“The Gods of Mars” widens Edgar Rice Burroughs’s Barsoom with new peoples, new settings and plenty of action. John Carter and his wife, Dejah Thoris, are back in this second novel of the “Barsoom” series. Some readers find that the nonstop pace and a run of lucky escapes make the story feel mechanical. Anyone who enjoyed “A Princess of Mars” will find more of the same adventure on a broader canvas.

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About the book

The Gods of Mars is a science fantasy novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs and the second of Burroughs' Barsoom series. It features the characters of John Carter and Carter's wife Dejah Thoris. It was first published in The All-Story as a five-part serial in the issues for January–May 1913. It was later published as a complete novel by A. C. McClurg in September, 1918 and in many editions subsequently.

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Reading order · Barsoom

Full order & progress →

7.07.58.0

7.4

7.8

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19121913191419201922192719301936194019481964

7.07.58.0

19121913191419201922192719301936194019481964

7.4

7.8

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Score per volume11 volumes on a timeline, 1912 to 1964 · Best-rated volume: The Gods of Mars

Where the score comes from

The sources average 7.5 across 86 ratings — not yet many, so the reader vote carries 37% of the weight and the rest pulls toward the Classics average of 7.7. That is how 7.8 comes out.