The Chessmen of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really have to say... Burroughs is consistently surprising me.

I particularly like how he's moving away from the whole Earthling god on Mars bit and focusing on Carter's kids. His daughter is a real firecracker, but only in the older sense of a noble's kid who is taught everything from her doting father in contravention to societal norms. Oh well, right? But this DID come out in 1922. And it's a standard convention by this point. So whatever.

This is an ADVENTURE ROMANCE. That means there ought to be a bunch of fiery looks and bodice-ripping, no? Well, thanks to the age, there's not so much bodice-ripping, but there is plenty of that love/hate passion and men who don't have a freaking clue as to how to deal with women but go totally chivalrous and noble without the slightest idea that they'll either get out of it alive OR have a kind word said from said women.

In other words, it's just another day in love-land.

With lots of severed heads. You can't have a romance without severed heads. A lot of them. Oh, and deadly chess with live pieces.

Fun, right? Yes. I have to admit I have had a lot of fun with these.

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