Christopher Paul Carey

Author and ERB UNIVERSE Creative Director Christopher Paul Carey's concluding novel in the SWORDS OF ETERNITY quadrology, brings to the fore the young, brilliant, and snarky Pellucidar-born and surface Earth educated physicist and action hero/heroine Victory (von) Harben, the newest ERB-inspired epic character who has appeared in cameos and in back-of-the book novelettes in the three proceeding novels.

Victory is a controversial addition. Born in 1930 following the gilak/human victory over show more the Mahars of Pelucidar and, at the precocious age of eleven, travellings to the surface Earth to study theoretical physics, her depiction, at times, is more akin to a more modern young woman in both her behavior and speech (e.g., anachronistic aphorisms) -- although her taste in music is refreshingly decade-appropriate.

From a publishing standpoint, perhaps, she provides a more relatable introduction to the works of Edgar Rice Burroughs for new, modern, young adult, readers. Yet, for we elderly ERB fans, she can be both too much and not enough.

One facet of her story that is, at least superficially, appealing is her being flung across space, time, and alternate dimensions (a.k.a. "angles" in-story) which permit not only limitless crossovers with all the long-established worlds of ERB, from Pellucidar, Amtor, Va-Nah, Barsoom, and the many worlds of the Omos solar system "Beyond the Farthest Star" -- as well as into conversations with the famous, long-loved characters who inhabit them (if, unfortunately, one-dimensionally depicted), but also the introduction of new unexplored worlds and cultures -- such as those of Mercury in our solar system, Zandar and Uvala in the Omos system, and more besides.

Another controversial facet of Victory's story, and the whole SWORDS OF ETERNITY quadrology, is the painstaking effort to explain, scientifically, or, more precisely, pseudo-scientifically, many of the great mysteries ERB did not fully explain, and, in light of the advancement of knowledge regarding the Earth and our neighboring planets over the past century since ERB wrote his works of planetary romance as factual recounts, these new novels seek to provide "answers" in the hope to re-establish the continued suspension of belief when the plausability of the existence of Mars as Barsoom, Amtor as Venus, Va-Nah as the Moon, and the orbital torus of atmosphere encompassing the shared orbit of the eleven planets of Omos could, in the modern day, not be sustained.

Carey, and his fellow writers, go even further to postulate more modern pseudoscientific explanations on how ERB's famous heroes could travel by spirit or even physically between planets -- even, as in the case of Tangor, after their death. A lot of effort, and verbiage, is extended in this task. Unfortunately, some of this seems forced, and worse, imho, the effort removes the awe of the unknown ERB achieved by not overexplaining these mysteries. My preference is to take delight in the magician's show than to have the tricks explained to me. Your preference may differ.

When the story explores new worlds, peoples, and cultures, it is at its most entertaining. At times, particularly Victory's final triumph over the villainous Harrods, the first-person POV exposition recounting of what occurs/occured lacks sufficient development and emotional depth and resonance. The elements are all present to engage the readers' emotions. They simply, at least for me, were not sufficiently crafted to do so.

These novels (and related comics from American Mythology) are marketed as "canonical." However, in the extensive effort to explain what ERB left unexplained and to create a single all-encomposing pseudo-scientific, more contemporary, cohesive "ERB UNIVERSE," I prefer to think of these ERB UNIVERSE novels, stories, and comics as being of a separate canonical than that of the original ERB works.

Still, all-in-all, an interesting endeavor for the old ERB fan (more than the new) can enjoy and contemplate. show less

VICTORY HARBEN: TALES OF THE VOID:
(1) reprints the interconnected back-up stories published in the four ERB UNIVERSE -- THE SWORDS OF ETERNITY novels and in the novel RED AXE OF PELLUCIDAR,
(2) a new tale of Victory Harben written specifically for this volume, and
(3) bridging "Quantum Interludes, Conan, and Postlude" between and after the stories that reference pertinent events in THE SWORDS OF ETERNITY novels as well as the various related comic book series published by American Mythology show more Comics, and
(4) brings THE SWORDS OF ETERNITY story arc to conclusion [-- for now. At this volume's conclusion, there is a promotion for VICTORY HARBEN: REAVERS OF WORLDS (forthcoming).

