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2.95 AVERAGE
2.95 AVERAGE
It’s absolute sexist trash, but it’s fun sexist trash, I guess.
I have nothing to say actually, I thought it was a bdsm novel but it thorns out it was a romance book. I suggest you to not waste your time with this book.
For all the hoopla about BDSM aspects of Gor novels, the first couple just read like plane old (slightly misogynistic, admittedly) barbarian adventure novels. I'm sure once I reach the later parts of the series (particularly the female PoV ones) I'll get to the crazy parts.
Well, for a dated book with a long pedigree... this was pretty bad. Sexist of course (bound naked slave girls, really!) Macho in the extreme (sword fights over everything, then after the duel the are "Sword brothers forever") full of plot holes, swashbuckling in the extreme (falling off of flying mounts and climbing up ropes dangling from the flyers to engage in swordfights on the back of the beast!) Silly, childish and so po-faced that it makes it hard to take.
So I first read this book many years ago, when I was in high school. I forgot about it until recently, when the series was recommended to me by someone I met online. Oddly enough, I've been seeing references everywhere since. I even saw a copy of this very book in a bin at an Amazon warehouse where I work. Anyway, it is apparently regarded as a very important series by the BDSM community (who knew?). Like Heinlein, but more BDSM.
Anyway, it's not a bad series. But it's not a great series either. The writing can be a little cheesy. And John Norman reminds me of Robert E. Howard, in that he clearly has a philosophy he's weaving into his sci-fi/fantasy/sword&sorcery stuff. In his case, about a rough warrior ethos, and the naturally submissive nature of females. Meh. Howard had this whole "superior barbarism vs. both inferior barbarism [with racial overtones] and decadent civilization. So . . . yeah. It's good, but not great. Fun read. Better if you get into female submission, I guess
Anyway, it's not a bad series. But it's not a great series either. The writing can be a little cheesy. And John Norman reminds me of Robert E. Howard, in that he clearly has a philosophy he's weaving into his sci-fi/fantasy/sword&sorcery stuff. In his case, about a rough warrior ethos, and the naturally submissive nature of females. Meh. Howard had this whole "superior barbarism vs. both inferior barbarism [with racial overtones] and decadent civilization. So . . . yeah. It's good, but not great. Fun read. Better if you get into female submission, I guess
If you are wanting a fun simple read then this is for you. Under 200 pages and it is filled with action, romance and simple characters. A great book to read if you are a writer and looking for some "world building" ideas.
The only thing that I would say that might be construed as negative is that John Norman appears to borrow quite a bit of ideas and concepts from Edgar Rice Burroughs, in particular, his John Carter of Mars series of books. The similarities cannot be overlooked but at the same time John Norman does create his own world.
The only thing that I would say that might be construed as negative is that John Norman appears to borrow quite a bit of ideas and concepts from Edgar Rice Burroughs, in particular, his John Carter of Mars series of books. The similarities cannot be overlooked but at the same time John Norman does create his own world.
Ако погледнете читателските мнения относно тази книга, особено тия които са я оценили като слаба, ще разберете, че тя е епитома на женомразтвото, абсолютно сексистка пропаганда, скандална, неморална повръщня, която се опитва да върне човечеството в тъмните векове. Което ме и накара да я прочета, разбира се.
Всъщност, тя е непретенциозно меч-без-магия фентъзи от типа на книжките за Конан и най-доброто, което мога да кажа за нея е, че ако е единственото, което имаш в автобуса, примерно, няма да ти се наложи да умреш от скука.
"Скандалността" на книгата е в това, че в описания фентъзи свят съществува робство и жените роби са с нашийници. Няма нищо сексуално, жестоко или каквото и да е по-интересно, нито свързано с това, нито изобщо. Главния герой даже е абсолютен уайт найт некбиърд по характер, ако и да умее да се бие, за разлика от примерно абсолютния алфа мачо Конан, но интересно за последния няма никакви "скандали".
Всъщност, тя е непретенциозно меч-без-магия фентъзи от типа на книжките за Конан и най-доброто, което мога да кажа за нея е, че ако е единственото, което имаш в автобуса, примерно, няма да ти се наложи да умреш от скука.
"Скандалността" на книгата е в това, че в описания фентъзи свят съществува робство и жените роби са с нашийници. Няма нищо сексуално, жестоко или каквото и да е по-интересно, нито свързано с това, нито изобщо. Главния герой даже е абсолютен уайт найт некбиърд по характер, ако и да умее да се бие, за разлика от примерно абсолютния алфа мачо Конан, но интересно за последния няма никакви "скандали".
this book is so badly written that you have to wonder if English was a third language for the author. And he's learned the word "incidentally", and thus uses it whenever possible. I've seen high school kids with a better facility for the language than this.
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
on the one hand this is a pretty mid yet honestly shockingly fun sword and planet/sword and sorcery novel with a legitimately out there alien world and mercifully little of the BDSM sketchiness that I am sure will come to dominate these books down the road!
Now on the other hand I can understand someone in 2024 who is not as steeped in genre fiction of this sort and its history looking back on this book and cringing due to its reputation that seems to have largely gotten thanks to the later sequels which at some point lose their dang minds and just become sketchy soft-core novels about how "women like being slaves to men!" or some other BS!
That being said there is very very little of that in this and its mostly just a fairly harmless adventure book to me at least!
Will I read the next book in this series? I honestly might if for nothing else then to see where and just how quickly the car crash this series is known for happens!
Now on the other hand I can understand someone in 2024 who is not as steeped in genre fiction of this sort and its history looking back on this book and cringing due to its reputation that seems to have largely gotten thanks to the later sequels which at some point lose their dang minds and just become sketchy soft-core novels about how "women like being slaves to men!" or some other BS!
That being said there is very very little of that in this and its mostly just a fairly harmless adventure book to me at least!
Will I read the next book in this series? I honestly might if for nothing else then to see where and just how quickly the car crash this series is known for happens!
I was glad to revisit this novel. It kept me entertained, to a point. I can easily how it would be called out by modern society, especially women, given the treatment of the gender in the book. .