as the battle rages around them. (Which is a good thing since it puts a stop to John Carter's outrageous flirting with every woman he meets!) So brave John Carter shoves her into a side tunnel for safety while he goes off to battle a million or so of the First Born.

Just as an aside at this point, I feel I have to mention that John Carter has brought all kinds of human values with him to Mars, like love and loyalty and heroism, but unfortunately (and I think we must bear in mind here that he's a man) it doesn't seem to have occurred to him to bring the most important human value of all – that of wearing suitable clothing...or indeed any clothing. It's bad enough leaving the eternal love of your life unarmed and unprotected in a tunnel, but leaving her there undressed too seems so much worse somehow. I reckon there's a huge commercial opportunity for us Earthlings to set up Marks & Spencer franchises throughout the Martian cities – surely given a choice the Martian women would be glad of some decent thermal underwear.

Anyway, back to the battle! After numerous acts of heroism, John Carter returns for Dejah Thoris only to find that... there's another cliffhanger ending!!! Will John Carter and Dejah Thoris ever get together again? Will he be whisked back to Earth? Will my favourite character of all, Woola the dog-like calot, ever re-appear or (gulp!) has someone eaten him?? Will I really have to read the next book in the series to find out???

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Solid pulp adventure. Not as good as the first book. The second time around feels a little more derivative. Still a lot of fun in a roller coaster sort of way. Highly enjoyable reading candy.

The sheer volume of coincidences is a bit ridiculous.