While sufficiently entertaining, the stories most salient features are not necessarily their plots but:
(1) the nostalgic revisits to ERB's worlds and (albeit mostly in one dimensional cameos) characters,
(2) the expansion into other worlds of the Omos solar system beyond Poloda of BEYOND THE FARTHEST STAR, and, in the case of Geary Gravel's tale, to Thuria and Cluros, the moons of Barsoom, as well as completely new settings, and
(3) the interesting, if, at times, convoluted, offering of a cosmology and "science" that unites the entire ERB UNIVERSE to explain what the great Master of Adventure left unexplained.

A couple of internal consistencies are present [e.g., Victory arrives clothed in her first transition of interdimensional space, but then, like John Carter's first transitions, arrives naked in subsequent worlds until instructed by Dejah Thoris on how, as relayed to her by John Carter, she can "mindfully" transition with her clothing and gear], some mysteries are unexplained [e.g., how Betty Calwell's interdimensional travel (and it is a delight to see and learn more about Ms. Calwell) differs from that of Victory's and Jason Gridley's, and how the latter's uncontrolled world-hopping is stopped by her ability to take him between worlds with her].

I best admired Geary Gravel's prose and expansion of our knowledge of ERB's Barsoomian moons (albeit, I winced a wee bit, but mostly chuckled) at how his feline aliens of Thuria are afraid of water and can be easily distracted by the equivalent of a laser pointer).

Mike Wolfer's concluding tale "Rescue on Zander" is very entertaining, although it is a tale not of Victory Harben -- or of her godfatherJason Gridley who was similiarly swept wandering between worlds following Victory -- but of her soon-to-be friend Tii-laa of Zandar as told in the related comics. The change in point-of-view is a bit disconcerting from a cohesive narrative perspective, which the related Interlude and Coda attempt to correct. Still, it is an intriguing tale.

After reading the series, I am not 100% certain why it is named THE SWORDS OF ETERNITY -- with one exception, the soul-sucking swords of the villainous Zeraphim, but they are not the focal point of the story arc.

A chronological reading of THE SWORDS OF ETERNITY story arc is a challenge to devise, and, for some, it may not be worth the effort to do so.
For those who wish to, I offer the following (although it is purely by my recollection and may not be perfect -- and with the time of events overlapping, and some stories being retold or reprinted multiple times, a "perfect" chronology may not be achievable). In what follows, I attempt to follow the life of the central character, Victory Harben:

1. TARZAN: BATTLE FOR PELLUCIDAR [Victory is age 11]
2. PELLUCIDAR: ACROSS THE SAVAGE SEAS (comics) [The story of how Victory's mother and father met, recounted to Victory as a teen.]
3. TALES FROM THE VOID: PELLUCIDAR--DARK OF THE SUN [note: a comic adaption of this is found in American Mythology's CARSON OF VENUS series]
4. CARSON OF VENUS: EDGE OF ALL WORLDS
5. TALES OF THE VOID: VICTORY HARBEN--CLASH ON CASPAK
6. TALES OF THE VOID: VICTORY HARBEN--STORM WINDS OF VA-NAH
7. JOHN CARTER OF MARS: GODS OF THE FORGOTTEN
8. VICTORY HARBEN: FIRES OF HALOS (Chapters 1- 12)
9. TALES OF THE VOID: VICTORY HARBEN AND THE LORD OF THE VEILED EYE
10. TALES OF THE VOID: JASON GRIDLEY OF EARTH--ACROSS THE MOONS OF MARS
11. VICTORY HARBEN: FIRES OF HALOS (Chapters 13-End)
12. TALES OF THE VOID: BEYOND THE FARTHEST STAR--RESCUE ON ZANDAR
13. TALES OF THE VOID: QUANTUM CODA--INTO THE UNKNOWN
14. TALES OF THE VOID: WARRIORS OF ZANDAR (Comics)
15. TALES OF THE VOID: GHOSTS OF OMOS (Comics)
16. TALES OF THE VOID: QUANTUM POSTLUDE--THE OMOS ENIGMA show less