Monday, October 15, 2007
 
Book Report: Raiders of Gor by John Norman (1971, 1982)
This is the sixth book in the Chronicles of Counter-Earth series, and if you've been reading the blog for the last year, you'll know that I've read the first five somewhat out of order. Also, if you've been paying attention, you'll have noticed that I have read 51 books since the last Gor book I read (Outlaw of Gor, May).

I enjoy these books because Norman puts a rich tapestry into them; I don't know if he's keeping the details correct from book to book, but he has layers and layers so that sometimes the books trend into the academic about Gor. But these digressions make the fantasy world a tapestry upon which the action takes place. And, oh, the action. Plots move forward, the pacing keeps one reading one more chapter even after the sane have gone to bed.

In this book, Tarl Cabot becomes a slave while headed to Port Kar where he's supposed to meet a slaver there who serves the Priest-Kings. The slavery experience causes him to question himself as a Warrior, and he forsakes his honor to become a pirate captain. Then Gorean things happen, slave girls dance, and war occurs.

Really, the books seem to fall into Tarl going somewhere in the guise of another caste so he can view the world differently and Norman can show us different aspects of it. But they seem to work.

This book has some passages that are notably the same as earlier passages; that is, a couple sentences of exposition here and there reappear. Also, the book alludes quite a bit to people and characters from earlier books. Personally, I'm having trouble keeping up, what, with reading a pile between the books; I can't imagine what it was for someone reading these as they came out some year or so apart.

But I'll continue reading; I have 4 more to go in the first 10.

Books mentioned in this review:


- posted by Brian J. @ 9:28 PM
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To say Noggle, one first must be able to say the "Nah."