The Gods of Mars

The Gods of Mars (1913) is the second novel in Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Barsoom series, continuing the thrilling adventures of John Carter on the planet Mars (known as Barsoom). John Carter returns to Mars ten years after being mysteriously transported back to Earth at the end of A Princess of Mars. He arrives in the Valley Dor, believed by Martians to be heaven, but he quickly discovers it is actually a deadly trap ruled by the sinister Therns, a manipulative priesthood. Carter, along with his Martian friend Tars Tarkas, fights to escape the valley, exposing the false religion and oppressive hierarchy of Barsoom. Along the way, he encounters new allies, including Thuvia, a brave and loyal Martian woman, and struggles to reunite with his beloved Dejah Thoris, who has been imprisoned. The novel is packed with battles, prison escapes, and otherworldly landscapes, leading to a cliffhanger ending that sets the stage for the next book, The Warlord of Mars. (This is an automatically generated summary.)