The Gods of Mars

Barsoom Series, Book 2

By: Edgar Rice Burroughs

Narrated by: Scott Brick

Length: 8 hrs and 43 mins

Publisher's summary

Soldier and adventurer John Carter tells the story of how he returns to the planet Mars to be reunited with his love, the Martian princess Dejah Thoris. With his great friend Tars Tarkas, mighty Jeddak of Thark, Carter sets out in search of his princess. But Dejah Thoris has vanished. And Carter becomes trapped in the legendary Eden of Mars, from which none has ever escaped alive.

Public Domain (P)2012 Tantor

one of the best books I've ever read

I find that the narrator was just as good as the book as with any story you listen to on tape it takes a little while to get used to the person reading it but in this case I found that I got used to the person reading it very quickly he was awesome full of expression and kept me listening to it fervently. the book itself was awesome full of action and compassion and heroism. I love the main character and all of his much-needed forged relationships along the way each character you meet in the story has its own unique background and attraction. the story is so full of twists and turns I found that not through a single part of the story was I bored in fact I hated the moments that I had to shut it off and jump back into the real world. I'm going to leave this review short while just adding that I appreciate much that the author put so much work into this book and the narrator as well. thank you for delivering an amazing story which kept me hemmed on the edge of my seat from start to finish. I can't wait to start the third book!!!!!!!

Great reading of a somewhat heavyhanded story

The reading by Scott Brick was well done and, as I mentioned in my last review, fit the pacing and tone of the story. No fake accents, no overacting and he changes his voice to suit the passage he is reading. The rest of my review will be concerning the content of the book which dampens my liking for this fine narration.

While not anti-religious, Edgar Rice Burroughs was worried about what he saw as religious fanaticism and the dangers that lay within such blind devotion to an institution. This is an interesting theme and the plot points that tie this story together are rather interesting, but I feel that much of the story was being used to bash this over the readers head.

Take the words "religious fanaticism" and write them thirty times in a page and then fill in the blanks with dialogue, that is what reading this book feels like at times. The concept of being careful about who or what someone is devoted to, and the way in which we as humans express our devotion is an engaging theme, but I find it annoying when an author tries to cram an allegory down my throat.

JRR Tolkien said that he has despised the allegory since he became old enough to detect it, and for my reading I tend to steer clear of any work that keeps repeating the message over and over throughout the text in bald repetition to make sure the message got through.

Still, there are still enough adventure and story points that make this an exciting story and worth the time to read it. I don't know that I would relisten to the whole thing again, perhaps just excerpts while reading on the kindle.

Considering the age, surprised it's not more dated

Any additional comments?

Took me a chapter to get into this story but once I did I was in for the entire ride. Great action adventure. A bit predictable today, but that's because so many of the concepts have been used since.

The father of Tarzon

Proves to also possess cosmic genius!. As a child, I was inordinately devoted to the ape man's adventures… So much so that I never sampled any of Edgar Rice Burroughs other tales. What a pleasure to discover so many decades later that the author' splendid imagination and Rich language ranged from the jungle to all the way to Mars...hey story further enriched by an excellent performance.

man oh man

This series has been Interesting. I have had this series marked for awhile and have had a hard time stopping since I started. The Narrator is phenomenal and draws you in so well.

Fantasy adventure in the grand tradition

John Carter returns to Barsoom to find a cruel creature taking advantage of Mar's sacred beliefs--reunites with Tars Tarkas, and meets his son Carthoris.
But has a hell of a time getting back to his princess.

The Gods of Mars

Scott Brick nails this trilogy. Listening to this version is by far my favorite. I suggest getting this trilogy, then the Barsoom anthology. Yeah, it’s that good.

Love these books

If you could sum up The Gods of Mars in three words, what would they be?

Typical John Carter

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Gods of Mars?

The fight with the Plant Men

Which character – as performed by Scott Brick – was your favorite?

Brick is fantastic as always. He portrays John Carter very well.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I pretty much did.

Any additional comments?

I've read and have loved these novels for over 35 years. I keep coming back and I enjoy them just as much with each re-reading or listen.

Vivid imagination holds true today

The amazing imagination of the author provides a deep, rich story that modern readers can enjoy every bit as the contemporary readers of his time representing a bygone age of love, selflessness, and chivalry.

Scott Brick Takes On a Classic Adventure

The John Carter trilogy (Princess of Mars, Gods of Mars, Warlord of Mars) was a high school favorite of mine, and these three books were among the first purchases I made after joining Audible. I chose the Gene Engene recording of "Gods" and my review of it is there. But that production was marred by technical problems, so when the recent movie tie-in came out with veteran narrator Scott Brick at the helm, I decided to get a "new, improved" version of this middle book.

Technically this is indeed a good production. But Scott Brick's modern, somewhat deadpan delivery seems at odds with the over-the-top drama of the "this is my marvelous life" voice that Burroughs used for John Carter's first-person "memoir." Admittedly, capturing the colorful dramatics without sounding silly is a tough job for any narrator. Brick is a pro, and this is a professional if not inspired reading.

I still like Sondricker's narration of the first book, "Princess of Mars," the best. Engene's version of "Warlord" is fine, technical problems were fixed, but "Warlord" isn't as good as the first two books.